(Springfield--jc) -- Eight former Illinois workers are suing Gov. Bruce Rauner's administration, alleging they lost their jobs for political reasons.The workers were laid off from the Illinois Department of Transportation. The governor's administration last year said the layoffs were partly a case of "cleaning up past hiring mistakes and personnel practices. Rauner said the employees were illegally hired patronage workers under previous Democratic governors.The lawsuit filed in federal court Friday argues that the layoffs were part of a deliberate "attempt to deprive the plaintiffs of their employment in retaliation for not being supporters of Gov. Bruce Rauner and the Republican Party. The eight were moved to a different department and eventually laid off.
WAUKEGAN, Ill. (AP) — The Libertarian candidate for Illinois governor, who's campaigned against the state's child-support system, engaged in a shouting match with a judge about money he owes his ex-wife and access to child visitation. The (Arlington Heights) Daily Herald reports Grayson Jackson balked at scheduling a meeting with his daughter at a neutral family visitation center.
(Danville-jc) -- Two semi drivers were injured in a two vehicle accident early Tuesday morning. Police say 63 year old Donald Hendershot of Gospart Indiana lost control of his rig just before 5 am yesterday and his vehicle struck the rear of a second semi driven by 67 year old Simone Certain of Newton Iowa. Hendershots semi rolled over and Certains ended in the east side ditch. Both were taken to area hospitals with non-life threatening injuries.
(Washington-jc) -- What’s the outlook for soybeans? U-S-D-A Meteorologist Brady Rippy provides some details…
(Rantoul--jc) Rantoul Village leaders are in the process of crossing the t’s and dotting the i’s on sell documents for the three hanger properties and the A T and T call center. All three properties are located on the former the former Chanute Air Force base in the village. Still to go in the process is approval from the Rantoul Village board and publishing the selling of the properties in the federal register. A California group has agreed to buy the three hangers and the call center for just over 5 point 5 million dollars. These are the final deeds from the process that started with the closure of Chanute Air Force Base in 1993.
(Springfield-- ab) -- Advocates are urging the governor to sign legislation creating the Illinois council on women and girls into law.State Representative Anna Moeller of Elgin says the establishment of the council will ensure that women’s voices are heard and influence policies and legislation...
State Representative Anna Moeller of Elgin
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Illinois will receive more than $15 million in federal money to construct an electric transmission line in southern Illinois. The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Monday the $15.3 grant for Illinois is part of nearly $350 million in 20 rural electric projects in 14 states. The Illinois project allows Marion-based Southern Illinois Power Cooperative to install 21 miles of transmission line from the Marion Power Plant to a new substation in Carrier Mills.
(Rantoul--jc) The Rantoul Area Chamber of Commerce is hosting a “Paint Like Me” Party next month. Officials with the local chamber say the event is set for September 21st at the Recreation building on East Flessner. The cost for those interested is 30 dollars.
(Paxton--jc) It was not a lightning strike on a person in Paxton on Monday night. With the severe weather on Monday evening throughout the area, several reports of damage were provided. Reports on a person being struck by lightning was actually a very close lightning strike and a person at Monical’s Pizza felt a tingle in his arm when he touched a door. Emergency officials provided care for the man. The amount of lightning strikes did cause some damage to that area of Paxton.
NANYANG, China (AP) — Christians across China have seen their churches raided and their Bibles confiscated amid the atheist ruling Communist Party's ambitious new effort to dictate _ and in some cases displace _ the practice of faith. Some have lost their jobs or faced evictions as President Xi Jinping pushes a campaign to lend "Chinese characteristics" to a religion traditionally aligned with Western democracy.
