(Springfield-jm) – Organizations that run after school programs throughout Illinois are calling on state officials to release fifty-million dollars that lawmakers included in this year’s budget to fund those programs. Capitol News Illinois reports lawmakers provided funding for the programs to make up for the loss of federal funding from an accounting error at the Illinois State Board of Education. Officials at the state board say they need more guidance from the General Assembly before they can release the funds. But State Representative Will Guzzardi, a lead budget negotiator for House Democrats, says lawmakers are anxious to deliver the funding so after-school programs don’t get canceled…
State Representative Will Guzzardi. Advocates say more than twenty-seven-thousand students have lost access to after-school programming this year and more than two-thousand staffers have lost their jobs because the funds have not been distributed.
(Rantoul–jc) Those with the village of Rantoul are among many in the area and around the country to participate in the “go red for women-wear red” day.
Rantoul Mayor Chuck Smith announced that those in Rantoul will participate in the National, wear Red Day on Friday February 7th…
Rantoul Mayor Chuck Smith. Cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 killer of women. Wear red to be seen, to be counted, to be heard, to make an impact. Together, we are all stronger than heart disease and stroke.
(Springfield–jc) –An Illinois lawmaker is pushing a new bill that would ensure parents have the final say before their kids are prescribed psychotropic medications. State Rep. Jed Davis says the proposed bill would require doctors to provide parents with printed FDA Medication Guides before prescribing psychotropic drugs to children. Under the legislation, parents must be given written, informed consent before any prescription is issued.
(Buckley–jc) St John's Lutheran School in Buckley is setting up for their biggest fundraiser of the year. The annual P-T-L dinner, carnival and auction is set for Sunday February 16th. The silent auction starts at 3-30 with the chicken dinner from 4pm to 7pm. St Johns P-T-L President Tessa Pilcher says the carnival is a fun time for children at the event…
St Johns P-T-L President Tessa Pilcher
(Paxton-dg)-Two suspects in connection with a Paxton robbery have been arrested. Rayvonne D. Sampson 28, of Champaign and Brian Omand 26, of Chicago were arrested on warrants charging them with armed robbery with a firearm in connection with the holdup on December 27 of Paxton Variety Liquors. The Ford County Chronicle, reported that both men were arrested January 12 in Chicago. The car they were in was found in Rantoul and seized by police on January 20th. Paxton Police Chief Coy Cornett said authorities believe the 2 men also are responsible for a series of other armed robberies from Champaign County to Cook County.
(Springfield–jc) –The Illinois Department of Revenue is encouraging eligible Illinoisans to take advantage of savings offered by tax credits when filing their 2024 income tax returns this year. The Illinois Earned Income Tax Credit is a benefit for working people with low to moderate income. The Illinois Child Tax Credit is a new tax credit for the 2024 tax year for taxpayers who qualify for the Illinois Earned Income Tax Credit and have at least one child that is their dependent and under the age of 12 years old.
(Washington–jc) There is a wide range of weather across the United States this week. Rod Bain reports…
(Springfield–jc) Illinoiss House Democrats spent time on the House floor in Springfield Wednesday afternoon running a series of resolutions condemning President Trump for his January 6th pardons, his executive order freezing federal grant spending, his efforts on D-E-I initiatives and his immigration actions, making long. 90th District State Representative John Cabello, Republican from Machesney Park says democrats are grandstanding …
90th District State Representative John Cabello, Republican from Machesney Park
(The Center Square) – Illinois lawmakers have introduced bills that would end the practice of ticketing students for municipal code violations. Democratic State Representative La Shawn Ford of Chicago, and Democrat State Senator Karina Villa of Chicago, sponsored measures that would ban school officials from fining students for truancy and other offenses. Ford introduced House Bill 2502 on Monday. The measure would prohibit school personnel from issuing a monetary fine, fee, ticket, or citation for a municipal code violation.
(Chicago–jc) Doctors at Northwestern Medicine said medical innovations helped them achieve two milestones 2024. One was the largest number of lung transplants in a single year and the other was the shortest median wait time for transplants. Medical advances allowed doctors to perform a record 148 transplants in 2024, the most in the program’s 10-year history, and reduced the median wait time for a transplant to four days.
(Springfield–jc) –Preparations are underway for Illinois to join in the nation’s celebration of 250 years of independence in 2026, and the Illinois America 250 Commission is encouraging people across the Prairie State to get involved in planning festivities and educational opportunities to mark the historic moment. The commission is encouraging communities, libraries, schools, historical societies and individuals to be part of efforts to develop an inclusive commemoration of the founding of the United States and Illinois’ role in the nation’s history. Celebrations marking the nation’s independence are expected to take place across the country in 2026, culminating on July 4 of that year.
(Paxton–jc) There is baseball coming to Paxton with the Paxton Park District. WPXN’s Joel Cluver has the story…
(Paxton–jc) One local grocery store is changing hands. Current owners of the Paxton IGA are retiring and the store is being purchased by Kirby Foods of Champaign. Kirby Foods has been in operation since 1969 and operates 16 IGA Stores in Illinois and Indiana. The new owners are expected to take over in late March.
(Springfield-jm) – A new study from the University of Cincinnati Economic Center shows retail brings in over seven-billion dollars in tax revenue for Illinois every year. Capitol News Illinois Reports one-point-three million people work in retail across the state. This makes retail the second largest private industry in Illinois. President and CEO of the Illinois Retail Merchants Association Rob Karr says the study is the first of its kind to show the impact retail has on the state…
Illinois Retail Merchants Association President and CEO Rob Karr. While the study is good news for retailers, Karr says President Donald Trump’s plan to put tariffs on imports is causing uncertainty.
(Paxton–jc) There is an Easter time event coming to the city of Paxton. Paxton Mainstreet Executive Director Donna Pepper has some details…
Paxton Mainstreet Executive Director Donna Pepper
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — A University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign professor will present on biotechnology at the William M. Staerkel Planetarium tomorrow.
U-I-U-C professor Sara Pedron Haba will present “Bioengineered Human Disease Models" as part of Parkland College's James B. Kaler Science Lecture Series Friday night at 7.
(The Center Square) – A new study reveals the economic impact of the retail sector in Illinois. The Illinois Retail Merchants Association sponsored the study, which found retail directly contributes more than $112 billion in economic investment annually. The analysis, the first of its kind in Illinois history, also found the retail sector is the state’s largest private sector employer, with 1.3 million people working in retail.
(Rantoul–jc) Those interested in jobs with the village of Rantoul can always check out their website for openings. Rantoul Mayor Chuck Smith says one job they want to fill is one in judication…
Rantoul Mayor Chuck Smith
WPXN News notes…
CU at Home will host their One Winter Night on Friday, February 7th.
The Loda American Legion will hold their fish or chicken fry on Friday, February 7th from 4-7 pm. Cost is $10.
Grace Baptist Church in Paxton will hold their Men’s Rally on Saturday, February 8th from 8:30-4:30 pm.
The 36th Annual PBL FFA Farm Toy Show will take place on Saturday, February 8th from 9-2:30 at PBL High School. The featured tractor is Oliver 1800 Diesel.
Living Word Church will hold a craft and vendor show for their summer camp fundraiser on Saturday, February 8th from 9-3 at The Cadillac in Paxton. For more information about the show or to reserve your booth space call Melanie Bauer at 217-379-7852.
The ACT Theatre Company in Gibson City will hold their Valentine Mystery Dinner on Saturday, February 8th at 6pm at the Countryside Event Center. Tickets are available on their facebook page.
