(Danville-jm) – Vermilion County State's Attorney Jacqueline Lacy is suing Governor J-B Pritzker and State Attorney General Kwame Raoul over the no cash bail provision in the SAFE-T-Act. Lacy says the bill is poorly drafted and it contains ill-conceived directives in an effort to systematically dismantle law enforcement.

 

(Springfield-jm) – The state is making some more headway in paying down Illinois’ unemployment insurance loan. Governor J-B Pritzker says a significant payment of $450 million will be put towards the remaining $1.8 billion borrowed from the federal government…

 

 

Illinois Governor J-B Pritzker. The loan was taken out to help meet the overwhelming demand for unemployment benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Governor says Illinois’ growing economy left the state some wiggle room to make this payment.

 

(Urbana-jm) – Four Champaign men were arrested on the University of Illinois campus over the weekend after U of I Police officials said they were caught driving on campus while under the influence of alcohol. All four were arrested separately from one another. One of them also had a loaded gun in his possession and another has a previous conviction for the same offense.

 

(Rantoul-jm) – Rantoul Township High School is collecting 5 gallon buckets to put in every classroom to help in case of a lockdown situation. Principal Todd Wilson talks about the need for the buckets…

 

 

Rantoul Township High School Principal Todd Wilson. Those wanting to donate can do so by dropping them off at the high school.

 

(Lincoln-jm) – Hurricane Ian is on the way to the Florida Gulf Coast this week. While Central Illinois is almost a thousand miles away, local forecasters at the National Weather Service Office in Lincoln are still helping out with the forecasting. They are doing so by increasing the number of weather balloons they launch into the atmosphere. Each day, weather balloons are launched from various National Weather Service Offices twice a day around the world at the same time. In Central Illinois, that schedule normally is at 6a and 6p, but with doubling the number of balloons that will add a lunchtime launch and a midnight launch.

 

(Springfield-jm) – The Illinois State Police is offering rapid deployment training to local departments across the state. Both state and local law enforcement are usually first on the scene in an active shooter situation, and State Police Master Sergeant Joey Watson says they want to make sure everyone is in sync should that occur. So far 118 local officers have taken the train-the-trainer course and are certified to teach rapid deployment…

 

 

Illinois State Police Master Sergeant Joey Watson. Areas covered include firearms handling skills, clearing a room and basic tactical team movements.

 

(Paxton–jc)  –  Today’s WPXN Business of the Day is Hudson Drug and Hallmark Shop downtown Paxton. Owner Andy Hudson says they are hosting flu clinics in Paxton and other areas ranging from Hoopeston to Buckley over the next several weeks…

 

 

Hudson says the flu season is unpredictable…

 

 

Hudson Drug and Hallmark Shop Owner Andy Hudson

You can hear more about Hudson Drug and Hallmark of Paxton in the Noon news today. 

 

(Undated-jm) – The price of gasoline in Illinois is on the rise. The average price of a gallon of gas in Illinois is at $3.97, up six cents from a week ago. According to AAA, the national average is now at $3.73 a gallon. The slight price hike is being blamed on refinery issues in the Midwest and on the West Coast. Hurricane Ian is not expected to impact gas prices unless the storm takes an unexpected path towards refineries in Texas and Louisiana.

 

(Springfield-jm) – At its most recent meeting, the Illinois House Public Safety and Violence Prevention Task Force heard ideas for curbing gun crimes. Some groups proposed tougher gun laws. Kathleen Sances (san-sis), President of Gun Violence Prevention Pac, recommended updating the state’s FOID card process…

 

 

Gun Violence Prevention Pac President Kathleen Sances. Other suggestions ranged from a ban on assault weapons to a public awareness campaign on safe firearm storage. 2nd amendment rights advocates said more laws won’t stop gun violence and would likely be challenged in court

 

(Champaign-jm) – Habitat For Humanity of Champaign County is set to open its new ReStore this weekend after moving it to a new location. The ReStore is a home improvement resale shop that sells donated, gently-used furniture, appliances, cabinets, home accessories, building materials and more at discounted prices. Proceeds from the store provide funding for local home building efforts. The ReStore operated for more than a decade at 119 East University Avenue in downtown Champaign, but Habitat for Humanity is set to open a new location for the ReStore: 1914 Glenn Park Drive, a 25,000 square-foot former County Market. Although the grand opening will be Saturday, the new location is already accepting donations.

 

(Springfield-jm) – Illinoisans will be receiving tax rebates. 106th District State Representative Tom Bennett of Gibson City shares how you can claim your rebate…

 

 

106th District State Representative Tom Bennett of Gibson City.

 

(Mahomet-jm) – An iconic bridge in Mahomet is set to temporarily close soon as crews begin repairs. The covered bridge at the Lake of the Woods Forest Preserve will close to traffic on October 3, as crews replace the bridge’s roof. The bridge is planned to be closed for four days before reopening on October 7. The bridge will close again on October 10 before reopening again on October 14. The bridge will be shut down to vehicles, bikes and pedestrians while crews replace the roof. Portions of the Lake of the Woods bike trail and Trillium Drive will also be closed as a result of the project.

 

(Springfield-jm) – The Illinois Department of Transportation is holding open houses for seasonal employment. There are more than 25 hundred openings for snowplow drivers this winter through IDOT’s “snowbird program.” Spokesperson Paul Wappel says the positions are temporary but could lead to permanent employment. Here are the requirements…

 

 

IDOT Spokesperson Paul Wappel. The open houses are being held in several locations including Northbrook, Bloomington and the Quad Cities. More information about the snowbird program can be found online at: idot dot illinois dot gov.

 

(Washington-jm) – USDA's Chief Economist recently offered his take on the farm economy, as well as farm income projections. Rod Bain reports…