Listeners Club

Forgot Password

Not a Member? Sign up here!

WPXN Blog

Illinois Could Permanently Legalize Medical Marijuana

Chatsworth, IL – Lake County Judge Luis Berrones ruled on Saturday that the

Village of Deerfield does not have the authority to ban semi-automatic firearms and magazines in their community, according to Illinois State Rifle Association Executive Director Richard Pearson, who was instrumental in challenging the municipality’s ban. In 2018, the Village of Deerfield passed an ordinance banning certain semi-automatic firearms despite the fact an Illinois State law expressly prohibits municipalities from banning these types of firearms and magazines. The state law gave municipalities until July 19, 2013 to enact semi-automatic firearm bans.

 

WHEATON, Ill. (AP) — The last of five former members of a Christian college football team in suburban Chicago has pleaded guilty to charges in a 2016 hazing incident. Benjamin Pettway of Lookout Mountain, Georgia, pleaded guilty Friday to misdemeanor disorderly conduct. A judge sentenced the 23-year-old ex-Wheaton College player to court supervision and ordered him to perform 50 hours of community service. The former Wheaton players were accused of duct-taping a teammate and dumping him half-naked in a park.

 

 

CHICAGO (AP) — Illinois could permanently legalize medical marijuana under a new proposal. Democratic Rep. Bob Morgan is sponsoring the bill. He tells the Chicago Tribune that Illinois' pilot program has safely helped people struggling with conditions such as cancer and AIDS. Morgan's bill would also add additional medical conditions to the list of qualifying conditions, including autism, migraines, osteoarthritis and chronic pain.

 

 

(Champaign County--jc)  -- One local road in northern Champaign County is set to get a facelift. Just over 5 miles of county road, starting at US Route 45 at Ludlow and going east will be resurfaced.  The project will begin later this Spring and be completed later this year. Price tag for the project is just over 3 million dollars.

 

CASEY, Ill. (AP) — Police say a livestock hauler ran off the road and overturned on Interstate 70 in eastern Illinois, setting about 3,000 piglets loose. The (Terre Haute) Tribune-Star reports that about 100 of the piglets died in the Friday crash near Casey. Illinois State Police say the surviving pigs were recaptured and have continued to their destination in Indiana.

 

(Washington--ba) --  As African Swine Fever spreads through Asia and Eastern Europe, U.S. hog producers are being urged to boost biosecurity measures and watch their herds closely for signs of sickness. USDA’s Gary Crawford reports.

 

 

 

JOLIET, Ill. (AP) — Officials in Will County say the number of deaths from heroin or fentanyl overdoses fell slightly in 2018 compared with the previous year. Officials consider it a sign of progress in the fight against opioid abuse. The county reported 82 deaths from heroin or fentanyl overdoses in 2018. That's down from 85 in 2017, but still significantly higher than 53 deaths in 2015 or 78 in 2016.

 

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — Actresses Gina Gershon, Virginia Madsen and Jennifer Tilly are among the guests at this year's Ebertfest film festival in Champaign. The annual festival honors Roger Ebert, the late Chicago Sun-Times film critic. It runs April 10 to 13 at Champaign's Virginia Theatre. Festival host Chaz Ebert says the women are "three of Roger's favorite actresses."

 

(Springfield--jc)  -- Illinois Governor JB PRitzker says additional help is need to help case workers and outside agencies with the  Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. With the recent tragic event of a toddler in Decatur, to higher case loads, the governor says changes are needed..

 

 

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker

 

 

(Rantoul--jc)  A lunch and learn is  coming in April courtesy of the Rantoul Area Chamber of Commerce. The event is set for April 26th in conjunction with State Treasurer’s Mike Frerichs office says Chamber Executive Director Belynda Allen…

 

 

Rantoul Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Belynda Allen.

 

 

(Paxton--jc)  -- The annual Draggin’ main event is now one month away. Organizers say the car cruise night is set for Saturday April 20th from 6pm to 11pm on the streets of Paxton. Classic cars, to car enthusiasts and the local public is invited to an evening of memories of cruising the city of Paxton.

