(Springfield-jm) – As the fall veto session begins today in Springfield, Illinois lawmakers will be in the spotlight as they deal with numerous controversial issues.
Energy legislation, including the state’s nuclear construction moratorium, gun laws, and scholarship tax credits could be addressed during the session. The Invest in Kids tax credit program is set to expire on New Year’s Eve unless lawmakers take action. The program has faced opposition from teacher’s unions, such as the Illinois Education Association and the Chicago Teachers Union. Lawmakers could also address an amendatory veto by Pritzker that would give electric utilities like Ameren the right of first refusal on transmission line construction. Opponents say the bill would create a monopoly and drive up electric bills. Another energy-related matter involves a bill that would have lifted the 1987 ban on nuclear construction in Illinois. Last spring, a bill gained bipartisan support to allow the state to take advantage of carbon-free technologies and the construction of small modular reactors. There are many calling for the General Assembly to fix Illinois’ Biometric Information Privacy Act, which has led to hundreds of lawsuits. Lawmakers may also take up a bill that mandates that guns be taken away from an alleged domestic abuser once a domestic violence order of protection has been filed in the case.
(Springfield-jm) – The Illinois Liquor Control Commission will be holding a Youth Alcohol Awareness Summit Wednesday. The online event is dedicated to educating and empowering young individuals about the dangers of alcohol consumption. Participants will have the opportunity to engage with expert speakers and network with like-minded individuals from around Illinois.
(Paxton-jm) – The fourth of five mapping sessions for the city of Paxton through the Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs at Western Illinois University is set for tonight. Program Manager Gisela Hamm says public input is still wanted and needed…
Mapping Program Manager Gisela Hamm. Again those four high priority goals are housing, infrastructure, business support and development and leisure around parks and recreation and festivals and events. The session is from 5:30-8:30 in the PBL Junior High Commons.
(Champaign-jm) – Champaign County Crime Stoppers is seeking assistance from the public regarding a retail theft. On October 2, 2023, three females entered Kohl’s in Champaign. The females split up briefly, then two of them met up and relocated to the jewelry department. One female had keys and unlocked a fine jewelry display case, and the females loaded numerous jewelry items into a purse. The two females then moved to the fragrance department, unlocked a drawer, and stole several bottles of perfume. The two females exited the store, then reentered and proceeded to the jewelry department where they met up with the third female. They again unlocked a jewelry display case, and the three females stole several more items. The trio fled in a silver sedan with merchandise valued at $24,053. The suspects were described as black females between 35-40 years old.
(Gibson City-jm) – The Gibson Area Hospital Foundation glo bingo fundraiser will take place in Paxton October 27th and in Gibson City on October 28th. Spokesperson Bill Kirby says tickets are still available…
Gibson Area Hospital Foundation Spokesperson Bill Kirby.
Tickets remain available and you will be able to buy tickets for the event on Friday night at the Cadillac for Glo Bingo in Paxton.
(Iroquois County-jm) – Iroquois County residents, community leaders, business owners, area agencies and organizations now have an opportunity to share how severe weather events impact their property and lives. The Iroquois County Emergency Management Agency is working with American Environmental Corporation from Springfield to update the county’s Hazard Mitigation Plan. The plan assesses the natural hazards that pose risk to the county, such as tornadoes, straight line winds, ice storms, blizzards, wildfire, flooding, and extreme temperatures and identifies ways to minimize the damage of future events. The Iroquois County HMP is a multi-jurisdictional plan that covers Iroquois County including all cities, villages, and communities within Iroquois County. This HMP also incorporates the concerns and needs of townships, drainage districts, school districts, and area agencies or organizations participating in the plan. When completed, the plan will be submitted to the Illinois Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security as well as the Federal Emergency Management Agency for approval.
(Undated-jm) – AAA has reported that Illinois gas prices inched up two cents from a week ago. The state average for a regular gallon of gas is $3.63. The price of gas is 28 cents less than a month ago, and 60 cents less than this time last year. The U.S. price of oil logged a small 1% gain last week, amid ongoing concerns about the conflict between Israel and Hamas. In total, U.S. oil has risen $6 per barrel over the past two weeks. Gasoline futures also rose 11 cents per gallon last week, for a total increase of nearly 20 cents in two weeks.
