State Crop Statistician Mark Schleusener.
94 percent of corn has reached the dough stage and 76 percent of the Illinois corn crop is rated in good to excellent condition.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Gov. Bruce Rauner has signed a law that gives families of extremely ill children more flexibility in health care. The Republican's action Monday affects children considered "medically fragile, technology dependent." The law means that their expensive, highly technical care which is covered by Medicaid is exempt from managed-care organizations. These families may maintain fee-for-service Medicaid health care.
CHICAGO (AP) — The Securities and Exchange Commission accuses a father and son of a Ponzi-style scheme that raised at least $135 million since 2010 from over 900 investors nationwide. A Monday SEC statement says Jerome H. Cohen and Shaun D. Cohen dangled the prospect of double-digit returns, falsely assuring investors the investments were secured by income-generating, South Side Chicago properties. The civil complaint says they began paying older investors with new investors' money as the investments faltered.
(Paxton--ab) Fall is in the air and that means harvest is coming up. Paul Seaman from Ludlow co-op says harvest could be starting after labor day...
Ludlow Coop Manager Paul Seaman.
CHICAGO (AP) — Drugmaker AbbVie is donating $100 million to Ronald McDonald House Charities, which help provide housing to pediatric patients and their families throughout the U.S.The donation announced Monday is the single largest ever gift to Chicago-based charity network. The money will be used to build housing in at least 26 states and at 32 Ronald McDonald Houses.
(Springfield--jc) -- A new state law bans the sale of Ivory in Illinois. According to the Humane Society of the U.S., more than 30 thousand elephants are killed by poachers each year for their tusks. Illinois representative Marty Moylan of Des Plaines sponsored the measure in the Illinois House and says the animals need to be protected…
Illinois Representative Marty Moylan of Des Plaines.
The new law also bans the sale and purchase of Rhinoceros horns. Antique weapons or musical instruments that contain ivory are exempt under the law.
(Undated--jc) -- Moms and dads and fans are getting ready for Friday night lights or Thursday on the volleyball courts across Illinois. The start of school is also the start of high school sports. As always, says safety is the top priority says Sam Knox of the Illinois High School Association. Knox said this is also the year that coaches and high school referees need to get re-certified in concussion-protocol training. The law was passed in 20-16 and requires coaches and referees to pass a concussion exam every two years. Friday night football begins this Friday with the WPXN Friday Night Preview show at 6-05pm with the opening kickoff at 7pm between Paxton-Buckley-Loda and the Falcons of Gibson City Melvin Sibley
CHAMPAIGN — No one was injured in a chain-reaction event of three crashes involving six vehicles Monday morning on a rain-slicked Interstate 57 in southwest Champaign.According to an Illinois State Police report, at 7:31 a.m., Marietta Huffstutler, 36, of Champaign was driving a Nissan Altima north on I-57 near milepost 231.5, just south of the Curtis Road exit, when her vehicle hydroplaned as she passed a semitrailer driven by Brian McKeel, 45, of Jackson, Tenn. Huffstutler's car spun out and was struck by McKeel's semi, coming to rest in the right lane of the highway.
(Springfield--jc) One law signed by Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner allows retiring state, conservation and secretary of police purchase their badge and firearm. The governor says another bill encourages officers to get help from mental health issues without worry about their jobs…
Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner
(Undated--jc) Illinois is celebrating its 200th anniversary as a state. Here is today’s Bicentennial Minute…
NAPERVILLE, Ill. (AP) — The Roman Catholic Diocese of Joliet will re-evaluate the residency of two priests who have faced sexual abuse allegations and live in a retirement home adjacent to a junior high school. The Revs. James Nowak, 81, and Richard Jacklin, 67, reside at the St. John Vianney Villa in Naperville. Diocese officials said the re-evaluation comes after neighbors, school officials and parents raised concerns about the retirement home's proximity to Kennedy Junior High School."The Diocese of Joliet is sensitive to the concerns raised by the school parents," the diocese said in a statement.
(Springfield--jc) -- Corn and soybean progress is moving towards harvest as we hear in the weekly crop report. State Crop Statistician Mark Schleusener says 95 percent of corn is in the dough stage…
State Crop Statistician Mark Schleusener.
Schleusener says average statewide topsoil is rated as 8 percent very short, 26 percent short, 63 percent adequate and 3 percent surplus.
(Springfield--jc) -- Three of every four students entering kindergarten aren’t fully prepared, according to results from the Illinois State Board of Education’s first look at kindergarten readiness.The Kindergarten Individual Development Study measured students’ development upon entering kindergarten. Jackie Matthews with the Illinois State Board of Education said the data is an important benchmark. Matthews says children who do well on the “KIDS” program, arrive at kindergarten with higher levels of readiness are actually more successful in grade
school and, also less likely to drop out of school and more likely to graduate.
(Ford County--jc) It’s a donation that has been done before. The full Ford County board is expected to be asked to make a contribution to the Ford-Iroquois University of Illinois Extension office in the amount of 50 thousand dollars. The money would be used for operational costs for the current fiscal year. The money comes from the property tax levy.
(Springfield--jc) -- A new law allows Illinois high school students to take as many college credit classes as they want starting next year. Some school districts had previously limited the number of dual-credit classes that students could take. State Senator Chuck Weaver, Republican from Peoria, sponsored Senate Bill 25-27 to change that. The law requires the courses be taught by instructors who meet state requirements and is worded to allow students to take them either in the classroom or online. Weaver said the law was designed to encourage students to learn at their own pace.
(Springfield--jc) -- Dick Van Dyke of Danville leads the list of the top actors in Illinois History. Other favorite actors with the most votes in Bill Murray from Wilmette, Gene Hackman, also from Danville and Harrison Ford from the Chicago area. Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum spokesperson Chris Wells says a good number of Illinoisans voted in the top 200-dot-com actor category…
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Spokesperson Chris Wells
The next category from the Bicentennial group is entertainers.
(Duquoin--jc) -- The Duquoin state fair begins on Friday. The twilight parade will be held inside the fairgrounds. There is also a new ride, the double ferris wheel, says assistant Fair Manager Tibretta Reiman (‘ray-man)...
Duquoin State Fair Assistant Manager Tibretta Reiman
More information about the event is found on-line at Duquoin-State-Fair-dot-net.
(Springfield--jc) -- The number is 293. That is the number of new laws for the state of Illinois over the past month. Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner has been busy to act on the various measures the democratic controlled House and Senate in Springfield have sent to the governor’s desk. The General Assembly is allowed to introduce an unlimited number of bills. Some states limit that number. Governor Rauner is expected to act on more laws as there continues to be a large number pushed to his desk in Springfield.
