(Springfield-jm) -- Of the more than 500,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines that have been administered in Illinois, about 340 people have self-reported adverse reactions – that's about 0.07 percent of the people who have received at least one dose of the vaccine, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. At least two deaths have been reported in relation to the COVID-19 vaccine in Illinois, according to data, which the CDC notes are unverified.
(Undated-jm) -- Region 6 of the Governor’s Restore Illinois plan could move to Phase 4 today if the region meets all the metrics necessary. Currently the region is in Tier 1 mitigations but could go to Phase 4 which would loosen those regulations.
(Springfield-jm) -- The Illinois Department of Public Health is urging everyone to continue following safety precautions as regions of the state move through different levels of COVID mitigations. There have been a lot of changes over the past few days with some areas shifting to another tier or phase, and others just doing their own thing. Regardless, Director Dr Ngozi Ezike says everyone still needs to socially distance and wear a mask…
Illinois Public Health Director Dr Ngozi Ezike. You can look up which level your region is currently under and what restrictions: dph dot illinois dot gov.
(Undated-jm) -- Illinois reported 4,822 new cases and 107 additional deaths Wednesday. Locally, Champaign County reported 101 new cases bringing their total to 15,558. Ford County reported 1 new case and 1 additional death bringing their total number of cases to 1,398 and deaths to 41. Iroquois County reported 5 new cases bringing their total to 2,612. Vermilion County reported 307 new cases and 4 additional deaths bringing their total number of cases to 7,030 and deaths to 90.
(Springfield-jm) -- The long term effects of the COVID pandemic are still unknown however the short term effects have included an influx of unemployment claims and shuttered businesses. 106th District State Representative Tom Bennett of Gibson City says COVID is real but there needs to be a plan to keep businesses open while continuing to deal with the pandemic…
106th District State Representative Tom Bennett of Gibson City.
(Urbana-jm) -- The University of Illinois Board of Trustees on Wednesday received a recommendation from U of I System leadership that would freeze tuition for incoming in-state freshmen and non-resident undergraduates for the 2021-22 academic year. The proposal also includes modest increases in the cost of room and board for undergraduate students who live on campus. It will go before the board of trustees today.
(Springfield-jm) -- An area state Senator is recapping the lame duck session. One of the major legislative pieces that passed was the police reform law. 53rd District State Senator Jason Barickman talks about the bill…
53rd District State Senator Jason Barickman. Senator Barickman says he voted against the legislation because he felt it was rushed through the General Assembly and that it would put the public at risk and the impact to communities.
(Buckley-jm) -- The village of Buckley could update and code their ordinances. Village trustees were approached about the idea earlier this month. If they decide to move forward with it it would cost them about $7,000.
(Springfield-jm) -- About 1.6 million Illinoisans with a Facebook page who joined a class-action lawsuit could get about $350 in the coming months as part of a settlement. The checks are from a $650 million settlement that alleged the social media giant violated Illinois’ Biometric Information Privacy Act. One out of every five eligible Facebook users filed a claim before the November 23rd deadline.
(Springfield-jm) -- The Illinois State Board of Education is expressing concerns about new graduation mandates approved by lawmakers last week. If signed into law, the large education bill passed during the lame duck session will require high schoolers take two years of laboratory science, a computer literacy course and two years of a foreign language. Board Member Susie Morrison…
State Board of Education Member Susie Morrison. Morrison suggests they review all graduation mandates to see if any changes need to be made. The board also discussed its spring legislative agenda which includes addressing teacher misconduct and making sure students that have been suspended have access to remote learning while they are out of school.
(Undated-jm) -- Illinois has 1 million 81 thousand 354 Coronavirus cases and 18,398 deaths. As for local active and recovered cases, Champaign County reported 14,774 have recovered, 682 are in isolation and 30 are hospitalized. Iroquois County reported 2,490 have been released from isolation, 63 remain in isolation and 3 are hospitalized. Vermilion County reported 432 cases are active and 16 are hospitalized.
(Springfield-cf)-- The Illinois Department of Employment Security has also seen an influx of applications for unemployment benefits. Illinois, before the pandemic, had an employment rate of 5%. With the pandemic, the rate has skyrocketed. 52nd District State Senator Scott Bennett says a lot of the backlog is a staffing issue, and outdated computers…
52nd District State Senator Scott Bennett of Champaign
(Urbana-jm) -- The organizers of the Christie Clinic Illinois Marathon announced Wednesday the event scheduled for April 29th through May 1st is canceled. Organizers cited the ongoing pandemic for the reason behind the cancelation. They are hoping to announce a possible fall race by April 1st.
(Rantoul-cf)-- The Rantoul Rush, a travel baseball and softball program is hosting a fundraiser. The fundraiser is similar to a cash bash, where the winners will take home money. Spokesperson Ryan Birch has the details on the prizes…
Rantoul Rush Spokesperson Ryan Birch. There is not a limit to the amount of tickets that will be sold.
(Watseka-jm) -- Iroquois County Treasurer Kurt Albers is announcing the Senior Citizens Property Tax Deferral Program. The program allows qualified seniors to defer all or part of their 2020 property taxes up to $5,000. The request must be filed by March 1st. To qualify, residents must be 65 and over by June 1st, have a total household income under $55,000 and lived on the property at least three years.
