(Watseka-jm) – The Iroquois County Public Health Department is reporting the first case of West Nile Virus in the county. The health department says a batch of mosquitoes in the Watseka area tested positive. So far 27 Illinois counties have reported West Nile, although none have been found in humans so far.
(Springfield-jm) – A new student loan repayment program for behavioral health professionals is now available. The program is designed to help retain and recruit mental health and substance abuse professionals, especially in underserved and rural areas. Certain conditions must be met to receive the benefit, says Illinois Student Assistance Commission Spokesperson Lynne Baker…
Illinois Student Assistance Commission Spokesperson Lynne Baker. That website is: isac dot org.
(Champaign-jm) – Traffic on Champaign’s Bradley Avenue will be reduced to one lane in each direction starting Wednesday as construction crews perform storm sewer repairs between Fifth and Sixth Streets. The westbound lanes of this stretch of Bradley will be directed into the left eastbound lane while eastbound traffic continues to flow in the right lane. This closure will remain in effect until 4 p.m. on Friday.
(Champaign-jm) – The Champaign Fire Department responded to a home fire Tuesday morning. Firefighters responded to a house fire by Hollycrest Drive and Sangamon Road. Officials said they responded to the report from a passerby. At the scene, firefighters reported a small fire outside the home that was beginning to extend to the attic. Officials said the cause of the fire has yet to be determined.
(Paxton–jc) – As students are getting used to the fall semester at Paxton Buckley Loda High School, some summer time renovations are ready for the school year. P-B-L Superintendent Cliff McClure says some electrical work to add more outlets to classrooms is now complete…
P-B-L Superintendent Cliff McClure
(Champaign-jm) – Champaign County Clerk and Recorder, Aaron Ammons will host a Property Fraud Prevention and Property After Death information session on Thursday, August 25 from 6:30-8PM at the Urbana Free Library (Lewis Auditorium). Champaign County residents will learn ways to prevent property fraud and will get resources on how to plan for their property after death. This event is free and open to all.
(Champaign-jm) – Petitions for the Champaign Office of Mayor and At-Large City Council Members, and other campaign materials will be available for residents to pick up from the City Clerk’s Office or to download from the City’s website at
champaignil.gov/elections beginning Tuesday, August 30, 2022. Completed petitions for nomination for the Office of Mayor and At-Large City Council. Members must be submitted to the City Clerk’s Office between and including the dates of November 21, 2022, through November 28, 2022. Please note the City Clerk’s Office will be closed November 24, 2022, and November 25, 2022, in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday.
(Washington-jm) – Competition for soybean oil as a renewable diesel source resulted in a lowering of that commodity for use in USDA's August forecast. Rod Bain reports…
(Undated-jm) – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack was in Central Illinois Tuesday to discuss clean energy and ethanol. Vilsack was joined by U-S Senator Tammy Duckworth and visited One Earth Energy in Gibson City before going to a new Casey’s gas station in LeRoy where the company announced they will be including the E-85 ethanol option to all their new facilities. Vilsack also announced $100 million biofuel infrastructure grants to encourage gas station owners to add biofuel pumps.
(Springfield-jm) – A horticulturist at the University of Illinois Extension says there are many benefits to planting a fall vegetable garden. In the fall, there are less insects, and many vegetables have a better flavor and quality when there is a little chill in the air, says the Extension’s Ken Johnson. He says you want to plant semi-hardy and hardy vegetables…
U of I Extension Horticulturist Ken Johnson. Johnson says you need to give the plant time to develop before the typical first frost in your area. Most veggies can be started from seed in the garden, but some, like broccoli and cauliflower should be transplanted.
(Normal-jm) – A man from Normal, Illinois is facing child pornography charges. The Normal Police Department says it began investigating in April 2021 after learning Stephen Schultz may have been distributing material containing child pornography. Schultz was charged with 55 counts of child pornography. He is being held in the McLean County jail.
(Vermilion County-jm) – Attorney General Kwame Raoul Wednesday announced a lawsuit against Brainerd Chemical for allegedly allowing excess emissions of hydrogen fluoride from its chemical distribution facility in Danville, Illinois. According to Raoul’s lawsuit, filed in Vermilion County Circuit Court, three residents living near the chemical facility contacted the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency in July 2022 to complain that their grass had turned brown, and plants appeared to die overnight. The IEPA inspected the facility and observed damaged and dead vegetation for approximately a quarter mile south of the facility. During its July 15 inspection, IEPA officials observed a visible plume of emissions from the facility.
(Buckley–jc) The school week that runs Tuesdays through Fridays, one local school is saving on transportation costs for parents. Buckley based Christ Lutheran High School Executive Director Sandy Spitz says it is another advantage for Christ Lutheran…
Christ Lutheran High School Executive Director Sandy Spitz. The school is gearing up for its annual auction and dinner on Saturday at the Ford County Fairgrounds in Melvin.
(Champaign-jm) – In order to facilitate gas main installation, Ameren Illinois and KS Energy will close a lane of Kenwood Road between John Street and Sangamon Drive. The closure will occur on Wednesday through Friday between the hours of 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. The closure will utilize flaggers in order to maintain northbound and southbound traffic.
(Champaign County-jm) – State Senator Scott Bennett joined the Illinois Department of Transportation in announcing an investment of $14.3 million in road and bridge improvement projects in the Champaign and Rantoul areas in 2023. As part of IDOT’s latest Multi-Year Plan under Rebuild Illinois, Bennett’s District in Champaign County will see 32 infrastructure projects totaling more than $78.5 million over the next six years. One of the most important projects coming to the Champaign area includes the reconstruction of the bridge under Kirby Avenue that lies west of Champaign. This project recognizes the City of Champaign is growing and is making the western side of the city more accessible. This project, along with 76 other minor and major projects in the county are part of IDOT’s multi-year plan, a $34.6 billion investment in construction projects for the next six fiscal years.
