(Springfield-jm) – Governor J-B Pritzker signed an ethics reform plan into law that will prohibit state lawmakers from running for office again if they are convicted of certain crimes. The law also creates a task force to review eligibility for public office. Anyone convicted of a felony, bribery, perjury or other infamous crime as an elected official is now ineligible to hold any public office. Lawmakers could run for public office again if their conviction is reversed, they are pardoned or have their rights restored by the governor.

 

(Washington-jm) – Results are out for the American Farm Bureau Federation's annual survey for Thanksgiving meal costs, so what might consumers on average pay at the grocery stores this year? Rod Bain reports…

 

 

(Washington-jm) – There's mostly good news about the winter wheat crop in USDA's latest crop progress report. Gary Crawford reports…

 

 

(Urbana-jm) – An Urbana man was sentenced to prison for conspiracy to possess 50 grams or more of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, maintaining drug-involved premises, and possessing a firearm as a felon. Phoutasone Champanine was sentenced to an aggregate of 27 years in prison. Champanine was also ordered to serve an aggregate five years of supervised release. Prosecutors say they found eight pounds of methamphetamine on his person when he was arrested during a Champaign County Street Crimes Task Force operation and for additional methamphetamine and several firearms found in places that Champanine controlled in connection with the conspiracy.

 

(Piatt County-jm) – A Piatt County man was sentenced to over three years in prison for four counts of bank fraud. During the 2016 growing season James Williams obtained a loan of approximately $4.6 million from participating banks First Security Bank and Gifford State Bank on behalf of his farming operation, RJW Williams Farms, Inc. The loans were collateralized by Williams’s assets, including grain. Williams defrauded the banks by concealing grain sales from the banks and by instructing employees of Archer Daniels Midland grain elevators in Niantic and Weldon to issue checks in his son’s name, without his son’s knowledge, which were then deposited into an account held jointly by Williams and his son. Williams then used the checks for his own benefit. Between October 20, 2014, and February 1, 2017, Williams caused ADM to issue approximately 22 checks totaling $540,505.35 to his son for grain that was actually sold by Williams and was collateral for Williams’s outstanding loan.

 

(Champaign county—jc)  Champaign County Crime Stoppers is looking for information concerning a shooting that happened in Rantoul this past April. 

Officials say the shooting happened on April 20th along Saint Andrews Circle in the village. Two people were found shot multiple times near Par Drive. 17 year old Preston Sullivan died of his injuries. An 18 year old girls was seriously hurt, but has recovered from those wounds.  Anyone with information is asked to call Rantoul Police or Champaign County Crime Stoppers. That number is 217-373-8477.  Tips can be anonymous and you could receive a cash reward.

 

(Watseka–jc) Thanksgiving is several days away.  You need time to thaw the bird before you cook. That is the advice of Iroquois County Public Health Department Official Eric Ceci…

 

 

Iroquois County Public Health Department Official Eric Ceci  (See-see).

 

(Paxton-jm) – Paxton’s Christmas tree is up. The tree was put up Monday morning at the intersection of State and Market. This year's tree was donated by Randall West, 393 W Franklin. Paxton Service Club solicited donors and inspected trees with EIEC. This year's tree will also feature brand-new LED lights donated by John Grove. This year’s tree-lighting ceremony sponsored by PRIDE in Paxton will be at 7 p.m. Friday with PRIDE in Paxton’s annual Christmas Parade set for 1:30 p.m. Saturday in downtown Paxton. The parade will be held in honor and remembrance of the late Teri Hancock, Lineup for the parade will be on Taft and Orleans streets, with the parade moving east on Orleans Street, then north on Market Street, before ending at the intersection of Market and Pine streets.

 

(Champaign–dm)  –  Traveling for the Thanksgiving holiday. Do you feel tired after the  plane ride? Tim Ditman of O-S-F HealthCare has tips to turn off jet lag.

 

(Springfield-jm) – Officials at the Illinois State Board of Education say they’re receiving more requests for increased funding for next year than the state could possibly afford, and they’re bracing for the possibility that budgets will start to tighten in the near future. The requested increases totaled just over $1.7 billion. The largest of those was for an increase in Evidence-Based Funding dollars. That’s the formula that lawmakers approved in 2017 aimed at eventually bringing all districts up to an adequate level of funding. Under the law, the state is required to add at least $350 million in new funding each year to its preK-12 spending, with the bulk of that money earmarked for districts that are the least adequately funded. During the budget hearings, however, advocates pushed for an even bigger increase – roughly $550 million.

 

(Washington-jm) – The USDA reports another week of rapid corn harvesting. Gary Crawford reports…

 

 

(Washington-jm) – Turkey prices are already close to or below a year ago, but last-minute holiday food shoppers may see even lower prices. Gary Crawford reports…

 

 

(Champaign-jm) – The Champaign Fire Department is reminding people to take safety precautions this holiday season. With all the cooking for Thanksgiving, they emphasize that kitchen safety is a top priority. This includes making sure that the stove and countertops are clean, smoke alarms are checked, and people are always being conscious of their surroundings.

 

(Urbana-jm) – Urbana officers responded to multiple calls reporting a potential robbery of a resident in the vicinity of 1200 S. Vine Street Sunday afternoon. Officers discovered a 21-year-old man from Champaign who had sustained a gunshot wound to the side. The injured individual was promptly transported to a local hospital, where he is currently receiving treatment for non-life-threatening injuries. Preliminary investigation indicates the injured individual was directly involved in an incident, which occurred immediately prior, at an apartment complex in the 1200 block of South Vine Street. Officers learned that following the initial altercation, the wounded person fled towards Urbana Middle School and High School, with another party discharging a firearm in pursuit.

 

(Paxton–-jc) The Ford County Veterans Assistance Program, based in Paxton, is spearheading efforts to help get needy kids some toys for Christmas. The local organization is partnering with the U S Marine Corp in their “Toys for Tots'' drive. 

Ford County Veterans Assistance Program Director Rebecca Rutledge says they want to fill the need in the Ford County area…

 

 

Ford County Veterans Assistance Program Director Rebecca Rutledge.

 

(Urbana-jm) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture will be providing a grant for a team of researchers from the University of Illinois, Cornell University, and Texas A&M University to try and determine the factors that caused a deadly dust storm on Interstate 55 south of Springfield on May 1.