(Springfield-jm) – A Macon County judge has declared Illinois’ gun ban and registry unconstitutional, setting up a direct appeal to the Illinois Supreme Court. Following a status hearing Friday afternoon in the case, Judge Rodney Forbes signed an agreed order declaring the measure unconstitutional. The state of Illinois, which agreed to the language of the final order in the Macon County case, argues that the appellate court is wrong and wanted to get it before the Supreme Court as quickly as possible.
(Springfield-jm) – Free test prep for college students? That’s an idea introduced at the state capitol. Chicago Representative LaShawn Ford wants state public colleges and universities to provide test preparation for exams like the GMAT for grad school and the L-SAT for law school, at no cost to students. He says this will help ease nerves and improve test scores…
State Representative LaShawn Ford of Chicago. Ford says he isn’t sure yet how much this would cost the state.
(Springfield-jm) – A higher percentage of Illinois small businesses could not pay their rent in full in February. The small business network Alignable surveyed thousands of business owners from across the country and found that 35% of small businesses in Illinois couldn’t afford their rent last month, the fourth highest in the country.
(Springfield-jm) – Women can learn more about their reproductive health rights in a new guide from Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and the State Department of Human Rights. Now that Roe-v-Wade has been overturned and other states are enacting various reproductive laws, the state wants to make sure women know their rights when it comes to pregnancy, childbirth and abortion. Human Rights Director Jim Bennett…
State Department of Human Rights Director Jim Bennett. The guide offers examples of discrimination in a variety of settings. You can find it online at: dhr dot illinois dot gov, under publications.
(Champaign-jm) – A fallen tree caused a house fire in Champaign according to the Champaign Fire Department. The department responded to a fire at an unoccupied house on South Fair Street around 5:30 p.m. on Friday. A passerby reported smoke coming from the home. Crews found that a fallen tree had damaged the weatherhead of the home, causing a fire in the attic. Crews used multiple hose lines from a distance and were able to confine the fire to the building. No injuries were reported.
(Cissna Park-jm) – A Cissna Park man was sentenced to 7 years in prison on sex assault charges. Timothy Baker received the sentence after being convicted of two criminal sexual assault charges.
(Springfield-jm) – State Republicans are trying to lower energy costs for working families. One of those pushing for legislative leaders to do something is 53rd District State Senator Tom Bennett of Gibson City…
53rd District State Senator Tom Bennett of Gibson City.
(Champaign County-jm) – For weeks, the Champaign County Forest Preserve District has been asking people what changes they want to see at parks. Now, thanks to a $400,000 dollar grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the district will be able to make improvements. They will spend the $400,000 they were awarded at the Buffalo Trace Prairie in Mahomet. It’s across the street from the Museum of the Grand Prairie at Lake of the Woods.
(Springfield-jm) – A bill in the State Capital would increase penalties against people who harm DCFS workers on the job. The proposal would make committing aggravated battery against a DCFS worker on duty a felony for people 21 and up. Supporters of the bill say it will keep workers safe, but they also want to see other reforms to protect employees from working in pairs to more training including in de-escalation techniques.
(Springfield-jm) – Governor J-B Prtizker is touting his three year plan to ease the teacher shortage in Illinois. The initiative calls for investing 70 million dollars a year in attracting and retaining teachers across the state. The focus will be on schools that have the most need for staff, says the Governor, allowing them to spend the money as appropriate…
Illinois Governor J-B Pritzker. Governor Pritzker says that include signing bonuses, housing stipends, continuing education and tuition assistance. He’s asking the legislature to approve funding for the program in the new state budget.
(Springfield-jm) – A new rule by the Environmental Protection Agency could result in more demand for ethanol. Under the proposal, gasoline with higher blends of ethanol could be sold year-round in Illinois and other Midwestern states beginning next year. Nearly 40% of the corn grown in the Midwest is used to produce ethanol. Most gas sold in the U.S. is now blended with 10% ethanol, which is allowed throughout the year.
(Springfield-jm) – Preliminary numbers are in and it looks like a mild February wrapped up a weak winter in Illinois. The statewide average temperature last month was 35 degrees. That’s 4 degrees above normal says State Climatologist Trent Ford…
State Climatologist Trent Ford. Statewide average precipitation for February was about 3 inches, nearly an inch above normal. Most of that came in the form of rain. Ford says the outlook for spring leans toward colder and wetter than normal conditions.
(Champaign-jm) – A 19-year-old attempted to use a fake ID to get into a bar in Champaign. According to the University of Illinois Police, Alex Bzdula, of Chicago, attempted to use a fake ID to enter Kam's. When the door attendant refused entry, Bzdula took the business’s $500 identification scanner and threw it into the street.
(Urbana-jm) – A new community is coming to Urbana to help residents who are homeless and vulnerable to sickness. It's called "Hope Village." City Council approved $850,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds to cover the project. The purpose of the project is to support people who are in need of constant medical attention while having no shelter to protect themselves.
(Paxton–jc) – A new concert facility is coming to the city of Paxton. A group of local businessmen are renovating the NAPA building on State Street in the city. The building was gutted by a fire. Paxton Mayor Bill Ingold says the group plans concerts, a meeting hall and more…
Paxton Mayor Bill Ingold
(Danville-jm) – Vermilion County’s Supervisor of Assessment Matthew Long has announced he is running for county Recorder on the Republican side. Long has been Supervisor of Assessment since 2010. The current office holder, David Stone, has announced he will not be seeking re-election in 2024.