(Washington-jm) – Soybean growers making big inroads in harvesting ahead of a big storm later this week. Gary Crawford reports…
(Paxton–jc) – Paxton Hardware and Rental is the WPXN Business of the Day, today. With autumn, Paxton Hardware and Rental has a full line of machines available for your projects from skidsteers, man-lifts, to trenchers, and more says owner Scott Allen…
Allen says they have the items you need to keep warm…
Paxton Hardware and Rental Owner Scott Allen.
The store slogan is buy what you want, rent what you need. Paxton Hardware and Rental, the WPXN Business of the Day, today.
(Chicago-jm) – Federal investigators are searching for a Chicago immigration attorney accused of helping his clients file immigration forms filled with sham marriages, fake jobs and false accusations of domestic abuse. Mohammad Reza Baniassadi, owner of The Law Offices of Reza Baniassadi, faces one count of conspiracy to commit immigration fraud and five counts of falsifying applications for immigration benefits. Each count of falsifying immigration applications is punishable by up to ten years in prison. The conspiracy count carries up to five years in prison. Prosecutors alleged Baniassadi and two employees gave false information to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services on behalf of foreign national clients seeking U.S. immigration benefits. That included made-up jobs, sham marriages, cheating on civics tests and false accusations of domestic abuse.
(Springfield-jm) – The Illinois State Fire Marshall is advising residents about the dangers of Halloween decorations and fires. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, each year from 2017 to 2019, an estimated average of 9,200 fires were reported to fire departments nationwide over a 3-day period around Halloween. These fires caused an estimated annual average of 25 deaths, 100 injuries, and $117 million in property loss. Officials advise using a battery-operated candle or glow stick in jack-o-lanterns and teach children to stay away from open flames while wearing their costumes.
(Springfield-jm) – The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services has been in the news lately. 53rd District State Senator Tom Bennett of Gibson City discusses the controversies surrounding the agency…
53rd District State Senator Tom Bennett of Gibson City.
(Washington-jm) – U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durbin of Illinois, along with Illinois Governor JB Pritzker announced two Illinois programs were selected by the U.S. Economic Development Administration as part of the 31 inaugural Tech Hubs. The Chicago Quantum Exchange’s The Bloch: End-to-end Quantum Solutions at Scale and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s Central Illinois Fermentation and Agriculture Biomanufacturing Hub were selected and are now eligible to apply for the next phase of the Tech Hubs Program, which will invest between $50-$75 million in each of 5-10 designated hubs.
(Roberts-jm) – The 2023 Flessner Fall Fest will take place Saturday, October 28th in Roberts. It’s the 2nd annual event to raise money for the Flessner family, who have two boys diagnosed with muscular dystrophy. Spokesperson Daniel Flessner talks about how you can donate…
Flessner Fall Fest Spokesperson Daniel Flessner.
(Urbana-jm) – The University of Illinois System’s Shield T3 LLC will wind down operations by the end of December, system President Tim Killeen announced Monday. Shield T3 is a for-profit entity founded in 2020 by the University of Illinois System and its Discovery Partners Institute to provide the SHIELD saliva-based testing for COVID-19 detection outside of the state of Illinois. SHIELD tests were developed by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign during the early months of the pandemic and were widely deployed at U of I System universities and, through a separate entity known as SHIELD Illinois. The wind-down of Shield T3 will require a vote of the University of Illinois Board of Trustees, anticipated at the board’s next regular meeting in November.
(Paxton-jm) – Paxton IGA presented a $1,000 check to the Paxton Church of Christ. The grocery store made the donation to the church through the store's Charitable Rebate program, which provides $1,000 to a nonprofit organization in return for the organization collecting $200,000 in IGA receipts. This represents the 59th organization that has qualified for a $1000 check since the program started in September 2009.
(Washington-jm) – The nation's corn growers are getting the crop harvested at a faster than normal pace. Gary Crawford reports…
WPXN News Notes…
The Community Service Center of Northern Champaign County will hold a wine tasting fundraiser for the Rantoul High School Eagle’s Nest Food Pantry tonight from 5:30-8 at ET’s in downtown Rantoul. Cost is $75 per person.
