(Springfield-jm) – Two measures that look to protect striking union workers have some questioning the impact on businesses in the state of Illinois. House bills 2907 and 3396 were signed into law earlier this month by Governor J.B. Pritzker. 2907 prevents striking workers from being sued for unintentional property damage as a result of a strike, while 3396 provides that any person with the intent of obstructing or interfering with a picket line commits a Class A misdemeanor and a minimum fine of $500.
(Springfield-jm) – Jobs were up and the unemployment rate was down last month in Illinois. Good news for May says State Department of Employment Security Acting Director Ray Marchiori (march-ee-ori)...
Illinois Department of Employment Security Acting Director Ray Marchiori (march-ee-ori). That compares to four point two percent in April. Marchiori says 25 hundred jobs were added last month. Sectors with the most growth include government, financial activities, education and health services and leisure and hospitality. Losses were seen in the construction and manufacturing industries.
(Springfield-jm) – Governor JB Pritzker signed a bill that prohibits Illinois insurance companies from raising rates or canceling policies for homeowners strictly based on the type of dog they own. Now companies can only take action if the dog is found dangerous or vicious as defined by the Animal Control Act. The new law is supposed to take effect in six months.
(Springfield-jm) – Governor J-B Pritzker is announcing a statewide partnership with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. The initiative provides a free book each month to children from birth to five years old, says the Governor…
Illinois Governor J-B Pritzker. The Imagination Library is already available in nearly 40 locations in Illinois, serving about 28 thousand kids. Additional funding in the new state budget will expand the program statewide.
(Paxton-jm) – Paxton first responders were called to a 2 vehicle accident near Paxton around mid-day hours. Crews responded to the accident at 500 north 1900 east just after 12 noon. No word on if there were any injuries.
(Washington-jm) – Despite upward adjustments in beef production for this year and next, a year over year tightening of beef supplies is still forecasted. Rod Bain reports…
(Buckley–jc) The 20-23 Buckley Fun Day is set for tomorrow in the Southern Iroquois County town. There are events starting at 9am and running through the annual Duck Race says Organizer Peggy Shockley…
Buckley Fun Day Organizer Peggy Shockley
(Springfield-jm) – The Illinois Department of Public Health is reminding the public that along with the start of summer, mosquito season is getting underway in Illinois and that positive batches of West Nile virus have been reported in four counties around the state. While no human cases of West Nile virus have been reported in Illinois so far this year, there were 34 human cases and eight deaths attributed to the disease in the state in 2022. A total of 10 batches of mosquitos that tested positive for West Nile virus have been reported this year in Cook, LaSalle, Morgan and St. Clair counties.
(Springfield-jm) – Red Swamp Crayfish, also known as Louisiana Crawfish, are the most common species used in crawfish boils. It’s illegal to possess them live or ship them live to Illinois, because they are harmful to the environment, says Illinois Department of Natural Resources Brandon Fehrenbacher (fair-en-bacher)...
Illinois Department of Natural Resources Brandon Fehrenbacher (fair-en-bacher). Fehrenbacher says you can use the Red Swamp Crayfish in your boil but only if they come frozen or steamed. He says another problem is that they’re used as fishing bait or even released as part of a ceremony.
(Springfield-jm) – A new survey shows Illinois renters are hiding thousands of pets from their landlords. According to AgentAdvice.com, 19% of pet-owning renters in Illinois admit to not disclosing their pet to their landlords, equating to over 300,000 concealed pets. The most compliant renters with pets live in neighboring Indiana, where the figure is just 4%, or just over 32,000 pets.
(Springfield-jm) – A recent report looks at the reasons why students choose to go out of state for college. The report from the Illinois Workforce and Education Research Collaborative found cost to be the number one factor that high school seniors consider when selecting a college. The difference is how much weight “stayers,” who go to an Illinois school and “leavers” who opt to go elsewhere, give to that concern, says Researcher Mariana Barragan Torres…
Illinois Workforce and Education Research Collaborative Researcher Mariana Barragan Torres. Torres says leavers also put more emphasis on a school’s social environment and athletics. Nearly 48 percent of Illinois students planning to go to a four-year college choose to attend an out of state school and the majority go to schools in neighboring states.
(Champaign-jm) – An Amazon delivery driver is facing charges after University of Illinois Police officials said he tried to kick down his former roommates’ apartment door. Zachariah Glass, 22, was arrested after officials said he was identified as the suspect. The attempted break-in happened at an apartment in the area of Second and Green Streets. Glass allegedly kicked the door several times, damaging it in the process, and called out to the tenants multiple times before leaving. He was arrested and booked into the Champaign County Jail on charges of home invasion, aggravated assault and criminal property damage.
(Washington-jm) – USDA will conduct testing to determine if additional verification methods are needed for companies wishing to use negative antibiotic claims for cattle. Rod Bain reports…
(Rantoul–jc) – It’s more tournament sports this weekend at the Rantoul Sports Complex. One of the top tournaments is the Game Day U-S-A Baseball World Series at the local complex on Rantoul’s west side. Rantoul Sports Complex Director of Sports Operations Ryan Reid says a lot of community activities are being planned for this summer and fall in the village…
Rantoul Sports Complex Director of Sports Operations Ryan Reid
WPXN Weekend News Notes…
The Paxton Area Chamber of Commerce Golf outing will take place today at Lakeview Country Club Loda. Lunch is at 11 with a noon start.
Gibson City will hold their Friday night cruise night tonight from 6-10 pm.
Lake Iroquois Women's Club has their breakfast for the public on Saturday from 7-30am until 11am at the Clubhouse at Lake Iroquois. A 5k and 10 K run is set to step off around 7-30am on Saturday and a 1K kids run takes place at 9am
The 2023 Buckley Fun Day will take place on Saturday at Buckley Lake. Activities include a fishing derby at 9 am, barrel train rides at 11, bounce house at noon, golf cart parade at 1, dunk donnie and penny hill at 1:30, bossie bingo and balloon toss at 2, kids tractor pull at 3 and the duck race at 4:17.
Paxton IGA will hold a cookout benefiting the Women’s Ministry URBC on Saturday from 10-2.
