(Springfield-jm) – Of Illinois' 2.4 million Firearm Owners ID card holders, the latest Illinois State Police data shows just 0.2%, or 4,877 people, have registered a banned item. There is less than a month left before the January 1 deadline to register banned items with Illinois State Police or criminal penalties could apply, pending any possible court injunction against the deadline. The state of Illinois and the city of Naperville have until Wednesday to respond to the U.S. Supreme Court as to why a preliminary injunction against the state’s gun and magazine ban shouldn’t be issued. Robert Bevis of Law Weapons out of Naperville sued the city over its gun ban in the fall of 2022. He amended his complaint to include Illinois’ after the state enacted its ban. After the federal appeals court sided with the gun bans, Bevis was successful in getting U.S. Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett to docket his challenge last week. The motion for a preliminary injunction in front of the U.S. Supreme Court lays out why plaintiffs feel two of the three-judge panel of the Seventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals got it wrong in siding with the gun bans.
(Undated-jm) – Nearly all of the counties in Central Illinois are reporting an increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations over the past week. The Illinois Department of Public Health says that people should also be aware of rising RSV and flu cases. Nearly 40 counties across the state are listed at medium risk for COVID-19 hospitalizations, according to the CDC. Five counties are now at high risk for hospitalization due to severe illness from COVID-19. Locally, Ford, Iroquois and Champaign County are at medium risk while Vermilion County remains at low risk.
(Paxton–jc) The city of Paxton is looking into a new information system for the police department. Paxton Mayor Bill Ingold says the current system is going to be outdated and the city is looking to use new software, just like the one used by the Ford County Sheriff's office…
Paxton Mayor Bill Ingold.
(Rantoul-jm) – A group in Rantoul is hoping to help veterans and their families. An event was held Saturday where veterans and their families could discuss issues like trauma and PTSD and how to handle it. The group hopes to continue to build the discussion and help more veterans and their families.
(Washington-jm) – How did lower prices received by crop growers overall in October contribute to the latest overall ag prices received index issued by USDA? Rod Bain reports…
(Champaign-jm) – Tickets are now on sale for the annual Ebertfest in Champaign, and next year’s edition is a milestone year for the annual film festival. Ebertfest will be celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2024. In recognition of the festival’s 25th anniversary, people are asked to suggest films that are 25 years or older for showing. Suggestions can be submitted by emailing ebertfest at yahoo dot com. Ebertfest 2024 will take place from April 17 to April 20.
(Paxton–jc)-- In our morning news Fantastic Local Finds for Christmas..We found…The Traveling Vineyard of Rantoul. Owner Amy Lemmke says her business goes to events and parties for a wine tasting experience…
The Traveling Vineyard of Rantoul Owner Amy Lemmke
WPXN news will feature gift shopping ideas and Fantastic Finds from the local area each weekday morning on the news this holiday season.
(Springfield-jm) – The U.S. Census estimates Illinois’ population has declined for nine consecutive years. The bureau’s Vintage 2022 estimates released last December showed 110,127 fewer people in Illinois on net than the year before. That’s on top of an estimated 80,000 lost in 2020. In 2019, Illinois lost on net 51,250 people. Annual population estimates for each state are expected sometime next month from the U.S. Census. Illinois has 17 U.S. House seats. Because of reapportionment based on population, that’s down from 22 seats 30 years ago. Republicans suggested poor policies by the Democratic majority in Illinois don’t compare to Republican control decades ago. Illinois’ legacy debt for public employee pensions now exceeds $200 billion, when considering state and local unfunded pension liability. Last week with Crain’s Chicago Business, Pritzker blamed the population decline on outgoing college students. He said with more taxpayer funding for college scholarships, that’s turning around.
(Springfield-jm) – December is National Impaired Driving Prevention Month. December is a deadly month for drunk driving with two major holidays and lots of people traveling. The intention of National Impaired Driving Prevention Month is to raise awareness about the dangers of impaired driving. Impaired driving refers to operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or other substances that can restrict a person's ability to drive safely. Never get behind the wheel of a vehicle if you are impaired. Impaired driving is a significant cause of traffic accidents, injuries, and fatalities.
(Springfield-jm) – The state of Illinois is handing out more Back to Business grants for small businesses affected by the COVID pandemic. 53rd District State Senator Tom Bennett of Gibson City explains…
53rd District State Senator Tom Bennett of Gibson City.
(St. Joseph-jm) – Officials with the St. Joseph school district are warning the community about suspicious vans in the area. The St. Joseph-Ogden School Resource Officer posted on Facebook about two separate incidents. The first happened at a Jack Flash gas station. A man in a red van asked a customer if they spoke French, and for help with his broken down van. The customer said no and the man left. The second incident happened south of St. Joseph. Someone in a white van stopped in the road and asked a farmer driving a tractor for help with their GPS.
(Washington-jm) – One analyst says if you look for them, there are some positives from USDA's new farm income forecast. Gary Crawford reports…
(Undated-jm) – Phone updates come with plenty of new features and tricks, but one of them has some iPhone users on edge. No longer do you have to worry about meeting someone new, getting their number, and typing something in wrong. The latest iOS 17 update brings a new feature: a quick way to share your contact information with just one touch. Some people are worried about others getting too close and stealing their information. Area police say you shouldn’t worry about people getting your personal information this way as it is password protected.
