(Springfield-jm) – Despite being scheduled to head back to Springfield this week, the Illinois House has canceled session days. A statement from the House Speaker’s office said “with cautious optimism” COVID-19 has peaked, the House will return the following week. The Senate already had this week scheduled off.

 

(Springfield-jm) – Monday marked the two year anniversary of the first case of COVID-19 reported in Illinois. That initial case in January of 2020 was a Chicago woman who had returned from a trip to Wuhan, China. Since then, more than two point eight million people have tested positive and over 30 thousand have died. Cases and hospitalizations reached record levels this month, although the surge seems to have peaked. During a recent COVID briefing, Governor J-B Pritzker reminded how serious the pandemic remains…

 

 

Illinois Governor J-B Pritzker. The Governor says those that are most sick continue to be unvaccinated. At the most recent count, over 52 hundred patients were in the hospital with COVID-19. Since Friday, the state reported 64,591 new cases and 310 deaths. Vermilion County reported 639 new cases and 4 additional deaths. Iroquois County reported 311 new cases and 3 additional deaths. Champaign County reported 1,583.

 

(Urbana-jm) – The U of I approved a $50 million building project. The Undergraduate Library will be completely gutted soon. They’ll start construction to turn it into a new facility. The archives, special collections, and rare books will be moved there. Some of the university’s oldest documents need to be stored in climate-controlled rooms. so the updated building will help preserve them and open up new teaching spaces. The main library on campus will also be redesigned. The money will primarily come from donors, endowments, and a deferred maintenance fund.

 

(Springfield-jm) – There has been a lot of news about Illinois being in debt over the years. Now we’re hearing about another program that is in growing debt. 106th District State Representative Tom Bennett of Gibson City talks about what is happening with unemployment insurance…

 

 

106th District State Representative Tom Bennett of Gibson City.

 

(Danville-jm) – A request to use $500-thousand dollars in county funds to renovate homes of owners who meet certain income requirements is still being reviewed.  The Vermilion County Land Bank requested the funds in November to help replace roofs, porches, siding and other areas.  The money would come from the $14-million dollars in federal rescue funds the county is receiving due to the pandemic. The goal of the Land Bank is to help rehabilitate homes so that they can remain owner-occupied and prevent their demolition in the future. The county hasn’t decided what they will do with the money.

 

(Champaign-jm) – Champaign County Crime Stoppers is seeking assistance from the public regarding a battery/disorderly conduct. According to investigators, a man approached an Asian woman while she was walking her dog in Hessel Park at around 2 p.m. on December 27. She became alarmed by his actions and began to video record their interaction. The man made obscene gestures and remarks to her. As the lady tried to walk around the man, he slapped the phone out of her hand.

The man is described as a middle-aged, white male, wearing a baseball cap, blue zip-up hoodie, blue jeans, white sneakers and glasses.

 

(Springfield-jm) – According to an annual report released by the Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, Illinois is lacking when it comes to traffic safety laws. Fatal traffic incidents are the highest they've been in Illinois in 17 years. In 2021, there were 1,361 traffic fatalities across the state. Among the recommendations from the group includes: requiring helmets on motorcycles, make booster seat requirements for children stricter, make the minimum age for a learners permit 16, stronger nighttime driving restrictions, stronger passenger restrictions and making the minimum age for an unrestricted license 18. 

 

(Champaign County-jm) – Several positions are up for election in Champaign County. At the county office level, the county clerk, sheriff, treasurer and county executive are up for election. Also every member of the county board is up as well.

 

(Paxton-jm) – A contract has been awarded for phase one of Paxton’s streetscape project with work expected to begin this spring. Mayor Bill Ingold says they are working on phase two of the project…

 

 

Paxton Mayor Bill Ingold.

 

(Mahomet-jm) – Mahomet police want to be the latest area department to add license plate readers to its crime-fighting tool-belt. The department has applied for grant money to buy nine of the devices. They would cost $2,500 per reader per year. If they can’t get the grant money, it’ll include it in next year’s budget he brings to the village board. Law enforcement in Champaign, the Champaign County Sheriff’s Office, the University of Illinois and Rantoul all use or will use the technology, while Urbana elected leaders said no.

 

 

(Champaign-jm) – 52nd District State Senator Scott Bennett has been awarded the Friend of Agriculture award from Illinois Fertilizer Association.