(Springfield--jc) --Illinois lawmakers are looking at capping property tax increases for apartment buildings that include low-income housing in a portion of the building.State senators gathered last week in Chicago for a hearing to discuss Senate President John Cullerton’s Senate Bill 2259. It would put caps on how much assessments on apartment complexes could rise if the owner commits at least 20 percent of the building's units to be reserved for families that make less than a set income depending on the area. The caps would gradually be reduced over the course of ten years. New construction is typically assessed for a higher dollar value once it’s finished because it’s worth more than it was as an open lot.
(Springfield--jc) -- Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker said he’ll call lawmakers back to Springfield if the House’s top Republican wants to change legislation that put stronger standards on the emissions of a cancer-causing chemical. House Republican Leader Jim Durkin said Pritzker fast-tracked re-opening of “corporate polluter.”Pritzker and Attorney General Kwame Raoul released statements Friday defending their decision to allow a medical instrument sterilization company to reopen its facility in suburban Chicago in December as long as the company adheres to new emissions standards. Residents and lawmakers had wanted the plant shut down over concerns about ethylene oxide emissions causing cancer.
(Loda--jc) -- The annual Loda Good Ole Days begins this Friday and runs through Sunday in the Southern Iroquois County town. On Friday it’s the Little Mister and Little Miss along with the Junior Mister and Junior Miss Pageant at 6. Food and a D-J follow the pageant. On Saturday the parade steps off at 10am. The lineup starts at the former Loda school building. Children games, a talent show, dance and fireworks hilite the day on Saturday. Sunday its the annual Truck and tractor pull at noon. WPXN will be broadcast live on Sunday morning to help kick off the event. It’s Summer Fun Tour Stop 15.
(Iroquois County--jc) You can add southeastern Iroquois County as a potential spot for a mega-hog farm. A farm near Sibley in Ford County remains a possibility for a large hog farm. The Illinois Department of Agriculture is hosting a public information meeting on Tuesday August 6th. The meeting will take place at the Administrative Center in Watseka. The Parks Livestock group, based in Stockland, is the company backing the proposed project.
PEORIA, Ill. (AP) — Authorities have suggested that the remains of a slain scholar from China may never be found despite a vow from prosecutors that the search will continue. Brendt Christensen, a former doctoral student in Illinois, killed Yingying Zhang in 2017. In recent filings, prosecutors said they rejected a plea deal with Christensen after concluding it'd be impossible to verify any details Christensen would provide about where Zhang's remains are. He was sentenced Thursday to life in prison without parole
(Undated--jc) Speed Awareness Day is Wednesday July 24th. State police will be out in full force, enforcing the speed limit. State police continue to advise motorists
to obey the speed limits. Speed Awareness Day is Wednesday July 24th in Illinois
(Undated--jc) -- Illinois Department of Transportation officials say the extreme heat on Friday caused some road buckling in the area. A portion of Interstate 57 in the northbound lanes near Buckley, did break up. I-Dot officials were called to the area and the road was repaired. A portion on Interstate 55 near Shirley also buckled on Saturday. Local and State police remind the motoring public to be aware of any road buckling issues and to drive safely.
(Crescent City--jc) Today is the final day of the Iroquois County Fair, north of Crescent City along route 49. The major event on the schedule today is the livestock sale. The sale starts at 1-30 this afternoon.
(Springfield--jc) -- Illinois businesses are expressing concerns about a bill on the governor’s desk that prohibits employers from including salary history questions on job applications. According to House Bill 0834, the legislation “prohibits an employer from seeking the salary, including benefits or other compensation or salary history, of a job applicant from any current or former employer.” Mark Grant, state director for the National Federation of Independent Business in Illinois, said it’s going to take some time for small businesses to understand that this is “the law of the land and they're going to have to adhere to it.”
(Chicago--jc) --An annual survey has revealed information about drunken driving arrests across Illinois.As the state’s largest city, Chicago had the highest number of DUI arrests last year at nearly 1,900. Rita Kreslin, executive director of the Alliance Against Intoxicated Motorists, said things have been sliding in the wrong direction. Among all other cities, Rockford tops the list. The northern Illinois city made 552 DUI arrests last year, up nearly 13 percent from 2017. Closer to home, DUI arrests jumped in Bloomington by just over 30 percent from 20-17
(Springfield--jc) -- A bill eliminating medical co-pays for prisoners is in the hands of Governor JB Pritxker. A similar measure died last year when then-Gov. Bruce Rauner vetoed it, but proponents hope Gov. J.B. Pritzker will sign House Bill 2045, which eliminates prisoner copays for medical care.The bill was sent to the governor June 28.Prisoners in Illinois who want to see a doctor must fill out a request and say, in writing, what is wrong and why they think they need care. Their requests are reviewed by nurses who decide which cases merit a medical visit and which, for example, can be remedied with medication
(Urbana--jc) It’s Kids Day at the Champaign County Fair today on the grounds along Color (KO-lar) Avenue in Urbana. The open swine show, open sheep show and open dairy show begins at 8. Gates open to the public at 10 with preschool rides in Kiddie land. Its the Cincinnati Circus Companies Big Show at Noon 5pm and 7pm at the Champaign County Fair today. The carnival opens at 5. WPXN will be broadcasting tomorrow from the fair from 12-30 to 2pm
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — State health officials say more data on pregnancy and babies will available to the public. The Illinois Department of Public Health says it is adding maternal and child health data to its public health community map. The feature shows information on the quality and access to healthcare throughout the state, including racial disparities.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — An Illinois trooper killed in the line of duty has been honored on a memorial wall in the Illinois State Police Memorial Park. The State Journal-Register reports that friends, family members and colleagues of Trooper Brooke Jones-Story gathered Saturday to add the 34-year-old's name. She was killed in March when a semitrailer struck her while she was conducting a traffic stop on the highway near Freeport.
(Rantoul--jc) The next meeting of the Board of Fire and Police Commissioners is set for Wednesday afternoon at 1pm. The meeting is set for the conference room of the Rantoul Police Department on Grove Avenue.