(Undated--jc) Illinois is celebrating its 200th anniversary as a state. Here is today’s Bicentennial Minute…
(Springfield--jc) -- The Illinois Department of Veteran’s Affairs is honoring purple heart recipients. The purple heart is awarded to any member of the U-S Armed Forces who has been wounded or killed in combat. Veteran’s Affairs Director Stephen Curda was at an event in Springfield on Tuesday and thanked approximately 5 thousand heroes…
Veterans Affairs Director Stephen Curda
A purple heart memorial was built at the Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield several years ago.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — The Illinois Bicentennial will be on full display this weekend _ for free. The Illinois State Museum will participate in the Illinois Office of Tourism's Doors Open Illinois program. Admission will be free on Aug. 11-12 for the new exhibition "Bicentennial and Beyond! The Illinois Legacy Collection." The exhibit celebrates the Prairie State's 200th birthday and features rare and rarely seen artifacts from the museum's collection of more than 13 million items.
(Springfield--jc) Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner signed a law that puts the state in charge of regulating drones, overriding municipal regulations in towns that had them. The governor signed Senate Bill 32-91 making the state the regulator of drones, also known as unmanned aircraft. The law, effective immediately, says the regulation of an unmanned aircraft system is an exclusive power and function of the state. No unit of local government, including home rule unit, may enact an ordinance or resolution to regulate unmanned aircraft systems.
(Chicago--jc) --The price tag for parents to send their kids back to school this year is estimated at more than 500 dollars. The back-to-school shopping list seems to grow every year, and never seems to get any cheaper. Liz Verrill, an audit partner with accounting and consulting firm Deloitte, said a new survey puts the back-to-school price tag at about 510 dollars per family this year. The total in the country is 28 Billion dollars.
(Washing.ton--jc) -- What is the latest look at the nation’s corn crop. U-S-D-A Meteorologist Brad Rippey has the details…
U-S-D-A Meteorologist Brad Rippey.
(Undated--jc) -- Illinois ranked 28th in C-N-B-C's annual list of "America's Top States for Business," far behind other states in the Midwest. C-N-B-C’s scorecard on state economic climate ranked states on competitiveness to show their ability to attract businesses. The list has both Republican-model and Democrat-model success stories at, or near, the top. But even highlighting its strengths, Illinois was in the bottom half of the rankings.The comprehensive ranking of states is based on their ability to lure and retain businesses. It used more than 60 metrics to compare the states against each other. The most important were workforce, infrastructure, and cost of doing business.
(Bloomington--jc) -- One local Illinois State Senator says the Russia-election hacking probe is being made into a political issue. 53rd District State Senator Jason Barickman of Bloomington says both Republicans and Democrats in Springfield were already working on ways to protect the election process in the state when information was released on Russia hacking in elections. Barickman says Democrats are trying to use the issue against Republicans…
53rd District State Senator Jason Barickman of Bloomington
(Undated--jc) --Illinoisans are heading for the door more than nearly any other state, according to a report on how many households are using moving services to leave.Stevens Worldwide Van Lines’ annual long-distance moving study found Illinois had more than twice the number of households moving out of state than moving in. Using data from the American Moving and Storage Association’s database of more than 150,000 out-of-state relocations in 2017, Illinois was the only state that saw more than twice the households leave than arrive, posting 14,147 departures and 6,833 arrivals.The figures don’t include families that use a U-Haul or other methods to move their possessions.
(Paxton--jc) -- Ford County leaders may address setbacks for wind farms when they meet next week. The Ford County Zoning committee on Tuesday rejected a 15 hundred feet setback for windmills to structures, but then approved a 2 thousand 250 feet setback recommendation. The next step is consideration by the Ford County Zoning board and County planning commission. The full county board could get the issue sometime in the near future.
(Rantoul--jc) -- A health fair is coming to one nursing home center in Rantoul. The Villas of Holly Brook are hosting the health fair on saturday from 11am until 2pm. Giveaways, free blood pressure checks and free food hilite the event on Saturday at the Villas of Holly Brook in Rantoul
(Buckley--jc) The St John’s Lutheran Church of Buckley Ladies Aid group has a delicious way to enjoy great food and fellowship on Sunday. The group is hosting an ice cream social complete with sandwiches, ice cream and desserts. Money raised from the Sunday mid day event will help with the Christian groups efforts at the local church.
