(Undated-jm) – The Illinois Department of Public Health reported 15,453 new Coronavirus cases and 120 additional deaths. The seven day positivity rate fell to 12 percent. Ford County reported 186 new cases. Champaign County reported 583 new cases and 2 additional deaths. Vermilion County reported 183 new cases and 2 additional deaths.

 

(Springfield-jm) – Governor J-B Pritzker will give his annual budget address this week. The address will be held at noon on Wednesday, and unlike last year’s virtual event, the Governor says it will be in person before the House and Senate…

 

 

Illinois Governor J-B Pritzker. Illinois lawmakers head back to Springfield on Tuesday after canceling session for a few weeks because of the pandemic. WPXN News will have coverage of the Governor’s address and reaction from area lawmakers on our afternoon news Wednesday and our Thursday morning news.

 

(Rantoul-jm) – A Rantoul home was damaged by fire early Saturday morning. Crews from Rantoul, Gifford and Thomasboro were called to the fire in the 1500 block of Eater Drive. No word on if there were any injuries or the cause of the fire.

 

(Champaign County-jm) – A Minnesota man is facing multiple charges following a traffic stop on I-57 near Pesotum. Tom Tramble was stopped for speeding by state troopers. He presented two fake names to the trooper before giving his real name which came back revoked and had several warrants for identity theft and burglary among others. They also found a loaded 9 mm handgun, 34 grams of cocaine, 12 grams of meth, 117 pills of oxycodone and 25 pills of alprazolam. Tramble was charged with armed violence, possession with intent to deliver cocaine and meth.  

 

(Springfield-jm) – Illinois Republican lawmakers are calling for changes to the police reform law. Democratic lawmakers approved the changes last year at the request of the Black Caucus. One year later, Republicans and some Democrats are looking to make changes to the bill, says 53rd District State Senator Jason Barickman of Bloomington…

 

 

53rd District State Senator Jason Barickman of Bloomington.

 

 

(Urbana-jm) – The Champaign County Sheriff’s Office is one step closer to getting out of its run-down headquarters. The county board in a 16-5 vote, gave County Executive Darlene Kloeppel the OK to purchase the County Plaza building at 102 East Main Street for $2 million. There was no immediate word on when the sale would close, but it might take up to a year for the sheriff’s office, which is just east of the plaza building, to move in. That’s because the building needs extensive renovations. The plaza building has five stories and about 88,000 square feet, leaving room for other county offices to move in if needed. The jail inmates at the downtown sheriff’s facility are expected to move to an expanded satellite jail.

 

(Urbana-jm) – It’ll cost incoming freshmen at the University of Illinois nearly 2% more than before after the university’s board voted to increase tuition. The increase was approved by the board of trustees for all U of I campuses. Tuition will increase 1.8% for the Urbana-Champaign and Chicago campuses. Tuition will increase 1.5% at the Springfield campus.

 

(Springfield-jm) – The Illinois Department of Revenue is reminding eligible taxpayers to make sure they claim the earned income tax credit when they file their returns this year. The earned income tax credit can mean significant savings for qualifying low to moderate wage earners, says Agency Spokesperson Maura Kownacki…

 

 

Illinois Department of Revenue Spokesperson Maura Kownacki. If you qualify for the federal earned income tax credit, you will automatically qualify for the Illinois credit, but Kownacki says many people don’t take advantage of this on their state return.

 

(Champaign County-jm) – Champaign County Sheriff’s police are investigating a string of break ins in the eastern part of the county. Studio 308 in Gifford and Mean Mugz Bar and Grill in Ogden are the latest places to be broken into. Three businesses in St. Joseph was also recently broken into.

 

(Urbana-jm) – A Champaign man has been acquitted of selling drugs that were found in the home he was in. A jury deliberated for a little over an hour before returning the not guilty verdict on all charges against Billy Palmer. When police searched his house they found almost 23 grams of cocaine and several fake $100 bills. Palmer claimed the drugs were being sold from his brother.

 

(Gifford-tr) – Land Prices have continued to go up around the country and Illinois is no different. Jerry Wallace from Wallace Land and Auction says the prices he is seeing even out in the state of Iowa are crazy… 

 

 

Wallace Land and Auction Spokesperson Jerry Wallace.

 

(Champaign-jm) – A record number of homes were sold in Champaign County last year. The Champaign County Association of Realtors says they broke their record for home sales in 2021…again. 3,325 properties were sold. That’s 7.29% higher than the number sold in 2020. The average price was up 9% at $207,036.

 

(Paxton-jm) – The city of Paxton will be receiving federal CARES money to go toward infrastructure projects. Mayor Bill Ingold says some of that money will go to work at the city’s wastewater plant…

 

 

Paxton Mayor Bill Ingold. 

 

updated(Undated-jm) – A new monthly survey of bankers in parts of 10 Plains and Western states shows the region's rural economy remains strong. However, bankers say they have growing concerns about the rising costs associated with running farms.  The overall Rural Mainstreet economic index fell in January to 61.1 from December's 66.7. Any score above 50 suggests growth. Bankers say high inflation is affecting the prices of farm supplies, from fuel to fertilizer. The survey covers Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming.