(Springfield-jm) -- The Illinois General Assembly fall veto session has been canceled. Officials with the Illinois General Assembly said a "COVID tsunami" prompted the veto session's cancelation. The session was scheduled to begin November 17th.
(Springfield-jm) -- A proposed rule from the Illinois State Board of Education to have Illinois teachers vow they’ll encourage progressive views is unconstitutional and discriminatory, according to the Pro-Family Alliance and the Thomas More Society. The groups say the rule requires people to affirm ideologies they may not agree with and the rule should be dropped entirely.
(Washington-jm) -- How did corn, soybean, and cotton production forecasts and price estimates fare in USDA's November reports? Rod Bain reports…
(Undated-jm) -- Illinois reported an additional 12,623 cases and 79 deaths Wednesday bringing the state’s total number to 511,183 and deaths to 10,289. Locally, McLean County reported 167 new cases bringing their total to 5,675. Ford County reported 12 new cases bringing their total to 408. Champaign County reported 15 new cases and 5 additional deaths bringing their total number of cases to 7,144 and deaths to 37. Vermilion County reported 58 new cases and 2 additional deaths bringing their total number of cases to 1,983 and deaths to 17. Iroquois County reported 50 new cases bringing their total to 929. Livingston County reported 109 new cases and 1 additional death bringing their total number of cases to 1,262 and deaths to 13. Kankakee County reported 202 new cases and 3 additional deaths bringing their total number of cases to 5,367 and deaths to 85.
(Springfield-jm) -- A non-partisan group of lawmakers have released a report on the Illinois Department of Employment Security’s handling of the unemployment crisis following the Coronavirus pandemic. State Representative Tom Bennett discusses the findings…
State Representative Tom Bennett. Representative Bennett says he along with several other members of the General Assembly have called for public hearings on the issue.
(Rural Paxton-jm) -- Firefighters from Paxton and Rankin were called to rescue a person stuck in a grain bin Tuesday afternoon. Firefighters received the call just about 3:15 at 200 N 2526 E.
(Paxton-jm) -- There is a vacancy on the Paxton City Council. Kammy Johnson Anderson resigned at last night’s city council meeting effective at the end of the month. Johnson Anderson cited becoming Ford County’s new circuit clerk as the reason for her resignation.
(Watseka-jm) -- Iroquois County residents have another option when it comes to receiving emergency alerts. The county entered an agreement with a company to provide community and emergency alerts. Iroquois County Emergency Management Agency Director Eric Ceci has how you can sign up…
Iroquois County EMA Director Eric Ceci.
(Undated-jm) -- Good news for drivers: gas prices dropped over the last week. Getting gas is now 2.6 cents cheaper. According to GasBuddy, a gallon costs an average of $2.11. That’s more than $.06 cheaper than last month, and it’s down $.35 from this time last year.
(Urbana-jm) -- The election may be over but one race in Champaign County has yet to be determined. Ballots continue to be counted for the circuit clerk. Currently, democrat Susan Mcgarth has a slight lead over incumbent republican Katie Blakeman. The county clerk’s office is urging people to double-check that their ballots were counted.
(Springfield-jm) -- Illinois is joining a multi-state effort to lower veteran suicide rates. The state is joining the nationwide “Governor’s Challenge to Prevent Suicide.” That includes putting two million dollars towards the initiative for mental health and suicide prevention programs says Illinois Department of Human Services Spokesperson Marisa Kollias…
Illinois Department of Human Services Spokesperson Marisa Kollias. In 2019, suicide was the 12th leading cause of death overall, but the third leading cause of death for those age one to 24.
(Springfield-jm) -- The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum will offer free admission to veterans today. For those interested, the museum asks that you bring military identification. All visitors must wear face coverings and go through a brief COVID-19 screening before entering.
(Springfield-jm) -- The state of Illinois is seeking a private company to help distribute a possible COVID-19 vaccine. In a procurement announcement, the Illinois Department of Public Health said it hopes to award a contract by the end of the month. It’s unclear how much such a contract would cost.
(Washington-jm) -- This week's new USDA corn and soybean crop estimates turned out to be surprisingly low. Gary Crawford reports…
(Undated-jm) -- Illinois now has more than half a million confirmed Coronavirus cases after the state reported another 12,623 cases. The state also reported another 79 deaths including 5 new in Champaign County, 2 new in Vermilion County, 1 new in Livingston County and 3 new in Kankakee County. As for local active and recovered cases, McLean County reported 4,590 have recovered, 1,034 are in isolation and 10 are hospitalized. Champaign County reported 6,757 have recovered, 350 are in isolation and 7 are hospitalized. Vermilion County reported 1,730 have been removed from isolation, 213 remain in isolation and 27 are hospitalized. Iroquois County reported 558 have been released from isolation, 340 remain in isolation and 10 are hospitalized. Livingston County reported 934 have been removed from isolation and 315 cases are active. Kankakee County reported 3,096 have recovered, 1,976 cases are active and 59 are hospitalized.
(Rantoul-cf)--If you want to get registered for the Community Service Center of Northern Champaign County’s Holiday Bureau, it must be done face to face. Director of the Community Service Center of Northern Champaign County Andy Kulyzcki has the details…
Director of the Community Service Center of Northern Champaign County Andy Kulyzcki.
(Gibson City-jm) -- Gibson City is announcing some changes to their leaf pickup program. The city says pickup has been delayed because of the pandemic along with working on some other projects. Crews will only make one pass starting on November 20th.
(Gibson City-jm) -- Skaters in Gibson City will be able to do so starting this weekend. The Ed Day skate park opens to the public Saturday.
(Ashkum-jm) -- District 21 Illinois State Police in Ashkum will be busy leading up to the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. WPXN’s Jason Madden details all the enforcement patrols…
(Champaign-jm) -- The holidays are approaching, and FedEx is looking to hire more employees to help throughout the busy season. FedEx plans to hire more than 400 seasonal workers at its Ground facility in Champaign. The company is hiring package handlers. These part-time seasonal jobs may turn into full-time opportunities. Day and night shifts are available.
(Urbana-jm) -- The University of Illinois is spearheading a $2 million project for cybersecurity. A team there is creating a cybersecurity education program for the Critical Infrastructure Resilience Institute. The program will teach people about the workforce to hopefully gain more momentum in the field. The team will research and develop an academic standard curriculum that will be implemented in colleges and schools across the nation. It will focus mainly on rural, minority, and gender inclusivity to build a more comprehensive and diverse workforce.
