SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Gov. Bruce Rauner has signed a law requiring quarterly reports on the health of veterans under state care after a Legionnaires' disease crisis at a state-run veterans' home. The Republican took the action Monday. It requires the Department of Veterans' Affairs to inform lawmakers of the health of all residents at veterans homes in quarterly reports.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Illinois prison officials say they can't provide information about an incident that left an inmate dead because they've surrendered all records to federal investigators _ a response that has stunned ex-federal prosecutors and detectives. The Associated Press requested documents related to the May 17 incident at Western Illinois Correctional Center, but the Illinois Department of Corrections says it gave everything to the FBI, which is investigating the incident.
KANKAKEE, Ill. (AP) — Police say an 8-year-old boy was shot to death in what was apparently a terrible accident in a northern Illinois city. Kankakee Police say Jeremiah Wilson, Jr. was taken Sunday afternoon to Riverside Medical Center, where the Kankakee County Coroner pronounced him dead. Police say they are interviewing witnesses and family members, but that it appears the shooting was accidental. Police would not say if they believe the boy shot himself or was shot by someone else.
(Champaign--ab) In-state High school students whose families make 61,000 dollars or less a year will receive free 4 year tuition from the University of Illinois. This big step was crucial says Kevin Pitts assistant provost of Education for the U of I .
University of Illinois Assistant Provost of Education Kevin Pitts
CHICAGO – Young cancer patients struggling for survival no longer have to give up the prospect of parenthood when they undergo potentially sterilizing treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation or surgery. A new law signed by Gov. Bruce Rauner amends the Illinois insurance code to require coverage of egg or sperm preservation, a well-established medical practice that gives hope to patients who receive life-saving cancer treatment that they can one day have their own children. Governor Rauner say with this legislation, we give them a way to overcome the burden of high out-of-pocket expenses for egg or sperm freezing so they can preserve an option to have a family in the future.
(Springfield--jc) -- County collectors will now be able to eject tax bidders who intentionally disrupt a tax sale to change the outcome of an auction, or who use illegal bid practices in order to monopolize the bidding process, now that local State Senator Jason Barickman’s Senate Bill 585 has been signed into law. Barickman says the new law will protect the integrity of the tax bidding process by allowing county collectors to remove bidders who are purposely disrupting a sale for their own benefit. The new law also provides uniformity to the various fees that are collected on tax sales and clarifies fees that are to be charged for subsequent taxes.
(Springfield--jc) -- Corn in Illinois is beginning to mature. Rainfall was above normal over the past week, especially in western Illinois where they needed a good rain. State crop statistician Mark Schleusener says corn is chugging along…
State Crop Statistician Mark Schleusener.
16 percent of soybeans are turning color and 29 percent of sorghum is mature. The third cutting of alfalfa is 84 percent complete. Topsoil moisture is 6 percent very short, 20 percent short, 68 percent adequate and 6 percent surplus.
Ashkum--ab) Illinois State Police (ISP) District 21 Commander, Captain Don Aaron Harsy, announces the results of a Roadside Safety Check (RSC) held in Kankakee County from late night August 25th to early morning August 26th. The check was conducted at Route 45 and North Street in Bradley, by District 21 officers. There was a total of 41 citations handed out during the roadside safety check period.
Two North American neighbors have reached, in principal, agreements on trade, with finalization expected later this week. Rod Bain has the story…
(Springfield--jc) - Illinois Secretary of State and State Archivist Jesse White is proud to announce the online exhibit “100 Most Valuable Documents,” is now accessible on the Secretary of State’s website, www.cyberdriveillinois.com. This exhibit is in recognition of state’s bicentennial. Through the Illinois State Archives, White’s office selected documents they believe reflect the most impactful moments in Illinois’ profound bicentennial history. These valuable documents are housed at the Margaret Cross Norton Building in Springfield.
