(Springfield--ba)  -- The Center for Illinois Politics says in the period of one year 98 children involved in investigations with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services died.The Chicago-based nonprofit also examined the agencies finances and found the agency will spend about $81,000 per child under its custody, including foster care, institutions and group homes. A DCFS spokesman says the figure is lower because the agency provides other services. The report also shows the revolving door of directors at the agency. It has had 13 different directors since 2011.

 

(Effingham--jc)  -- The man who started the county gun-owner sanctuary resolution efforts in Effingham County said more than half of the state’s counties have measures in place to oppose onerous gun laws. Effingham County Board Vice Chairman David Campbell said 65 of the state’s 102 counties have passed gun sanctuary resolutions. Campbell said he and others are working to encourage more counties to adopt such resolutions.

 

 

(Washington--ba)  -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture is extending the deadline to file crop acreage reports for agricultural producers in Illinois impacting  by flooding and heavy moisture. WPXN’s Braedon Arnett has that story.

 

 

 

CHAMPAIGN, Ill.— A Parkland College Adult Education program that trains adult residents to assist their kids and grandkids with school subjects will soon receive funding from a new state family literacy grant and is currently looking for volunteer tutors to boost program offerings. The Project READ "Parent and Family Learning Lab," which launched in February as "Parent Lab," has been awarded a fiscal year 2020 grant by the Illinois State Library's Penny Severns Family Literacy Program. The state program supports initiatives that provide comprehensive literacy instruction and support to families.

 

 

(Urbana--ba) -- Urbana’s finest public servants will become dinner servers on Monday, July 29 as Members of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge # 70 work at the Longhorn Steakhouse at 2010 N Prospect in Champaign. A portion of the restaurant’s proceeds from the officer’s shift of 5 to 8pm will help fund the FOP’s charitable community events throughout the year.

 

 

(Washington--ba)  --New USDA rice forecast shows slightly improved price prospects for U.S. growers. USDA’s Stephanie Ho reports.

 

 

 

(Loda--ba)  -- The Paxton Area Chamber of Commerce is hosting a retro themed annual Golf Outing. The Lakeview Country Club in Loda is the venue for a Flashback to the 80’s golf event,  Proceeds go to the Community Improvement Fund. The outing will be Friday, August 23, with Lunch at 11am provided by the Tin Cup restaurant.

 

(Springfield--ba) The Illinois lottery is celebrating the nation's first-ever lottery week. The week is in recognition of lotteries across the country and their contributions. In Illinois, the lottery has provided more than 20 billion dollars in revenue to the state since 1985 says Spokesperson Jason Schaumburg. Much of that goes to education.

 

 

Spokesperson Jason Schaumburg. 

 

PEORIA, Ill. (AP) — The mother of a former University of Illinois student convicted of killing a Chinese scholar told the jury deciding his fate it would be horrible if he is put to death. Ellen Williams testified Monday that Brendt Christensen's crime is "horrible" and she feels "bad." Williams' testimony is part of the penalty phase of Christensen's trial. The federal jury that found him guilty last month in the 2017 killing of Yingying Zhang now must decide if he should be executed or serve life in prison.

 

 

(Springfield--jc)  Crops and producers continue to play catch-up, as we hear in the weekly crop report. 96 percent of soybeans are now in the ground State Crop Statistician Mark Schleusener says the corn crop is catching up…

 

 

State Crop Statistician Mark Schleusener

90 percent of winter wheat has been harvested and the 2nd cutting of alfalfa is 39 percent complete.  Topsoil moisture is 1 percent very short, 18 percent short, 72 percent adequate and 9 percent surplus

 

 

(Champaign County--jc)  -- Champaign County Crimestoppers is seeking your help in solving a crime that occurred on Tuesday July 9th at Aldis in Champaign. Authorities say a man and a woman distracted an elderly customer and then stole her purse. The woman’s credit cards were used for over 1 thousand dollars in purchases in Mahomet. The suspect is described as an older female, black, 5 feet tall and weighing around 175 pounds. Anyone with information is asked to call Champaign County Crimestoppers at 217-373-8477

 

(Undated--jc)  Have you encountered the new fees from the state yet? WPXN’s Joel Cluver has the story…

 

 

 

(Rantoul--ba) Loans will be on the minds of Rantoul Village leaders tonight. The Rantoul Village Board of Trustees will meet to discuss a micro loan to Kiefer Photography, approve an EDA Loan to Rantoul United  Pentecostal Church, motion to authorize and approve the purchase of a Portable Trailer Bypass Pump. the meeting comes to order at 6 tonight in the meeting room on Tanner Street.

 

 

 

(Urbana--jc)  The next court appearance for a Clarence man in a domestic hate crime in Illinois is one week from today. 48 year old Michael Hari is accused of an attempted firebombing in Champaign, locally. A separate charge of bombing a mosque in Minnesota is expected to be heard in court in September. Three other defendants in the cases are awaiting sentencing.

 

(Springfield--ba)  --Governor JB Pritzker and Attorney General Kwame Raoul are urging immigrants to know their rights.  Governor Pritzker says Illinois stands as a firewall against the president’s attack on immigrant communities. With that in mind, Attorney General Spokesperson Annie Thompson offers some tips for those confronted.

 

 

Illinois Attorney General Spokesperson Annie Thompson 

 

 

(Buckley--jc)  -- A sanitary sewer project remains a topic for local leaders in one Southern Iroquois County town. Officials in the village of Buckley are looking at ways to fund a sanitary sewer project in town. Buckley Mayor Sherry Stachura says the town council and her office are trying to do what is best for Buckley…

 

 

Buckley Mayor Sherry Stachura

 

(Paxton--jc)  -- It is because of higher operating costs. That is the reason City oF Paxon residents will be spending more for their water and sewer rates. City leaders gave their O-K for the increase this month to be three percent. The increase is one percent more than the fees have seen over the past 10 years.  The additional fees for those in the city is just under 1 dollar per month

 

(Paxton--jc)  -- With the heat and humidity pushing temperatures into the 90s and the heat indexes into the 110 degree range, the Paxton Emergency Management Agency is reminding local residents that heat related deaths in vehicles are preventable. Also, check on your elderly neighbor with this weeks high heat conditions. 

 

 

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — An Illinois woman checked her mail and learned about a man's travels in Hong Kong. But Kim Draper doesn't know the man — and the postcard is 26 years old.Draper, who lives in Springfield, says the postcard from 1993 appears to have been written by a father to his children. She tells The State Journal-Register that she's been searching online for Leena Kizilbash, who could be living in Massachusetts.