(Springfield-jm) – Republicans in the Illinois House continue to push for tougher anti-crime measures. Violent crime has been rising and is only getting worse, says Representative Chris Bos of Lake Zurich. He says the GOP has offered several proposals to address the problem, but none have been considered…
State Representative Chris Bos of Lake Zurich. Bos and his colleagues blame the increase in crime in part on the passage of last year’s “Safe-T Act” which he says puts criminals first.
(Springfield-jm) – An analysis by a moving company shows people continue to flee the Land of Lincoln. The Allied Magnet States report shows Illinois had the highest percentage of outbound residents in the country in 2021. Of the total number of people moving over the Illinois state line, 68% were moving away while 32% were inbound. For the past five years, Illinois has been in the top ten for the top outbound states, along with California, Michigan and Pennsylvania.
(Springfield-jm) – Volunteer fire department chiefs have a battle on their hands that doesn't involve burning homes or car crashes. They face a shortage of new recruits and trouble retaining experienced volunteers. Now, a new proposal could help recruit and retain firefighters in these vital roles. In an effort to bolster the ranks of volunteer firefighters and Emergency Medical Service workers, state lawmakers have proposed a bill that would give volunteers a $500 tax credit on their Illinois income tax return, providing that the volunteer emergency worker has not receive compensation for his or her services of more than $10,000 for the taxable year. The bill was co-sponsored by 106th District State Representative Tom Bennett of Gibson City…
106th District State Representative Tom Bennett of Gibson City.
(Paxton-dg)-A new Paxton business is having a soft opening. The Paxton Washbarn is now open on the city’s west side across from Cobblestone hotel. The Paxton Wash Barn offers a state of the art automatic touchless car wash, 2 self-serve bays and 2 vacuum units. A grand opening will be held soon.
(Mahomet-jm) – A man was sentenced to 13 years in the Department of Corrections in connection to a deadly hit-and-run crash. Robert O’Malley was sentenced Wednesday. He was taken to the Champaign County Sheriff’s Office to await transportation to the Department of Corrections. O’Malley turned himself in for a hit-and-run crash that resulted in the death of Dr. William Schuh in October of 2020. It happened along Route 150 in Mahomet. Upon release, O’Malley will be required to have one year of supervised release.
(Urbana-jm) – A 32-year-old man was recently arrested in connection to two separate incidents of public indecency and disorderly conduct. According to University of Illinois Police, Michael Campbell was accused of following a student into a women’s restroom in the Krannert Center for Performing Arts on March 11, lowering his pants and touched his genitals in an obscene manner. Officers said Campbell was also accused of running around naked in an area near South Lincoln Avenue in Urbana on March 14.
(Rantoul-tr) – The Rantoul Sports Complex in Rantoul is entering its second year of operation with big expectations. Rantoul Sports Complex Director of Sports Operations Ryan Reed says year 1 of operation went really well even with covid…
Rantoul Sports Complex Director of Sports Operations Ryan Reed.
(Paxton-tr) – Ameren Illinois partnered with the Paxton Fire Department and 14 other partners for a live line demonstration for Firefighters around the area. Ameren Illinois Community Relations Coordinator Karley Combest said over 85 Firefighters were in attendance…
Ameren Illinois Community Relations Coordinator Karley Combest. During an emergency, local police, fire and medical personnel are first on the scene. These trainings help to ensure they have the information they need about our infrastructure to better perform in the case of an electric or natural gas emergency."
(Urbana-jm) – A shooting victim has turned his experience into an opportunity to help his community, and he’s expanding his not-for-profit organization. Jonathan Blake started a group called Citizens Against Gun Violence after someone started shooting at him in Urbana last year. He is now reaching out to city leaders for help. Blake said after his incident, he planned on donating 100 Ring doorbells to his community. That number later turned to 800. Now, he’s asking the city to help him find a short-term fix to help in the long-term solution.
(Danville-jm) – OSF in Danville got some new technology to help cancer patients. They got a new True Beam Radiotherapy System after waiting for a month to install it. The new technology will allow doctors to discover and treat tumors faster and more precisely. They were able to pay for it with a $3 million donation from Julius Hegeler’s estate.
(Springfield-jm) – Advocates are celebrating the one year anniversary of a law cracking down on payday loans. The Predatory Loan Prevention Act capped payday loan interest rates at 36 percent, ending a practice of legalized loan sharking, says Representative Sonya Harper of Chicago. She notes this has helped end the cycle of debt and bankruptcy, especially for minority families…
State Representative Sonya Harper of Chicago. Supporters say in just one year, the act has saved Illinois consumers over 200 million dollars in fees for high-cost loans.
(Springfield-jm) – Spring is here and many anglers can’t wait to get out on the water and start fishing again, but annual fishing licenses are set to expire soon. According to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, sport fishing licenses purchased last year are valid until March 31. It is $15 for Illinois residents 16 and older to buy a new license for 2022.
(Springfield-jm) – In a move that will literally cost billions of dollars in higher taxes on Illinois jobs, House Democrats passed legislation Wednesday evening which drastically underfunds Illinois' unemployment insurance Trust Fund. At issue is an underfunded trust fund whose deficit can be filled with American Rescue Plan Act money. Late last night, Illinois Democrats had a simple choice, use the ARPA funding to pay off our unemployment insurance trust fund debt, or impose a tax hike on jobs. As they so often do, they chose a tax hike on jobs. State Representative Dan Caulkins of Decatur told his colleagues this is going to be a tax on every worker and job in the state of Illinois…
State Representative Dan Caulkins of Decatur.
(Champaign-jm) – The Champaign County Sheriff’s office is asking the public for help in solving a burglary that happened earlier this week. Deputies said that on Tuesday, someone stole a Chromebook laptop, cash and a debit card from a car in Tolono Township. The debit card was later used at a Champaign business and the suspect was photographed on store security cameras. Anyone with information on the suspect’s identity is asked to contact the Champaign County Sheriff’s Office Investigation Division at 217-384-1213. Information can be submitted anonymously to Crime Stoppers by calling 217-373-8477.
(Springfield-tr) – The negotiations on the state budget are currently ongoing according to 53rd District State Senator Jason Barickman. Barickman went on to say that Illinois has already received plenty of federal dollars…
53rd District State Senator Jason Barickman.
(Urbana-jm) – An Urbana man on probation for reckless discharge of a firearm has been sentenced to more probation in two different cases. Demaris Miner pleaded guilty to possession of between 2,000 and 5,000 grams of cannabis in one case and driving under the influence in the other case. A Champaign County judge sentenced Miner to 3 years probation and 10 days home confinement for the DUI charge.
(Champaign-jm) – The City of Champaign announced that in order to perform routine storm sewer maintenance activities, there will be a single-lane closure for traffic traveling on West Windsor Road and South Mattis Avenue until Friday. Road work is scheduled from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. The work is weather dependent and may be delayed if there is inclement weather.