(Illinois--jc) -- Illinois is celebrating its 200th anniversary as a state. Here is today’s Bicentennial minute…
URBANA, Ill. (AP) — New defense filings in the 2017 slaying of a University of Illinois scholar from China is shedding light on why federal officials presume the missing scholar is dead. Brendt Christensen is charged in the kidnapping and death of Yingying Zhang, who. went missing on June 9, 2017. Her body hasn't been found.Government attorneys have said they plan to seek the death penalty because Christensen allegedly tortured Zhang before killing her.Christensen's lawyers filed more than two dozen motions last week seeking to suppress evidence, dismiss the main charge against their client and declare the federal death penalty unconstitutional. Christensen's attorneys are questioning a police dog's alert to the presence of a body in Christensen's apartment bathroom during a 2017 search.
CARTERVILLE, Ill. (AP) — A new organization is trying to get more filmmakers and production companies to film their movies in southern Illinois. WSIL-TV reports the non-profit Southern Illinois Film Commission wants to highlight the natural beauty of the area while boosting the local economy. Commission member Jon Musgraves says Illinois offers incentives that are competitive with other states, but most filmmakers tend to go to Chicago.
(Springfield--jc)-- 80 percent of the Illinois corn crop is in the dent stage as we hear in the weekly crop report. 11 percent has matured. As for soybeans, state crop statistician Mark Schleusener says they are ahead of last year’s pace..
State Crop Statistician Mark Schleusener
(Rantoul--jc) Rantoul Village leaders are set for a special meeting tonight at 6. The only agenda item is a closed session to discuss employees. The meeting takes place at the municipal building on Tanner Street.
(Springfield--jc) -- Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s office is launching a new clergy abuse hotline. As investigations into sexual misconduct by clergy members increase, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan says they want to give victims and whistleblowers, a place to report…
Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan.
The number to remember is 1-8-8-8-4-1-4-7-6-7-8
(Hoopeston--jc) the 75th annual National Sweetcorn Festival begins later this week. Gates open for the annual local Labor Day event at 5pm on Thursday. Free sweetcorn is being offered on Saturday, Sunday and Monday during specific mid-day hours of the 5 day event. The Chris Lane concert is set for 6-30 Saturday night. A carnival, Bingo, the National Sweetheart Pageant, lots of contests also hilite the event. The local band Back Paiges performs on Monday afternoon at 2 on Labor Day at the National Sweetcorn Festival in Hoopeston.
(Gibson City--jc) The Gibson City Police Department as a new officer. City officials say the new member of the team is Austin Rosenbaum. Rosenbaum was sworn in last night at the Gibson City, city Council meeting. Rosenbaum is a G-C-M-S Graduate and Gibson City native.
(Urbana--jc)-- Eastern Illinois Foodbank will host a bread and produce distribution at the Urbana warehouse again this Wednesday. The event takes place at 25-04 North Shore Drive in Urbana. It’s the final bread and produce date for the month
(Gilman--jc) -- One Gilman business is set to host a grand re-opening in early September. The business known as “the Garage” has planned the event for Gilman’s Super Saturday on Saturday September 8th. A ribbon cutting is set for noon. The Garage has been under a refurbished project after a May 9th fire caused extensive damage to the building. The fire caused over 80 thousand dollars damage to the building.
(Urbana--jc) -- A Rantoul man was sentenced to 6 years in prison for domestic battery. The New Gazzette reports that Tommy Johnson was sentenced after evidence showed he had a long violent relationship with a Rantoul woman. The sentence was handed out on Monday.
(Farmer City--jc) -- The Farmer City Police would like to make citizens aware that over this weekend there was at least one male subject attempting to get into vehicles in the 600 and 700 blocks of West Market Street. The crimes took place around 3 in the morning. If anyone has any information or if anyone has camera footage please contact the Farmer City police department at 309-928-2111.
(Washington--jc) -- A new US-Mexico trade deal will help American farmers. Stephanie Ho reports…
