(Undated–jc) It’s Official, the race for the Republican position in the 2nd Congressional District has been decided. It was a three way close race between former state senator Shane Cultra, Iroquois County Board member Thomas Lynch and Kankakee County’s Ashley Ramos. Lynch won the nomination be several hundred votes in Tuesday’s Primary. Lynch will face Democrat Robyn Kelly of Chicago. The fall election is set for November 8th.
(Fisher-jm) – Attorney General Kwame Raoul Wednesday announced a consent order with People’s Gas over a natural gas leak that reached one of Central Illinois’ largest fresh water sources and nearby residents’ private wells. The consent order, entered in Champaign County Circuit Court, resolves a lawsuit the Attorney General’s office filed after natural gas leaked from a Peoples Gas underground storage facility near the village of Fisher into the Mahomet Aquifer and the private wells of nearby homes. The consent order requires Peoples Gas to mitigate the release by implementing a Groundwater Management Zone approved by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. Implementation includes the operation of four new relief wells to remove methane from the aquifer. Peoples Gas must also conduct periodic sampling of a monitoring network to track the extent of the release and the progress of mitigation by the relief wells. Peoples Gas must continue to operate relief wells and sample until IEPA concurs that clean-up objectives have been met. Peoples Gas must then conduct at least three years of additional monitoring to ensure that methane remains within approved levels.
(Springfield-jm) – Governor J-B Pritzker is signing a new law to address hair discrimiation in the workplace. The “Crown Act” ensures employers can’t discriminate against employees who wear their hair naturally or in ethnic styles. It was sponsored in the House by Peoria Representative Jehan Gordon-Booth…
State Representative Jehan Gordon-Booth. Studies have shown that black women are 80 percent more likely than their counterparts to conform their hairstyles to meet expectations at work. The Governor signed a similar law last year that applied to schools.
(Champaign-jm) – A woman was sent to the hospital on Wednesday after she was hit by a car in Champaign. Champaign Police say that at approximately 1:30 p.m., officers were dispatched to Neil and Healey Streets for a report of an accident with injuries. They said that the woman stepped into Neil Street mid-block and was subsequently hit by a passing car. The driver of that car remained at the scene. The investigation indicated that the woman was at fault for what happened.
(Springfield-jm) – The latest unemployment numbers show mixed results. 106th District State Representative Tom Bennett of Gibson City says there was good news and bad news in the report…
106th District State Representative Tom Bennett of Gibson City.
(Champaign-jm) – Parkland College has a new trustee on the board. Brad Uken was sworn in to replace Tim Johnson who passed away recently. Uken is currently the manager of the Champaign County Farm Bureau.
(Rantoul-jm) – A Rantoul man who allegedly repeatedly sexually molested a child is in the Champaign County Jail. Joshua Nibbe who listed an address in the 700 block of Maplewood Drive, was arrested Tuesday afternoon in Urbana and charged with predatory criminal sexual assault and aggravated criminal sexual abuse. According to a Rantoul police report, Nibbe repeatedly committed sex acts with a child under the age of 13 between October 2021 and February 2022 at a home in Rantoul. Nibbe is being held in lieu of a $500,000 bond.
(Washington-jm) – A new USDA report shows a pork industry that's being very cautious and somewhat uncertain about the future. Gary Crawford reports…
(Paxton-jm) – Paxton police arrested a Milford man early Wednesday after he allegedly solicited sex from a 15-year-old girl and traveled to Paxton to meet her. Andy Leppard was arrested on charges of traveling to meet a minor and indecent solicitation of a child, both Class 3 felonies, and solicitation to meet a child, a Class 4 felony. Tuesday, Paxton police initiated their investigation into Leppard’s alleged indecent solicitation of the teenager. On Tuesday night, Leppard allegedly drove to Paxton in a 2007 Ford Escort to meet the girl.
(Springfield-jm) – Attorney General Kwame Raoul is announcing a new tool to help police investigate gun crimes in Illinois. The online platform is called “Crime Gun Connect,” providing law enforcement access to thousands of crime gun trace records dating back to 2009, says Attorney General Raoul…
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul. Raoul says the platform also features sophisticated mapping technology to identify gun trafficking trends and likely offenders.
(Urbana-jm) – The Champaign County Humane Society will be closed to the public for at least a week. It's due to an outbreak of upper-respiratory infection in dogs and cats. Those interested in adopting small animals such as rabbits, rats or guinea pigs are asked to call the adoption department 217-344-7297.
(St. Joe-tr) –The Village of St. Joseph is currently in the process of having a few of their downtown locations appraised. Village Administrator Joe Hackney says the village recently acquired a unique piece of property with some initial thoughts about consolidating village offices into one municipal building…
St. Joseph Village Administrator Joe Hackney.
(Champaign-jm) – A Grammy award-winning musician is coming to Champaign. Melissa Etheridge is set to perform at the Virginia Theatre this fall. She'll take the stage on Sunday, October 2. The show kicks off at 7:30 p.m. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Thursday at the Virginia Box Office, online at thevirginia.org, or charge by phone at 217-356-9063.
(Champaign-jm) – Habitat for Humanity’s Re-Store are aiming for October 1st to move into the vacant building, which the County Market formerly occupied, on Mattis Avenue, just north of Church Street. The new space will be about 25,000 square feet, but they plan on leasing around 10,000 square feet to other businesses. The company still needs to raise around $150,000 for the move.
(Washington-jm) – The pre-Fourth of July prices for beef and pork being offered by some grocery stores may surprise many shoppers, in a good way. Gary Crawford reports…
