(Springfield-jm) -- The Illinois Department of Human Services has extended the deadline for state residents to apply for nutrition benefits. The new deadline is Monday, August 31st.
(Undated-jm) -- The Illinois Department of Public Health is announcing 1,645 new cases of COVID-19 and 16 additional deaths. That brings the state’s total number of cases to 198,593 and total number of deaths to 7,672 deaths. Locally, Ford County reported 2 new cases bringing their total number to 70. Champaign County reported 18 new cases bringing their total to 1,700. Livingston County reported 2 new cases bringing their total to 134. McLean County reported 14 new cases bringing their total to 670. Kankakee County reported 20 new cases bringing their total to 1,903. Vermilion County reported 8 new cases bringing their total to 236. Iroquois County reported 8 new cases bringing their total to 290. Iroquois County also reported 3 additional deaths Wednesday bringing their total to 14.
(Springfield-jm) -- The USDA is projecting record corn and soybean yields this year. Numbers are definitely up in Illinois. State Crop Statistician Mark Schleusener says the state’s corn yield is expected to be 207 bushels per acre, up 26 bushels from last year…
State Crop Statistician Mark Schleusener. Illinois’ soybean yield is expected to hit 64 bushels per acre, a new record high. Total soybean production is forecast at 662 million bushels, an increase of 24 percent over the previous year.
(Rantoul-jm) -- A Rantoul man has been sentenced to 4 years probation after pleading guilty to possessing a stolen firearm. 22 year old Samual Hall pleaded guilty in Champaign County court to the charge. Police stopped Hall in Urbana for a traffic violation. Hall admitted to having the stolen firearm and cannabis in his possession he was intending to sell. In exchange for his guilty plea, the possession with intent charge was dismissed.
(Champaign-jm) -- 52nd District State Senator Scott Bennett of Champaign is supporting a new law protecting frontline workers. Governor J-B Pritzker signed the law last Friday. The law charges those who attack workers at grocery stores and other places that warn people about the public health guidelines and the mask mandate.
(Washington-jm) -- If you receive seeds that you didn't order, experts say emphatically, "Don't plant them." Gary Crawford has more…
(Springfield-jm) -- Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul is joining 30 other attorneys general in urging the U-S Senate to provide relief for all federal student loan borrowers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act currently only covers federal student loans owned by the federal government, excluding nearly 8 million borrowers whose federal student loans are owned by private entities. In the letter to the Senate, the coalition urge the Senate to provide the same relief currently available to borrowers whose federal student loans are owned by the federal government, including a temporary suspension of payments, a zero percent interest rate, and the suspension of involuntary collections.
(Pontiac-jm) -- The Livingston County Public Health Department will be hosting a two day mobile COVID testing. Testing will take place August 17th and 18th from 8-4 at their facility in Pontiac.
(Springfield-jm) -- The challenge to the governor’s authority to issue executive orders during the pandemic from state Rep. Darren Bailey has been consolidated with other similar cases, and a civil contempt hearing in Clay County the governor was ordered to attend or face jail has been postponed. Bailey said it was frustrating and disappointing, but said the Clay County ruling against the governor’s orders still stands.
(Undated-jm) -- The Illinois Department of Public Health is announcing 1,645 new cases of COVID-19 and 16 additional deaths. That brings the state’s total number of cases to 198,593 and total number of deaths to 7,672 deaths. As for local active and recovered cases Wednesday, 54 have been released from isolation in Ford County with 12 remaining in isolation and 2 hospitalized. In Champaign County 1,538 have recovered, 143 cases are active with 9 hospitalized. In Livingston County 108 have recovered and 23 cases are active. In McLean County 572 have recovered, 82 are in isolation and 1 is hospitalized. In Kankakee County 1,260 have recovered, 512 cases are active and 8 are hospitalized. In Vermilion County 215 have recovered, 18 are in isolation and 1 is hospitalized. In Iroquois County 222 have been released from isolation, 44 remain in isolation with 10 hospitalized.
(Springfield-jm) -- The state is awarding the first round of Business Interruption Grants. 46 million dollars in grants have been released to more than 26 hundred businesses including salons, gyms and restaurants says Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Acting Director Michael Negron…
Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Acting Director Michael Negron. The grants range from 10 thousand to 20 thousand dollars and can be used for things like payroll, utilities, equipment and PPE for employees. Negron says they expect to award more grants in subsequent rounds. Visit dceo dot illinois dot gov for more information.
(Thawville-jm) -- Thawville firefighters were called to a two vehicle accident Wednesday afternoon. Emergency crews were called to the accident at 115 and 1900 just before 4:30. No word on if there were any injuries.
(Champaign-jm) -- Work on a portion of I-72 began Wednesday. Crews are redoing 11 miles of patching and resurfacing I-72 between White Health and the I-57 interchange. The $8.3 million project is expected to be completed by the end of November.
(St. Joseph-cf)-- St. Joseph-Ogden has made the determination that they will be attending class on campus every other day of the week once school starts this upcoming fall. However, there is still one piece of the puzzle that is still not yet solved, and that is the bell schedule. School could be let out an hour earlier than normal to give teachers more time to work with students who choose to solely attend classes online, St. Joseph-Ogden Superintendent Brian Brooks has the details…
St. Joseph-Ogden Superintendent Brian Brooks
(Champaign-jm) -- A new study of high school seniors in the U.S. suggests that teens who are less satisfied with their lives and seek out risky experiences and exciting, unpredictable friends are more likely to use multiple illicit substances regularly. Teens’ attitude toward e-cigarette use also played a critical role in their use of other substances. Students who considered vaping to be a relatively harmless activity were more likely to use significant amounts of tobacco, alcohol, marijuana and other drugs. The research was conducted by U of I Professors Kevin Tan and Douglas Smith.
(Champaign-jm) -- 52nd District State Senator Scott Bennett of Champaign is teaming up with Community Blood Services to host two week long blood drives. The blood drives will take place September 8-11 in Urbana and Danville.
