(Onarga-jm) -- Five people, including 3 children, were taken to the hospital following a single vehicle accident on I-57 near Onarga Saturday evening. Illinois State Police say the vehicle was traveling northbound on I-57 when it veered off the road and flipped several times, landing in the southbound lanes around 7pm. One child was fully ejected and a second was partially ejected. Both children and two adults were taken to the hospital with serious injuries. An infant was also taken to the hospital with unknown injuries.

 

 

(Springfield-jm) -- The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services is kicking off child abuse prevention month. DCFS and children’s advocates gathered for an event in downstate Carterville. Brittany Hale with Prevent Child Abuse Illinois says keeping kids safe includes parent education, support for community programs like home visists and early intervention and the watchful eye of the public…

 

 

Prevent Child Abuse’s Brittany Hale. Some signs of abuse and neglect are: no parental supervision, wearing long sleeves and pants when it’s really warm outside, frequent absence from school, unexplained cuts and bruises and showing extreme behavior. To report suspected cases of abuse, you can call 1-800-25-ABUSE or fill out a form on the DCFS website.

 

(Undated-jm) -- The Illinois Department of Public Health reported 3,235 new Coronavirus cases and 24 additional deaths Friday bringing the state’s total number of cases to 1,251,346 and deaths to 21,549. The seven day positivity rate rose to 4.1 percent. On Friday, Champaign County reported 28 new cases bringing their total to 19,051. Iroquois County reported 3 new cases bringing their total to 2,860. Ford and Vermilion Counties did not have a report.

 

 

(Springfield-jm) -- Closing “unaffordable corporate loopholes” used by Illinois businesses would result in higher costs for local consumers and lower wages, according to an analysis of the proposals. Using a biannual analysis from the Minnesota Department of Revenue, the Taxpayers’ Federation of Illinois estimates Governor J.B. Pritzker’s proposed budget for the coming fiscal year would place an $8.8 billion burden on Illinois consumers in the form of higher prices, reduce wages by $403 million, and reduce profits by $2.3 billion. That’s in comparison to not having any tax burden. 

 

 

(Champaign-cf)-- The Champaign Urbana Public Health District will be hosting a virtual Women's Health Expo. The event will cover topics for mothers with young children, and expecting mothers… 

 

 

Champaign  Urbana Public Health District Women's Health Expo Spokesperson Sheila Raila.

 

 

(Paxton-jm) -- Portions of Paxton were without power Saturday. The strong winds brought a line down near the Village Pantry along Route 45. It took Ameren a couple of hours to repair the line and restore power.

 

 

(Paxton-jm) -- The City of Paxton has a list of projects they are hoping to get accomplished. Mayor Bill Ingold talks about some of those projects…

 

 

Paxton Mayor Bill Ingold.

 

 

(Undated-jm) -- Get ready for higher prices when you go to buy certain toilet paper, tissue paper, and diaper brands this summer. Kimberly-Clark announced it will be increasing prices on the majority of its products in the United States and Canada. Those items include: Huggies, GoodNight and Pull-Ups as well as Kleenex, Scott, Kotex, Cottonelle, Poise and Depends products.

 

(Springfield-jm) -- According to provisional data from the state Department of Public Health, opioid deaths are on the rise in Illinois. Nearly 29 hundred people died due to an overdose of opiates last year. That’s a 30 percent increase over 2019. 83 percent of those cases involved fentanyl laced drugs, which Marnell Brown, founder of the non profit Chicago based group “To Walk in My Shoes” says is turning up everywhere…

 

 

To Walk in My Shoes Founder Marnell Brown. Brown was speaking before a senate committee on the issue. Other speakers talked about the need to get drug users long-term treatment instead of putting them in jail and to aggressively pursue dealers who sell tainted drugs that end up killing someone.

 

 

(Undated-jm) -- The Illinois Department of Public Health reported 3,235 new Coronavirus cases and 24 additional deaths Friday bringing the state’s total number of cases to 1,251,346 and deaths to 21,549. The seven day positivity rate rose to 4.1 percent. As for local active and recovered cases on Friday, Champaign County reported 18,547 have recovered, 366 are in isolation and 18 are hospitalized. In Iroquois County, 2780 have been released from isolation, 20 remain in isolation and 1 is hospitalized. Ford and Vermilion Counties did not have a report. 

 

 

(Chicago-jm) -- The Illinois Automobile Dealers Association has filed a lawsuit against the state and electric truck startup Rivian for selling vehicles directly to consumers. The lawsuit filed in Cook County Circuit Court also names Lucid Motors, an electric vehicle startup based in California that is planning to open a sales office in suburban Chicago. Rivian began taking advance orders online in November and plans to open a Chicago showroom. The lawsuit cites the Illinois Vehicle Code and the Illinois Motor Vehicle Franchise Act, which mandates all vehicle sales to the public be made through licensed and independent franchised dealers. The dealers association claims they are protecting consumers and franchised dealers.

 

 

(Gibson City-cf)-- If you chose to participate in the Photo Contest that is taking place until the middle of August in Gibson City, there are four different prize groups says spokesperson Suzie Tongate… 

 

 

Gibson City Photo Contest Spokesperson Suzie Tongate.

 

 

(Ford County-jm) -- The Ford County Soil and Water Conservation District is hosting their annual tree and fish sale. Fish orders are due by April 7th while tree orders are due by April 8th. Call Sarah Earles at 217-379-4388 to place your order.

 

 

 

(Undated-jm) -- The COVID pandemic isn’t the only health issue rising around the area, so is the number of sexually transmitted diseases among young people. According to data from the state, Champaign County comes in 2nd with 948 cases per 100,000 people when it comes to Chlamydia. For Gonorrhea, Champaign County is 8th with 299 cases per 100,000 people. Champaign County comes in 10th for Syphilis with 9 cases per 100,000 people.