(Springfield-jm) – Utility regulators at the Illinois Commerce Commission will announce their final decision in the Peoples Gas rate case today. If the ICC approves a draft order issued by an administrative judge, Peoples Gas will get a $7.9 million rate increase. Critics of the request, including Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and Illinois PIRG, argued either for no rate increase or for a smaller one.

(Springfield–jc)  –  With a Supermajority at the State Capitol in Springfield, democrats voted early Wednesday morning on a 3 thousand page state budget to spend 53 point 1 Billion dollars in a spending plan. The measure passed without any Republican support. The  20-25 Budget for the state is 2 point 6 Billion dollars more than last year. The budget also includes about 1 Billion dollars more in new taxes. 101st District State Representative Dan Caulkins-Republican from Decatur says the State continues to raise taxes on its citizens…

101st District  State Representative Dan Caulkins of Decatur. 104th District State Representative Brandun Schweizer says the democrats voted to spend 4 times more money on illegal immigrants than on veterans…

104th District State Representative Brandun Schweizer. WPXN news will continue to bring more reaction over the state budget in future newscasts. 

(Watseka–jc–  A Lockport man is facing multiple charges after an attempted traffic stop and chase with police on Tuesday. Iroquois County Sheriff's Police say 30 year old Nicholas Czarny was arrested after  a report of a stolen vehicle from the Rankin area on Tuesday. Upon investigation, Iroquois County Deputies attempted to stop Czarny where he failed to pull over. Police pursued Czarny for the next hour and a half, eventually pursuing him on Interstate 57. Czarny was charged with possession of a stolen vehicle,  aggravated fleeing and eluding, reckless driving, DUI, and several driver violations. Czarny also has an outstanding warrant from Ford County. He is being held in the Iroquois County jail in Watseka awaiting his next court appearance. 

(Springfield-jm) –  Illinois hunters harvested a preliminary statewide record total of 17,208 wild turkeys during the 2024 Illinois spring turkey season. This year’s total compares with the 2023 statewide harvest of 16,123. The previous harvest record total of 16,569, set during the spring season in 2006.

(Rnatoul–jc)--- Summer events in Rantoul also help provide some activities for those attending games at the Rantoul SPorts Complex. Rantoul Sports Complex Director of Operations Ryan Reid says they look to work together with the village and local groups…
         

. Rantoul Sports Complex Director of Operations Ryan Reid 

(Champaign-jm) – The Illinois Department of Transportation announced a public meeting open house has been scheduled for June 4, 2024 from 4:00 pm to 6:30 pm at Champaign Central High School for the purpose of discussing the improvement of US Route 150/ Prospect Avenue from Springfield Avenue to Marketview Drive. All persons interested in this project are invited to attend the meeting. The meeting will be conducted on an informal basis with project displays and other information available for viewing. IDOT representatives will also be available to explain the project, answer individual questions and record comments offered by those in attendance. Particularly, comments regarding bicycle and pedestrian accommodations, and from potentially affected property owners, are encouraged. Preliminary reports, including an engineering analysis with drawings, maps, and aerial photography, will be available for inspection and viewing during the entire time the IDOT representatives are present. 

(Washington-jm) – The USDA issued a new trade forecast Wednesday. Gary Crawford reports…

(Springfield-jm) – New data has pinpointed the best states for golfers, with Illinois making the top 10 rankings. According to My Baggage, Illinois scored a 51.93 out of 100. The study analyzed the distribution of golf courses, driving ranges, tournaments, and golf coaches per 100,000 residents in every state, alongside the number of platinum clubs.

(Springfield-jm) – With a Supermajority at the State Capitol in Springfield, democrats voted early Wednesday morning on a 3 thousand page state budget to spend 53 point 1 Billion dollars in a spending plan. The measure passed without any Republican support. House Minority Leader Tony McCombie…

House Minority Leader Tony McCombie. The  20-25 Budget for the state is 2 point 6 Billion dollars more than last year.

(Madison-jm) – The NASCAR circuit pays a visit to Illinois this weekend. Tens of thousands of race fans are expected to gather at the World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, not only for the Enjoy Illinois 300, but also for several days worth of NASCAR-themed events. The raceway packed a sold-out crowd of more than 57,000 fans for the main event in each of the last two years.

(Springfield-jm) – Local reaction to the state’s nearly $53 billion budget continues to come in. 53rd District State Senator Tom Bennett talks about the lack of school infrastructure funding in the bill…

53rd District State Senator Tom Bennett of Gibson City.

CHAMPAIGN - The City of Champaign is excited to welcome residents and visitors to experience everything Downtown Champaign has to offer during a summer filled with exciting new entertainment and fun activities for everyone. The Beat Downtown Champaign is a new campaign to bring more music, entertainment, and culture to downtown. The Beat aims to attract residents and visitors from diverse backgrounds, provide a safe and inclusive space to enjoy entertainment, to showcase downtown’s unique shops and businesses, and enhance the vibrant social atmosphere in the heart of downtown. The City will celebrate with a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Market Street Entertainment District at 4:30 pm on Friday, May 31, 2024. The ceremony will be held at the City’s new performance stage located near 114 N Market St. in Downtown Champaign. Everyone is invited to attend.

(Melvin–jc)  The Annual Knight for Christ benefit auction and dinner for Christ Lutheran High School in Buckley is set for August 24th. The annual event will take place at the Ford County fairgrounds in Melvin says auction spokesperson Larry Abbe…

Christ Lutheran of Buckley, Knight for Christ Auction Spokesperson Larry Abbe. 

(Champaign–jc)  –  In order to prepare for weekend activities, the City of Champaign will temporarily close Market Street between University Avenue and Main Street, as well as Taylor Street between Walnut Street and Market Street. The closures will occur between the hours of 2:00 p.m. Friday to 8:00 am Sunday.  This Friday the closure will start at 8am The closures will occur weekly beginning this Friday and end on Sunday, October 20,  During the closures, the road will be closed to traffic.  Businesses inside the road closure area will still be open to the public

(Washington-jm) – A new USDA report projects more downward price pressure for bulk product exports. Gary Crawford reports…