URBANA, Ill. (AP) — The University of Illinois plans to conduct a survey to study the drop in African-American student enrollment. The university had 475 black students enroll this fall, down from about 500 last year and almost 550 in 2016. The 2018 number doesn't include 115 multiracial students who also identify as African-American. University officials plan to survey the more than 700 applicants who declined the school's admission offer this year.

 

BELVIDERE, Ill. (AP) — Police say a woman called in a false threat of a gunman that prompted dozens of officers to search for the suspect and place several schools on lockdowns. Belvidere police say 20-year-old Sabrina Andrews of Belvidere has been arrested on felony charges of making a false police report. Police say Andrews claimed Thursday a man with a gun outside of Belvidere South Middle School was threatening to shoot her child.

 

DU QUOIN, Ill. (AP) — Officials say attendance at the 2018 Du Quoin State Fair in southern Illinois dropped by 8 percent from last year. Organizers say the 11-day fair attracted about 100,800 before it wrapped up on Labor Day. The attendance decline was about the same as last month's Illinois State Fair in Springfield that drew about 370,000 people.

 

CHICAGO (AP) — The archbishop of Chicago has removed a priest as head of a North Side church after he burned a rainbow banner, angering the LGBT community. The Chicago Tribune reports that Cardinal Blase Cupich announced Rev. Paul Kalchik's removal in a recent letter to parishioners and staff at the Resurrection Catholic Church. Kalchik told the newspaper on Friday he's not anti-gay.

 

 

(Springfield--jc)--  The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is limiting the archery deer hunting season in 5 East Central Illinois Counties. The restriction is meant to boost herd numbers in  Douglas, Macon, Moultrie, Piatt and Champaign Counties says Illinois Department of Natural Resources Spokesperson Ed Cross.. .

 

I-D-N-R Spokesperson Ed Cross.

The restriction runs from October First through the 15th.

 

(Washington--ba)  -- Supporting the health of your soil is not only good for the environment, but also great for your profits. Clay Pope of USDA’s Southern Climate Hub explains how they both fit together.

 

 

Clay Pope USDA Southern Climate Hub

 

 

CHICAGO — Governor Bruce Rauner Friday issued executive orders eliminating 53 boards and commissions that serve no public purpose and have been inactive for years, some for as long as two full decades. Governor Rauner says tis is a matter of good government through transparency and the people of Illinois need to understand the ongoing work of the state. They should not be led to believe that people are still at work doing tasks that were completed 10 years ago, or that they are supporting advisory roles for which the need expired in the 1990s. Over the years, the State of Illinois has created more than 600 authorities, boards, bureaus, commissions, committees, councils, task forces and other similar entities. Many of them have completed their work and no longer operate, yet they still appear in State publications, public-facing websites, and Legislative Research Unit reports as if they were still doing the people’s work. Collectively, the orders eliminate 72 redundant or inactive boards and commissions so that executive branch operations are more transparent and efficient.

 

BLOOMINGTON — A man is in custody after barricading himself inside a west Bloomington home for more than five hours Sunday afternoon. The Pantagraph reports that Sunday evening, Bloomington police ended a Public Safety Alert it issued earlier in the day. A tactical unit and negotiating team attempted to convince the man, identified Sunday night as Cody Powell, to use a phone that was placed on the back porch and the standoff ended peacefully. Bloomington police say that Powell had been "threatening people in the area" before officers arrived at the house.

 

(Fisher--jc)  Pending a final inspection set for later today, a grocery store is returning to the village of Fisher.  Ingolds Meats and Deli is under the ownership of Fisher residents Brandon and Carissa Chandler. A grand opening is set for Saturday.

 

 

(Undated--jc)  Illinois is celebrating its 200th anniversary as a state. Here is today’s Bicentennial Minute…

 

 

CHICAGO (AP) — Illinois State Police will be out this week issuing tickets and handing out safety literature in a bid to bring down numbers of railroad-crossing deaths in the state. A greater emphasis on the problem in Illinois comes during U.S. Rail Safety Week this week. There were over 100 railroad-crossing collisions in Illinois involving vehicles last year, leaving 25 people dead and causing 29 injuries.

 

CHICAGO (AP) — A former OpenTable employee has been charged with wire fraud for allegedly making hundreds of bogus reservations at Chicago restaurants to undermine a rival booking service. The Chicago Sun-Times reports that prosecutors allege in charging documents that 30-year-old Steven Addison booked more than 300 reservations at at least 45 Chicago restaurants using Reserve, aiming to hurt the company's reputation. OpenTable's CEO said in March that one "rogue employee" was involved.

 

CHICAGO (AP) — A Chicago commodities trading firm has agreed to pay a 1.5 million dollar  penalty after admitting to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission it created and instantly canceling fake orders to induce favorable transactions. Geneva Trading USA admitted at least three of its traders engaged in "spoofing" between 2013 and 2016. The orders involved futures contracts that were traded at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Geneva Trading settled with the CFTC without admitting or denying any of the findings.

 

 

(Iroquois County--jc)  -- Iroquois County Sheriff’s police arrested 30 year old Chad Koester of Watseka on Friday. Koester was charged with forgery. He was taken to the Iroquois County jail in lieu of bond.

 

(Rantoul--jc)  Rantoul Village leaders say a new village administrator could be named sometime this week. Two final candidates have been interviewed for the job. They are Danville Mayor Scott Eisenhower and Jeff Eder of East Peoria. The contract for Rick Snider expires at the end of this month. Snider extended his position with the village for several months as his family is making the move to the East Coast.

 

 

(Milford--jc)  A Milford man was arrested by Iroquois County authorities for theft under 500 dollars. Police say 58 year old Jack McKay was transported to the Iroquois County jail where he posted the required bond and was released.

 

(Paxton--jc)  -- Now that autumn has arrived, those properties with falling leaves in Paxton have to deal with them, without burning them. Paxton City council members enacted a leaf burning ban ordinance. Paxton Mayor Bill Ingold says its up to property owners to get rid of leaves this fall…

 

 

Paxton Mayor Bill Ingold

 

 

(Springfield--jc)  -- The Tickborne Heartland virus is showing up in Illinois.  State Public Health Department officials warn that ticks are still a problem this time of year. The heartland virus has only been in the the U-S since 2009. And just one case of infection, a Kankakee resident has turned up so for in the state says State Veterinarian Doctor Connie Austin…

 

 

State Veterinarian Doctor Connie Austin.
Symptoms for Heartland virus are similar to other tick illiness. They include fever, headaches, fatigue and diarrhea.

 

(Paxton--jc)  -- The Paxton area Chamber of Commerce has a new executive director. She is Ashley Tolley. Tolley replaces Madison Duden. Duden has taken a position with Busey Bank. Tolley also works at Edward Jones in downtown Paxton. Tolley does the Edward Jones market reports on WPXN weekday afternoons at 4-30.