PEORIA, Ill. (AP) — Testimony in the trial of a former University of Illinois doctoral student accused of killing a visiting scholar from China revealed that the defendant bought Drano and garbage bags three days after the slaying. The detail came Thursday during the second day of the federal murder trial of Brendt Christensen in the June 2017 death of 26-year-old Yingying Zhang.

 

(Springfield--ba)-Thanks to a wet spring there are plenty of mosquitoes and gnats to contend with this summer. Bugs are always annoying but this year the buffalo gnats seem particularly nasty. State Public Health Director Doctor Egozi (en-gozi) Ezike (eh-zee-kay) says they are attracted to the air we breath out, perfumes and even our deodorant. They also aren’t fended off easily.

 

 

State Public Health Director Doctor Egozi (en-gozi) Ezike (eh-zee-kay)

 

 

(Wasington--ba)  -- A 2018 Farm Bill program securing scholarship funds for 1890's land grant universities received recognition and created celebration at USDA headquarters this week. Rod Bain reports...

 

 

 

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — The Illinois State Museum has named a new director.

The state's Department of Natural Resources says Cinnamon Catlin-Legutko has been appointed after a nationwide search. She has served in leadership posts at the Abbe Museum in Maine and the General Lew Wallace Study and Museum in Indiana, which won awards during her tenure.

 

 

 

(Buckley--ba) Buckley fun day is set for tomorrow at Buckley Lake.  Buckley Mayor Sherry Stachura says there are lots of activities to enjoy...

 

 

Buckley Mayor Sherry Stachura

WPXN will be broadcast live Saturday from 10 until noon at Buckley Fun Day. It’s Summer Fun Tour Stop number 4.

 

 

(Springfield--jc)  The State F F A Convention is complete for the year. On Thursday Gage Miller of Cambridge in Henry County was elected as the new Illinois F F A President. He succeeds Sophia Horton of Fisher in the position.

 

(Springfield-jc)  -- Come the end of September, 370 million dollars in back pay will be going to tens of thousands of state employees from early career raises from a contract that expired back in 2015. The courts sided with unions in a fight with former Governor Bruce Rauner that the raises must be paid. The State Journal-Register reports the interest on the back pay has yet to be calculated. The AFSCME union, which endorsed Governor. J.B. Pritzker, is voting to ratify its first new contract with the state since 2015.

 

(Paxton--ba) This Saturday on Scotts Tips for Success, Scott Allen from Paxton Hardware and Rental talks about Julie. Allen says it is important to know Julie  8-1-1 before digging on your property.

 

 

Paxton Hardware and Rental Owner Scott Allen

 

 

(Watseka--jc)  July 16th is the deadline for Iroquois County property owners to  pay their first installment of 20-18 taxes due in 20-19. Iroquois County Treasurer Kurt Albers also announced that the second installment is due on September 16th.

 

(Springfield--ba)-A bill awaiting the governor’s signature aims to better protect students from sexual abuse at school. The legislation creates an alternative hearing process for students reporting sexual abuse or harassment, so they don’t feel intimated or further traumatized. State. Senator Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant of Plainfield is a co-sponsor of the measure...

 

State Senator Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant of Plainfield

 

(Buckley--jc)  -- Running, eating, fishing, tractors and a duck race hilite Saturday’s Buckley Fun Day at Buckley Lake. The 5-K race and walk starts the day at 7-30 Saturday morning. The Ladies Aid bake sale begins at 9. The annual fishing derby runs from 8am until 10am. Golf cart parade is set for 10-30. Food stand opens at 11 and the annual Buckley Fun Day Duck race takes place at 4-17 Saturday afternoon.

 

 

(Rantoul--jc)  It’s graduation time for the next class at Rantoul based Lincoln’s Challenge. Class 52 will go through the pomp and circumstance tomorrow in Decatur. Saturday’s ceremony begins at 11am at the Decatur Civic Center.

 

(Springfield--jc)  -- Illinois is the only state in America that has yet to release its official report from fiscal year 2018 and state officials don’t yet know when it will be released.Every state, most cities, and other forms of government must have a comprehensive annual financial report, or CAFR, done as a way for not only citizens to better understand their local government finances, but also to give officials a better idea on the baseline costs for upcoming budgets.Illinois is often one of the last states to finish its report and this year, state officials have yet to do it, making it the latest since 2011 when Comptroller-turned Deputy Gov. Dan Hynes released it on June 30, 2012, a full year after the fiscal year ended.

 

(Paxton--jc)  -- Organizers with the Paxton Grand Ole Flag project are announcing a brick paver project today. Grand Ole Flag Spokesperson Denny Kingren says the bricks are available starting today…

 

 

Paxton Grand Ole Flag Spokesperson Denny Kinrgren

Again,the bricks are  4-by-8-inch bricks, dedicated with a donation of 1 hundred dollars. 8 by 8 bricks will be sold for 250 dollars each. The bricks are available at the My Brick’s website. It’s online at Thats-my-brick-dot-com-forward slash-paxton-flag. We will have this information on our website too.

WPXN, in conjunction with the fundraiser, will play the national anthem each day in the 5pm hour. Listeners may provide a donation to the flag project and dedicate the National Anthem to a family member, veteran, or message. Call the radio station at 379-9796 for more details or message at news-at-wpxnradio-dot-com

 

 

(Milford--ba)-- Milford Fun Days is this weekend in the southern Iroquois County town.  Milford Fun Days’ Spokesperson Jason Reed says a parade games music and more hilites the day on Saturday....

 

 

Milford Fun Days Spokesperson Jason Reed

 

(Ford County--jc)  Ford County Health Department Officials expect lots of mosquitoes this summer. Joel Cluver has the details…

 

 

 

(Paxton--jc)  -- On the menu at the Paxton IGA Cookout tomorrow is pork chop sandwiches, chips and soda. This week’s proceeds go to the United Methodist Womens Group. The cookout runs from 10am until 2 pm at the IGA on Saturday.