(Undated-jm) -- The Illinois Department of Public Health reported 3,536 new Coronavirus cases and 31 additional deaths Wednesday bringing the state’s total number of cases to 1,288,934 and deaths to 21,570. Ford County reported 8 new cases bringing their total to 1,683. Champaign County reported 87 new cases bringing their total to 19,588. Iroquois County reported 4 new cases bringing their total to 2,900. Vermilion County reported 24 new cases bringing their total to 8,948.
(Buckley-jm) -- The entire village of Buckley is under a boil water order until further notice.
(Springfield-jm) -- New legislation would modernize the state’s FOID and concealed carry systems. The bill is an initiative of the Illinois State Police and makes some much needed updates, says Director Brendan Kelly. For starters, he says they want to sync up the FOID and concealed carry permits into one card and allow them to be renewed at the same time. Additionally…
Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly. The measure also creates an online portal of people prohibited from owning a gun for use by law enforcement agencies.
(Springfield-jm) -- An Illinois House task force will review artifacts in the state Capitol for their depiction of historical figures with racist or other objectionable traits. House Speaker Chris Welch on Wednesday announced the Statue and Monument Review Task Force. The review follows last summer's removal of a Capitol statue of Stephen A. Douglas.
(Springfield-jm) -- A bill headed to the Senate floor aims to help students make better choices when choosing their loans for higher education. The Know Before You Owe Private Education Loan Act is designed to give students more chances at federal loans before they result to private vendors. State Senator Scott Bennett of Champaign is sponsoring the bill, which will require private lenders to confirm with a potential borrower’s school that the student’s tuition, housing, and other costs are not covered by other sources of financial aid.
(Springfield-jm) -- The Illinois House is voting to decriminalize HIV. Currently, its a crime to knowingly transmit HIV or not disclose HIV status before engaging with a sexual partner. But Representative Carol Ammons of Urbana says the law reflects past thinking about the virus and needs to be changed…
State Representative Carol Ammons of Urbana. The bill passed on a 90 to 9 vote and still needs Senate approval.
(Champaign County-jm) -- One person is dead and another seriously injured following a crash on I-57 in Champaign County. Illinois State Police say two vehicles collided in the southbound lanes causing one of the vehicles to go off the road and strike some trees. The driver, Kimberly Lewis of Chicago was taken to Carle Hospital where she died. A passenger was ejected and taken to the hospital with serious injuries. The second vehicle left the scene.
(Mahomet-jm) -- The Mahomet Public Library will no longer charge late fees. Library officials say the fees have become a barrier for services to low income families.
(Rantoul-cf)-- The Village of Rantoul will be seeing a new business coming to town. Maverick Piping based in New Jersey has purchased one of the hangers from the city, and will create 50 new jobs to start, and 150 when they get settled says Rantoul Mayor Chuck Smith…
Rantoul Mayor Chuck Smith.
(Undated-jm) -- Two pieces of legislation in the Illinois General Assembly could affect zoning for wind farms. Senate Bill 602 and House Bill 804 would take away any authority from county governments when it comes to zoning control of wind farms. That would be left to the state. It’s part of the proposed Clean Energy Jobs Act. The Illinois Farm Bureau is among the organizations that oppose the legislation.
(Iroquois County-jm) -- The Illinois National Guard and the Iroquois County Public Health Department will conduct a Moderna vaccination clinic next week. The clinic will take place Monday at the Iroquois County Fairgrounds north of Crescent City. It is open to Illinois residents, 18 and older. The vaccine is by appointment only. Call 815-432-2483 to set up your appointment. The second dose will be administered May 17th also at the fairgrounds.
(Springfield-jm) -- House lawmakers are voting for legislation that aims to bring an end to puppy mills. The measure prohibits pet stores from selling dogs and cats obtained from a breeder. They can only sell pets they get from animal control or a shelter says bill sponsor, Representative Andrew Chesney of Freeport…
State Representative Andrew Chesney of Freeport. The legislation still lets people buy dogs and cats from private breeders. It now moves to the Senate for consideration.
(Springfield-jm) -- Despite seeing a decline in sports betting month-over-month, Illinois is still gaining ground compared with other states. Industry analysts with PlayIllinois.com say February’s handle in Illinois dropped nearly $72 million in February to $509.8 million. Despite the drop, Illinois surpassed Pennsylvania's handle of $509.5 million, making Illinois the third highest state for sports betting.
(Springfield-jm) -- A new bill would require the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services to report how many youth are stuck waiting for permanent placement. Reports show that finding placement for youth has been a long time struggle for the department. If passed and signed, the department would have to provide an annual report about the youth who sit in waiting. The bill also requires a demographic breakdown of the youth affected by these placement concerns.
(Springfield-jm) -- State officials are urging the public to consider flood insurance this spring. It’s estimated that less than one percent of Illinois residents have flood insurance. But State Department of Natural Resources Spokesperson Rachel Torbert says it’s definitely something to think about…
Illinois Department of Natural Resources Spokesperson Rachel Torbert. Torbert says you don’t want to wait if you plan on getting flood insurance, since it usually takes up to 30 days to go into effect.
(Iroquois County-jm) -- A Las Vegas man is dead following a collision with a train in Iroquois County. Coroner Bill Cheatum says 54 year old Greg Brutlag struck a train near Woodland late Tuesday night. The incident remains under investigation.
(Champaign-jm) -- A suspect attempted to rob a University of Illinois student in Champaign. U of I police said this happened at about 10 p.m. Tuesday, when a man approached a student who was walking on the sidewalk in the 200 block of S. Wright St. The suspect hit the victim in the back of her head and tried to take her backpack. Police said the suspect ran when a passing vehicle stopped to help, causing the robbery attempt to fail. The suspect was last seen running west from Wright Street.
(Gilman-jm) -- The Iroquois West School District is looking into possibly doing some roof work at their school in Thawville. Superintendent Angelo Lekkas says they are in the early stages of the potential project…
Iroquois West Schools Superintendent Angelo Lekkas.
(Urbana-jm) -- The Champaign County Board is asking community members to send in suggestions and input for reforms to the Champaign County Animal Control ordinance. In December 2020, a dog was accidentally put down after miscommunication at Animal Control. This launched an investigation into the department, and further change will be made as a result of it. Later this year, the Champaign County Board will receive recommendations from a task force formed with community partners on reforms to the Animal Control ordinance and the overall structure of the department.
(Iroquois County-jm) -- The Iroquois County Republican Women is announcing they will be awarding a $500 scholarship to a graduating female high school senior. To qualify you must be a resident of Iroquois County at least 3 years, register to vote if 18 by November 2, 2021, proof of citizenship, letter of recommendation, copy of recent high school transcript and be a member or relation of a member of the group. The deadline to apply is today. Email iroquois gop women at gmail dot com.
