(Springfield-jm) – In the second week of Illinois’ gun ban registry, of more than 2.4 million Firearm Owner ID card holders, a total of 1,618 have disclosed they own an item banned by the state. Numbers Illinois State Police published for the first week of the registry that opened October 1 showed 1,050 individuals disclosing a total of 3,202 now banned items. For the second week, an additional 568 have filed for a total of 4,678 items, 3,053 of which were banned firearms. With a total of 1,618 individuals complying two weeks in, that would be about 0.07% of the 2.4 million FOID card holders in the state. The first week’s numbers showed 1,125 disclosures of .50 caliber ammunition registrations and only 17 reported accessory disclosures. The second week’s numbers had the totals for ammo at 31 and accessories at 1,594.

 

(Washington-jm) – Friday's USDA Cattle on Feed report has some surprises for the trade. Gary Crawford reports…

 

 

(Champaign-jm) – The Champaign County Coroner has finished his investigation into the death of an Urbana toddler, finding that the child died from natural causes. Two-year-old Jayce Griffin was pronounced dead on July 23 after he was found unresponsive by his father, who was caring for him at the time. After conducting an autopsy and a review of medical records, among other things, Coroner Duane Northrup said he found no foul play and confirmed Griffin died from natural causes. The cause of death was “Viral Myocarditis with Viral Meningitis, Laryngitis, Tracheitis, and Bronchitis.”

 

(Urbana-jm) – The Urbana Fire Department responded to a Sunday afternoon kitchen fire that left the occupants of a home displaced. Fire crews arrived at the home in the area of South Lynn Street and Crestwood Drive. The occupants were already outside their home when units arrived. Damage was estimated at around $50,000.

 

(Springfield-jm) – The Illinois General Assembly returns to the state capitol this week for the fall veto session. The session runs October 24-26th and November 7 -9th. 53rd District State Senator Tom Bennett of Gibson City talks about the session…

 

 

53rd District State Senator Tom Bennett of Gibson City.

 

(Champaign-jm) – A Champaign man has been sentenced to 4 years probation and over $60,000 in fines for drug dealing. Brandon Jackson pleaded guilty with possession with intent to deliver cannabis. The plea agreement was for a charge of having between 2,000 and 5,000 grams of cannabis instead of the more serious charge of possession with intent to deliver more than 5,000 grams. 

 

(Rantoul–jc)  –  The wastewater project is underway for the village of Rantoul. Rantoul Mayor Chuck Smith says the upgrades are needed as the village continue to grow with industry and local businesses and housing…

 

 

Rantoul Mayor Chuck Smith.

 

(Paxton–jc)  Today’s WPXN Business of the Day is Dogtown Heating Air and Plumbing of Paxton. Manager Kody Haas says they service a wide area…

 

 

Haas says even though we have several warmer fall days ahead, now is the time to have your furnace checked……

 

 

Dogtown Heating Air and Plumbing Manager Kody Haas

The phone number to remember is 217-841-4728

 

(Springfield-jm) – Just four months into the fiscal year, Illinois’ Health Benefits for Immigrant Seniors program will suspend accepting new enrollees starting November 6, the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services said. In 2020, Illinois began subsidizing the health care of non-citizens in the state over the age of 65, estimating the cost to be $1.8 million. Two years later, the state started offering the taxpayer subsidized benefit to non-citizens over the age of 42. Cost projections for the 2024 fiscal year were at nearly $1 billion. For the fiscal year that started July 1, legislators budgeted $550 million for the benefit. An official from HFS told the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules the agency was not ready to implement cost saving co-pays for non-citizens enrolled in the program and that more than 16,100 enrollees are now in the system.

 

(Washington-jm) – New Farm Credit System rules will put more emphasis on young, beginning and small farmers. Gary Crawford reports…

 

 

(Rantoul-jm) – The Department of the Air Force and the Village of Rantoul will mark the complete transfer of the former Chanute Air Force Base, Illinois, to the community during a ceremony Wednesday at 2 p.m. at Rantoul Village Hall.

Air Force officials will join local and state representatives for a Whole Base Transfer celebration honoring the enduring civilian-military partnership that ensured the success of the 30-year effort to transfer the one-time Air Force technical training center to the community. Since Chanute’s closure in 1993, the Air Force has committed more than $200 million to environmental clean-up efforts closing out 276 sites with significant soil and groundwater contamination.

 

(Undated-jm) – The Illinois State Police conducted a crime enforcement detail October 16-19 in Douglas and Logan counties and seized nine firearms from a driver who confessed to transporting them to a known gang member in the Chicagoland area, and 50 kilos of cocaine hidden in a semi-trailer.

 

(Paxton–jc)  Upgrades to several pump stations are set to be completed in November in the city of Paxton. Paxton Mayor Bill Ingold says the pumps are aging and need to be replaced in the Vermilion and Chesnut lift stations…

 

 

Paxton Mayor Bill Ingold.

 

(Champaign-jm) – A new building broke ground that will prepare Parkland College students for work in a skilled trade. The building will be called the Parkland-AGCO Agricultural Education Building. It’ll be a training center for students that want to develop their technician skills. AGCO is a growing agriculture company that now is partnering with Parkland College to add a new building on campus. The building cost $6 million, with AGCO donating $5 million. The goal is to get college freshmen and companies to collaborate and understand the value of being a technician.

 

(Paxton–jc)  – The Paxton Service Club is on the look-out for the 20-23 city of Paxton Christmas tree.  Paxton Service Club spokesperson Judy Ondercho says the group is building a new list of possibilities for the holiday tree…

 

 

Paxton Service Club  Spokesperson Judy Ondercho. The 20-23 City of Paxton Christmas parade is set for 1-30pm on Saturday November 25th. WPXN will be broadcasting the parade live again this year.