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Ford County is reporting their first death from COVID-19

(Ford County-jm) -- Ford County is reporting their third case of COVID-19 and sadly the county’s first death from COVID-19. The third case is a woman in her 30’s. The first death is a man in his 80s. The Ford County Public Health Department says he had an underlying health condition.

 

 

(Springfield-jm) -- Illinois has suffered the largest daily increase in COVID-19 deaths since the outbreak began. 73 people have died, bringing the total number of Coronavirus related deaths in Illinois to 380 says Governor J-B Pritzker…

 

 

Illinois Governor J-B Pritzker. The State Department of Public Health says 68 percent of the more than 13 thousand 500 cases are in people 50 and younger. But 80 percent of those who have died are 60 or older.

 

 

(Springfield-jm) -- Governor J-B Pritzker says as Coronavirus cases increase, the state is working to make sure there are enough hospital beds for patients. While many may have the virus and not know it, Governor Pritkzer says thousands end up in the hospital…

 

 

Illinois Governor J-B Pritzker. More than one thousand of those patients are in the I-C-U and 821 are on ventilators. The Governor says only about 43 percent of hospital beds in Illinois are still available. The state is setting up field hospitals to help with the potential overflow.

 

 

(Springfield-jm) -- Illinois is ahead of the national average in terms of responding to the U.S. Census, according to federal officials. In total, 66,700,000 residents have responded to the U.S. Census, the nation’s decennial headcount initiated by the Constitution. By March 30, just under 40 percent of Illinois households had responded to the U.S. Census. As of April 5, Illinois had surged to just under 50 percent, a lower rate than only seven other states.

 

 

(Springfield-jm) -- Budget experts are at odds over how to handle Illinois' coming pension debts. Ted Dabrowski, president of financial watchdog Wirepoints, said the stock market’s meltdown and falling interest rates will likely mean a shortfall for Illinois’ five state-run pension funds. Taxpayers could be required to make up any shortfall. He cited credit-rating agency Moody’s most recent pension shortfall calculation, before the crisis, totaled $241 billion. That could climb to more than $310 billion this year if existing conditions hold through the funds’ fiscal year-end in June. Ralph Martire, executive director for the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability, does not see that happening. Martire's organization has advocated for restructuring the state's pension debt to be paid off over a longer timeline as well as paying more into the system. 

 

 

(Springfield-jm) -- The COVID-19 crisis has hit rural and small Illinois school districts hard. While larger districts are designing and running online classes for remote learning, many of the 400 school districts that Dave Ardrey, executive director of the Association of Illinois Rural and Small Schools, works with are scrambling to get meals to their students. Without school meals, many students in rural and small districts risk going hungry. Ardrey said he would like to have all the students in his districts logging on for e-learning. For most of them, however, remote learning is not an option. About 400,000 students in Illinois attend rural and small schools, he said. Many of them live in areas without strong, fixed broadband. Even where high-speed internet is available, not all families can afford it and not all families have computers at home.

 

 

CHICAGO - As if protecting oneself from the new coronavirus isn't daunting enough, consumer watchdogs say Illinoisans also need to guard themselves against price gouging. Mary Schuermann reports…

 

 

 

(Rantoul-jm) -- Prom is the latest casualty in the COVID-19 pandemic. Rantoul Township High School announced they are canceling this year’s prom. The prom was originally scheduled for April 25th.

 

 

(Rantoul-cf)-- The Food Pantry at the Community Service Center of Northern Champaign County is still operating at their normal hours from 10am to 4pm during the pandemic, as of now. If you would like to pick something up, you need to call them once you are in the parking lot, and the food will be brought out to your vehicle says director Andy Kulczcki…

 

 

 Community Service Center of Northern Champaign County Andy Kulczcki.

 

 

(Paxton-jm) -- Paxton police have released their recent activity report. On April 4th, Catalina Diaz was arrested on a Kane County warrant for failure to appear on DUI following a domestic disturbance at 101 E. Center Street. On April 2nd, police responded to a two vehicle accident at Vermilion and Orleans St. Emma Schuler, 18, of Paxton was cited for failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident.

 

 

(Washington-jm) -- Plantings for many crops this spring could be higher than 2019. Gary Crawford reports...

 

 

 

SPRINGFIELD — Social distancing and stay-at-home orders, instituted to combat the novel coronavirus pandemic, are in direct conflict with Illinois’ ballot eligibility requirements, the Libertarian and Green parties of Illinois allege in a lawsuit. Both are considered “new” parties under state election rules, meaning a candidate running for office under those banners must receive a greater number of in-person petition signatures than those with “established” parties typically, the Democrats and Republicans. Libertarians and Greens have from March 24 until June 22 to gather enough signatures  in person with a canvasser watching to qualify for inclusion on the Nov. 3 general election ballot. But party officials allege meeting that threshold will be “practically impossible” given Gov. JB Pritzker’s social distancing and stay-at-home orders.

