CARBONDALE, Ill. (AP) — Southern Illinois University officials hope the new governor will fund a decades-old state commitment to educate veterans that has been passed off on universities in recent years. The Illinois Veterans Grant pays for all Illinois veterans' tuition and required fees at its public colleges, community colleges and universities if they return to the state after completing their service. The state hasn't reimbursed any colleges under the program since 2012.

 

NEW YORK (AP) — There's at least one area of agreement among conservative, centrist and liberal leaders in the United Methodist Church: America's largest mainline Protestant denomination is on a path toward likely breakup over differences on same-sex marriage and ordination of LGBT pastors.The differences have simmered for years, and came to a head in February at a conference in St. Louis where delegates voted 438-384 for a proposal called the Traditional Plan, which strengthens bans on LGBT-inclusive practices. A majority of U.S.-based delegates opposed that plan and favored LGBT-friendly options, but they were outvoted by U.S. conservatives teamed with most of the delegates from Methodist strongholds in Africa and the Philippines. Many believe the vote will prompt an exodus from the church by liberal congregations that are already expressing their dissatisfaction over the move.

 

(Gifford-jc) Gordyville USA near Gifford is the venue for an area F-F-A Ag Expo. The Rantoul F-F-A chapter ag expo will feature a petting zoo and activities for kids.The event runs from 9am until 2pm on Tuesday.  The group is inviting area schools to attend. The public can attend from 2-30 until 4-30 tomorrow.

 

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Gov. J.B. Pritzker predicts a growth in wind-energy development after signing a law streamlining zoning rules. The Democrat signed legislation Friday that allows only counties and municipalities to establish standards for developing wind farms. Townships will no longer have authority in the process.

 

(Springfield--jc) Today is Earth Day and the Illinois Department of Transportation is giving out 5 thousand trees to local school districts. The effort is in celebration o of Earth Day and a way to improve communities in Illinois says I-Dot Spokesperson Jessie Decker…

 

 

I-Dot Spokesperson Jessie Decker.

 

630 am new(Springfield--jc)  An expert says Lyme disease cases in Illinois will likely continue to rise this year after having shown a gradual increase in recent years.Chris Stone, director of the Medical Entomology Laboratory at the Illinois Natural History Survey, said Lyme disease has doubled over the last decade.Stone said there's no definite way to forecast the increase of Lyme disease, which is caused by tick bites, but the trend in recent years gives experts an idea of what should be expected.

 

COLLINSVILLE, Ill. (AP) — Republican U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana is scheduled to speak later this month at a congressional prayer breakfast in southern Illinois. Scalise was injured in June 2017 when he was shot while practicing for the annual congressional baseball game in Washington. The Belleville News-Democrat reports Scalise is speaking at the request of his Washington roommate, Republican U.S. Rep. John Shimkus of Collinsville.

 

(Paxton--jc)-- Work on the new Clara Petersen grade school continues. Some work on city intersections into the new facility are costing the city of Paxton an investment in the roads leading into the new facility. Paxton Mayor Bill Ingold says the work will help widen the roads for buses and school traffic…

 

 

Paxton Mayor Bill Ingold

 

 

(Paxton--jc)  -- A group called “Save the Paxton Pool” has been formed after officials with the Paxton Park District gave notice on reduced hours for the local pool this summer. The group is looking to find its leaders and have met once to find direction and to initially plan strategies. WPXN News has talked with group members and will continue to follow them on future newscasts. Anyone interested  in helping with the group are invited to a meeting on tonight at 6pm at the Cobblestone Hotel on Paxton’s west side.

 

(Buckley--jc) Garage sale days are Friday and Saturday in Buckley. The St. John’s Lutheran Church Ladies Aid is planning a garage sale and bake sale at Christ Lutheran High School. The sales begin at 7-30 each morning.

 

(Springfield--jc)  Illinois farmers grow quite a bit of corn and soybeans. Officials from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service say the Prairie State ranked first in the nation in terms of soybean production and second in corn production in 2017. Illinois also has the most horseradish acres and pumpkin farm acreage.

