(Springfield-jm) – Young children can now receive the bivalent COVID-19 booster shot. The CDC is expanding use of the booster, which targets the original COVID-19 virus and the Omicron variant, to kids ages 6 months through 5 years. State Public Health Infectious Disease Chief Heidi Clark explains how this will work…
State Public Health Infectious Disease Chief Heidi Clark. Kids now getting the Pfizer vaccine would receive the booster shot as their third dose. IF they have already had all three Pfizer shots, they wouldn’t need the booster, says Clark. According to the CDC, the vast majority of this age group has not been vaccinated at all.
(Springfield-jm) – Illinois sportsbooks have reached another milestone. October marked the first time the Illinois sports betting handle surpassed the $1 billion mark in a single month. Illinois is just the fourth state in U.S. history to produce a billion-dollar monthly handle from sports betting, joining New York, New Jersey and Nevada to reach that plateau. In October, Illinois' sportsbook handle increased 24% from September’s handle of about $832 million. Three major sports leagues were in play – the NFL, the NBA and the NHL – giving Illinois sports bettors plenty to choose from. Nearly $360 million was bet on NFL games by Illinoisans last month. According to the Illinois Gaming Board, licensed sports books also set a record with more than $100 million in revenue for the month. So far this year, Illinois is second in the country in revenue at nearly $628 million and third in handle at nearly $7.7 billion.
(Springfield-jm) – This is Universal Human Rights Month and an Illinois Senator is reflecting on what that means. Senator Celina Villanueva of Chicago chairs the Senate Human Rights Committee and describes what the month is all about…
State Senator Celina Villanueva of Chicago. Villaneuva says one major human rights issue right now is the busing of asylum seekers from Texas. She says she’s thankful Illinois is providing shelter and resources to those arriving here and urges everyone to use their voice to ensure others are treated equally.
(Savoy-jm) – The Salvation Army is asking for help after a Red Kettle was stolen in Savoy. The person who stole the kettle, took the kettle, pole and base. It’s estimated $400-$500 was in the kettle when it was taken.
(Ashkum-jm) – District 21 Illinois State Police will be conducting distracted driving enforcement patrols tonight. WPXN’s Jason Madden has the details…
(Saybrook-jm) – The Village of Saybrook is under a boil order until further notice due to a water main break. Residents West of the corner of Stout and West Harrison Streets will be impacted. Jensen, Harper, and Lawrence streets are also affected. The village will send water samples into the state today.
(Gibson City-jc) – 53rd District State Senator Jason Barickman of Bloomington announced earlier this week he is retiring from the post come early January. 106th District State Representative Tom Bennett of Gibson City threw his hat into the ring earlier this week. He talks about hopefully replacing those big shoes of 53rd District Senator Jason Barickman…
106th District State Representative Tom Bennett of Gibson City.
(Urbana-jm) – An Urbana man is facing several charges following a traffic stop. Clifford Like is charged with armed violence, unlawful use of a weapon by a felon, possession of a stolen gun and possession of a controlled substance. Police say an officer stopped Like’s vehicle for alleged traffic violations. As the officer approached, Like took off on foot before being apprehended. Officers located a loaded, stolen pistol, two pills in his pocket and 8 grams of cocaine in his vehicle. Bond was set at $500,000. He’s due back in court December 21st. If convicted of the most serious of the charges, he faces 6 to 30 years in prison.
(Washington-jm) – Friday's new USDA round of crop forecasts shows a larger than expected cotton crop and slightly lower price prospects for several crops. Gary Crawford reports…
(Springfield-jm) – Governor J-B Pritzker has signed legislation tackling a loan to the state’s unemployment trust fund into law. The fund that pays out unemployment benefits was depleted during the pandemic as many people lost their jobs. The state had to take out a federal loan to shore up the fund and this law pays that money back and ensures benefits will be available when needed. The Governor announced the one point eight billion dollar bipartisan deal during the veto session…
Illinois Governor J-B Pritzker. Governor Pritzker says this will save taxpayers nearly 20 million dollars in interest payments due in September of 2023.
(Springfield-jm) – A new report shows that many Illinois residents are going out of state to purchase their cigarettes, costing the state hundreds of millions of dollars in lost tax revenue. A joint report by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy and the Tax Foundation shows that due to Illinois' high sales taxes on tobacco, many residents have been smuggling in the product from other states. Illinois had the biggest increase in smuggling from 2019-2020, the report said. Net cigarette smuggling increased by more than 14 percentage points for 2020, resulting in a smuggling revenue impact loss of $334 million. Illinois has an excise tax of $2.98. Taxes in neighboring states are lower, with Wisconsin's tax at $2.52, Iowa's at $1.36, Indiana's at $1.00, Kentucky's at $0.60 and Missouri's at $0.17.
(Springfield-jm) – The Illinois State Fire Marshal’s Office is stressing the importance of safety with holiday decorations. According to the National Fire Protection Association, over one third of home decoration fires are caused by candles, especially at this time of year. State Fire Marshal Spokesperson J-C Fultz recommends using battery operated candles instead…
State Fire Marshal Spokesperson J-C Fultz. Fultz also reminds to make sure string lights are in good shape and that you follow the recommendations for how many you can string together. He notes it’s important to keep your Christmas tree well watered so it doesn’t dry out and present a fire hazard.
(Urbana-jm) – A holiday favorite has returned to Urbana. Candlestick Lanes is now open to the public. The tradition started over 50 years ago. It gives families the chance to walk around the neighborhood and look at holiday decorations.
(Springfield-jm) – We’re starting to see more electric cars on the road, but now Illinois might be a hub for a different kind of EV manufacturing. 106th District State Representative Tom Bennett of Gibson City talks about what we are building in the state…
106th District State Representative Tom Bennett of Gibson City.
(Champaign-jm) – CRIS Healthy Aging, an organization that helps older adults in Champaign and Vermilion Counties remain independent and healthy in their own homes has merged with Carle Health. The Champaign location offers senior information services, caregiver support, memory care programs, grandparents raising grandchildren program and more while the Danville location offers those services plus nutrition and adult protective services.
(Rantoul–jc) Local businesses in Rantoul are seeing a good holiday shopping period. From the Rantoul Wal-Mart on the village's west side to Rural King on the east side, business is busy. Rantoul Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Amanda Vickery also says there are some shops ready for expansion…
Rantoul Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Amanda Vickery.
(Ford County-jm) – A public hearing to approve a proposed property tax levy increase for Ford County for FY 2023 will be held tonight at 6:30 p.m. at the Sheriff’s Board Room. The county is requesting a 13 percent property tax increase.
(Washington-jm) – USDA is preparing a special risk assessment report to help guide poultry producers' responses to the ongoing avian influenza outbreak. Gary Crawford reports…
