(Paxton-jm) – She did it! Paxton native Gina Miles won The Voice in the closest margin of victory in the show's history. Everyone in Paxton, the PBL School district, and area communities are beaming with pride with Gina Miles today after winning the Voice. Congratulations to Gina Miles. Miles receives a 6 figure award and a recording contract. Congratulations again to Paxton’s Gina Miles.
(Springfield-jm) – State lawmakers return to the capitol today. On the docket, unveiling and passing a budget which takes effect July 1st. The spring legislative session was scheduled to end last week. Governor J-B Pritzker proposed a nearly $50 billion spending plan during his budget address earlier this year. Details of the budget have not yet been released.
(Springfield-jm) – Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul is releasing a report on the extent of child sexual abuse in the Catholic church. The report reveals the names of the 451 clerics who abused nearly two thousand children in the state since 1950. The Catholic Dioceses of Illinois has publicly listed just 103 known abusers. The report also includes stories from survivors and recommended policies for dioceses to adopt. It can be found online at: illinois attorney general dot gov.
(Springfield-jm) – The State Treasurer’s Office made a record $100.7 million in investment earnings from the state investment portfolio in April. Another $75.3 million in gross investment earnings was earned for cities, villages, school districts, counties and other units of government that take part in the highly rated Illinois Funds local government investment pool operated by the State Treasurer’s Office.
(Springfield-jm) – A bill requiring school districts to offer full-day kindergarten is headed to the Governor’s desk. It’s important that families have equal access to education at all levels, says Senator Kimberly Lightford of Maywood…
State Senator Kimberly Lightford of Maywood. Supporters say this also helps working parents who may have a hard time getting daycare if their child only goes to kindergarten for half a day. The bill awaits the Governor’s signature.
(Urbana-jm) – Two cars on the University of Illinois campus were damaged on Monday when thieves stole their catalytic converters, U of I Police said. Officials said the thefts happened in the parking lot of the university’s Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, located at 2001 South Lincoln Avenue. Two employees separately reported that the catalytic converters on their cars had been stolen at some point between 7:40 a.m. and 5 p.m. This is the second instance during the month of May where multiple catalytic converters were stolen from the same general location on the same day. Three were stolen from the area of Fourth and Daniel Streets on May 4, and a fourth was stolen near Fourth Street and Peabody Drive the same day.
(Springfield-jm) – A resolution honoring former Congressman Tim Johnson is moving through the Illinois State House. The resolution, sponsored by State Senator Chapin Rose of Mahomet, would designate a portion of I-57 from I-74 south to exit 232 as the “Congressman Tim Johnson” Highway…
State Senator Chapin Rose of Mahomet.
(Danville-jm) – A Prophetstown, Illinois man is now facing federal arson charges after prosecutors said he was caught with incendiary material while vandalizing a future women’s reproductive health clinic in Danville over the weekend. Phillip Buyno, 73, was charged by a federal criminal complaint with attempting to use fire to damage a building used in interstate commerce. An affidavit submitted in support of the complaint said that Danville Police found Buyno at the future clinic, located at 600 North Logan Avenue, around 4:30 a.m. on Saturday while responding to an alarm at the site. The affidavit said that Buyno had backed his car into the entrance of the building and that he was stuck inside the car when officers arrived. The affidavit added that Buyno had brought several containers filled with gasoline with him. Buyno was arrested by Danville Police that morning. If convicted of attempted arson, Buyno faces five to 20 years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000 and three years of parole.
(Paxton-jm) – Mobile connection could be easier in downtown Paxton. A group has applied for a T-Mobile grant that would give open Wi-Fi to four blocks in the downtown area.
(Washington-jm) – Corn and soybean growers are well ahead of the normal planting pace. Gary Crawford reports…
(Springfield-jm) –Both the House and Senate are in Springfield today to reveal and pass the state budget. Governor J-B Pritzker is proposing a nearly $50 billion spending plan to take effect July 1st, up from $37 billion last year. It’s unknown what is in the state budget.
(Springfield-jm) – Several changes to the state’s cannabis industry are being proposed in the Illinois House. Comprehensive, last-minute cannabis legislation emerged at the capitol. It’s sponsored by Representative LaShawn Ford of Chicago who says one component will help marijuana customers…
State Representative LaShawn Ford of Chicago. The bill also increases canopy space for craft growers from 5 thousand to 14 thousand square feet, allows prospective medical cannabis patients to have their doctor’s exam done virtually, requires cannabis testing facilities to be licensed by the state and lifts a requirement that marijuana needs to be in an odor-proof container when in a vehicle.
(Springfield-jm) – Turkey hunters harvested over 16,000 wild turkeys during the 2023 Illinois spring turkey season. A preliminary statewide total was reported at 16,121 wild turkeys. This is compared with the 2022 statewide turkey harvest of 13,701. The top five counties for the 2023 harvest were Jo Daviess, 595; Jefferson, 487; Pike, 419; Pope, 379; and Randolph, 370. The record harvest total for the spring season was set in 2006 when 16,569 turkeys were taken.
(Decatur-jm) – The Illinois State Police is opening a new Forensic Science Lab in Decatur. This is the state police’s seventh forensic lab, which will utilize robotics to help quickly process DNA evidence, says Director Brendan Kelly…
Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly. Kelly says the lab will test DNA in state police cases as well as samples from investigations by local and federal law enforcement agencies across Illinois.
(Urbana-jm) – Carle Health has been Certified by Great Place To Work® for the sixth consecutive year. Carle earned the designation, even with all the changes in healthcare in the past six years, based on direct feedback from team members sharing their experiences working at Carle Health. The survey was sent to a random sample of Carle Health team members on March 27 and was conducted independently of Carle by Great Place To Work. Carle was Certified as a Great Place To Work after 83% of Carle employees surveyed confirmed Carle is a great place to work. That compares to 57% of employees at a typical U.S.-based company.
(Springfield-jm) – The Illinois Firefighters Association and some state lawmakers are calling for a tax credit to help volunteer firefighters. 53rd District State Senator Tom Bennett of Gibson City is one of the lawmakers pushing for the credit…
53rd District State Senator Tom Bennett of Gibson City.
(Iroquois County-jm) – Iroquois County Coroner Bill Cheatum has released the name of a Woodland man who died in a weekend accident in Iroquois County. Cheatum identified the victim as 54 year old Barry DuFrain. The accident happened just before 10 pm on Illinois Route 49 north of Rankin. The vehicle was southbound when it ran off the road and hit a culvert, the driver then over-correcting and running into a field before it rolled several times and ignited into flames.
(Champaign-jm) – An 11-year-old is in custody after being accused of firing a gun at Centennial Park in Champaign. Police said it all started when the 11-year-old suspect got into an argument earlier this week with another child. They said that ended with shots being fired in retaliation. No one was hurt.
(Washington-jm) – The contraction of the nation's beef herd is continuing, according to a new USDA report on feedlot activity. Gary Crawford reports…
