(Springfield-jm) – Motorists across Illinois and the rest of the country continue to deal with gasoline prices that are reaching new records almost daily, and it appears there is no end in sight.  Illinoisans on average are now paying  more than $5 a gallon for gasoline. A year ago it was $3.20 a gallon. According to AAA Illinois, the average price in Chicago is $5.59, in Quincy it is $4.94, motorists in Bloomington-Normal are paying on average $4.74 a gallon, and in Decatur it is $4.65.

 

(Springfield-jm) – The Illinois Department of Natural Resources says you can go ahead and hang bird feeders back up in your yard. DNR had asked the public to put away bird feeders, concerned that birds flying through Illinois would eat the seed and potentially spread the Avian flu, says Wildlife Disease Program Manager Chris Jacques (jakes)...

 

 

Illinois Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Disease Program Manager Chris Jacques (jakes). Jacques says it’s a good idea to wash your bird feeders and baths before putting them out again and to clean them regularly. DNR is still advising against feeding ducks and geese.

 

(Washington-jm) –  United States Representative Adam Kinzinger of Illinois is calling for stricter gun regulations following the tragic Uvalde school shooting. Representative Kinzinger says the country needs harsher so-called red flag laws. He emphasized the intention is not to take everyone's guns away, but to create solutions for responsible gun ownership. Kinzinger went on to say that Americans are obsessed and worship guns. He is advocating raising the age you must be to buy a rifle to 21.

 

(Springfield-jm) – The Illinois Department of Agriculture is issuing the next round of craft growers licenses for adult-use cannabis. 48 licenses have been awarded, all going to social equity applicants. They are designed for small growers just getting started, says the state’s Division of Cannabis Manager David Lakeman…

 

 

State Department of Agriculture’s Division of Cannabis Manager David Lakeman. Social equity applicants come from areas hardest hit by the war on drugs or who have been arrested for minor marijuana offenses in the past.

 

(Gifford-jm) – Gordyville USA in Gifford is now up for sale with an offering price of $4 million. The complex is located on Route 136, just seven miles from I-57, and eleven miles from I-74. Gordyville USA was built in 1988. It was founded by auctioneer Gordon Hannagan and his wife, Jan. The 160,000-square-feet event center is well known throughout the Midwest as it has hosted rodeos, tractor pulls, country music concerts, livestock events, craft shows and trade shows. Gordon Hannagan passed away in 2012. His wife, Jan, died in 2020. Their children have carried on the legacy of the events center. But now, as they get older, they decided to sell the complex.

 

(Sibley-jm) – A planned power outage in the town of Sibley has been rescheduled for tonight. Ameren crews planned to shut off power to the town late Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning in order to work on the electrical connections of replacement power line poles in the area of 216 North Franklin Street. However, due to storms Tuesday night, Ameren had to reschedule their work. The work and outage is now planned to begin tonight at 11 p.m. and will last into Friday morning. People can expect the power to be on again by 7 a.m. on Friday.

 

(Champaign-jm) – Two lanes of a street in Champaign will be closing this Friday in order to allow for contracted grading. One lane in each direction of Town Center Boulevard will be closing at 6 a.m. between Neil Street and Moreland Boulevard. The lanes will reopen at 3 p.m. later that day.

 

(Washington-jm) – Late corn and soybean development cause for extra worry later on in the growing season. Gary Crawford reports…

 

 

(Melvin-jm) – Four young ladies will be vying for the title of Miss Ford County later this month. Kate Wilson of Paxton, Lyndi Allen of Paxton, Gracelyn Greenburg of Paxton and Ariana Coe of Loda will compete in the queen pageant June 13th.

 

(Springfield-jm) – Wednesday marked the beginning of the repeal of parental notification for abortion in Illinois. The American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois says the repeal gives "pregnant young people" the same right as everyone else in Illinois. The group March For Life said the repeal of clinics having to notify parents when a minor girl gets an abortion makes Illinois an outlier in the Midwest and takes away parents' rights to know about if the medical procedure is performed on their children.  

 

(Springfield-jm) – Governor J-B Pritzker is announcing more than 50 million dollars in grants for essential infrastructure projects around the state. The money is going to 34 communities for a variety of important projects, says the Governor…

 

 

Illinois Governor J-B Pritzker. The grants range from 343 thousand dollars up to two million, going to areas like Rockford, Macomb, Litchfield, Shelby County, Vandalia and the Village of Justice.

 

(Springfield-jm) – Illinois state government could run into budget trouble in a few years because they’ve been using a one-time surge of federal tax funds to pay recurring, longer-term expenses, a report says.  The Volcker Alliance, a nonprofit group that promotes responsible government spending, said Illinois is vulnerable for budget stresses when American Rescue Plan funds run out. The report said states need to be mindful of what happens after the federal funds go dry to avoid the types of budget headaches they experienced in the Great Recession. 

(Springfield-jm) – Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul is filing his office’s first hate crime lawsuit. The lawsuit was filed in Carroll County against a mother and adult son who allegedly spent months harassing their black neighbor. This included hanging a bound and chained effigy of their neighbor from a tree in their front yard says Attorney General Raoul…

 

 

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul. The suit seeks civil penalties and equitable relief. Raoul says he will continue to prosecute hate crimes and send a message that hate and bigotry will not be tolerated in Illinois.

 

 

(Bloomington-jm) – A Gibson City man was arrested on probable cause stemming from a fire investigation by the Bloomington Police and Fire Departments. Anthony Hughlett was arrested for attempted murder, aggravated arson and residential arson by the Gibson City Police Department. Hughlett was taken to McLean County and booked into the county jail on a $600,000 bond. The charges allege that on May 16, Hughlett started a fire at a multi-unit apartment building in the 2200 block of Todd Drive in Bloomington. Responding police officers found smoke coming from the building, which was spotted by firefighters from their station. By the time firefighters arrived, heavy fire was visible from possibly multiple apartments. No one was hurt during this incident.

 

 

(Champaign-jm) – A 35-year-old man from Champaign has been arrested and charged in connection to a murder that happened in October of 2021.

Demarco Lucas was arrested on Tuesday on a warrant previously issued by the Champaign County State’s Attorney. He was formally charged the following day with first degree murder and is in the Champaign County Jail awaiting trial. Lucas is accused of shooting 42-year-old Charles Evans in the 500 block of West White Street on Oct. 7, 2021. Officers responding to a shots-fired report found Evans in an alley with multiple gunshot wounds to the torso and arm. Evans died shortly after arrival at a local hospital.

 

(Watseka-jm) – Iroquois County Treasurer, Kurt Albers, announced that the deadline to pay the first installment of real estate taxes without penalty is Thursday, June 9, 2022. After that date, 1 ½ percent interest on all property must be added to the first installment each month; it remains unpaid according to the Illinois State Statutes. If you have not received your bill, please call the Treasurer’s Office at 815-432-6985.

 

(Washington-jm) – Here are the latest numbers on corn and soybean planting progress. Gary Crawford reports…

 

 

(Roberts-jm) – Ford County Public Health Department is announcing a fresh Produce Pantry on Friday June 3rd, in conjunction with Jeremiah 33:6. The Produce drive will be held at Roberts Village Gym, 118 W Weldon, from 3-6 PM or while supplies last. Produce is available to anyone, regardless of income.

 

Paxton townwide garage sales will take place Friday and Saturday. 

 

Paxton IGA will hold their cookout benefiting Hometown Heroes on Saturday from 10-2.