(Springfield-jm) -- It’s official Phase 3 begins in Illinois today. You can get your hair cut, go to the driving range, visit a clothing store and more in phase 3. Bars and restaurants will be open but only for outdoor seating and carryout. Governor J-B Pritzker says safety precautions will remain, so that the state can open up even further in phase four on June 26th…
Illinois Governor J-B Pritzker. The state has issued safety guidelines for everything from gyms and youth sports to manufacturing and offices for phase 3. Visit: illinois dot gov slash business guidelines.
(Undated-jm) -- Local cases rose in 4 of the 7 counties in the WPXN listening area. Champaign County reported 13 new cases bringing their total number of cases to 596. Kankakee County also reported 13 new cases bringing their total number to 1,137. Iroquois County reported 1 new case bringing their total number to 132. Livingston County also reported 1 new case bringing their total to 33. Ford, Vermilion and McLean Counties all reported no new cases. There were no additional deaths reported in the area Thursday.
(Undated-jm) -- The Illinois Department of Public Health and local health departments continue to report cases in local communities. In Champaign County, 6 are in Ludlow 148 in Rantoul, 2 in Thomasboro, 12 in Mahomet, 4 in St. Joseph and 1 each in Fisher, Gifford and Penfield. In Ford County, 7 are in Paxton and 6 are in Cabery. In Vermilion County, 6 are in Hoopeston and 21 in Danville. In Iroquois County, 47 are in Clifton, 12 in Watseka, 11 each in Chebanse and Onarga, Ashkum has 9, 7 in Crescent City and 6 each in Beaverville, Danforth and Gilman.
(Springfield-jm) -- People in Illinois will be allowed to attend worship services starting this weekend without fear of prosecution as the state enters Phase 3 of Governor JB Pritzker’s “Restore Illinois” reopening plan. Pritzker made the announcement during his daily COVID-19 briefing Thursday in Chicago.
(Springfield-jm) -- The state Department of Public Health is requiring long term care facilities in Illinois to do more COVID-19 testing. About 44 percent of Illinois Coronavirus patients who have died were living in long term care facilities. That’s why it’s so important to improve testing says Governor J-B Pritzker…
Illinois Governor J-B Pritzker. Emergency rules filed by IDPH require facilities to test all residents and staff when an outbreak is suspected and in other instances, and to report the numbers back to the state.
(Springfield-jm) -- More than 1.3 million unemployment claims have been processed in Illinois since March, according to the Illinois Department of Employment Security. IDES said during the week ending May 23, they processed 58,263 new initial claims for regular unemployment benefits. The department has now processed 1,302,154 unemployment claims from March 1 through May 23. Additionally, IDES has processed 39,414 Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation claims.
(Springfield-jm) -- Illinois will soon provide Medicaid to people regardless of their immigration status. The budget implementation bill that was recently passed by Illinois lawmakers includes a section referencing Medicaid availability to noncitizens. The Department of Healthcare and Family Services may provide medical assistance to noncitizens over the age of 65 whose income is at or below 100% of the federal poverty level after deducting the costs of medical care.
(Paxton-jm) -- The Ford County Public Health Department is asking the public to once again collect dead birds for testing for the West Nile Virus. Every summer the health department collects dead birds to be sent off for testing for the virus. Christy Wallace with the Ford County Public Health Department says there are some criteria for collecting dead birds…
Christy Wallace with the Ford County Public Health Department. If you suspect you have a dead bird that could be used for testing, call the health department at 217-379-9281.
(Milford-jm) -- Iroquois Memorial Hospital is announcing a new provider for the Milford Clinic. Tracy Packer is now seeing patients at the clinic. To make an appointment call 815-889-4241.
(Champaign-jm) -- Market Place Mall in Champaign will be reopening today. The mall will be open 11 to 7 Monday through Saturday and 12 to 6 on Sunday. Play areas, stroller rentals and the food court will remain closed. Eastland Mall in Bloomington and Northfield Mall in Bourbonnais are also reopening today.
(Paxton-jm) -- Paxton could be relaxing some of their regulations on chickens. Mayor Bill Ingold says the council is looking at the ordinances in other communities and will revisit the issue in June…
Paxton Mayor Bill Ingold.
(Paxton-jm) -- Paxton police have released their recent activity report. On May 21st, Douglas Akerland of Paxton was cited for driving with a suspended license after police stopped him for operating a motor vehicle without registration after he was driving a dirt bike in the 100 block of East State Street. On May 24th, no injuries were reported in a two vehicle accident at American and Patton. A 16 year old male was cited for failure to yield. On May 25th, James Tovey of Paxton was cited for driving while license suspended following a traffic stop at Market and Holmes.