 

(Chicago--jc) One Illinois based public health organization is seeking public funds to battle against anti-vaccination rhetoric that it says has fueled a measles outbreak. WPXN’s Joel Cluver the has story…

 

 

 

(Rantoul--jc)  -- Rantoul Township High School board members have set their reorganizational meeting for Tuesday night. The board will seat its members and the elect a board president and place committees. The meeting comes to order at 7 Tuesday night at the high school.

 

(Rantoul--jc)  -- The Village of Rantoul is set to invest 15 million dollars if a proposal moves forward with the University of Illinois. The A-Tel company is already using a portion of the former Chanute Air Force Base and the group along with the University of Illinois want to bring autonomous vehicle testing to that area. Rantoul Mayor Chuck Smith says the idea will be a good economic development for the village…

 

Village of Rantoul Mayor Chuck Smith

 

 

(Springfield--jc)  -- While members of the General Assembly debate allowing recreational marijuana in Illinois, the state’s Department of Agriculture is preparing for legalization. Director of Agriculture John Sullivan says he wasn’t sure the department would need to draw on the requested $8 million, but like medical marijuana, plants intended for recreational use would be grown and processed in officially sanctioned cultivation centers and distributed through licensed dispensaries. Sullivan says it’s very different than a customary crop, such as corn or soybeans or wheat.  The growing of marijuana is as very heavily regulated and it’s a tremendous amount of oversight and a tremendous amount of security at the growing centers Other areas of concern are employee safety and security and proper delivery. Sullivan says he envisions any dollars dolled out by the state in a new bill would be used for regulatory purposes.

 

(Springfield--jc)  -- If acting State Police Director Brendan Kelly has his way, more troopers would be on Illinois roadways enforcing distracted driving. Kim Howard reports…

 

 

(Springfield--jc)  -- Nearly six in ten people who use recreational cannabis in states where it is legal drive while high, according to polling.Insurance comparison site The Zebra polled more than 800 marijuana users that live in states where it’s legal to use recreationally. Fifty-nine percent said they drive while under the influence.Market insight director Alyssa Connolly said the anonymous responses from those polled show that the some based their decision to drive on how they felt at the time.Beyond field sobriety testing, Connolly said there’s no way to accurately test for levels of impairment, which creates issues for law enforcement.The inability for law enforcement to detect marijuana intoxication in a breathalyzer-type way has left some lawmakers saying they won’t support legalizing recreational cannabis.

 

 

 

GALESBURG, Ill. (AP) — The head of one of Chicago's premier attractions is slated to give the keynote address to Knox College graduates this year. The western Illinois school announced Tuesday that Shedd Aquarium CEO Bridget Coughlin will deliver the 2019 commencement address on June 2. Commencement speakers at the Galesburg-based college have previously included Barack Obama,  and comedian Stephen Colbert.

 

(Springfield--jc)  --It's not out of the ordinary for Illinois lawmakers to propose a lot of new laws. But for those bills to get approval by Illinois Senators, and unanimously for that matter, it's noteworthy. The Illinois Senate spent the last days before thes spring break passing a number of new proposed laws. One would create a statewide database for people who violate the Americans with Disabilities Act, another would allow schools to teach hunter safety and a third would create a website to report potholes statewide. State Sen. Dan McConchie says the potholes website idea has worked in the Chicago area for a number of years.The State Senator is proposing the idea for a statewide website. The measure moves to the Illinois House when they get back to work after the Easter Holiday.

 

(Rantoul--jc)  The Community Service Center, based in Rantoul, is hosting a food distribution event on Saturday. The food distribution starts at 9 in the morning. All low-income residents of Champaign County are eligible.  Those eligible need to bring an I-D with current address and a box. More information is found by calling the Community Service Center at  893-1530.

 

 

(Springfield--jc)  -- The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and museum is hosting a new train exhibit in May. The exhibit is called, All-Aboard--America’s Love of Railroads. The exhibit kicks off May 10th to help celebrate the 150th anniversary of the first transcontinental railroad says  museum spokesperson Chris Wills…

 

 

Abraham Lincoln Library and Museum Spokesperson Chris Wills

Admission is free to the exhibit on May 12th and then will remain at the museum through the end of the year.