(Springfield-jm) -- Governor J-B Pritzker is announcing an agreement with the state’s largest employee union for 78 hundred workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19. The deal is with AFSCME workers at Illinois Veterans Homes and Human Services congregate facilities, requiring they get the first dose right away and their second shot by the end of November…
Illinois Governor J-B Pritzker. This brings the total number of state workers covered by union vaccine agreements to nearly 10 thousand. Negotiations with Department of Corrections and Juvenile Justice employees over the vaccine requirement have reached an impasse and will go to arbitration.
(Undated-jm) -- The Illinois Department of Public Health is reporting 5,140 new COVID cases and 58 additional deaths since Friday. Locally since Friday, Champaign County reported 68 new cases and 2 additional deaths. Vermilion County reported 56 new cases. Iroquois County reported 51 new cases and 1 additional death.
(Springfield-jm) -- New legislative maps could be brought up during the final week of the fall veto session. 106th District State Representative Tom Bennett of Gibson City says the Democrats were hit with a major blow last week when a federal panel ruled the previously approved maps were unconstitutional…
Representative Bennett also discusses what’s next with those maps and what is happening with the federal legislative redistricting…
106th District State Representative Tom Bennett of Gibson City.
(Urbana-jm) -- Carle will begin offering the Johnson & Johnson and Moderna COVID-19 vaccine booster doses to people who qualify beginning on Saturday. The vaccine clinic at Kohl’s Plaza in Champaign will begin administering the Moderna booster Saturday in addition to the currently approved Pfizer booster. Patients in Vermilion County can schedule an appointment at a Danville clinic - J&J boosters will be available on Tuesday and Thursday; Moderna boosters will be available on Wednesday and Friday. All Carle booster clinic appointments can be scheduled through MyCarle or on Carle.org.
(Champaign-jm) -- Illinois State Police District 10 were dispatched to Interstate 74 westbound at the Neil Street exit at around 7:14 p.m. on Sunday for a reported car crash. According to police, preliminary reports indicate while negotiating the Interstate 74 westbound Neil Street exit off-ramp , a 2004 Maroon Toyota Sienna abruptly veered off the roadway to the right and continued to travel northwest. Its front passenger side quarter panel proceeded to strike a 20-foot section of boundary fence located along the north side of the roadway. Due to the speed and force of impact, this car proceeded through the boundary fence, crossed East Anthony Drive and entered an Olive Garden parking lot from the south.
(IroquoisCounty-tr)-- The Iroquois County Board finalized their budget and has the put the budget on public display. A vote on the budget is set for November. Those interested have time to review the budget before a final vote. Iroquois County Board Chairman John Shure says transparency is important…
Iroquois County Board Chairman John Shure.
(Undated-jm) -- USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack is issuing a disaster declaration for some Illinois counties because of extreme flooding earlier this year. Farmers in Champaign, Ford, Vermilion, McLean, DeWitt and Livingston Counties are eligible.
(Washington-jm) -- Rural broadband efforts are getting another shot in the arm with new funding in USDA's ReConnect program. Gary Crawford reports…
(Springfield-jm) -- The Illinois Department of Public Health is gearing up for the anticipated approval of COVID-19 vaccines for younger children. It’s expected the Pfizer vaccine will get the okay for kids ages 5 to 11 in coming days and director Dr Ngozi Ezike says they want to make sure families have several options available to them…
Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr Ngozi Ezike. Ezike says they are also looking at after school and park district events as yet another option for parents. She expects these efforts to kick off around the second week in November.
(Undated-jm) -- The Illinois Department of Public Health is reporting 5,140 new COVID cases and 58 additional deaths since Friday. Locally since Friday, Champaign County reported 68 new cases and 2 additional deaths. Vermilion County reported 56 new cases. Iroquois County reported 51 new cases and 1 additional death.
(Springfield-jm) -- Redistricting maps are one topic that could be brought up in the final days of the fall veto session. Last week a panel rejected the proposal approved in the spring. 53rd District State Senator Jason Barickman of Bloomington says its all about control…
Senator Barickman says the Democrats' approach to the maps actually hurt voters…
53rd District State Senator Jason Barickman of Bloomington.
(Urbana-jm) -- A campus safety alert was issued on Monday for the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The University of Illinois Police received a report that a man had inappropriately touched another person at about 6 p.m. Saturday on the main Quad. According to the report, the man may have touched others around the same time.
(Paxton-jm) -- Hudson Drug is hosting a Moderna booster clinic this morning from 8 to noon at the Paxton firehouse. Call 217-379-4858 to schedule an appointment. Hudson’s can also do Pfizer boosters to those who qualify.
(Ford County-tr)-- The Ford County Health Department and Jerimiah 33:6 will be hosting a drive-thru produce pantry at the health department for local families while offering recipes to try at home. Ford County Health Department Spokesperson Megan Reutter has more..
Ford County Health Department Spokesperson Megan Reutter.
(Undated-jm) -- US News and World Report has released their top 200 K-8th grade schools in the state and a couple of local schools are being recognized. Prairieview Ogden Jr High came in 34th, Mahomet Seymour Junior High came in 146th and PBL Jr High came in 196th. Iroquois West Elementary school came in 164th in the elementary school category.
(Washington-jm) -- The nation's beef cattle herd may be shrinking at a faster pace than some had expected. Gary Crawford reports…