(Urbana-jm) -- Two universities in the University of Illinois System have ranked among the top 15 public institutions in the nation. Universities were ranked through a system which highlights institutions that best serve the needs of students and are affecting positive social and economic change, such as equitability and sustainability. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign was ranked as 10th among public universities in the United States, while the University of Illinois at Chicago ranked at 14th in the nation.
(Washington-jm) -- The new wheat marketing year could bring another drop in U-S wheat supplies and exports. Gary Crawford has the details…
(Undated-jm) -- Local active and recovered cases continued to rise Thursday. In Ford County 18 have recovered while 2 remain in isolation. In Champaign County, 442 have recovered, 147 are active with 4 hospitalized. In Vermilion County, 25 have been removed from isolation. In Iroquois County 89 have recovered, 36 are in isolation and 3 are hospitalized. In McLean County 166 have recovered, 36 are in isolation and 3 are hospitalized. In Livingston County, 27 have recovered, 4 are active and 1 is hospitalized. In Kankakee County, 437 have recovered, 647 are active and 10 are hospitalized.
(Pontiac-jm) -- The new case reported in Livingston County was an inmate at the Pontiac Correctional Center. According to the Livingston County Public Health Department and Illinois Department of Corrections, 7 staff and 4 inmates have tested positive for the Coronavirus. 2 of the staff and 1 of the inmates have recovered.
(Springfield-jm) -- People in Illinois will be allowed to attend worship services starting this weekend without fear of prosecution as the state enters Phase 3 of Governor JB Pritzker’s “Restore Illinois” reopening plan. Pritzker made the announcement during his daily COVID-19 briefing Thursday in Chicago, the same day a new lawsuit was filed in Lake County Circuit Court challenging the ban on public gatherings of more than 10 people as it applied to worship services.
(Springfield-jm) -- Sheriffs across Illinois are making their concerns known through a new lawsuit. The Illinois Sheriffs' Association filed a lawsuit on Thursday against Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Corrections. The group says Governor Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Corrections refused to accept transfers of parole violators or convicted individuals from jails across Illinois and did not implement a plan to install proper intake procedures during the stay-at-home order.
(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. If you still need to file your taxes, you can drop them off at Russell Leigh and Associates says owner Russ Leigh…
Russell Leigh and Associates 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 their Cissna Park or Gibson City location.
(Rural Urbana-jm) -- An elderly woman reported missing from northern Illinois was found near Urbana Thursday afternoon. Champaign County Sheriff’s police say they were called to a vehicle in the field at Olympian Drive and Lincoln Avenue Monday morning. When they arrived, they found the vehicle but no occupant. The vehicle came back registered to an owner in Monee, Illinois. Monee Police were notified. After failed attempts to reach the owner, Monee police reported the owner missing Thursday notified Champaign County Sheriff’s deputies the owner may have dementia. Deputies went back out where they found the individual on the ground in a wooded area a quarter of a mile from the location of Monday’s incident. The woman was taken to Carle Foundation Hospital where she is expected to be ok.
(Pontiac-jm) -- The Livingston County Public Health Department is scheduling 2020-2021 school physicals and immunizations. The physicals and immunizations are by appointment only and on certain dates in June and July. To schedule, call 815-844-7174 extension 210.
(Bloomington-jm) -- One of the biggest groups affected by the Coronavirus pandemic was Illinois schools. Schools were closed in March and 53rd District State Senator Jason Barickman says he’s afraid what the closure will do for students’ development and what will happen to districts in the fall…
53rd District State Senator Jason Barickman of Bloomington.
(Champaign-jm) -- OSF Health Systems is opening an OSF Medical Group Primary Care at Union Square in Champaign. The location, scheduled to open in the fall, will feature family medicine, physical therapy and x-ray services.
(Washington-jm) -- Dairy growers enrolled in a USDA farm safety net program will receive payment after such was triggered in March. Rod Bain reports…
(Urbana-jm) -- The University of Illinois System expects to sustain a financial hit of about $167 million this fiscal year because of the coronavirus pandemic that’s closed down its campuses. Chief Financial Officer Avijit Ghosh told the school’s board of trustees during a virtual meeting that nearly $50 million of the projected financial impact comes from adjustments to student fees for housing, dining, and other activities. Ghosh said travel expenses are currently on hold and units of the university have also been instructed to control spending on supplies and services and non-essential construction and capital investments.
