(Springfield-jm) – The 2023-2024 Illinois Digest of Hunting and Trapping Regulations is now available online, and printed copies will be available in Conservation World during the 2023 Illinois State Fair Aug. 10-20. To access the electronic version, visit https://dnr.illinois.gov/hunting/hunttrapdigest.html.

 

(Springfield-jm) – Governor J-B Pritzker is clarifying a new state law that lets some non-citizens become a police officer in Illinois. Governor Pritzker says despite what you may have heard, the law he signed last week does not let illegal immigrants become cops…

 

 

Illinois Governor J-B Pritzker. The Governor says only non-citizens who are legally authorized to work in the U-S under federal law would be eligible and points out that this is the same category of people that can already serve in the U-S military. Critics say the law is a “breach of democracy.”

 

(Paxton-jm) – Local first responders will be honored as part of afternoon and evening activities that will occur at Bixby Park prior to Paxton’s postponed Fourth of July fireworks show taking place there at dusk on Saturday. According to our partners at The Ford County Chronicle, in addition, there will be food trucks, an inflatable obstacle course, a bounce house and a few children’s games set up at the park on the city’s southeast edge. In addition to being publicly thanked by the mayor, the first responders will be honored on the city’s Facebook page. First responders’ names can be shared via a post on the city’s Facebook page, emailed to Ward 4 Alderman Kristen Larson at klarson@cityofpaxton.com or submitted in person at City Hall, 145 S. Market St., by noon Friday.

 

(Paxton-jm) – Ford County Public Health Department is announcing a Back to School Immunization Clinic for children ages 18 and younger on Monday, August 7th at the Health Department, 235 N Taft St, in Paxton. Times are from 9-11AM or 2- 4PM. Appointments are available and walk ins will also be accepted. To schedule an appointment, please call the health department at (217) 379-9281.

 

(Paxton–jc) The recent hot weather has canceled a scrimmage for local youth Football and Cheerleading, but some fund raising will still go on.  With practice time at a premium, the scrimmage at the Rantoul Sports Complex between Paxton and Gibson City set for tonight is canceled. The Paxton teams though will have a practice at the Rantoul Sports complex.  The Paxton football players and cheerleaders are gathering non perishable food for the Gibson Area Hospital food bank says Paxton Youth Football and Cheerleading President Matt Quinlan…

 

 

Paxton Youth Football and Cheerleading President Matt Quinlan. See any player or cheerleader to donate. Games for the local youth football begin later this month. 

 

(Urbana-jm) – Champaign County Crime Stoppers is asking the public for help in finding the people who shot at a mobile home on the outskirts of Urbana. Officials said the shooting happened July 17 in the Loral Mobile Home Park. Deputies from the Champaign County Sheriff’s Office arrived on the scene around 9:45 p.m. and learned that two men fired toward the backside of a home on Beeson Drive before fleeing. Deputies found shell casings at the scene and damage to the home. Video evidence showed that the suspects parked a dark-colored SUV on Fern Street during the crime and left in the same car. One was wearing a hoodie and light-colored pants, possibly gray or white; the other was wearing all black clothing. Authorities could not determine their race.

 

(Washington-jm) – The USDA June prices report shows producers getting lower prices than June of last year for almost every product. Gary Crawford reports…

 

 

(Springfield-jm) – Governor JB Pritzker Tuesday announced the reopening of a homeownership program designed to help working-class families and underrepresented communities of color throughout the state of Illinois. Offered through the Illinois Housing Development Authority, the Opening Doors or Abriendo Puertas program is designed to aid households who have historically faced steeper barriers in their path toward homeownership with $6,000 in forgivable assistance for down payment and/or closing costs. This latest round of assistance is funded through $20 million in Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds authorized by the American Rescue Plan Act and appropriated from the Illinois General Assembly.

 

(Springfield-jm) – The Illinois State Police is launching an online crash reporting system. If you get into a single vehicle crash on the interstate, Illinois Route or U-S Route and there are no injuries, you can fill out all the details online says Master Sergeant Joey Watson…

 

 

Illinois State Police Master Sergeant Joey Watson. Watson says this will also be safer for troopers, who are sometimes struck by passing motorists, and frees police up to respond to emergency situations. You can fill out the report at: isp dot illinois dot gov, and then click on “crash reports.”

 

(Champaign-jm) – The City of Champaign will have contractors performing annual outdoor warning siren maintenance to each of the sixteen sirens in the City’s alerting system on August 2 and 3, 2023, from 8:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. Part of this maintenance requires that the contractor activate the warning sirens for short periods of time, not to exceed thirty seconds, to ensure proper performance during emergencies. Should an actual emergency exist, the warning sirens will activate as normal, for a period exceeding two minutes.

 

(Urbana-jm) – The Urbana City Council has voted to approve funds that will allow homeless services provider C-U at Home to purchase a property on Springfield Ave. in Urbana to serve as the new home for its men’s shelter program. Since last December, C-U at Home has been searching for a property to house its men’s shelter program, which remains at the 70 E. Washington St. location until the new home is operational. Their women’s program moved quickly to a four-bedroom home in west Champaign, but the men’s program has remained temporarily at the old location.

 

(Melvin–jc)  The 20-23 Knight for Christ Fundraiser to benefit Christ Lutheran High School in Buckley is set for Saturday August26th on the Ford County Fairgrounds in Melvin.  Event Spokesperson Larry Abbe says officials at the Christian School hope this year they will raise enough money to pay for health insurance for teachers and staff and also pay off the school mortgage…

 

 

Knight for Christ Fundraiser Spokesperson Larry Abbe. Those wanting tickets may call the high school in Buckley, stop by Abbe Insurance of Buckley or the WPXN studios. 

 

(Ford County-jm) – A new program in Ford County is helping those with addictions avoid a prison sentence while staying sober. Sentencing Alternatives for Rehabilitation, Addiction Recovery & Healing began a year and a half ago. Two people have already successfully completed the program. There is an extensive process before being selected for the program and the process begins before the defendant is sentenced.

 

(Washington-jm) – The USDA has just come out with its first forecast for 2024 retail food prices. Gary Crawford reports…