NEW YORK (AP) — New York's new investigation into clergy sex abuse allegations in the Roman Catholic Church is delving into confidential church files in a state where hundreds of people have already made claims through internal church programs. But few criminal cases or lawsuits may come out of the inquiry. New York has some of the nation's strictest time limits on taking child sex abuse claims to court. Yet inquiries by several states could still be valuable to victims by bringing information to light.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — A judge has sentenced a Springfield woman to an extra six months in prison after learning a letter of support she submitted to the court was falsified. The State Journal-Register reports 31-year-old Elizabeth Gonzalez was sentenced last month to 15 months in prison for embezzling more than $47,500 from a bank where she worked.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Gov. Bruce Rauner has declared a "harvest emergency" to help crop-hauling Illinois farmers compete with those in neighboring states. The Republican's declaration allows haulers to exceed road-weight limits in taking crops to market. The free permits are available from the Illinois Department of Transportation.
(Rantoul-dg)-The Rantoul Township High School Board of Education will hold its regular scheduled meeting on Monday. Agenda items include purchasing of a School District vehicle, approving Substitute Teacher pay and items concerning personnel. The meeting comes to order at 7pm the in Rantoul Township High School Boardroom.
(Paxton--jc) -- If you saw lots of motorcycles and riders in Paxton on Sunday, there was a good reason. The annual 9-1-1 Memorial ride took place around several local stops yesterday. One was in Paxton as local firefighters and E-M-S held a lunch for the group.
(Champaign--jc) A Rantoul woman is facing an aggravated battery charge after police say she stabbed her husband on Friday. 38 year old Sandra Findley was arrested early Saturday morning. Local police were called to a home along Brookshire drive on a report of domestic violence. Rantoul police say the wound is non-life-threatening.
(Undated--jc) WIth the effects of Hurricane Gordon, it just does not have the feel of drought locally. U-S-D-A Meteorologist Brad Rippey looks at the significant month-over-month changes in drought coverage for various states …
U-S-D-A Meteorologist Brad Rippey.
(Paxton-jc)- What is next for the subject of wind farms in Ford County? The Ford County planning commission is set to meet again later this month to discuss setbacks, ordinances and other local concerns. Last week, the county board committee meeting was a packed courtroom in Paxton on wind farms. One proposal is to place set backs at 25 hundred feet. Some in the county feel the positives for taxing bodies does not outway having windfarms in Ford County.
An adjourned meeting of the Ford County planning commission is set for 7pm on September 27th.
CHICAGO (AP) — Deadly blood infections persist in Illinois' understaffed nursing homes, according to a joint news investigation. The Chicago Tribune and Kaiser Health News found that about 6,000 Illinois nursing home residents a year who were hospitalized had sepsis, a bloodstream infection that can quickly turn fatal if not if not cared for properly. About 1 in 5 didn't survive, according to an analysis conducted for KHN by Definitive Healthcare, a private health care data firm. Sepsis is developed in bedridden patients with pneumonia, urinary tract infections and other conditions, including pressure sores. Sepsis can be prevented by turning immobile people every two hours and taking other precautions.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — The remains of an Illinois native shot down over Germany 74 years ago during World War II have been identified. The P-0-W and M-I-A Agency announced last week that it had identified 28-year-old Herbert W. Harms. He was a native of Rutland Illinois. Harms was an Army Air Force tail-gunner on a B-17 bomber. His plane was shot down on a mission to Zeitz, Germany on Aug. 16, 1944. Eight of nine crewmembers bailed out safely and were held as prisoners of war.
GRIFFITH, Ind. (AP) — A winning Powerball lottery ticket sold in northwestern Indiana will expire Monday if the $50,000 prize goes unclaimed.The (Northwest Indiana) Times reports that the ticket must be redeemed by 5 p.m. Monday at the Hoosier Lottery headquarters in Indianapolis.The ticket for the March 14 Powerball drawing was purchased at a Speedway gas station in Griffith.
While it wasn't a winner of the big cash prize, it secured a smaller payout by matching four of the five non-Powerball numbers drawn.
(Undated--jc) -- Illinois is celebrating its 200th anniversary as a state. Here is today’s Bicentennial Minute..
(Undated--jc) -- Illinois high school students are more likely to text while behind the wheel than their counterparts nationwide, according to a new study. Some 38 percent of high school students across the nation text while driving, translating to nearly four in 10 students, according to a recent study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health. At 42 percent, Illinois had a slightly higher percentage of high schoolers texting while driving than the national average in 2015. The study was based on data obtained from 35 states that participated in the 2015 Youth Risk Behavior Survey.
(Rural Illinois--jc) -- Rural parts of Illinois could finally get high-speed internet thanks to new federal grants.Almost $100 million in funding is coming from the Federal Communications Commission from a fund created with some of those fees found on phone and internet bills.Illinois Telecommunications Association President Randy Nehrt said the grants were awarded through a bidding process. One stipulation of the grant money is that the companies winning the auctions must bring service to at least 40 percent of the new customers within three years. They have 10 years to complete the projects.
(Washington--jc) - What does the ag trade look like for the first 10 months of the fiscal year. U-S-D-A trade economist Bryce Cook has the numbers…
U-S-D-A trade economist Bryce Cook.
(Watseka--jc) A dead crow in Southern Iroquois County has tested positive for the West Nile virus. Iroquois County Public Health Department officials say the crow was found Loda. The virus remains a possibility due to the time of year and wet conditions. Public Health officials continue to inform local residents to take precautions especially at dawn and dusk where mosquitos are out.
(Rantoul--jc) There were some military type actions on the former Chanute Air Force base on Saturday and Sunday. The reason was an airsoft event. The Sleeping Giant airsoft event saw around 160 participants fire plastic pellets in a competition. The event took place around Grissom Hall in the southern part of the village.
(Springfield--jc) - The State is launching a new college and career planning tool for students and parents. The Illinois College to career website lets families plug in the type of school and field of study students are considering. Illinois Community College Board Executive Director Karen Hunter Anderson says its a valuable resource…
Illinois Community College Board Executive Director Karen Hunter Anderson.
The website is I-L-College-2-career-dot-com
(Springfield--jc) -- Attendance was down but vendor sales were up at this years Illinois State Fair in Springfield. More than 369 thousand people attended the annual event. That is an 8 percent decrease compared to last year. Illinois State Fair Spokesperson Denise Albert says it was a good fair with high vendor receipts…
Illinois State Fair Spokesperson Denise Albert.
(Paxton--jc) Two Ford County based groups are hosting a 9-1-1 remembrance event tomorrow evening. The Ford County Republican Women and National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution have a community event at 6 p.m. Tuesday at at the Paxton firehouse on North Market Street in the city. The event commemorate the events of Sept. 11, 2001, and also to honor and recognize local and firefighters, area emergency personnel, to police officers and ambulance drivers.
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Parkland College announces the grand opening of its new cafe, Betsy’s Bistro at Parkland Today is the first day for the new college venue in the Student Union cafeteria. Hours of operation are 7-30am to 3pm Monday through Friday Menu items include breakfast sandwiches, pancakes, fresh-made doughnuts and fresh-ground specialty coffees for breakfast, with burgers, crispy chicken sandwiches, fresh-cut fries, wood-fired pizza, wraps and a salad and noodle bar for lunch says Doug Richter, executive chef for the Parkland campus cafe
