(Springfield-jm) -- Driver Services facilities are set to reopen across the state this week. Starting on Tuesday, Illinois residents will be able to enter Driver Services facilities. However, there are a few requirements such as wearing a face mask and social distancing.

 

 

(Springfield-jm) -- The Illinois Department of Public Health warns people about avoiding COVID-19 vaccine scams. As COVID-19 vaccine distribution begins, the IDPH warns the public to be on the lookout for signs of potential scams, including: being asked to pay out of pocket to get the vaccine, being asked to pay to put your name on a vaccine waiting list, advertisements for vaccines through social media platforms, email, telephone calls, online, or from unsolicited/ unknown sources and marketers offering to sell or ship doses of the vaccine for payment. If you believe you have been a victim of COVID-19 fraud, call 1-880-HHS-TIPS, 1-800-CALL-FBI, or 1-800-MEDICARE. 

 

 

(Springfield-jm) -- Members of the Illinois House will return to Springfield Friday for a lame duck session before the spring session begins on the 13th. One of the major story lines is will Mike Madigan be re-elected as Speaker of the House says 53rd District State Senator Jason Barickman of Bloomington…

 

 

53rd District State Senator Jason Barickman of Bloomington.

 

 

(Undated-jm) -- Winter weather helped kick off 2021 over the weekend with a mixture of freezing rain and snow. Freezing rain brought down trees and power lines causing some outages around the area Thursday night into Friday. Over the weekend another system brought snow. Most of the WPXN listening area picked up about an inch of snow while Piatt County saw as much as 10 inches of snow.

 

 

(Undated-jm) -- Former State Representative Chad Hays is heading back to state government in an appointed position. Hays was appointed in December by Governor J.B. Pritzker to serve as a member of the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board. The board is in charge of administering the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act, which establishes the right of educational employees to organize and bargain collectively. Hays represented the 104th district in the Illinois House from 2010 until 2018, when he stepped down.

 

 

(Gibson City-jm) -- Gibson City’s clocktower at city hall will be getting an upgrade. City leaders approved a $126,000 contract to replace the brick. They hope to start the project this spring.

 

 

(Washington-jm) -- It's been an extraordinary year for food shoppers with the largest price increases in years. Gary Crawford has the details…

 

 

(Springfield-jm) -- FEMA is giving the state $147 million in grants to reimburse the state for COVID related expenses. The grant funding is part of the recovery efforts in response to the federal disaster declaration of March 31, 2020. In response to COVID-19, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency utilized contracts to purchase and distribute personal protective equipment statewide to reduce the threat of COVID-19.

 

 

(Springfield-jm) -- The Illinois State Board of Education announced that it has delayed the opening of the 2021 spring assessment window to at least March 15, in response to requests from school districts and stakeholders. The delayed start provides the greatest possible flexibility for schools. The federally required assessments in Illinois are the Illinois Assessment of Readiness for students in grades 3-8; the SAT for students in grade 11; the Illinois Science Assessment for students in grades 5, 8, and 11; the ACCESS for English Learners; and the Dynamic Learning Maps Alternate Assessment for the 1 percent of students with the most significant cognitive disabilities.

 

 

(Undated-jm) -- The consolidated election will take place April 6th but several area races are taking shape. WPXN’s Jason Madden takes a look at who is on the ballot…

 

 

 

(Champaign-jm) -- Champaign County's Animal Control Department will soon be under investigation. Champaign County Board Chair Kyle Patterson said he is launching the investigation. This comes after a dog was mistakenly put down on Christmas Eve.

 

 

(Savoy-jm) -- A Champaign woman is facing multiple charges after an incident at Willard Airport. U of I police were called to the airport for a woman ramming her car into a security fence. Police located the vehicle and found an open container of alcohol, marijuana and MDMA pills. Heidi Burns was arrested and charged with driving under the influence, illegal transportation of alcohol, operating an uninsured motor vehicle, leaving the scene of an accident and illegal possession of cannabis in a vehicle.

 

 

(Champaign-jm) -- Five candidates have filed for the Parkland College Board of Trustees. Maureen Banks, Jarrett Clem, Bradley Uken and James Voyles all filed for two six year terms. Tim Johnson filed for a two year term.

 

 

(Washington-jm) -- An economist says food price inflation will continue in 2021, but at a lower rate than we've seen this year. Gary Crawford reports…