Quick Hits: Illinois News In Brief For March 22, 2022

By The Center Square Staff:

Fatal crash details revealed

New details are emerging from a massive pileup near the Illinois-Missouri border that left six people dead last week.

According to police, a semi tractor-trailer was rear-ended by another truck, which caused a chain reaction. More than 60 vehicles were involved in the pile-up after the initial crash.

Gas pumping video goes viral

An Illinois man filling up his recreational vehicle and paying over $900 has gone viral on TikTok.

Last week, the Chicago man’s child posted a video showing her dad filling up his RV on his way to a Florida vacation. After the minute=long video, the gas pump showed 170 gallons of fuel cost $944. Since it has been posted, the video has been viewed more than 16 million times.

Springfield high schools to get metal detectors

Another Illinois school district will be installing metal detectors in high schools.

The Springfield school board voted Monday to purchase and install metal detectors at the entrances of high schools.

The vote comes after a student was stabbed in August, and another student was stabbed and killed in November. Springfield is the latest in a long line of Illinois school districts to bring in metal detectors.

Northwestern condemns Russia's invasion of Ukraine

An Illinois school is joining 20 other universities worldwide in condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Northwestern University’s associate provost of Global Affairs said Russia’s invasion is a flagrant violation of international law. The 21 universities that have signed on to their position said they support Ukrainian victims and those in need.

State awards $4 million in health worker grants

The Illinois Department of Human Services has announced it has awarded $4 million in grant funding to support the Certified Recovery Support Specialist Success program.

The program prepares students for entry-level positions as behavioral health workers in areas like mental health and substance use recovery. Students can apply for the program at several schools around the state, including Northern Illinois University, Southern Illinois University and Heartland Community College.

Supermarkets make Top 10 list

A new survey reveals the best supermarkets in the country and the top three have locations in Illinois.

According to USA Today, the Fresh Market took the top spot with several locations around the state. Hy-Vee came in second, with over 200 locations around the Midwest. Aldi was voted the third best supermarket, and now has more than 2,100 stores throughout the country since opening its first location in Iowa in 1976.

The focus of the work of The Center Square Illinois is state- and local-level government and economic reporting that approaches stories with a taxpayer sensibility. For more stories from The Center Square, visit TheCenterSquare.com.