(Springfield-jm) – Some industries in Illinois will have some COVID-19 testing and vaccine requirements relaxed. The updated executive order amends testing requirements for some unvaccinated health care employees and removes mandates for some other industries, including schools. Currently, healthcare workers who are unvaccinated need to be tested for the virus at least once a week. Under the updated requirements, long-term care facilities with the most vulnerable residents, including skilled nursing homes, will now test staff who are not up to date with their COVID-19 vaccine weekly if located in an area of moderate community level transmission and twice weekly in areas of substantial or high community level transmission. Vaccine mandates for higher education employees and students and emergency medical service providers will not be reissued. Vaccination mandates will remain in place in K-12 schools, daycares, state-run 24/7 congregate care facilities, and any health care facilities not covered under the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services vaccine mandate.

 

(Springfield-jm) – The state’s rainy day fund is getting another boost. Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza says 100 million in additional dollars has been deposited into the fund, bringing the total to 854 million. She says the rainy day money is vital in case of another pandemic, economic downturn, or budget impasse like the one that lasted more than two years…

 

 

Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza. Mendoza says the state’s rainy day fund should be up to one billion dollars by the end of the summer.

 

(Champaign-jm) – One lane on a Champaign street will be closing today in order to allow construction crews to perform sewer repairs. SNC Construction will be shutting down the right southbound lane of Neil Street between Knollwood Drive and Windsor Road. Southbound traffic on Neil will be consolidated into one lane for the duration of the repairs. The closure is planned to end by 4 p.m. on Friday.

 

(Champaign-jm) – Service environmental projects are coming to Champaign.

Champaign County Executive Darlene Kloeppel’s office says three government agencies in Champaign County are getting money from AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps to aid in the local natural environment in Champaign. The Champaign County Department of Planning and Zoning will organize neighborhood clean-up events in neighborhoods and roadways in Urbana township. The City of Urbana Public Works Department will be planting trees along the right-of-way areas in the city with focus on lower-income neighborhoods. Champaign County Forest Preserve District will be removing invasive species and promote ecological restoration in the entire County of Champaign.

 

(Rantoul-tr) – The village of Rantoul will not be sending utility credits to local residents after Tuesday night's meeting.The idea received enough votes from the board, but was ultimately vetoed. Rantoul Mayor Chuck Smith explains…

 

 

Rantoul Mayor Chuck Smith .

 

(Urbana-jm) – A student at the University of Illinois was recently scammed out of $89,000 by someone claiming to be from the Chinese Consulate General’s office. University Police said the student received a phone call around June 19 and the person on the other end claimed the student’s passport was involved in a criminal investigation. The student was told that he needed to pay $150,000 to clear his name; as directed, he wired $89,000 to banks in California, the Bahamas and Hong Kong.

 

(Washington-jm) – The Chinese are continuing to buy more U.S. food and agricultural products than at this time last year. Gary Crawford reports…

 

 

(Chicago-jm) – Governor J.B. Pritzker is defending his focus on the Highland Park mass shooting over the gun violence that’s been a fixture in Chicago week after week. Pritzker on CNN was asked about critics of the perceived heightened focus on one area over the other saying the Highland Park mass shooting was “unusual” because of the weapon used by one shooter to kill seven people and shoot dozens of others.

 

(Springfield-jm) – Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s office is cautioning the public to watch out for scams related to victims of gun violence. Several groups are raising money to help those affected by the Highland Park shooting, but it’s important to do your homework before you donate, says Attorney General Spokesperson Drew Hill…

 

 

Attorney General Spokesperson Drew Hill. Hill also warns that a number of family members and friends of victims injured during the shooting are getting calls from potential scammers. The caller offers to help with applications for aid from the Crime Victim’s Compensation program.

 

(Urbana-jm) – An Urbana woman was sentenced to six months in prison for purchasing guns and giving them to felons. During the sentencing hearing, prosecutors showed how Lawanda Moore purchased four guns lawfully and then proceeded to give one to her husband, a convicted felon. The other guns were seized during two subsequent investigations. The gun Moore unlawfully gave to her husband was found in a hotel room along with various narcotics in October 2015. Her boyfriend was found to be in possession of three guns seized in November of 2018 and June 2019, all purchased by Moore. One of those guns was used during a shooting in Champaign.

 

(Urbana-jm) – A University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign student reported to university police that she was the victim of a hate crime. The student was walking in the 500 block of south Goodwin Avenue outside of the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, when a man at the top of the amphitheater began yelling racial slurs and other derogatory remarks, according to U of I police. The man also threatened violence but did not act upon those threats.

 

(Fisher Fair-tr) – The Fisher Fair has crowned new royalty this year. Lacey Cotter will be representing the Fisher fair as their new queen. Miss Fisher Fair Queen Lacey Cotter says she's been around the fair since she could first walk… 

 

 

2022 Miss Fisher Fair Queen Lacey Cotter.

 

(Champaign-jm) – The Champaign Police Department announced that, through the first six months of 2022, the city saw just half the number of shootings it did in the first six months of 2021. Champaign Police officials said that between January 1 to July 11 of this year, Champaign Police responded to 71 shooting incidents, which are considered to be any time officers find evidence of a gun being fired. During the same date range in 2021, Champaign Police responded to 145 shooting incidents, a reduction of 51% between years.

 

(Washington-jm) – The U.S. appetite for foreign food and agricultural products is growing fast. Gary Crawford has the details…