(Springfield-jm) – The Illinois Department of Public Health announced the CDC is reporting all 102 Illinois counties remained at a low level for COVID-19 hospital admissions as of the middle of August, though wastewater surveillance is detecting rising Covid-19 activity. IDPH is continuing to watch COVID-19 data and also monitoring other respiratory viruses, particularly flu and RSV, ahead of the fall and winter seasons. The CDC is expected to issue guidance in September about the newly developed COVID-19 boosters for fall.

 

(Springfield-jm) – The West Nile Virus has been popping up around the state so the Illinois Department of Public Health has some advice to help “fight the bite.” Using insect repellant is one of the best ways to protect yourself from mosquito bites. The State’s Chief Medical Officer Dr Arti Barnes explains which ingredients are the most effective…

 

 

Illinois Department of Public Health Chief Medical Officer Dr Arti Barnes. Other effective ingredients are oil of lemon eucalyptus and I-R-35-35. Barnes says you can use most repellants on kids, but check with your doctor if your child is under 3 years old. It’s also a good idea to dump out any standing water on your property where mosquitoes can breed.

 

(Champaign-jm) – The Champaign Fire Department personnel working at one station had to leave it on Friday after the HVAC system had to be shut off following the discovery of asbestos. Champaign Fire officials said that on August 17, a contractor servicing the water heater at Station 4 on John Street noticed exposed insulation with visible dust particles on the surface. Unsure of what these dust particles were, the city called another contractor to collect a sample for testing. Testing found that 2% of the sample contained asbestos. Personnel at Station 4 were relocated to Stations 5 and 6 on a temporary basis.

 

(Clarence-jm) – Emergency crews from Paxton and Rankin battled a house fire in Clarence late Saturday morning. Crews were called to the fire on South Main Street a little after 11 am Saturday. There’s no word on the cause of the fire.

 

(Loda–jc)  The Annual “Team Hope” Fundraising event to help find a cure for Huntington’s Disease is set for Lakeview Country Club in Loda in September. Team Hope Spokesperson Samantha Cox says the September 9th golf outing is full, but they added a second date for Friday September 8th and are registering teams. A walk around the golf course is planned and walkers are needed. A fun zone for kids, silent auction and more during the day with more activities on Saturday September 9th says Cox…

 

 

Huntington’s Disease Team Hope Walk Spokesperson Samantha Cox. Those interested are asked to find the event on Facebook.

 

(Champaign-jm) – The Marching Illini are set to take center stage in a much-anticipated concert return to State Farm Center following a decade-long hiatus.  The Nation’s Premier College Marching Band, directed by Barry L. Houser, will perform on Sunday, October 8 at 3:00 p.m., continuing what was an annual tradition that began in December of 1991.  Their string of 23 straight years performing at the venue was interrupted after the concert in October of 2013 due to the comprehensive arena renovation that began the following year.  Marching Illini fans can expect to hear all of the traditional gameday music they have come to know and love, with a few surprises thrown in. Tickets go on sale to the public Wednesday, August 30 at 12 p.m.

 

(Urbana-jm) – 135 people will be out of a job after an Urbana plant announced they are closing. Dart Container Corporation, the parent company of Solo Cups, is  closing their Urbana plant by the end of the year. Company officials said the closure is happening due to declining production volume. The plant, located at East Main Street and South Lierman Avenue, makes several items including Solo’s iconic red cups. Solo operated the factory until 2012, when it was bought by Dart.

 

(Washington-jm) – USDA is making changes to its Livestock Indemnity program to better support cattle producers who have lost animals due to severe heat. Gary Crawford reports…

 

 

(Chicago-jm) – Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and city officials are pushing to tax Chicago homes and businesses that are valued at or above $1 million.  The proposed plan would raise the city's real estate transfer tax on properties valued at $1 million and above if enacted by the mayor and approved by the City Council.  

The tax has a progressive three-tier structure, with different effective tax rates for property values under $1 million, between $1 million and $1.5 million, and more than $1.5 million, according to Wirepoints. The proposed "mansion tax" will still need to be approved by the Chicago city council.

 

(Undated-jm) – Last week’s high temperatures broke records in parts of the state. Highs reached the mid to upper 90s and with the humidity, heat index values topped 110. State Climatologist Trent Ford says it was the hottest in decades…

 

 

State Climatologist Trent Ford. Temperatures are expected to be cooler this week however, Ford says the outlook for the beginning of September shows above average temperatures returning.

 

(Urbana-jm) – Three people have been arrested in connection to a robbery that happened on the University of Illinois campus last week. The robbery happened Tuesday night at the intersection of Springfield Avenue and Wright Street. The victim reported that he was walking near the intersection when he was hit from behind with a tree branch. Three offenders stole his backpack and then left the area. Officials said that on Friday, investigators went to the home of one possible offender to talk to him and his mother, as the suspect is under the age of 18. The other two people believed to be involved were also present: another juvenile and 18-year-old Isaiah Rhoads-Linzy of Champaign.

 

(Mahomet-jm) – Farmland values throughout central and southern Illinois increased 8.1% on average from last year, according to the 2023 study of 20 benchmark farms by the Farm Credit Illinois appraisal team. Land values had a dramatic run-up beginning in 2003, until peaking in 2014. The first decline in more than a decade began in 2015 and continued a slight decline through 2018. From that point, land values increased again for five consecutive years, hitting new highs in 2023. While this sets a new peak for the study, 2023 values rose more moderately than reported in 2022. Fifteen of the 20 benchmark farms increased in value while one showed a slight decline. Results across all land classes showed considerable variation, reinforcing that agricultural real estate is a location-specific asset. When considering the individual benchmarks values, the year-over-year changes ranged from -5.3% to +31.3%.

 

(Paxton–jc)  A Free WiFi project in downtown Paxton continues. The Paxton Main Street Group is spearheading the efforts to bring free internet to the downtown area of the city. The group netted a grant from T-Mobile to start the project. Paxton Main Street Executive Director Donna Pepper says it's another positive for the downtown area of the city…

 

 

Paxton Main Street Executive Director Donna Pepper.

 

(Urbana-jm) – The Chief of the University of Illinois Police Department is leaving Central Illinois for a new job, the department announced. Alice Cary, who took over the job three years ago, said that she has accepted the Chief of Police position in Silverthorne, Color. Her last day at the UIPD will be in late September.

 

(Undated-jm) – Interstate 72 now goes by a new name, "Officer Oberheim Memorial Highway", which honors fallen Champaign Police Officer, Chris Oberheim, who was killed in the line of duty in 2021.

 

(Washington-jm) – Food price inflation is cooling down and could be down to so-called "normal" levels in 2024. Gary Crawford reports…