(Rantoul--jc) Rantoul police have arrested two of three individuals they believe were involved in a break in at the Rantoul Rural King on Wednesday morning. Police say they arrested a 14 year old and 15 year old Rantoul residents in conjunction with the break in, stolen car and gun theft. A third individual is still being sought in the case. WPXN news will continue to update this story as more official news becomes available.
(Springfield--jc) Secretary of State Police will be looking for those illegally parked at shopping malls across the state starting today and going through the holiday season. Secretary of State police will be at selected malls in Illinois to crack down on those abusing disability parking placards and license plates. Secretary of State Investigator Glenn Florkow says they take this effort seriously…
Secretary of State Investigator Glenn Florkow.
Fines are heavy for these parking violations.
(Springfield--jc) -- Holiday gatherings often include fun, reminiscing, but also provide an opportunity to discuss which health conditions run in the family. Illinois Public Health Director Doctor Nirav Shah says take some time over the holiday to talk health…
Illinois Public Health Diretor Doctor Nirav Shah.
ELGIN, Ill. (AP) — Illinois State Police continue to step up patrols by troopers as they seek to ensure compliance with seat-belt and other laws during the on going Thanksgiving travel period. The Click It or Ticket campaign includes seat-belt enforcement zones around the state. State police say they will also aggressively enforce speeding, drunk-driving and distracted-driving laws.
(Rantoul--jc) --The Rantoul Police Department Shop with a Cop program was awarded a 3 thousand dollar grant from Walmart- Giving this week. Store Manager, Nathen Vock, presented the check to Shop with a Cop Coordinator, Terri Neil. This year Shop with a Cop will be held on December 8th at the Rantoul Walmart. Last year, Shop with a Cop helped thirty Rantoul families put presents underneath their tree. This program would not be possible without the support from organizations like Walmart.
(Washington--jc) -- During this first big weekend of the holiday sales season retailers are offering some incredible deals, but experts still say we should not bite at the first bargain deal we see. Gary Crawford has the story…
(Gibson City--jc) -- Gibson City council members are set to meet next week to look at revisions for solar power uses and wind power zoning classifications. Solar projects and wind farms continue to be topics for local units of government. The meeting for Gibson City leaders is set for 7pm Thursday November 29th.
(Paxton--jc) It’s the Christmas Express in downtown Paxton on Saturday. The annual Christmas parade steps off at 1-30 Saturday afternoon. Prizes will be awarded to several entries this year courtesy of Pride in Paxton and sponsors. WPXN will broadcast the parade live on Saturday starting around 1-15.
Paxton Market Street Theatre's production of "The Little Town of Christmas," a compilation of Christmas skits for young and old by Pat Cook. Show dates are: Nov. 30, Dec. 1, 7, 8, and 9. Thursday-Saturday shows are at 7:00 pm; Sunday show is at 2 p.m. Ticket prices are $12 each. Reservations suggested but not required by calling 217-379-7028.
(Undated--jc) - Illinois is celebrating its 200th anniversary as a state. Here is today’s Bicentennial minute…
(Undated--jc) The malls and box stores and local shops are busy for the start of Black Friday today. Several of the national stores are offering on-line deals for the Christmas Shopping season in hopes of capturing the 4th quarter retail dollars. Locally, shopping has begun in East Central Illinois in areas from Paxton and Rantoul to Gibson City, Gilman, Cissna Park to Watseka and Hoopeston. Tomorrow is also Small Business Saturday. Rantoul Area Chamber of Commerce officials have set up a brunch from 10 until noon on Saturday to celebrate the event.
(Gibson City--jc) -- Gibson City leaders are set to meet on Monday night and one topic of discussion is an ordinance to authorize the execution of a Tax Increment Financing District Redevelopment Agreement between the city, Ford County and Dreams Come True Trucking. Additional topics for Gibson City leaders on Monday night include truck bids and truck bed bids. Council members are also expected to consider hiring Donohue and Associates to help the city prepare an application with the I-E-P-A loan. The Gibson City council meeting comes to order at 7 on Monday night at city hall.
(Washington--jc) The latest cattle on feed report came out this week. U-S-D-A livestock analyst Shayle Shagam provides some of the key numbers from Wednesday’s report…
U-S-D-A Livestock Analyst Shayle Shagam.
(Champaign--jc) Champaign County Crimestoppers is offering a one thousand dollar reward to the arrest and conviction concerning a shooting in Champaign on Wednesday night. Anyone with information is asked to call crimestoppers at 217-373-TIPS.
PRINCETON, Ill. (AP) — A county coroner has been dispatched to the scene where an Amtrak train collided with a farm tractor near the community of Princeton in north central Illinois. Authorities have not confirmed there was a fatality but The (LaSalle) News Tribune reports that about a half hour after Thursday morning collision, a call to a LifeFlight helicopter was canceled and the Bureau County Coroner was called.
ROCKFORD, Ill. (AP) — The plastic is piling up in Rockford. The Rockford Register Star reports that Keep Northern Illinois Beautiful finds itself with more than 7 tons of plastic at its recycling center with no place to send it after a decision made by China nearly a year ago to refuse shipments of recyclable plastics from the West.
WASHINGTON, Ill. (AP) — A relief group is finishing up work five years after a tornado destroyed or damaged about 1,000 homes and killed one person in a central Illinois city. The Journal Star reports the Washington Illinois Area Foundation has less than $10,000 of the roughly $1.6 million donated to help area residents, churches and governments rebuild after the Nov. 17, 2013 tornado. Washington is near Peoria.
(Springfield--jc) -- Attorney General Lisa Madigan joined a coalition of 14 state attorneys general to file a comment letter urging the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency to maintain rules requiring banks to help low income people. The comment responds to the O-C-C’s efforts to weaken oversight of bank compliance with the Community Reinvestment Act. The C-R-A encourages banks to help meet credit needs of all segments of their communities. The law was enacted in 1977 in response to banks persistent and systematic denial of access to credit for historically disadvantaged communities, often communities of color. The groups proposal would undermine the purpose of the Community Reinvestment Act and result in less access to banking service, loans, and investment for disadvantaged populations.
(Rantoul--jc) -- An I-T company has expansion plans for the village of Rantoul. A company called Colocation-Plus is set to open sometime in December. The company distributes and processes I-T data. The company will be located in the Rantoul Business Center on the former Chanute Air Force Base. A sister company Prominic Net opened a data center in Champaign around 20 years ago. In Rantoul, the company plans to build several one room data centers.
(Washington--jc) Sweet potato growers are working to get more of their product consumed all year long, instead of just at the holidays Gary Crawford reports..
