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Senate lawmakers to Discuss Legislation Raising the Minimum Wage in Illinois to 15 Dollars an Hour

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — The extreme weather that shuttered schools across a swath of the northern United States this week also spurred debates over whether when such calls are appropriate. School superintendents said they try to weigh the needs of the entire district when considering whether but need to look especially for the most vulnerable, who may rely on schools for meals and other assistance. Ad additional 2 to 4 inches of snow fell last night into this morning. Most schools are in session this morning.

 

 

CHICAGO (AP) — The Illinois Department of Public Health says at least 144 people made hospital emergency-room visits and one person has died due to cold-related injuries since Tuesday. Department spokesman Melaney Arnold said Thursday that there were at least 65 visits in Chicago and at least 75 outside Chicago. The data say the injuries were either hypothermia or frostbite, which came as temperatures plummeted in Illinois to double-digit subzero readings.

 

(Springfield--jc)  The new head of the Illinois Department of Agriculture says he wants to see expanding broadband access. Acting Ag Director John Sullivan says the need to expand broadband access will help business expansion in the state…

 

 

Illinois Acting Ag Director John Sullivan.

 

(Springfield--ab)  -- Senate lawmakers are discussing legislation raising the minimum wage in Illinois to 15 dollars an hour. The last increase was in 2010…to eight dollars and 25 cents an hour. State Senator Kimberly Lightford of Maywood says it’s time to bump that up, so that people earn a wage they can live on. She says the goal is 15 bucks an hour…but that it would be phased in over the next few years.

 

 

State Senator Kimberly Lightford of Maywood

 

(Champaign--jc)  Three semis and three cars collided along Interstate 74 in Champaign last night. The wreckage blocked the road for several hours. Traffic started flowing around midnight last night. Damage to the semis was significant, though no word was given on injuries of those involved.

 

(Buckley--ab) This Sunday Italian food lovers won't have to look too hard to find a great Spaghetti dinner. At Buckley Christ Lutheran from 11 AM to 3 PM there is a “Taste of Italy” with proceeds from the free will donation helping the student body.


 

URBANA, Illinois – Illinois residents have the option to make a donation to fight local hunger on their 2018 state income tax returns. By checking the box on Schedule G, the Voluntary Charitable Donations Form, a tax-deductible contribution will be made to the Hunger Relief Fund, a special fund in the State treasury, to purchase food grown and processed in Illinois to be distributed by the eight food banks serving Illinois, including Eastern Illinois Foodbank. Feeding Illinois, the state association of food banks, will collect the funds to purchase nutritious Illinois-sourced food such as fresh produce and protein products.


(Bloomington--jc)  -- It’s chocolate and deals in one McLean County city tonight.

The downtown business association of Bloomington has a chocolate tour event that runs from 5 til 8 pm tonight. The event is called “Tour de Chocolat.”


(Paxton--jc)  -- A Ford County Zoning committee is set to meet at 9 this morning. The topic continues to be windfarms, setbacks, decommissioning, flicker and more. The local board has a set back at 22 hundred 50 feet currently. The public is invited to the meeting.

 

CHICAGO (AP) — In Illinois, temperatures could rise by 100 degrees within days. In Michigan, melting snow and rain and a 17-mile ice jam could lead to flooding. Across the Midwest, the sudden warmth was sure to bring more broken roads and busted water mains. Wind chills on Wednesday were in the minus 45 degree range The forecast for this weekend will see temps rise to 55 degrees. The sudden swing from long johns to light jackets and short sleeves could create problems of its own.

 

(Gibson City--jc)  -- August is the expected start for the next renovation and addition project at one Ford County Hospital. Officials with Gibson Area Hospital will start a 12 million dollar project to add medical offices for all its doctors and also address parking at the local facility. Hospital officials say the project will take several years to complete.

 

CHICAGO (AP) — A University of Illinois graduate who leads a Chicago-based private equity firm has been elected chairman of the university system's Board of Trustees. Donald Edwards was unanimously elected to a one-year term during the board's meeting Thursday. Edwards earned his bachelor's degree in finance from Urbana-Champaign and an MBA from Harvard Business School. He was a four-year letter winner on the Illini golf team. He is CEO of Flexpoint Ford, a firm he founded in 2004. Edwards was first appointed to the Board of Trustees by then-Gov. Bruce Rauner in 2017. He was re appointed earlier Thursday by Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who also appointed four other board members: Patricia Brown Holmes, Ricardo Estrada, Kareem Dale and former state Rep. Naomi Jakobsson. The Illinois Senate must confirm the appointments.

 

 

(Paxton--jc)  -- The 31st annual toy show sponsored by the Paxton Buckley Loda F F A is set for Saturday at the high school in Paxton. This is the major fundraiser for the local chapter. Tomorrow’s event begins at 9 am. PBL FFA Member and event spokesperson Mikayla Jones says the money raised goes to help the chapter and its members…

 

 

PBL FFA Member and Event Spokesperson Mikayla Jones.

 

 

LOS ANGELES (AP) — While the polar vortex is driving up demand for natural gas, it isn't doing the same for the price. Demand for Natural Gas spiked over the past week, yet natural gas prices have fallen this week and are in the throes of a two-month skid. The bone-chilling cold stretches from the local area stretched from  North Dakota to Maine, is short-lived. Forecasters say warmer than normal weather is coming to replace it. Natural gas stockpiles hovering at a 13-year low drove the price of natural gas to $4.84 per 1,000 cubic feet in mid-November, the highest closing price in more than four years.

 

(Buckley--jc)  -- Its just the start of February, but farmers have only til the middle of March to get federal crop insurance. Larry Abbe of Abbe Insurance of Buckley and Diversified Insurance Services talks about prices for coverage this year…

 

 

Abbe Insurance of Buckley Owner Larry Abbe.

 

 

(Paxton--jc)  An inquest is set for later this month for a Ford County man from Elliott who was found dead in a house fire in Elliott in May of last year. Ford County Coroner Rick Flessner says the inquest into the death of 34 year old Jeremy Turner is to make public the facts about the death.The inquest is set for 7pm on February 13th at the courthouse in Paxton.

 

 

(Springfield--jc)  --With calls to change Illinois’ constitutional flat income tax to a progressive structure and a new push to change how political boundaries are drawn, one state lawmaker said there are enough proposed changes that it may be time to open the whole thing up. State Representative Tim Butler of Springfield, says every year there are many ideas lawmakers bring forward to get voter approval on changing the state constitution.  Butler says talk goes from term limits, fair maps, pension reform and other constitution issues. Lawmakers have over a year to get issues to Illinois voters. One of Illinois Governor JB Pritzker’s campaign issues was to change Illinois’ flat tax to a progressive tax. That too, would need a vote by Illinoisans.

 

(Giffrord--jc)  -- The 20-19 Midwest Ag Expo has concluded for another year. Despite the frigid temperatures, both days saw good attendance. Stine Seeds representative Chuck Vaughn says for this year farmers have more options in some new seeds and weed control…

 

 

Stine Seeds Representative Chuck Vaughn

 

(Springfield--jc)  -- One bill would tax ammunition, another would have police scour the social media accounts of people seeking to legally buy guns, a third would ban some common firearms, even from law-abiding gun owners.One state lawmaker said that people’s rights are being threatened by the aggressive anti-gun agenda.State Representative Tony McCombie a Republican from Savanna, has been ringing the alarm bell on social media, highlighting bills she says go too far. She said she’s taking a stand against another proposal that would register privately held guns with the government.

 

 

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