(Springfield-jm) – The Illinois State Police is joining law enforcement officers from Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin for this year’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Speed Awareness Day enforcement campaign today. The campaign is an effort to address the drastic increase in speed and hazardous moving violations that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. Officials report speeding is involved in approximately one-third of all motor vehicle fatalities nationwide.
(Springfield-jm) – The Illinois Emergency Management Agency is recognizing the 32nd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. In marking the day, IEMA is urging local public safety agencies to ensure emergency preparedness plans IMEET the needs of people with disabilities. Spokesperson Kevin Sur says there are a number of things to consider…
IEMA Spokesperson Kevin Sur. Additionally, Sur says information about resources should be available in multiple formats including large print, braille and audio.
(Urbana-jm) – A University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign student faces charges after being accused of attacking a woman. Huang Xiaomi is charged with domestic battery and sexual assault. U of I Police arrested the 20-year-old while responding to reports of an argument. The victim says Xiaomi hit her and sexually assaulted her on multiple occasions over the span of one week.
(Armstrong-jm) – Illinois State Troopers and IDOT workers set up a traffic detour in the Armstrong area to divert traffic around a broken-down truck. The blockage happened on U.S. Route 136 at Illinois Route 49. Troopers said the truck was carrying an oversized load and was blocking the road. The road was closed for several hours.
(Paxton–jc) Updating our story on new playground equipment for the city of Paxton, city leaders continue to stretch every available dollar and option for upgrades and new equipment at various parks in the city, including Pells and Bixby parks. Paxton Mayor Bill Ingold says the timeline for the project is spring of 2023…
Paxton Mayor Bill Ingold
(Rantoul-jm) – A Champaign teenager is now facing murder charges in connection to a homicide investigation. On April 12, Rantoul Police responded to the area of St. Andrews Circle and Willow Pond Road for a report of a possible shooting victim, according to officers in a news release. When they got there, they found 20-year-old Rayvell Lofton dead inside a house. U.S. Marshals arrested 18-year-old Quionte Chaney at the Champaign County courthouse. Authorities were able to identify him thanks to information from community members and data from automatic license plate readers. Officers are continuing to investigate this shooting.
(Danville-jm) – The Vermilion County Coroner, Jane McFadden stated that a late afternoon traffic crash on East Main Street, between Hazel and Vermilion Streets in Danville, claimed the life of a pedestrian who was crossing in the middle of the block southbound when he was struck and killed. The accident occurred at approximately 2:50 p.m. Monday. The pedestrian was identified as Jeffrey W. Gore, a 58-year-old Westville man.
(Washington-jm) – USDA Meteorologist Brad Rippey has a look at the nation’s corn crop…
(Springfield-jm) – Governor J.B. Pritzker announced the State of Illinois has seen a 50% increase in total tax reported from adult-use cannabis, from nearly $298 million in fiscal year 2021 to $445 million in fiscal year 2022. Total adult-use cannabis sales also rose 50%, increasing from $1 billion to $1.5 billion, respectively. Under Illinois’ adult-use cannabis law, 25% of tax revenue generated from cannabis sales must support communities that are economically distressed, experience high rates of violence, and have been disproportionately impacted by drug criminalization.
(Champaign-jm) – Champaign Police said a woman and a child were hit by a car while crossing the street Tuesday. It happened at the intersection of West Kirby and South Staley in Champaign. Police said the two were crossing Staley onto Kirby when a car failed to yield and hit them in the crosswalk. They were both alert and talking at the scene, police said, but were taken to the hospital as a precaution. The driver stayed on the scene and cooperated with police. Champaign Police said the driver was ticketed for failure to yield to pedestrians in a crosswalk.
(Potomac-jm) – A Potomac man has been sentenced to 27 months in federal prison for counterfeiting U.S. currency and using it. Jacob Kirkley pleaded guilty to one count of manufacturing U.S. currency and two counts of passing counterfeit money. At the sentencing hearing, Kirkley admitted that, on May 17, 2020, a Vermilion County Sheriff’s Deputy found over $20,000 of counterfeit U.S. currency in his truck. Kirkely also admitted that, a month later, he used counterfeit money at Carnaughi’s Towing and a McDonald’s in Danville. Then in July of the same year, he used the counterfeit cash at a Dollar General in Tilton. Kirkley was arrested by a Vermilion County Sheriff’s Deputy on an outstanding warrant on July 23, 2020. At the time of the arrest, deputies said they found over $20,000 in counterfeit U.S. currency, four printers, a paper cutter, and several counterfeit-making implements in Kirkley’s truck and in a hotel room at the Budget Inn in Danville.
(Ford County-tr) – The Ford County Public Health Department will be hosting a Health and Resource Fair Friday from 2-5pm at the Moyer District Library in Gibson City. FCPHD Community Health Educator Kami Garrison explains a few of the features to this health fair…
FCPHD Community Health Educator Kami Garrison.
(Vermilion County-jm) – Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced a Danville man was convicted of first-degree murder and armed robbery in the shooting deaths of two Vermilion County teenagers. Dustin Cooper, 16, of Danville, Illinois is the first of four individuals to go on trial for the deaths of two teenagers resulting from a drug sale and robbery. A Vermilion County jury found Cooper guilty of first-degree murder and armed robbery in the death of Wyatt Bailey, 19, from Oakwood, Illinois. Cooper was also convicted of first-degree murder based on armed robbery in the death of Clayvonte Sloan, 16, from Danville, Illinois. Cooper faces a sentence of between 40 years to natural life in prison, and a sentencing hearing is scheduled on Sept. 15.
(Champaign-jm) – In order to perform routine storm sewer maintenance activities, National Power Rodding Corp. will have single-lane closures affecting traffic traveling south on Mattis Avenue and west on Kirby Avenue. Traffic will only be affected in one single area at a time with traffic control to reroute travelers. Work is planned during the hours of 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. starting tomorrow through Friday, August 5, 2022. The work is weather dependent and may be delayed in the event of inclement weather.
(Washington-jm) – USDA Meteorologist Brad Rippey has a look at the nation’s soybean crop…