 

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Being governor of Illinois comes with many worries. But for Gov. J.B. Pritzker, knowing what to wear isn't one of them. The Democrat's daily appointment schedule includes for most events an "attire" suggestion. Not surprisingly, the most common entry is "Business: suit and tie." But khakis are in the mix for outdoor events. A Pritzker spokeswoman says advance staff get suggestions on what to wear from organizers of events the governor is attending and Pritzker makes the final decision.

 

QUINCY, Ill. (AP) — Libraries across Illinois say tight budgets are delaying construction projects and reducing staff, hours and new book purchases. Belleville Public Library director Leander Spearman tells The Herald-Whig that the library has delayed new programs and new material. Rock Island Public Library executive director Angela Campbell says the library's funding has been frozen for the past five years despite growing expenses.

 

(Springfield--ba)-Governor J-B Pritzker hosted a women’s history month celebration at the state capitol and honored four women for their contributions to Illinois. The governor honored women everywhere who have fought to make a difference…including former state representative Barbara Flynn Currie, who works now to help women enter politics.

 

 

State Representative Barbara Flynn Currie

 

(Springfield-jc)  -- It’s Spring and Department of Natural Resources officials say to leave wild young animals along. Kim Howard reports…

 


 

(Gibson City-jc)  -- Gibson City leaders will look at the number of city liquor licences when they meet tonight at 7pm in city hall. Gibson City council members will also hear about the 20-20 budget for the Jordan Pond area in the city and will look at a C-DAP loan request for Jay’s Place on Sangamon Avenue. The council will also look at water tower inspection bids.

 

EDWARDS, Ill. (AP) — Illinois agriculture officials say the number of farms in the state is going down, but the remaining operations are growing bigger as aging farmers struggle to find successors. The Journal Star reports that the Illinois Farm Bureau says the state has 71,000 farms, down from 241,000 farms a century ago. Ross Pauli has an 800-acre farm in Edwards. He says succession is a major issue for older farmers.

 

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — A major Springfield health care provider has donated land to what will be a memorial to the city's 1908 race riot. The (Springfield) State Journal-Register reports the Springfield City Council accepted the donation this week from HSHS St. John's Hospital. The remains of homes that were burned during the riot were unearthed in 2014 during construction of a railroad underpass. The hospital last fall unveiled a "healing garden" as part of the memorial.

 

 

(Springfield--jc)  -- llinois is raising the state's minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2025, and a Democratic lawmaker says that should be the base pay for all workers. State Rep Theresa Mah is pushing a plan to end sub-minimum wage pay for disabled workers in the state. Mah says about a dozen other states have already made the change.  Mah says this it is important that Illinois takes a proactive step. State law allows some companies to pay disabled workers less as a way to get more disabled people working.But advocates say that law, which allows for the 14-C certificate, sometimes pays disabled workers less than a dollar-per-hour.

 

 

(Paxton--jc) Wanted...artists in Ford County to participate in the Town and Country Art Show on April 14th. The event is being hosted by the Paxton Park District. Event Spokesperson Shawn Fairchild says the winners of the Ford County event can move on to a state show that is being held in Champaign later this Spring…

 

Ford County Town and Country Art Show Spokesperson Shawn Fairchild

 

(Champaign County--jc)  A proposed rural Gifford event center has several more steps to accomplish before the idea can move forward. The local county zoning board gave it’s O-K earlier this month. One issue to be decided is traffic on local rural roads to the proposed event center location. A special use permit will be the topic of the Champaign County Zoning Board of Appeals meeting on March 28th in Urbana. With a positive committee recommendation, the issue would move the county board later this Spring.

 

(Paxton--jc)  -- The title of the play that debuts this weekend at the Paxton Market Street Theatre is…”Let Him Sleep, Till It’s Time for his Funeral.” It is a comedy written by Peg Kehret. The Tri County Players are performing the play with opening night on Friday at the Theatre in downtown Paxton. The story revolves around a man turning 60 and a birthday celebration and funeral  celebration.

 

Get our App

Facebook

On Air Now

Don Shields
Don Shields
2:00pm - 6:00am
Regular Programming

Listen on Alexa

Weather

Share This Website