CHICAGO (AP) — Attorneys who have represented clergy abuse victims across the United States  have released a report that lists the names of every Catholic priest and lay person in Illinois who has been publicly accused of sexual misconduct. On Wednesday, the attorneys provided an 185-page report that includes background information and work histories of 395 priests and lay people accused in the state's six dioceses. The report did name several clergy who served in Paxton, Ford County, Iroquois County and Champaign County.

 

(Washington--jc)  -- What is the current state of the farm economy? Stephanie Ho has the details…

 

 

FREEPORT, Ill. (AP) — Gov. J.B. Pritzker has toured flooded northern Illinois neighborhoods and asked the state's emergency operations center to expedite help to affected areas. The National Weather Service says the Rock and Pecatonica rivers have been at flood stage since last week. About 200 people have evacuated. Pritzker told residents the state "committed to being your partners in the future."

 

ROCKFORD, Ill. (AP) — An Illinois man has pleaded not guilty in a federal case accusing him of fatally shooting a sheriff's deputy who was trying to serve an arrest warrant at a hotel. Floyd E. Brown of Springfield appeared in Rockford federal court Wednesday morning sitting in a wheelchair and wearing green jail scrubs. A grand jury Tuesday indicted him on murder and weapons charges.

 

 

(Springfield--jc)  -- State lawmakers are working on a couple of bills to help increase organ donation in Illinois. There is a real need for live organ donors to provide kidneys and bone marrow to those who are sick says Villa Park Representative Deb Conroy, whose bill helps donors with life insurance policies..

 

Villa Park Representative Deb Conroy

 

 

(Rantoul--jc)  A Rantoul based insurance agency is moving to a larger building to house its operations. The Rantoul Area Chamber of Commerce is inviting the public to the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Insurance Providers Group location at 423 South Murray Road across from the Rantoul Wal-Mart Superstore. The event is set for Tuesday April 2nd at 11-30am. The company had been using a building on the former Chanute Air Force base.

 

 

(Gifford--jc) It’s Spring and time for spring projects.  A school project is set to begin soon at a portion of the Gifford School gym. Gifford School Superintendent Rod Grimsley informed the school board this month that  work will begin on the south wall of old gym next week while the students are on spring break. Gifford school leaders are also in the process of getting some quotes on what to do with the holes in the parking lot right in front of the new bus barn.

 

 

(Paxton-dg)-The Paxton-Buckley-Loda School board recently voted to end it’s co-op with Rantoul for IHSA Wrestling. PBL Superintendent Cliff McClure says the redistricting in IHSA Football played a part in not continuing wrestling at PBL.

 

PBL Superintendent Cliff McClure

 

(Springfield--jc)  -- Right to life advocates were at the state capitol on Wednesday to rally against abortion legislation.  A couple of bills are under protest, including an appeal of a law requiring teens to notify their parent or guardian before getting an abortion. Another overhauls state abortion laws and lifts a ban on partial-birth abortions. State Representative Avery Bourne of Litchfield says these changes are extreme…

 

 

State Representative Avery Bourne of Litchfield

Supporters of the measures say the laws  to be updated to better protect a woman’s right to choose.

 

(Springfield--jc)  -- A bill in the House would force municipalities to get approval from voters before selling public assets like water and wastewater treatment plants to private companies. Water companies like Aqua Illinois and Illinois American Water have been offering municipalities in the state cash for the ownership of their water systems and wastewater systems. The private companies then can seek approval from the Illinois Commerce Commission to raise water rates for customers. State Representative. John Connor, the Lockport Democrat who sponsored the bill, says the legislation would require a ballot referendum to approve the sale and it wouldn’t just be for the residents of that municipality.

 

 

(Springfield--jc)  Organ donation continues to be a topic at the state capitol. Some roadblocks for employees has occurred at some businesses in the state. National Kidney Foundation of Illinois Spokesperson Megan Craig says one measure in Springfield will offer business some incentives for allowing employees to participate in being an organ donor…

 

 

National Kidney Foundation of Illinois Spokesperson Megan Craig.

 

 

CHICAGO (AP) — Ground has been broken on the first phase of a $1.2 billion expansion of a terminal at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and airline officials attended the Wednesday event. City officials say that Terminal 5 will gain another 350,000-square-feet by 2021 to make room for more concessions, airline lounges and passenger amenities. There also will be more security lanes and ten new gates.

 

(Springfield--jc)  --Governor J.B. Pritzker’s administration is setting new rules that go beyond federal regulations for the herbicide dicamba to try to reduce the number of complaints about misuse of the popular product. The new rules set forth will ban spraying the chemical when the wind is blowing toward residential areas, establish a June 30 cutoff date for application and other requirements.The affected formulations of dicamba are Engenia by BASF, XtendiMax with Vaporgrip Technology by Bayer, and FeXapan plus Vapor Grip Technology by DuPont/Corteva, according to a news release.

 

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Parkland College trustees approved curriculum for a new career certificate that will help bridge the digital divide in the district. At its regular meeting Wednesday, the Parkland College Board of Trustees approved the school's new, six-credit-hour certificate, Introduction to Computers in Business. The program will go through a final review for approval with the Illinois Community College Board in the new academic year. The certificate will assist efforts to close the widening gap between those who have computer skills and those who do not in Champaign County.

 

(Rantoul--jc)  The Rantoul Area Chamber of Commerce is hosting a candidates forum on Saturday at noon at Rantoul Township High School. Candidates for Rantoul Village Board and those running for school board at the high school and Rantoul City Schools and library board candidates will be participating in the forum. Rantoul Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Belynda Allen says its an opportunity to learn more about the candidates…

 

 

Rantoul Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Belynda Allen. The forum is set for Noon on Saturday at the high school.

 

(Sibley--jc) The decision from the state of Illinois Ag department is coming, but not by Wednesday’s deadline. At issue is a mega-hog farm near the village of Sibley. The state has asked for more information about the hog farm.The Ford County Record has more on the issue.

 

(Springfield--jc) --  Right to life advocates were rallying at the state capitol against abortion legislation on Wednesday. In updating our story, protesters were speaking out against some new bills that make changes to Illinois law. Those include a proposal to lift a ban on partial birth abortions and a second bill that would allow teens not to tell parents about an abortion, before getting one. State Representative Terri Bryant of Mount Vernon says the legislation goes to far…

 

 

State Representative Terri Brant of Mount Vernon

 

 

(Rantoul--jc)  --Rantoul authorities say the local police department will be testing for new officers next month. Rantoul Police Chief Tony Brown says the police department is testing for officers on April 13th. Rantoul Police and Fire Commission members will conduct the test. Applications to the Rantoul Police Department are due by March 31st. More information is found by contacting the local police department.