(Paxton-jm) -- A Paxton restaurant is closing. Ben Grice announced Monday evening on facebook that Harvest Ale House will close in the next couple of weeks and the building will be up for sale. Grice’s other restaurant Humble Hog will remain open.

 

 

(Springfield-jm) -- In just two years, Illinois lost $12.4 billion in Adjusted Gross Income, according to IRS migration data analyzed by public finance watchdog Wirepoints. The IRS updated its data last month. Wirepoints President Ted Dabrowski said it shows more than 218,000 people left Illinois in 2017 and 2018 combined and more than $12.4 billion in income, among the worst losses of all states. Among the many areas of analysis included in the Wirepoints report is data that show the incomes of people who leave Illinois are larger than the incomes of people who move into Illinois.

 

 

(Springfield-jm) -- More college financial aid opportunities are now available for undocumented and transgender students in Illinois. Students that don’t qualify for federal aid can still apply for state dollars under the new Rise Act says Illinois Student Assistance Commission Spokesperson Lynne Baker…

 

 

Illinois Student Assistance Commission Spokesperson Lynne Baker. Interested students should fill out the alternative application for map grants. Additional apps will become available for other financial programs as well. Visit isac dot org for all the details.

 

 

(Rantoul-jm) -- Rantoul police are investigating multiple reports of shots fired over the weekend. Police received several reports of shots fired in the area of Harper Drive, Lowry Drive and Keesler Drive around 2 am Sunday morning. Officers were not able to recover any evidence of a shooting.

 

 

(Rantoul-jm) -- Residents in the Rantoul City Schools District will see an decrease in their property taxes despite a tax levy increase. In a 5-2 vote, district leaders approved a 4 point 99 percent increase. The increase is expected to bring in an additional 247,751 to the district. The good news for tax payers is the tax rate is expected to drop to 4 point 7596. That means a person with a $100,000 home will pay $43.93 less in taxes.

 

 

(Elliott-jm) -- Water quality concerns are being addressed by the village of Elliott. Residents and village trustees have noticed an increase in the amount of rust and the smell of iron in their water. So far, water samples have passed state EPA standards. The village is in the process of applying for an Illinois Rural Water Association Grant for a new water system. A public hearing, as part of the grant application process, will be held on January 14th at 6:45 pm.

 

(Rantoul-jm) -- Fire crews from Rantoul and Thomasboro have been busy over the past week. Firefighters have responded to several fires. On the 31st, firefighters responded to a fire at the Burger King on the villages west side. The next night, firefighters from several area fire departments responded to a fire downtown. Sunday morning firefighters were called to a fire on Fairlawn Drive. Sunday night and early Monday morning firefighters were called to a house fire a mile south of the village.

 

 

CHICAGO (AP) — A report highlighting persistent problems within Illinois’ child welfare agency showed 123 children died in the past fiscal year despite having contact with the Department of Children and Family Services. It was the highest number since the fiscal year ending in 2005, when the number was 139 deaths, according to annual reports released each January by the department’s inspector general. The lowest it was during that that time was 84 in the fiscal year ending in 2010. Of the 123 deaths in the fiscal year that ended last June, 24 were ruled homicides, 37 were accidental, 34 were natural, seven were suicide and 21 were undetermined.

 

 

(Springfield-jm) -- Comptroller Susana Mendoza says her office will stop helping local governments collect red light ticket fines. Comptroller Mendoza says the red light camera system is unfair to low income Illinoisans and is the subject of a federal corruption probe…

 

 

Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza. The Comptroller’s office worked on behalf of 60 Chicago area communities last year, collecting around 11 million dollars. Mendoza says those local governments can use private debt collectors instead. 

 

 

(Rantoul-jm) -- Rantoul police are investigating a robbery in the village over the weekend. Police say a man entered Colonial Liquors on Maplewood Drive just before midnight Sunday night, displayed a gun and demanded cash. The suspect is described as a black male, 25 to 30 years of age, about 6 feet tall and weighing 200 pounds. He was wearing a black jacket, black gloves and a black and white Halloween-type mask. He carried a dark-colored handgun.

 

 

(Paxton-jm) -- There is a vacancy on the Paxton City Council. Alderman Rob Steiger resigned at the city’s December meeting. Steiger moved outside of city limits and had to step down.

 

 

(Gifford-jm) -- The Gifford Grade School District is seeking a 9 percent tax levy increase. The district says the equalized assessed valuation is expected to climb $3.729 million to $53.331 million. Their tentative levy is set at 1.406 million which is expected to bring in an additional $116,107 for the district.