(Springfield-jm) – Governor J.B. Pritzker has appointed Dr. Sameer Vohra to head the Illinois Department of Public Health. Vohra is the Founding Director of the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine’s Department of Population Science and Policy. He also serves on the board of directors at Sangamon County Medical Society. Vohra replaces Dr. Ngozi Ezike, who was IDPH director for 3 years and guided Illinois during the COVID-19 pandemic. Assistant IDPH Director Dr. Amaal Tokas led the Department after Ezike stepped down in March, and will continue to be the assistant director.   Vohra’s first day is August 1st. He will be Acting Director until the Illinois Senate confirms his nomination.  

 

(Springfield-jm) – Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton spoke to a U-S Senate Committee Tuesday about the impact of the Supreme Court’s recent decision on abortion. Lieutenant Governor Stratton was part of a panel and was asked what the federal government should do moving forward. She said the President should use every tool possible to ensure reproductive freedoms and work with Congress to put those rights into law…

 

 

Illinois Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton. Stratton told senators Illinois is preparing for an influx of women coming to the state for an abortion, since some neighboring states have now banned the procedure.

 

(Champaign-jm) – A lane closure on Kirby Avenue in Champaign to complete sidewalk construction starts today. The closure will be located between Mattis Avenue and Waverly Drive. Traffic between these roads will be reduced to one lane through July 22nd. One lane on westbound Windsor Road in Champaign is currently closed to allow for the installation of fiber optic utilities. The lane closed between Galen Drive and Mattis Avenue is expected to be closed until Friday. One lane of traffic remains open in this area.

 

(Rantoul-tr) – The village of Rantoul has purchased some equipment to better help the local police department. Rantoul Mayor Chuck Smith says the additional equipment, more specifically, license plate scanners, will really help crimes get solved… 

 

 

Rantoul Mayor Chuck Smith.

 

(Champaign-jm) – Officials with the Champaign-Urbana Public Health Department said there is a “single presumptive monkeypox case” in Champaign County. The case is in a man who lives in Champaign County, but also recently traveled to Chicago. 

 

(Urbana-jm) – The Urbana City Council approved a special permit to expand the satellite facility of the Champaign County Jail. The downtown jail closed last week and the clock was ticking, as the need for additional space for inmates was growing. The vote was 4-3. The county hopes to have the project done by 2024.

 

(Washington-jm) – Crop prices continue to moderate. New USDA reports lends more impetus for that moderation. Gary Crawford reports…

 

 

(Springfield-jm) – Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White’s office is warning the public about a scam. It claimed Illinois was giving out 1500 dollar rebates to help alleviate high gas prices. The scammers took advantage of the news about the state’s tax relief program, which launched at the beginning of July. The program promised property tax and income tax rebates, but there’s no rebate at all around gas prices.

 

(Springfield-jm) – A new state law aims to grow the microchip industry in Illinois. The Micro Act includes tax incentives for microchip manufacturers setting up shop here. It was sponsored by Senator Suzy Glowiak Hilton of Western Springs…

 

 

State Senator Suzy Glowiak Hilton of Western Springs. Glowiak Hilton says microchip production has gone down in the U-S over the past two decades, and Asia is now the leading manufacturer of the chips.

 

(Champaign-jm) – Health experts in Champaign County are sounding the alarm about a new COVID-19 subvariant that is spreading through the county.

BA.5 is a subvariant of the Omicron variant and is extremely infectious. The Champaign Urbana Public Health says people need to remember COVID is still going around and encourage those who haven’t been vaccinated to get vaccinated. The FDA has asked vaccine manufacturers to design a booster shot for the fall that targets the newest Omicron variants like BA.5.

 

(Fisher-tr) – The 81st Annual Fisher Fair runs through the 16th. Fisher Fair Secretary Jill Hardesty says that today is Children's day, featuring a bicycle giveaway… 

 

 

Fisher Fair Secretary Jill Hardesty. Becky Puetz will be broadcasting from the fair this morning.

 

(Champaign-tr) – A man has been charged after officials said he threatened an Indianapolis medical center. Champaign County State’s Attorney Julia Rietz said John D. Armstrong, of Indianapolis, was a patient at OSF Hospital in Urbana. Officers were called there because he was making threats against the Roudebush Veterans Administration Medical Center in Indianapolis. Rietz said Armstrong’s criminal history goes back to 1976 in Illinois, Florida and Georgia. In 2001, he was convicted on aggravated criminal sexual abuse in Sangamon County. He also had convictions in Georgia as well as Macon County for failure to register as a sex offender.

 

(Champaign-jm) – Five people escaped a fire at a duplex in Champaign Tuesday morning. The Champaign Fire Department was called around 7:28 a.m. to the duplex in the 400 block of Nathaniel Burch Drive. Two adults and three children were inside the duplex at the time of the fire.

 

(Washington-jm) – The USDA's latest wheat production forecasts indicate increased production for winter wheat month over month, and durum and other spring wheats year over year. Rod Bain reports…