(The Center Square) – Some Republican lawmakers want to go after those who deal fentanyl in Illinois. Saying it is time to address the fentanyl crisis, G-O-P lawmakers, including State Senator. Sue Rezin, Republican from Morris, introduced a package of bills that includes increasing penalties for distributing and selling the drug, and reclassifying fentanyl overdose deaths to fentanyl poisoning. McLean County Coroner Kathy Yoder said she is seeing more instances of fentanyl being mixed with a wider variety of drugs. Yoder says her office has seen Fentanyl  being mixed with heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, and at times, marijuana. 

 

(Emmington–jc)  Do you have your Real I-D yet? Time is running out. 106th District State  State Representative Jason Bunting has some needed details….

106th District State Representative Jason Bunting, Republican from Emmington

 

 

Chicago–jc)  –An engineering firm working on the Obama Presidential Center says that claims it racially discriminated against a Black-owned subcontractor on the project are baseless and that simply criticizing the subcontractors’ work does not amount to racism. The New York-City-based engineering firm was responding to a lawsuit accusing it of acting with racist intent when it criticized the alleged underperformance of a Black-owned concrete subcontracting firm. The lawsuit has drawn national attention to the diversity, equity and inclusion goals connected to the project, which has been plagued by delays and costs ballooning from an initial $350 million to $830 million.

 

(Washington–jc)  – What are some of the outlooks for beef, pork, and poultry meat production, trade, and prices for this year? Rod Bain has the answers…

   

(Paxton–dm)-The Paxton Foundation has been working on the Crown on the Town project.  Paxton Foundation President Royce Baier provides the latest on the project time-line...

Paxton Foundation President Royce Baier

 

(Champaign–dm)-Migraines are a part of life for many, and an online search for at-home treatments will yield plenty of options. What works, and what’s fiction? Tim Ditman of OSF HealthCare cuts through the noise.

Oberheim says if a migraine tactic is doing more harm than good, stop it. And it’s never a bad idea to see a provider to get a tailored plan for headache relief.

 

(The Center Square) – A Republican state legislator says Illinois’ liberal policies are to blame for the state’s poor demographic showing. U.S. Census Bureau data shows Illinois lost 56,235 people to other states in 2024 to rank 48th across the country in losses from domestic migration, with many of the now former residents pointing to the state’s high taxes as the top reason for them deciding to walk away.

State Representative Martin McLaughlin, R-Barrington Hills,says the policies of Democrats over the past 20 years  have created an unsustainable environment. Some Democrats now want the state to eliminate the state’s flat income tax system in favor of a progressive tax structure.  McLaughlin worried about what could come next for already stressed-out taxpayers.

 

(The Center Square) – Taxpayers are spending tens of thousands of dollars per student at public high schools in Chicago, and at two schools, the number is more than $100,000 per student. According to the Illinois State Board of Education’s Illinois Report Card, Douglass Academy High School on the West Side spent more than $93,000 per student. Douglass had about 35 students enrolled and a chronic absenteeism rate of 62%. According to the Illinois Report Card, Chicago Public Schools had an overall chronic absenteeism rate of 40.8% in 2024. The chronic absenteeism rate for CPS teachers was also reported around 40% last year.

Chicago’s public schools on average spend $19,908 per student in taxpayer funds.

 

(Springfield–dm)-Hundreds of homeschooled students and their parents were in Springfield last week to speak out on House Bill 28-27, known as the Homeschool Act.  The measure is currently under consideration in the Illinois General Assembly and has been assigned to the House Education Policy Committee. State Representative Regan Deering (R-Decatur) called homeschooling an incredible asset that allows students to flourish.   

 

State Representative Regan Deering (R-Decator) 

 

(The Center Square) – More Illinoisans are getting taxpayer subsidized food assistance now than from before the pandemic. State Representative . La Shawn Ford, Democrat from Chicago, is calling on lawmakers to do more to aid struggling state residents after the number of individuals relying on food assistance sharply jumped over the past five years. Data composed by the Illinois Department of Public Health shows more than one million households across Illinois were reliant on food assistance as recently as last October, representing a 12% increase since 2019. In addition, almost 2 million Illinois residents, or one out of every seven, made use of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits over that time

 

(Washington–jc)  Some states are reporting high levels of drought in a reporting period that ended over the weekend. U S D A Meteorologist Brad Rippey has the numbers…

 

U S D A Meteorologist Brad Rippey

 

Chicago – Attorney General Kwame Raoul , as part of a bipartisan coalition of 38 attorneys general and the U.S. Department of Justice , proposed a final package of remedies to end Google’s illegal monopoly over internet search engines and restore competition to the benefit of consumers. The revised proposal is similar to the robust package of remedies the coalition has offered. Raoul and coalition have worked closely with the DOJ to offer a comprehensive and legally sound proposal that promises to tear down barriers to entry, restore competition, and invite renewed innovation and consumer benefits in the monopolized markets.

 

(Rantoul–jc)  Rantoul township High School board members will look to approve boiler repairs in the west wing when they meet tonight in monthly session. Board members are also looking at bids for new bleachers in the main gym, will renew their membership with the I-H-S-A and will look to hire positions for summer work at the school. The Rantoul Township High School board meets at 6 tonight at the high school

 

WPXN News notes

The Rantoul Area Chamber of Commerce will hold their Business After Hours on Thursday, March 13th from 5:30-7:30 pm.

 

The Eastern Illinois Foodbank will hold a foodmobile on Friday, March 14th from 9-10 at 185 W. Sangamon Avenue in Rantoul and 10:30-11 at the Ludlow Community Center.

 

The Elliott Amvets will hold their spaghetti supper on Friday, March 14th from 5-7 pm. Dinner includes spaghetti, meatballs, garlic bread and salad for $10.

 

Paxton IGA will hold their cookout fundraiser benefiting the First Lutheran Church on Saturday March 15th from 10-2.

 

The Elliott Amvets will hold their pancake breakfast on Saturday, March 15th from 7-10 am. Breakfast includes pancakes, sausage, hashbrowns and eggs for $8.

 

The Iroquois County Public Health Department will hold a safe sitter class on Saturday, March 22nd from 9-3:30. Cost is $40. Registration is required by calling 815-432-2483.

 

The Gibson City Restoration Association will hold a chili cookoff on Saturday, March 29th from 11:30-3 at the Gibson City American Legion. Cost for participants is $25 per entry.

The PBL FCCLA will hold a spring craft and vendor show on Saturday, April 5th from 9-2 at PBL High School. Those interested in participating are asked to email charleykaye06 at gmail dot com.