(Springfield-jm) -- An Illinois mother who has been fighting for years to close what she says is a loophole in Illinois' sex offender registration law will continue to push lawmakers to vote on a bill named after her daughter. Stephanie’s Law is a proposal that would require a person who pleads guilty to battery register with the Sex Offender Registry if the crime was sexually motivated. Tina Estopare has pushed for the law for seven years after an adult neighbor assaulted her underage daughter. The man didn’t have to register as a sex offender because he pleaded guilty to battery as part of a plea agreement.

 

 

(Springfield-jm) -- House Republicans are laying out their legislative agenda for 2020. The G-O-P has several issues they want to tackle as session gets underway in Springfield. House Minority Leader Jim Durkin…

 

 

House Minority Leader Jim Durkin. Durkin says they were pleased they got some pro business reforms passed last year and hope that spirit of cooperation continues.

 

 

(Undated-jm) -- The Internal Revenue Service is warning of “ghost” tax preparers who promise big returns. As the tax-filing season begins, the IRS said some tax preparers are promising bigger returns that might seem tempting. “They may invent income so that you qualify for tax credits, they may claim fake deductions so that you qualify for a larger refund,” IRS spokesman Michael Devine said. But these ghost prepares won’t sign the return and often ask for cash so they’re not tied to the return in anyway. Devine said the filer will then get audited, fined, or worse.

 

(Springfield-jm) -- Governor J-B Pritzker is boosting efforts to fight the opioid crisis in Illinois. Governor Pritzker says while overall, the state is seeing the first decrease in opioid overdose deaths in five years, that does not apply to minority communities…

 

 

Illinois Governor J-B Pritzker. Pritzker is creating a special committee to research and coordinate new approaches to ending the disparity. The state is also dedicating more than four million dollars to expand recovery and prevention services across Illinois.

 

 

(Urbana-jm) -- University of Illinois leaders say they are preparing in case the coronavirus reaches campus. Officials say nearly 150 students have connections to Wuhan, the Chinese province most affected by the outbreak. Health officials say they don’t know which students went home for break and which ones stayed but did say doctors are prepared. The virus is typically spread by coughing or sneezing or contact with someone who is infected. It typically takes about 10-14 days for symptoms to emerge. Students have been back on campus for roughly seven days.

 

 

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) _ First Busey Corp. reported fourth-quarter net income of $28.6 million. The bank, based in Champaign, Illinois, said it had earnings of 52 cents per share. Earnings, adjusted for non-recurring costs, came to 57 cents per share. The results exceeded Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of four analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of 54 cents per share. The bank holding company posted revenue of $120.4 million in the period. Its revenue net of interest expense was $103.6 million, also surpassing Street forecasts. Three analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $102.9 million.

 

 

(Washington-jm) -- The head of the Natural Resources Conservation Service updated a House Ag subcommittee on progress in implementing programs connected to the 2018 Farm Bill. Rod Bain reports…

 

 

 

(Urbana.-jm) -- Seven of the nearly 600 non U-S citizens registered to vote in Illinois through the automatic voter registration are from Champaign County. The Champaign County Clerk’s office confirms only two of the seven voted in the 2018 general election. The office says they are working to determine how the incidents happened.

 

 

(Rantoul--jc)  --A ribbon cutting ceremony and grand opening is set for a Rantoul business on Friday morning. Rantoul Area Chamber of Commerce officials say the ribbon cutting for  the Yellow Ducky Express Chinese Kitchen will commence at 10 Friday morning. The grand opening will begin at 10-30 AM on Friday The business location at 715 West Champaign Avenue in Rantoul.

 

(Springfield-jm) -- Former Illinois state Sen. Martin Sandoval pleaded guilty Tuesday to accepting more $250,000 in bribes over several years to protect the red-light camera industry and filing a false tax return. Sandoval said he wanted to be the red-light camera company’s “protector” and worked with a cooperating witness with an unnamed red-light camera company and an unnamed co-conspirator in the exchange of money. In addition to the red-light camera company, Sandoval took bribes from other people to benefit other industries, according to the plea agreement. 

 

 

(Springfield-jm) -- Red light cameras will likely be a hot topic during the legislative session. A former state senator is being charged with bribery over the contentious cameras and Governor J-B Pritzker says it’s an issue that should be debated…

 

 

Illinois Governor J-B Pritzker. Red light cameras were initially installed to improve safety at certain intersections but opponents say they are just being used to make money off of drivers.

 

 

(Undated-jm) -- Illinois is the sickest state in the country according to the CDC. More than nine percent of the population is suffering from flu-like symptoms. The national average is 6.69 percent. Last year the national average was 3.86 percent. Illinois came in at 9.14 percent. The rest of the top five states include Michigan, Wisconsin, New Jersey and New York.

 

 

(Springfield-jm) -- House Republicans are laying out their legislative agenda for 2020. Pension reform, property tax relief and pro-business measures are all on the to do list. Representative Tom Demmer of Dixon says they would also like to reform the way legislative district maps are drawn every 10 years…

 

 

State Representative Tom Demmer of Dixon. Additionally, the House G-O-P says they are hoping to see ethics reforms passed to help clean up corruption in state government.

 

 

(Gifford-jm) -- Gifford police are investigating several break-ins last week. The break-ins occurred in five businesses on South Main Street. In total about $250 was taken.

 

 

(Buckley-Cale)- Christ Lutheran High School is having their annual spaghetti lunch on Sunday Feb. 2nd. The whole community is welcome to attend, starting at 11am to 1pm. Spaghetti with or without meat sauce, salad, garlic bread, and dessert will on the menu. Christ Luthern High school executive director Sandy Spitz has the details…. 

 

 

Christ Lutheran High School Director Sandy Spitz. 

 

 

(Paxton-jm) -- The Paxton Park District will be updating speaker systems. The park board approved spending $400 to update the speaker system at Nelson Field on the city’s west side. If all goes well with that, the board will spend additional funds to upgrade the speaker system at the pool.

 

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The Parkland College Board of Trustees, District 505, is accepting applications to fill a current vacancy on the Board. This position as Trustee will serve until the next Board of Trustees election in April 2021. Interested persons should send no more than six pages, including a Letter of Intent and resume to Krystal Garrett, Assistant to the President and the Board of Trustees, by 12 p.m. on Wednesday, February 12, 2020.  To be eligible for this position, the candidate must be a citizen of the United States, 18 years of age or older, a resident of Illinois and District #505 for at least one year preceding the date of appointment, and not treasurers of a common School Board. District 505 includes Champaign, Coles, DeWitt, Douglas, Edgar, Ford, Iroquois, Livingston, McLean, Moultrie, Piatt, and Vermilion counties.-