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Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul wants all federal student loan debt canceled

(Springfield-jm) –  Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul wants all federal student loan debt canceled. Raoul announced he's joining a multistate coalition of eight attorneys general urging President Joe Biden to fully cancel the loan debt. More than $1.7 trillion is owed to the federal government by student borrowers. The attorneys general say canceling the debt is necessary to address the sheer enormity of debts owed, systematically flawed repayment and forgiveness systems and the disproportionate impact of the debt burden on millions of borrowers.

 

(Springfield-jm) – Farmers continue to fall further behind in planting as we hear in the weekly crop report. On average, less than two days were suitable for fieldwork this past week says Crop Statistician Steve Parn…

 

 

Crop Statistician Steve Parn. Just 11 percent of soybeans have been planted compared to 55 percent at this time last year. 19 percent of winter wheat has headed and 45 percent of the crop is rated in good to excellent condition. Average statewide topsoil moisture is rated as one percent short, 49 percent adequate and 50 percent surplus.

 

(Clarksville, Tennessee-jm) – The man who escaped from an Illinois State Police hospital transport van last week was found in Tennessee over the weekend. 47-year-old Javier Aguirre of Hoopeston escaped from the van last Wednesday while it was traveling on Interstate 39 through Minonk. Reporting that Aguirre posed a danger to himself and others, Woodford County officials and Illinois State Troopers launched a search, but were unable to find him. The Woodford County State’s Attorney’s Office issued a warrant for his arrest the following day after investigating reports of criminal damage to property during his escape. On Sunday evening, officers in Clarksville, Tenn. located Aguirre and took him into custody without incident.

 

(Urbana-jm) – The University of Illinois has announced its new Director of McKinley Health Center. Pending approval from the University Board of Trustees, Awais Vaid will take over the position from Dr. Robert Parker, who served for four-and-a-half years. Vaid has been with the Champaign Urbana Public Health District for 18 years.

 

(Washington-jm) – Traders and producers will be paying a lot of attention to a major USDA supply and demand report that's coming out later this week. Gary Crawford reports…

 

 

(Loda-jm) – A 22-year-old Loda man pleaded not guilty to aggravated discharge of a firearm in connection with a January shooting in Loda. Colton M. Johnson appeared in Iroquois County Circuit Court for a pretrial hearing. After being arraigned by Judge Michael Sabol, Johnson pleaded not guilty and requested a jury trial. Sabol set another pretrial hearing for 1:30 p.m. Monday, June 27, and set a 21-day discovery deadline for the prosecution and 45-day discovery deadline for the defense, court records show. In January, Iroquois County State’s Attorney Jim Devine filed one count of aggravated discharge of a firearm, a Class 1 felony, against Johnson, alleging that he intentionally discharged a firearm in the direction of Dylan W. Atkins on the morning of January 19. The shooting left the 19-year-old Atkins hospitalized in critical condition with a gunshot wound to the head. Johnson, who was indicted by an Iroquois County grand jury in March, has been released from the county jail in Watseka after posting 10 percent of his $25,000 bond. 

 

(Mahomet-jm) – The village of Mahomet has rejected bids for new tennis and pickleball courts. The village was looking to install 6 new tennis courts at Middletown Park however bids came in at between $780,00 and $884,000 and didn’t include lighting.

 

(Undated-jm) – Rantoul village leaders will consider a referendum on a cannabis dispensary license at tonight’s village board meeting at 6. In addition, trustees will consider bonds for the Evans Road project, and consider a preliminary design for the wastewater system project. Up I-57 in Paxton at 7, city leaders will consider adding stop signs along Orleans Street at High Street and Winter Street surrounding Pells Park and consider motor fuel tax work. Down in St. Joseph tonight at 7, village leaders there will consider an outdoor cafe ordinance, and consider an appraisal of the village building.

 

(Springfield-jm) – Over $4 million in relief has been secured for Illinois residents deceived into paying for free tax services, per the state's attorney general.  Kwame Raoul said the funding is part of $141 million in restitution Intuit Inc., the owner of tax filing platform TurboTax, has been ordered to pay. This money is part of a bipartisan agreement between every U.S. state and Intuit.  The victims include over 130,000 Illinoisans, Raoul said. In the agreement, Intuit has to end its "free, free, free" ad campaign that lured customers with free tax preparation services before misleading them into paying.

 

(Springfield-jm) – Farmers continue to fall further behind in planting as we hear in the weekly crop report. Just 15 percent of corn has been planted, compared to 71 percent at this time last year. Soybean planting is slow as well, says Crop Statistician Steve Parn…

 

 

Crop Statistician Steve Parn. Pastures are rated at 68 percent in good to excellent condition. Average statewide topsoil moisture came in at one percent short, 49 percent adequate and 50 percent surplus.

 

(Vermilion County-jm) – Danville’s NAACP is traveling to the northern and southern parts of the County and to Danville to host three more Wellness Fairs and Cookouts to beat Covid. The first of the NAACP’s Fairs will be held in Hoopeston 426 E. Honeywell Avenue on Wednesday, May 11. A day later, the team of NAACP healthcare practitioners will go to Antioch Baptist Church 311 Collet Street in Danville. Then on Wednesday, May 18, they’ll host a fair and vaccination clinic in Georgetown at 407 E. Kennedy Drive. All three Fairs will be held, rain or shine, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., free of charge, and with no reservation required.

 

(Gibson City-jm) – Gibson City police have released their recent activity report. On May 2nd, Donald Peacock was arrested for driving while license revoked. On May 6th, Steven Campbell was arrested for aggravated stalking and violating an order of protection. On May 8th, Emma Cavallo and Victoria Bauman was arrested for driving with a suspended registration.

 

(Washington-jm) – The U.S. is boosting its purchases of foreign food and agriculture products by quite a bit. Gary Crawford reports…

 

 

(Champaign-jm) – This week, Champaign County Crime Stoppers is seeking assistance from the public regarding a theft and credit card fraud that happened on April 24. According to Champaign Police, at around 11 a.m. on April 24, a theft occurred at Home Goods, located at 718 Town Center Boulevard in Champaign. Officers said an unknown offender stole the victim’s wallet from her purse while it was unattended in a shopping cart. 45 minutes after the incident happened, one of the victim’s credit cards was used at the Urbana Walmart with purchases totaling just under $2,300. A second purchase was attempted for $2,900. The first man was wearing a navy sweatshirt with medium-colored jeans and the other man was wearing a camouflage sweatshirt with light-colored jeans. These two left in what appeared to be a black Ford Explorer, officers added.

 

(Paxton-jm) – Semester exams could be a thing of the past for PBL High school students. The school board will hear a proposal that would make semester exams optional. The proposal would also lower the percent the exam could count towards a students overall grade from 20 percent to 10 percent. The change would not affect AP or dual credit courses.




 

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