More than a hundred grassroots activists, defeated candidates and party loyalists descended on a meeting of the Illinois Republican Party’s top leaders on Saturday, voicing frustration over last month’s election results that extended the state’s one-party Democratic governance.

Here’s a link to the story at the Chicago Tribune.

A federal appeals court on Friday permanently blocked the Biden administration from requiring religious doctors and hospitals to perform transgender medical services that violate their conscience, becoming the second court to do so.

Here’s a link to the story at Fox News.

EDWARDSVILLE — For six area families, Saturday marks the first anniversary of the day they lost loved ones when an EF-3 tornado struck an Amazon warehouse in Edwardsville.

Here’s a link to the story.

MARION — When plans were being made to exchange Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout for WNBA star Brittney Griner, negotiations were taking place far from Southern Illinois. But to get the trade accomplished, Bout’s journey would begin in Marion.

Here’s a link to the story.

Democratic state Sen. Scott Bennett of Champaign, who played an integral role only days ago in passing legislation that clarified the state’s landmark criminal reform justice act, died Friday from complications of a large brain tumor, according to a statement released by his office. He was 45.

Here’s a link to the story at the Chicago Tribune.

After keeping the world at arm’s length for roughly two years, the entertainment world could finally get more personal again in 2022. And it did. The year in photos.

Here’s a link to the story.

SPRINGFIELD — A new 730 area code overlaying the current 618 area code will be introduced in Southern Illinois next year, the Illinois Commerce Commission announced Wednesday.

Here’s the link to the story.

It is the most uneven of swaps at the most unlikely of times, but perhaps the intense pressure of this moment is why the exchange of a US basketball star for a Russian arms dealer ended up happening now.

Here’s the link to the story.

A Zelenskyy quip. A Trump conspiracy. A Biden gaffe. Here are the 10 most notable quotes of the past year.

Here’s the link to the story.

CARBONDALE — SIH, the region’s largest healthcare provider, announced today that 76 positions within senior leadership, management and corporate services would be eliminated or reorganized.

Here’s a link to the story at the Southern Illinoisan.