(Urbana--jc)  -- Champaign County Coroner Duane Northrup has released the name of a male discovered deceased outside an apartment building in the 300 block of South State Street early Monday morning. 23 year old Julian A. Cummings, of Champaign, was pronounced dead at 8:20AM Monday at the scene. Preliminary results from a Monday afternoon autopsy Mr. Cummings’ death is due to natural causes. Final autopsy results are pending toxicology and other testing. This death remains under investigation by the Champaign County Coroner’s Office and the Champaign Police Department.

 

(Springfield--jc)  -- After a late start, Illinois crops are moving right along as we hear in the weekly crop report. 52 percent of soybeans are blooming and 14 percent are setting pods. That is well behind the usual pace but a nice increase over last week. State Crop Statistician Mark Schleusener updates on corn…

 

 

State Crop Statistician Mark Schleusener.

98 percent of winter wheat has been harvested and the 2nd cutting of hay is 76 percent complete.

 

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — Five Democratic governors of states in the Great Lakes region want candidates in next year's presidential election to back a plan for protecting their freshwater resources. Led by Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, the governors Monday proposed a six-point platform that seeks increases in federal spending on water treatment infrastructure and environmental cleanups. Whitmer told The Associated Press she's hoping for support from Democratic hopefuls as well as President Donald Trump.

 

(Rantoul--jc)  -- Registration is now open for Youth Karate, Intro-Belted will be combined into one class. Classes are 8 sessions, First class of the season will start August 15  with the next class starting October 3. More information is found by calling the Rantoul Recreation Department at 893-5700.

 

(Rantoul--jc)  -- Personnel is the focus of a Rantoul Township High School board meeting this week. A special meeting is set to come to order at 7 on Thursday night at the high school. 

 

PESOTUM – Illinois State Police District 10 Commander, Captain Louis Kink, announces the I-S-P will conduct Roadside Safety Checks  in Macon County during August. The details combine a strong sense of public awareness and enforcement in order to save lives of the motoring public.  I-S-P has zero tolerance for impaired driving in Illinois. Officers working the detail will be watchful for drivers who are operating vehicles in an unsafe manner, to driving under the influence and distracted driving

 

CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo will remain free to all until mid-century under an agreement zoo operators reached with the city's park district. The Lincoln Park Zoological Society, which operates the zoo, and the Chicago Park District, which owns the zoo's land and buildings on the city's North Side, extended their operating agreement to Dec. 31, 2049. Zoological society CEO Kevin Bell says keeping the zoo free is a great thing for the city and for people visiting Chicago.

 

(Paxton--jc)  -- The subject will be recreational marijuana  use and sales. The place will be the second floor of city hall in Paxton. The city of Paxton long-term planning committee will meet at 7 tonight to look at options, hear from the public and find the right policy for the city. Monticello, St Joseph, and Gibson City are also area towns looking at the legalization of marijuana issue in the state that becomes law on January first. 

 

(Watseka--jc) --  One Iroquois County health provider is celebrating 25 years in operation in August the I-M-H Home Health will host a meet and greet in the Iroquois Memorial Hospital lobby located in Watseka. The event takes place from 10am until 2pm August 14th.. The Iroquois Memorial Hospital Home Health team will be doing free blood pressure checks, offer refreshments, and giveaway door prizes.

 

(Champaign--jc)  -- We close out July with normal summertime weather highs and lows. Illinois Water Survey in Champaign Spokesperson Kevin Grady says the first weekend of August says its more normal August weather to begin the month…

 

 

Illinois Water Survey in Champaign Spokesperson Kevin Grady

 

(Bloomington--jc)  -- 7 people will compete tomorrow for the chance to be the new  McLean County Fair queen. They are Autumn Bolen of Cropsey, Genesis Witte of Waynesville, Maddie Kraft of Towanda, Skye Shumaker of Heyworth, Clarissa King and Emily King of Normal, and Callie Yoder of Eureka. The pageant begins at 7 tomorrow night in Cloverleaf Hall.

 

CHICAGO (AP) — Illinois Democratic Congressman Dan Lipinski is lamenting the level of gun violence in the U.S. after fleeing a gunman during the California festival shooting. Lipinski was at the Gilroy Garlic Festival in northern California with his wife when a gunman fatally shot three people, including two children, and wounded 12 others. The gunman, identified Monday as Santino William Legan, opened fire Sunday as the festival was in its closing hours, sending the crowd scattering.

 

(Gibson City--jc)  A job and resource fair is set for Thursday afternoon in Gibson City. The event is sponsored by the Moyer Library District and the Champaign CountyRegional Planning Commission. Those attending are asked to dress to talk to potential employers, bring resumes and be prepared to be interviewed for jobs. Thursday’s event runs from 4pm to 6pm at the Moyer Library on Sangamon Avenue in Gibson City.

 

UNIVERSITY PARK, Ill. (AP) — Authorities say the driver of a box truck has died after the vehicle was struck by an Amtrak passenger train in northeast Illinois, causing several train cars to derail. In updating our story from Monday, the Will County coroner's office says 77-year-old Richard E. Millette of Frankfort, died following Sunday's crash in University Park. The train was heading from Chicago to Carbondale and was going about 70 mph at the time. Two minor injuries were reported among the nearly 300 passengers on the train.

 

(Springfield--jc)  -- Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has signed a new law to give some Illinoisans relief from high interest rates on their debt. The governor says the consumer fairness act lowers post-judgement interest rates…

 

 

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker.

 

(Springfield--jc)  -- Precipitation and temperatures were below normal this past week Statewide topsoil moisture declined 6 percent very short, 34 percent short, 57 percent adequate and 3 percent surplu.State Crop Statistician Mark Schleusener takes a look at the soybean crop…

 

 

State Crop Statistician Mark Schleusener

59 percent of corn is silking and 16 percent is  the dough stage. 44 percent of the corn crop is in good to excellent condition.

 

 

Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a law designed to show Illinois property owners how much the tax increment financing districts in their area are diverting into special funds that can be used to spur redevelopment.. Not all property owners may fully understand what a TIF district does, but if they pay property taxes in Illinois they’ll soon see a line on their bill about the TIF districts in their taxing jurisdiction.TIF dollars come from diverting the higher tax revenue from the district as property values increase during a given period of time, often 20 years or more. That money can be used for incentives to spur development in blighted areas.