(Springfield-jm) – Governor J-B Pritzker is announcing a new Children’s Behavioral Health Initiative. The idea is to evaluate current practices and make it easier for families to access the support their child needs, says the Governor…
Illinois Governor J-B Pritzker. Areas to be examined include eligibility for levels of care, barriers to programs and the needs of kids with various behavioral health concerns. A report is due at the end of this year.
(Springfield-jm) – Illinois could become the first state in the nation to give prisoners the right to vote while they're incarcerated. You can already vote when you get out of prison in Illinois, but now, there's a new push to allow prisoners to vote during their sentence. This is actually the second year lawmakers are pushing for this bill. The law didn't pass last year by just a handful of votes. It would allow people convicted of felonies to vote in elections, and require election authorities to partner with prisons to make it happen. The state board of elections would also have to release reports on their efforts to help voters in custody. If the law passes, the prisoner would be able to cast an absentee ballot for their home elections.
(Springfield-tr) – One of the biggest news stories to come out of Springfield this month was the indictment of former House Speaker Michael Madigan on 22 corruption charges. 106th District State Representative Tom Bennett of Gibson City weighed in on the indictment of Madigan…
106th District State Representative Tom Bennett of Gibson City. Madigan pleaded not guilty last week. After a year’s long investigation the federal prosecutors are now alleging that he used power to financially benefit him and those close to him. The public will have to wait until Madigan’s day in court.
(Champaign-jm) – A Champaign man has been sentenced to 30 months probation for firing a gun inside a house during an argument with his child’s mother. Michael Berry pleaded guilty in Champaign County court to reckless discharge of a firearm after admitting he grabbed a gun and fired it into the floor of the living room in the house he was sharing with the woman.
(Champaign county-tr) – The Crisis Nursery in Urbana has kicked off their outreach program in Broadlands to help families in need. Other stops this week include Fisher, Thomasboro, and Ludlow. Crisis Nursery Family Specialist Taylor Wallis says the Crisis Nursery offers many programs to the public…
Crisis Nursery Family Specialist Taylor Wallis. You can call the nursery at 217-337-2730 with any questions about this outreach program and communities involved or text 217-636-4221 to sign up. The Crisis Nursery is asking for a 24hour notice before your town’s drop off date. Friday’s giveaway will be held at the Crisis Nursery in Urbana.
(Paxton-jm) – Ford County Board members are searching far and wide for candidates for the county’s supervisor of assessments position, as they agreed to send letters about the job opportunity to all 31 people who passed the Illinois Department of Revenue’s supervisor of assessments exam within the past two years. Resumes for the full-time position are due Wednesday, March 23.
(Iroquois County-tr) – The Iroquois County Board is looking into building a facility in order to safely operate Animal Control after a local partner moved across the country. Iroquois County Board Chairman John Shure says he is thankful for Ford County lending a helping hand…
Iroquois County Board Chairman John Shure
(Springfield-jm) – Lawmakers are working on bills to close loopholes in Illinois sexual assault laws. One measure is sponsored by Representative Katie Stuart of Collinsville and is based on a case in another state. A young woman unknowingly slept with a man pretending to be her boyfriend. He was charged and later acquitted…
State Representative Katie Stuart of Collinsville. Stuart’s bill makes this a felony crime in Illinois. Another clarifies state law so that a person is unable to give consent even if they are unconscious because of something they drank or took themselves.
(Springfield-jm) – A new report says Illinois’ population with people with Alzheimer’s disease is expected to increase by over 13% over the next few years. The Alzheimer’s Association predicts the number of residents 65 and older with Alzheimer’s is expected to increase from 230,000 to 260,000 by 2025. The report says the cost of taking care of Alzheimer’s patients in the U.S. will reach $1 trillion by 2050 as the population ages.
(Springfield-jm) – Some progress was made in paying back debt we owe to the unemployment trust fund. 106th District State Representative Tom Bennett of Gibson City provides an update…
106th District State Representative Tom Bennett of Gibson City.
(Urbana-jm) – An Urbana teen has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for possessing a machine gun. Ontario Walls pleaded guilty to the charge after he robbed a person at gunpoint in January. When he was arrested officers found a fully automatic 9 mm firearm with 14 rounds of ammunition and the victim's phone.
(Ford-Iroquois-tr) – Ford and Iroquois County farmers are having concerns over market shifts as the price of certain commodities have risen quite dramatically in recent weeks. Ford-Iroquois County Farm Bureau Manager David Treece says suppliers are working diligently to fulfill the needs of local farmers…
Ford-Iroquois County Farm Bureau Manager David Treece.
(Champaign-jm) – Police report an arrest has been made in the recent homicide investigation of Brandon McClendon. According to police,on March 18, 2022, the Champaign County State’s Attorney’s Office charged Cherell Ingram, 35, of Champaign with four counts of Murder and one count of unlawful use of a weapon by a felon. Ingram is presently in custody at the Champaign County Correctional Center. According to authorities, on March 16, at approximately 7:00 p.m., Champaign Police responded to the 400 block of Ginger Bend Drive for a report of a shooting with injury. Upon arrival, officers located McClendon, who was suffering from life-threatening gunshot wounds to the torso outside of an apartment. Officers rendered medical aid on-scene until he could be transported to Carle Foundation Hospital. McClendon was pronounced dead at 7:31 p.m. in the hospital's emergency room.
Crisis Nursery will be hosting a goods giveaway and delivery week March 21st-25th. They will be in Broadlands March 21st, Fisher March 22nd, Thomasboro March 23rd, Ludlow March 24th and at their location on West Hill Street in Urbana on March 25th.
Parkland College will host a Parkland Preview event for high school seniors on Friday, March 25th from 12-2 in the Student Union.
