(Undated--jc) -- Illinois farmers are mostly staying out of the back-and-forth over whether the farm bill should include work requirements for food assistance.The federal farm bill, which contains a slew of government programs for crop insurance, farm credit, research and more, is in conference committee where U.S. senators and representatives are hashing out the differences between two separate versions.One sticking point is over whether able-bodied adults should be required to work or get job training in order to be eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which used to be called food stamps.
(Paxton--jc) -- City of Paxton leaders are looking to renovate the cities Pavilion at Pells Park. One estimate was for 150 thousand dollars. Paxton Mayor Bill Ingold says the cost may be less. Mayor Ingold says a 12 thousand dollar donation to help was received from the local V-F-W…
Paxton Mayor Bill Ingold
The project could start as early as this fall and Paxton city leaders want to have it completed by the 4th of July next year.
(Springfield--jc) 4 percent of soybeans have been harvested as we hear in the weekly crop report. State Crop Statistician Mark Schleusener says last year only 1 percent had been harvested…
State Crop Statistician Mark Schleusener.ago.
75 percent of corn is mature and 12 percent has been harvested
WPXN’s Farmers Harvest Lunch in the Field Program begins this week. We will be bringing a Monical’s Pizza Lunch to an area farmer and talk about the local harvest over the noon hour on Wednesday.
(Rantoul--jc) --The Rantoul Area Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce that they will host a job and career fair for its members and community on October 12 from 11 to 1 at Rantoul Business Center. If you are hiring and would like to participate in the event or are an organization that offers job skills and workforce development services in order to help job seekers become more employable and would like to participate please call 217 893 3323
(Chicago---jc) -- Should lawmakers tinker with the state’s income tax rates and scale them higher for people who make more money and lower for those who make less? That’s a question voters could answer in the governor’s race when they vote November 6th Democratic gubernatorial candidate J.B. Pritzker wants a progressive tax, though he hasn’t revealed what the rates would be or what income levels might trigger higher taxes. He has said the rich should pay more and that he would work with lawmakers to determine a rate and income structure for the progressive income tax. Pritzker says it would take a couple years to implement a progressive tax because there would need to be a state constitutional amendment to change the existing flat tax to a system with graduated rates. To get more revenue to spend on programs in the short-term, Pritzker has proposed legalizing sports betting, marijuana for recreational use and implementing service taxes. Governor Bruce Rauner says Illinois needs to do is to follow the federal government’s cue in cutting tax rates and simplifying the tax code.
CHAMPAIGN — A variety of fall-semester midterm courses at Parkland College will begin on Monday, October 15. All courses provide full college credit for successful completion within an eight-week period.Subject areas include art, music, theatre, math, history, communication, economics, English and psychology, among others.The deadline to register is Sunday, Oct. 14. Those interested may call the college at 217-/351-2482 or visit the Parkland College website at w-w-w-dot-partkland-edu-apply.
(Washington--jc) -- Plans are already in place to get food quickly to victims of Florence. Gary Crawford reports…
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Illinois House Republicans have ended campaign support for a sitting GOP lawmaker amid allegations of "harassment." The Chicago Tribune reported Friday that the House Republican Organization cut financial ties with Rep. Jerry Lee Long of Streator and asked him to step down. GOP spokeswoman Eleni Demertzis says campaign officials were "made aware of allegations into Rep. Long's behavior" but would not elaborate. Long wouldn't comment on the claim but says he won't quit the re-election race
Undated--ba) -- It’s National Farm Safety week. Scott Heiberger of the National Farm Medicine Center discusses the need for farm parents and grandparents to keep younger kids safe in the workplace….
Scott Heiberger of the National Farm Medicine Center.
(Saybrook--jc) One local V-F-W post is hosting a “Salute to Freedom” motorcycle ride event. Officials with the Saybrook V-F-W Post 4-5-4 say registration begins at 9-30 Saturday morning with the ride to begin at 10-30. A Dinner, silent auction and music also hi-lite the event.
(Undated--jc) -- Illinois is celebrating its 200th anniversary as a state. Here is today’s Bicentennial Minute…
(Chicago--jc) Hundreds of thousands of Illinois students are considered “chronically absent” and that may make life difficult for schools in light of the new federal education requirements. In the 2015 school year, the most recent year for which data was available over 335 thousand Illinois students missed at least 10 percent of their school days. This is what advocacy group Attendance Works classifies as “chronically absent.” In a report, the advocacy group said that a pattern of missing instruction can hurt a student’s development for years ahead. Attendance Works figure is higher than the Illinois State Board of Education’s because the state only measures chronic truancy, which is classified as missing five percent of school days, but doesn't include excused absences. In 2015, ISBE said nine percent of students were chronically truant, compared to Attendance Works’ finding of 16.5 percent of students being chronically absent in Illinois. That gap represents more than 150,000 students.
(Springfield--ba) -- Voters are choosing Enrico Fermi as their number one pick for illinois scientists in the latest top 10 poll. Fermi developed the world’s first nuclear reactor and played a key role in the manhattan project. abraham lincoln presidential library spokesperson Chris Wills says James Watson, who discovered the shape of d-n-a takes the second spot...
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Spokesperson Chris Wills.
You Can Vote Now In The Next Poll…top Illinois Athletes…at Illinois Top 200 Dot Com.
MURPHYSBORO, Ill. (AP) — A southern Illinois judge has thrown out a murder conviction in the 2014 death of a Southern Illinois University student. A Jackson County judge vacated Gaege Bethune's first-degree murder conviction Monday in 19-year-old Pravin Varughese's death, after saying that jurors could have been confused by wording in Bethune's indictment. A jury convicted the Eldorado, Illinois, man in June in Varughese's death, but his new defense attorney sought to have the conviction thrown out.
(Champaign County--jc) Champaign County Crimestoppers are seeking information about a Champaign man wanted on a failure to appear charge. 25 year old Douglass Driver is wanted on a no bond warrant for failure to appear for possession of a stolen vehicle.Driver is described as , black, 5'9", 150 lbs., with black hair and brown eyes. His last known address is 714 West Vine Street, Champaign.Anyone with information is asked to call Champaign County Crime Stoppers.
(Springfield--jc) The soybean harvest is underway as we here in the weekly crop report. 58 percent of soybeans are dropping leaves and 4 percent has been harvested. State Crop Statistician Mark Schleusener says 75 percent of the corn crop is mature…
State Crop Statistician Mark Schleusener
2 percent of sorghum has been harvest. Average statewide topsoil moisture is 3 percent very short, 10 percent short, 80 percent adequate and 7 percent surplus.
(Rantoul--jc) On your things to do Friday night, how about a paint party. The Rantoul Recreation Department is hosting a “Paint Like Me” Party at the Rec building Friday evening at 6. Rec Department officials say a few more people are needed to make the event work. Those interested are asked to contact the Rantoul Recreation Department at 893-5700.
(Undated--ba) -- Its National Farm Safety week. Scott Heiberger of the National Farm Medicine Center says safety in agriculture has improved and has gained more attention over time...
Scott Heiberger of the National Farm Medicine Center.
(Paxton--jc) -- A new business is now open in rural Paxton. Prairie Material is open for pick-up and delivery at 100 North 32-80 East road in rural Paxton. The company offers construction gravel, and Ag lime to construction sand. Phone sales are available at 708-514-0017.
(Rantoul--jc) --.There will be a special meeting of the Rantoul Police Pension Board on Wednesday, September 26 3:00 PM. The meeting will be held at the Village of Rantoul Municipal Building on . Tanner Street. One new business item is the review and approval of transfer of Creditable Service for Eric Ruff from the Rantoul Police Pension Fund to the Urbana Police Pension Fund for just over 120 thousand dollars. The local board will also have an open period to hear concerns from local citizens.
INDIANAPOLIS – Garth Brooks, the reigning Country Music Association Entertainer of the Year, will take the stage in Indianapolis for a private show at this year’s 91st National FFA Convention & Expo. The premier youth leadership organization dedicated to preparing members for leadership and careers in the science, business and technology of agriculture, the National FFA Organization boasts a membership of nearly 670,000 nationwide. The National FFA Convention & Expo remains one of the largest student conventions in the world, annually drawing more than 65,000 attendees.