 

 

(Springfield-jm) -- An Illinois organization is calling on the governor to fix the state’s unemployment filing system. Many Illinoisans who have tried to file for unemployment have said the state’s website was not working and no one was answering calls. Kayleen Carlson, the CEO of Illinois Rising Action, said the issues have put some people in a tough spot. Last week, Gov. J.B. Pritzker told reporters the state’s unemployment filing system is ten years old and has not been updated. Carlson said that was no excuse.

 

 

 

(Springfield-jm) -- Gov. J.B. Pritzker has signed an executive order to allow medically vulnerable people out of Illinois’ prisons during the COVID-19 emergency. Public health officials have reported at least two deaths at Stateville Correctional Center. About 100 other inmates and staff members at the facility have tested positive for COVID-19.  He later signed an executive order allowing furloughs for medically vulnerable prisoners during the emergency. The order suspends language in state law that says to allow for prisoners to be furloughed for the duration of the governor’s emergency order. Pritzker said Tuesday 60 people have been released from the Department of Juvenile Justice, and over 1,100 low-risk prisoners have been released from the Department of Corrections.

 

 

(Springfield-jm) -- Good things are happening across Illinois in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Local organizations are working to deliver necessities to vulnerable people, manufacturing companies are donating resources to make personal protective equipment for frontline health care workers and people and businesses are donating money to help those who have been hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. People from across the state have donated millions of dollars to the Illinois COVID-19 Response Fund. The United Way of Illinois and the Alliance of Illinois Community Foundations, working with the Gov. J.B. Pritzker's Office, established the fund to "raise funds from individual, corporate, and foundation donors to be disbursed to nonprofit organizations across the state serving individuals, families and communities hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic," according to its website.

 

 

(Springfield-jm) -- The ACLU of Illinois called on law enforcement agencies across the state to avoid using widespread arrests to enforce Gov. J.B. Pritzker's emergency stay-at-home order. As some communities have ramped up police enforcement of the stay-at-home order, the ACLU of Illinois asked police to take a step back. The nonprofit group reminded law enforcement agencies across Illinois that their role was to build voluntary compliance with the order rather than use it to make mass arrests.

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(Gibson City-cf)-- The Ford County Public Health Department and Parkland Community College will be holding a Food Safety Certification Course. WPXN’s Cale Fleming has the details… 

 

 

 

(Paxton-jm) -- The Paxton Area Chamber of Commerce is reminding businesses and visitors, they are still available despite the COVID-19 pandemic. The chamber closed their office to the public because of the pandemic. However, the group says they can still be reached through their facebook page.

 

 

(Washington-jm) -- This month's USDA agricultural supply and demand forecasts will be made using all available data, including the market effects of COVID-19. Gary Crawford reports…

 

 

 

(Champaign-jm) -- Christie Clinic has decided to furlough 25% of its 900 employees, or approximately 225 people. Christie Clinic expects all team members to return to work no later than June 1, 2020.

 

 

(Cissna Park-cf)-- The Tax deadline for this year has been pushed back on both the state and federal level due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Russell Leigh and Associates has one option. If you still need to file your taxes to be done, you can drop them off at offices in Hoopeston Watseka, CIssna Park and Gibson City says owner Russ Leigh… 

 

Russell Leigh and Associates owner in Cissna Park Owner Russ Leigh. If you need to file, you can call and make an appointment at 815-457-2325 or drop them off at either location. 

 

 

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois comptroller’s office borrowed $105 million from various funds in March, in large part so it could make bigger-than-normal payments to hospitals as they brace for the peak of the COVID-19 outbreak later this month. But Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza is advising all state vendors that there will likely be payment delays in April, in part because the tax filing deadline for both state and federal taxes has been pushed back to July 15. The inter-fund borrowing was noted last week in the state’s monthly revenue report from the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability. That report noted that total tax receipts in March, at $3.4 billion, was about what was expected, and 3.3 percent above the same month last year. But it also noted that the impact of the economic slowdown brought on by Gov. JB Pritzker’s stay-at-home order and closure of nonessential businesses had not yet shown up in the revenue numbers.

 

 

(Springfield-jm) -- The American Lung Association is suggesting now could be the perfect time to quit smoking. Mark Courtney, manager of the Illinois Tobacco Quitline, said the nature of the COVID-19 virus makes lung health extremely important. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, smokers that are diagnosed with the coronavirus are susceptible to a more serious infection. And no matter how long you’ve been smoking, Courtney said it’s not too late to act. A new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found people who smoke were 2.4 times more likely to have the most serious symptoms associated with the coronavirus.

 

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