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Former Rankin Grade School Building is a Total Loss in Early Morning Fire

(Rankin--jc) --  The State’s Fire Marshall’s office is investigating the fire of a former grade school building in the village of Rankin. The structure caught fire in the early morning hours of Saturday. The building was completely engulfed in flames by the time firefighters arrived.  The building is a total loss.

 

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Torrential rain this spring prevented most Midwest farmers from planting their crops but while the federal government provides help to growers of corn and soybeans, those who grow specialty crops are largely on their own. Although the lack of federal safety net programs for farmers who grow everything from arugula to zucchini isn't new, one of the wettest springs in U.S. history has focused attention on the special status of commodity crops, primarily corn, soybeans, cotton, rice and wheat.

 

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Illinois officials are warning people who plan to recreate in lakes and rivers to be cautious about blue-green algae that can cause sickness or other health issues. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Public Health say water conditions are ideal for the algae growth.

 

(Onarga--jc)  -- The Idea Garden is the location for an open house on Saturday in Onarga. The University of Illinois Extension’s Ford-Iroquois Master Gardeners will be showing the colors of summer at the event which runs from 10 til Noon. The Idea Garden is at the Onarga Public Library at 209 West Seminary in the village.

 

(Sibley--ba) --One annual event is focusing on honoring veterans as well as fighting cancer. Sibley Tractor Drive Spokesperson Russ Tjarks says the event is set for July 7th....

 

 

Sibley Tractor Drive Spokesperson Russ Tjarks

 

 

(Bellflower--jc) --  McLean County Sheriff released information about a fatal house fire in Bellflower. A house in the 400 block of first street in the village was observed engulfed by fire just after 5 Sunday morning. Assisting with the blaze, were fire departments from Bellflower, Saybrook and Farmer City. Upon investigation, a female was located deceased in the residence. The cause of the fire and fatality remain under investigation by McLean County authorities.

 

DU QUOIN, Ill. (AP) — The DuQuoin State Fair in southern Illinois is dropping a $2 entry fee. The admission fee for people 13 and older was started in 2016. Fair manager Josh Gross and John Sullivan, the head of the Illinois Agriculture Department, said they heard many complaints. Sullivan says he's "thrilled" to make the fair free again. The Southern Illinoisan reports that parking at the fairgrounds will be $15 while parking near the Southern Illinois Center will be $10.

 

(Gilman--jc)  Iroquois West School Board members will let bids for Bread, Milk and Fuel when they meet tonight in monthly session in Gilman. Iroquois West school leaders will also look to approve the amended fiscal year 20-20 calendar and approve its commercial insurance policy. The meeting comes to order at the high school board room in Gilman at 7.

 

 

(Springfield--jc)  -- In the past ten years since the end of the Great Recession, Pew Charitable Trusts says Illinois increased overall spending 11 percent, but its pension funding dropped from 54 percent funded in 2008 to 35 percent in 2016.The report also says higher education spending per student increased 32 percent, the largest increase of any state reviewed.But Pew says Illinois' spending on K-12 education was down 22 percent per student since 2008.

 

 

(Mahomet--jc)  -- The 2019 Big Brothers Big Sisters Golf Outing is set for June 21st at Lake of the Woods Golf Course in Mahomet. The donation is 125 per golfer. Big Brothers Big Sisters Director Kristian Hopkins says that includes the golf and more…

 

Big Brothers Big Sisters Director Kristian Hopkins.

 

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — A central Illinois woman who admitted to seriously injuring a 5-month old boy at her home-day care business has been sentenced to 3 ½ years in prison.  59-year-old Debbie May of Champaign was sentenced on Friday. In April she entered what is called an Alford plea to aggravated battery, a plea that allows criminal defendants to maintain their innocence while acknowledge that there was enough evidence to persuade a jury to find her guilty.

 

 

(Gibson City--jc) Gibson City Melvin Sibley School board members will look at costs to repair the elevator at its Middle School in gibson City when they meet in monthly session.  The estimated cost will be just over 46 thousand dollars. School board members are also expected to approve bids for bread, dairy and trash collection. The G-C-M-S school board meets at 6-15 tonight at the middle school board room.

 

 

URBANA, Ill. (AP) — An exhibit of unique typewriters, including one used by the founder of Playboy, will open later this month at the University of Illinois. The university's Rare Book & Manuscript Library will feature typewriters used by Hugh Hefner and Roger Ebert. Both men were alumni of the university. Hefner's Underwood Standard portable typewriter that he used in college and to write for Playboy is one of the main exhibits. It is on loan to the library after being sold at auction in December for $162,500.The typewriters used by poet Carl Sandburg and novelist James Jones will also be featured.

 

(Melvin--jc)  -- The 20-19 field of candidates for the Ford County Fair Queen Pagent is set. WPXN’s Joel Cluver has the details…

 


(Pontiac--jc)  -- Illinois State Police (ISP) Zone 5 Investigations is requesting the public’s assistance in locating a missing 51-year-old woman, Beatrice Field, of Jasper, Indiana. On June 13, State police Investigations responded to an abandoned vehicle (Kia) at the Limestone Rest Area near Pontiac. The vehicle had been abandoned since May 29.  Field was identified on a rest area surveillance video walking from the vehicle on May 30. Field,is described as 5’ 0” and approximately 100 pounds. Foul play is not suspected. If you have any information on the whereabouts of Beatrice Field, please contact I-S-P Pontiac Communications Center at (815) 844-1500.

 

 

(Paxton--jc)  -- The Tri-County Players theater group is presenting the show “Wonderland”  this weekend and next weekend at the Market Street Theater in downtown Paxton. The Friday and Saturday performances are at 7 p.m., while the Sunday matinees are at 2 p.m. Seats  are available by callingt 217-379-7028. You can hear more about the Tri County Players production of Wonderland with an interview with Brandon Irish on our Noon news today.

 

 

(Rankin--jc)  --Rankin’s Fourth of July celebration will be held Friday, July 5, and Saturday, July 6, at Centennial Park on the village’s southwest side.A truck and tractor pull takes place on Friday July 5th at Centennial Park starting at 6pm. On Saturday,  food, a water ball fight, music, pie eating contest, joke-telling contest, watermelon seed spitting to an egg tossing contest hilite the day. Fireworks take place around 9 that evening.


 

(Rantoul--jc)  -- The latest class for the Rantoul based Lincoln’s Challenge program graduated over the weekend. The ceremonies were held at the Decatur Civic Center. Lincolns Challenge Program Public Information Director Michael Camacha says the program continues to grow in its partnership with the village or Rantoul and area…

 

 

Lincoln’s Challenge Program Public Information Director Michael Camacha

 

 

(Rantoul--jc)  Rantoul area Chamber of Commerce Movies in the park was postponed Friday night due to inclement weather. The movie Ralph Breaks the Internet will be shown this Friday at Willow Pond Golf Course.

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