(Undated--jc)  -- One main message from local and area police during the Christmas shopping season is simple.-- Make sure you lock your vehicle. Bloomington police have reported a number of vehicle burglaries this week. The incidents have happened around  business parking lots, fitness centers and shopping centers. Local police officials remind the shopping public to be aware of your surroundings, be aware of suspicious activity and to always lock your car and take precaution with your gifts. In Bloomington vehicle thefts were reported on the city’s east side including several on Wednesday.

 

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Gov.-elect J.B. Pritzker has named former state Comptroller Dan Hynes as deputy governor among top staff picks. The Democrat also announced Thursday that state Rep. Christian Mitchell and education advocate Jesse Ruiz will serve as deputy governors.Hynes was elected comptroller in 1998 and served three terms. He finished second to Barack Obama for the 2004 Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate and unsuccessfully challenged Gov. Pat Quinn in 2010.

 

Attorney General Lisa Madigan says preliminary findings of her office’s investigation into the catholic church are shocking. While the church has made the names of 184 clergy accused of child sexual abuse public…Attorney General Madigan says her office has found at least another 500 cases. many have never been looked into…and Madigan says it’s time for reform.

 

 

Madigan says her investigation will continue but hopes these initial findings will be discussed at next month’s u-s conference of catholic bishops’ retreat in Mundelein.

 

Republicans in the Illinois house say raising the gas tax in Illinois is a bad idea opponents worry a big increase in the gas tax could be come up for a vote during the final days of the legislative session in early January. Representative Jeanne Ives of Wheaton says taxpayers don’t need to be burdened with a proposed 20 to 30 cent per gallon hike.

 

 

Supporters say the state gas tax hasn’t been raised in 28 years and that funding for road repairs is desperately needed across Illinois.

 

 

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Parkland College officials approved curricula for three new career credentials and learned more about a new student start-up cohort coming this spring. Yesterday, the Parkland College Board of Trustees approved the school’s new Advanced Unmanned Aircraft Systems certificate, the Agriculture Retail Operations certificate, and the Advanced Applicator Technician AAS degree. The programs will go through a final review for approval with the Illinois Community College Board and, in the case of the AAS degree, Illinois Board of Higher Education in the new year.

 

 

(Paxton--jc)  The Paxton Park District approved its annual tax levy at their meeting this week The tax levy is just over 102 thousand dollars. The board will not use general obligation bonds for 20-19. The board will meet next on January 16th.

 

 

UNDATED (AP) — Lawmakers introduced the Shut Down Child Prison Camps Act Thursday hoping to close two mass detention facilities holding more than 4,000 migrant teens in Texas and Florida. Most of the 14,300 migrant toddlers, children and teens in government care are in detention centers and residential facilities packed with anywhere from hundreds to thousands of children. Experts say the deep anxiety and distrust children suffer when they're institutionalized can cause long-lasting health problems.

 

 

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (AP) — Travelers in Grand Junction soon will be able to fly directly to Chicago.  United Airlines officials say they will start a seasonal flight between Grand Junction Regional Airport and Chicago O'Hare International Airport in June. The flights will run on Saturdays from June 8 through Oct. 26. Tickets for some of the flights are already on sale.

 

(Springfield--jc)  -- Illinois Supreme Court Justice Rita B. Garman and the Illinois Supreme Court have announced the appointment of Jonathan C. Wright as a resident Circuit Judge in the Eleventh Judicial Circuit. Mr. Wright is being appointed to fill the vacancy created by the election of Justice Thomas M. Harris to the Fourth District. The appointment takes effect on January 7, and will conclude on December 7, 2020,  The 11th circuit district includes Ford, McLean, Woodford, Livingston and Logan Counties.

 

 

(Undated--jc)  -- Illinois is celebrating its 200th anniversary as a state. Here is today’s Bicentennial minute…

 

 

CHICAGO — Governor Bruce Rauner signed HB 55-93 Thursday, establishing a pilot program for school districts to use the design-build construction delivery method. The method allows architects, engineers and construction contractors to pick their partners and be hired as a team, expediting project completion by allowing early phases of construction to begin as the building design is still being developed. This legislation permits up to five design-build demonstration projects to be undertaken in Illinois. Each must be shown to be in a school district’s best interest as determined by the State Board of Education.

 

 

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A monthly survey of rural bankers in parts of 10 Plains and Western states suggests the regional economy is growing. The overall index of the Creighton University Rural Mainstreet survey for December climbed back above growth neutral to hit 54.2, compared with 49.9 in November . Any score above 50 suggests a growing economy in the months ahead, while a score below 50 indicates a shrinking economy. Illinois participates in the 10 state survey.

 

(Paxton--jc)  -- A meeting with the Ford County board concerning wind farms was cancelled last night.The announcement came from  Ford County Board Chairman Bob Lingren. Chairman Lingren says the meeting to discuss the future of wind farm projects in Ford County will be rescheduled in January.

 

 

(Champaign--jc)  Champaign County authorities are seeking information about Christmas light damage and reports of stolen lights in the village of Savoy. The incidents happened around December 19th. Champaign County police are seeking information. If you have information on this crime, you are asked to called Champaign County Crimestoppers at 217-373-TIPS.

 

(Springfield-jc)  --  A new Illinois law will soon allow schools to use recruitment agencies to find substitute teachers.The program opens the door for school districts to work with temp agencies to supplement the search for substitute teachers for elementary and secondary schools. It will be available January first.  Most school administrators will pull from the surrounding school districts to fill an open substitute teaching position. But when that pool of teachers is tapped out, they are stuck. The new law will change that by allowing schools to pull from a larger group. Rural schools especially are struggling to find teachers for sciences or foreign language.

 

 

(Undated--jc)  -- No injuries were reported in a bus vs vehicle accident along Interstate 74 near mile marker 148. State police say a bus struck a trailer being pulled by a Ford truck in the west bound lanes of I-74 around 2-40 Thursday afternoon. No children were on the bus at the time of the accident.

 

 

(Paxton--ab)  --The Paxton Evangelical Covenant Church is hosting a Christmas dinner on Christmas day. What’s on the menu? Paxton Evangelical Covenant Church spokeswoman Amanda Nelson has the details.

 

Paxton Evangelical Covenant Church Spokesperson Amanda Nelson

 

(Bloomington-jc)  State Senator Jason Barickman has been recognized for work on education funding reform, while also being honored for his support of manufacturing businesses.Barickman was recently presented with the “Friend of Education” award from the Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents.  The award was largely based on the Senator’s work in advancing the concept of an evidence-based model for school funding.

 

(Gifford--jc- Gifford grade school board members learned that the repair work on the south wall of the old gym has not started. The reason has been the weather. School officials hope the project can proceed  in the very near future.

 

(Taylorville--jc)  --A federal lawmaker wants to know why Governor Bruce Rauner's administration helped nearly every county in the state sidestep work requirements for food stamps users. Taylorville U.S. Representative Rodney Davis applauded President Donald Trump administration's move to reform rules governing the waivers that states seek from work requirements for food stamps. And he wants to know why Rauner’s administration sought another waiver from the federal rules for 2019 despite low unemployment .Last month state officials said they requested a waiver from the federal work requirements for able-bodied adults without kids to get food stamps. The request included all counties in East Central Illinois. Davis says with plenty of jobs available, he questions the qualifications of some to work with the SNAP program. The Foundation for Government Accountability estimates of 346,000 able-bodied adults without kids in Illinois, Only 9,000 were subject to work requirements.

 

The 2018 Farm Bill is signed into law. Stephanie Ho reports...