Sen. Chesney Awards Scholarship to Support Scales Mound High School Trap Team
I recently stopped by Scales Mound High School and surprised students and coaches from the school’s Trap Team with a $500 scholarship to help support the school’s trap program. The scholarship was made available by the Illinois Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus.
The Illinois Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus is the largest and one of the oldest caucuses in the General Assembly, and includes membership from the Senate and House. With regard to trap shooting, Illinois is home to about 500,000 recreational shooters, and trap shooting is a sport that can be enjoyed by sportsmen and women of all ages.
Scales Mound Trap Team Coach Jeremy Williams had this to say upon receiving the donation: “We participate in the Illinois State High School Clay Target League through USA High School Clay Target League. The support we receive from Senator Chesney does not go unnoticed nor does the support from our community. All these athletes work hard to accomplish goals during every spring and fall trap shooting season. Thank you very much to Senator Andrew Chesney and the Illinois Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus for this $500.00 grant.”
Stephenson County Fatal Crash Investigation Update
The following release was issued by the Stephenson County Sheriff’s Office on September 24 regarding a single-vehicle crash in the area of U.S. Route 20 East and Rock City Road.
On September 23, 2025, at approximately 3:07 p.m., Stephenson County Sheriff’s Office personnel responded to a report of a single-vehicle crash in the area of U.S. Route 20 East and Rock City Road. Deputies arriving on scene located a vehicle with significant front-end damage in the north ditch.
The driver and sole occupant, a 76-year-old woman from Galena, Illinois, was transported to a nearby hospital where she was later pronounced deceased.
Preliminary investigation indicates the vehicle had been traveling westbound on U.S. Route 20 East when, for unknown reasons, it veered off the roadway and entered the north ditch. While traveling through the ditch, the vehicle struck an embankment and became airborne before coming to rest near a residential driveway in the 7500 block of U.S. Route 20 East. All airbags were deployed during the crash.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation. The name of the decedent is being withheld pending notification of next of kin. An autopsy has been scheduled for today.
The Stephenson County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the German Valley Fire Department and the Stephenson County Coroner’s Office for their assistance at the scene.
State Government Spending Surges 40% Under Pritzker as Governor Blames Washington
As families continue to struggle, state government spending in Illinois has grown nearly 40 percent in just seven years under Governor JB Pritzker. Despite record tax collections, the Governor continues to expand government spending while trying to shift the blame for the state’s fiscal challenges onto the federal government.
Last week, Pritzker signed an executive order telling agencies to cut up to 4 percent from their budgets while once again blaming Washington for the state’s fiscal troubles. The order instructs agencies to curb non-essential spending, review hiring decisions, and prepare reserves in case of slower revenue growth.
While Pritzker seeks to blame Washington, I believe the problem lies with state spending. Earlier this year, Governor Pritzker signed a budget totaling more than $55 billion and added over $1 billion in new taxes and revenue gimmicks on the backs of Illinois taxpayers and businesses.
The Governor and his allies have also pushed proposals that would have raised everyday costs, including a $1.50 delivery tax on packages, new service taxes on haircuts, car repairs, and home maintenance, as well as a digital advertising tax aimed at small businesses.
While state payrolls and programs expand, private-sector job growth in Illinois continues to trail neighboring states. Families face rising costs of living, yet government spending keeps accelerating.
Illinois’ record revenues underscore that the state does not have a revenue problem but a spending problem. Illinois families are forced to live within their means every day, but Springfield continues to grow government faster than taxpayers can keep up.
Illinois Native Named Among NASA’s 2025 Astronaut Candidates
Savanna-native Cameron Jones has been selected as one of 10 astronaut candidates in NASA’s 2025 class following a nationwide competition that drew more than 8,000 applicants.
Jones, 35, is a U.S. Air Force major and an experienced test pilot with more than 1,600 flight hours in more than 30 aircraft, including 150 combat hours.
Jones holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in aerospace engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is also a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base and the U.S. Air Force Weapons School at Nellis Air Force Base. At the time of his selection, he was serving as an Air Force Academic Fellow at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.
The 2025 astronaut class reported for duty at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston in September of this year. Their two-year program includes survival skills, robotics, geology, medicine, language study, simulated spacewalks, and flights in high-performance jets.
Once training is complete, candidates will become eligible for missions to the International Space Station, the Moon, and eventually Mars.
Upcoming Events in the 45th District
I am finishing up 2025 with a few events that have been very popular in the past. Please mark your calendars for these upcoming events:
- Wednesday, October 7: IPASS on Demand in Galena, 3:00 PM – 7:00 PM, Galena City Hall, 101 Green Street, Galena
- Saturday, December 13: Pet Adoption Event in Freeport, 12:00 Noon – 2:30 PM, Friends Forever Humane Society, 966 W. Rudy Road, Freeport
Additional events are added regularly to my outreach calendar. Please visit the Events page of my website to remain up to date on events near you.
