(Undated-jm) -- The Chicago Tribune reports that the federal government is looking into the dealings AT&T may have had with Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan. Last week, electric utility ComEd agreed to pay $200 million to resolve a federal criminal investigation into a long-running bribery scheme that implicates Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan. AT&Ts lobbying team has some of the same former Madigan staffers as ComEd.
(Springfield-jm) -- Illinois is seeing its highest daily total in new COVID-19 cases in nearly two months. The State Department of Public Health reported over 16 hundred new confirmed infections, bringing the statewide positivity rate up to three point four percent. Governor J-B Pritzker has this to say about refusing to wear a mask…
Illinois Governor J-B Pritzker. The number of Coronavirus patients in the hospital has held pretty steady this month. The recovery rate for COVID-19 is 95 percent.
(Undated-jm) -- Locally Ford County reported 2 new cases bringing their total to 45. Livingston County reported 1 new case bringing their total to 67. McLean County reported 18 new bringing their total to 429. Kankakee County reported 13 new cases bringing their total to 1,641. Vermilion County reported 7 new cases bringing their total to 132. Iroquois County reported 4 new cases bringing their total to 205. Champaign County is reporting 31 new cases bringing their total to 1,270.
(Ford County-cf)-- Planting season has come to an end for most all farmers in Ford and Iroquois Counties. Ford-Iroquois Farm Bureau Manager David Treece gives an update on July planting progress…
Ford Iroquois farm Bureau Manager David Treece.
(Champaign-jm) -- Champaign Police are warning residents after a juvenile was found with a realistic-looking BB gun at Market Place Shopping Center. Officers were called to the area after someone reported a person with a rifle at the shopping center. Champaign Police say BB guns need to be used safely in appropriate areas such as private property with permission or at a target range.
(Rantoul-cf)-- Rantoul is building a state-of-the-art sports complex on the village’s southwest side. Rantoul Village Administrator Scott Eisenhower gives us an update on the construction of the complex…
The Rantoul village board also approved the addition of playgrounds at the complex say’s Eisenhower…
Rantoul Village Administrator Scott Eisenhower
(Champaign-jm) -- 52nd District State Senator Scott Bennett of Champaign is hi-liting free credit report resources that are available. Federal law requires Equifax, Experian and TransUnion to provide free credit reports every 12 months if requested. As a result of the Coronavirus pandemic, they will now provide free weekly credit reports through April 2021.
The 13th Annual Largecar Shootout truck show will take place this weekend at the Rantoul National Aviation Center. Admission is free.
(Springfield-jm) -- The Department of Children and Family Services has been through three audits in the last five years, with another one coming in 2021. DCFS directors faced two hours of questioning at the Capitol this week about the audit completed from fiscal years 2015 to 2017, presented in May 2019. The legislative audit commission cited lack of record keeping, slow response time, and data issues as just some of the issues in the most recent audit. Some of the audit results showed 78.7 percent of investigators had at least one month with 15 or more new cases, 35 out of 150 of investigations had no final safety assessment, 42.7 percent of cases had an inaccurate level of intervention and 16 cases had no record of intervention at all and 65.3 percent of reviewed investigations lacked documentation.
(Undated-jm) -- As for local active and recovered cases, Ford County is reporting 38 have been released from isolation with 6 remaining in isolation. Livingston County 57 have been released with 8 active cases. McLean County, 338 released, 74 in isolation and 2 hospitalized. Kankakee County, 1,154 recovered, 424 active and 10 hospitalized. Vermilion County 98 released, 31 in isolation and 1 hospitalized. Iroquois County, 174 released, 24 in isolation and 2 hospitalized. Champaign County 1,070 have recovered, 185 cases are active and 10 hospitalized.
(Ludlow-jm) -- Changes are coming to the Ludlow Co-op Elevators in Buckley. Paul Seamon with Ludlow Co-op talks about the changes…
Ludlow Co-op Elevators Spokesperson Paul Seamon.
(Undated-jm) -- The Illinois Department of Agriculture is offering a free recycling program for agrichemical containers throughout the state. Locally, on August 5th in Onarga at Nutrien Ag Solutions and August 12th at United Prairie in Tolono.
(Champaign-cf)-- Want a chance to win 75 bottles of wine? The Champaign County Chamber of Commerce is hosting a wine raffle in correlation with celebrating agriculture throughout the month of July. Marketing Director Linday Quick lets us know how we can enter the raffle for a chance to win…
Champaign County Chamber of Commerce Marketing Director Lindsay Quick. Enter for your chance to win at champaigncountychamber.com.
(Peoria-jm) -- OSF St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria is announcing that work on their Comprehensive Cancer Center will begin soon. The $250 million project is expected to begin in late 2020 and be completed in early 2023.
Paxton IGA will hold a cookout benefiting St. Mary’s CCW on Saturday from 10-2.
