(Springfield-jm) – Illinois lawmakers are educating themselves on what losing federal funding for Medicaid would mean for the state. This comes as Congress is looking to cut eight hundred and eighty billion dollars in spending over the next ten years. Capitol News Illinois reports lawmakers heard from healthcare experts, Medicaid recipients and the Department of Healthcare and Family Services during a committee hearing. They all agreed the loss of funding would be devastating. House Democrats say the hearing was also a way to put pressure on the state’s three congressional Republicans to vote against the cuts. But Representative William Hauter says the hearing is just a performance…
87th District State Representative William Hauter, republican from Morton. 43rd District State Representative Anna Moeller says what happens in Washington DC over the next few weeks will have a direct impact in Illinois…
43rd District State Representative Anna Moeller.
(Springfield-jm) – Snoop Dogg is set to take the stage at the 2025 Illinois State Fair Grandstand on Wednesday, August 13. Tickets for the highly anticipated performance will be available for purchase starting Saturday at 10 a.m.
Danville, IL- Vermilion County Coroner Jane McFadden has identified the victim of the house fire that occurred early Wednesday on Fletcher Drive North in Danville as 85-year-old Judith A. David, resident of the home. An autopsy is scheduled for Friday and her family has been notified. Coroner McFadden stated that the Danville Fire Department and the Illinois State Fire Marshal's Office is still investigating the cause of the fire.
(The Center Square) – A social welfare advocacy group has filed a federal complaint against the Illinois State Board of Education alleging discrimination.
The federal civil rights complaint filed with the U.S. Department of Education by Awake Illinois alleges ISBE is discriminating on the basis of race for funding “affinity groups,” or groups focused on racial identity and other factors. Awake Illinois President Shannon Adcock addressed the state board this week…
Awake Illinois President Shannon Adcock. Awake Illinois’s complaint lays out how The Illinois State Board of Education facilitated funding through Teach Plus for “educators who identify as people of Color” and provided leadership coaching and a $2,500 stipend. The complaint also states that 2 Million dollars was set to retain only teachers of color.”
(Champaign County-jm) – Early voting will be delayed in the Champaign County consolidated general election until Friday. Due to a late filing of an amended ballot certification by a municipality, early voting will be delayed until Friday, March 14.
Ballot certifications are what municipalities file with the Clerk’s office as the official language to go on the ballot for their jurisdiction. The Brookens Administrative Center in Urbana will be open for early voting beginning Friday at 8:30 a.m.
(Ford County-jm) – Ford County fire departments were busy Wednesday afternoon with brush fires. Paxton firefighters were called to a controlled burn that got out of control on south Stockholm Road near 200 North. Sibley, Roberts-Melvin and Gibson City firefighters battled a brush fire near 650 East 1100 North.
(Watseka–jc) It’s local election time and one Iroquois County Mayoral race will feature a candidates forum. The event will feature two vying to be Watseka mayor. They are Benny Marcier and J. Scott Anderson. Aldermanic contested races will also be featured at the event. The forum takes place at 6pm on March 19th at the Homestead in Watseka.
(Springfield–jc) Assessed values tied to property taxes need to be capped. Some in Illinois are seeing their property taxes rise by more than the rate of inflation. 51st District State Senator Chapin Rose, Republican from Mahomet, says common sense needs to be used with property taxes…
51st District State Senator Chapin Rose, Republican from Mahomet
(Kankakee–jc) Students from nine local schools have original artwork on display for the 35th annual Kankakee Community College High School Juried Art Exhibition. The show runs through March 19th at the Arts & Sciences Building. Display hours are 7:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Fridays. A reception, awards presentation and juror’s critique will be on Wednesday, March 19, at 6pm. Among the high schools participating are Iroquois West High School in Gilman and Watseka Community High School.
(Springfield–jc) – The Illinois Department of Employment Security announced Wednesday that nonfarm payrolls were almost unchanged, while the unemployment rate at 4.9 percent in January, based on preliminary data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. December unemployment rate of 5.2 percent.
(Springfield–jc) The Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal announced on Wednesday, the recipients of the Small Equipment Grant Program. A total of 4 million dollars was awarded to 178 fire departments/districts and EMS providers across the state. Netting grants were Champaign County Fire protection districts in Homer, Eastern Prairie, Cornbelt, Thomasboro, Gifford, Pesotum and Tolono, In Iroquois County grants were given the the Crescent Iroquois Fire Protection District, Gilman Fire Protection District and the Watseka Fire Department. The Bellflower Fire Protection District also received the small equipment grant. The program was established to provide grants of up to $26,000 each for the purchase of small firefighting and ambulance equipment.
(Gilman-jm) – The man accused of sexually assaulting a girl on an Amtrak before fleeing, leading police on a massive manhunt in Gilman back in 2022 has been sentenced to 9 years in prison. Joel Smith pled guilty to criminal sexual assault for the incident. He was given credit for time served.
(Springfield–jc) Some House Republican lawmakers held a press conference in the Capitol on Wednesday morning, to discuss the dire state of public safety in Illinois and present their pathway forward, aiming to deliver a state where families can succeed. 117th District State Representative Patrick Windhorst, of Metropolis says the law run through by Democrats continues to harm police officers, first responders and the victims of crime…
117th District State Representative Patrick Windhorst, Republican from Metropolis
Republicans have introduced legislation to repeal the Safety Act and also introduced a bill to make tougher fentanyl laws and fleeing and eluding laws.
(Champaign County-jm) – A child was taken to the hospital after a three-car crash on Illinois Route 47. Illinois State Police reported a crash happened on Illinois Route 47 about a mile south of County Road 1900 North. Police said a Maroon Chrysler Pacifica was heading north when two vans ahead came to a stop for emergency vehicles to pass. The Pacifica did not slow down, struck one van and pushed it into the second van. The passenger in the Pacifica, a 7-year-old child, was taken to a hospital for minor injuries. Additionally, one of the drivers of the vans reported minor injuries on-scene but was not taken to the hospital. The other two drivers weren’t hurt. The driver of the Pacifica was ticketed for Failure to Reduce Speed to Avoid an Accident.
(The Center Square) – Some Illinois agricultural programs have come to a halt as a result of a funding freeze from the federal government. Illinois Department of Agriculture Director Jerry Costello says several agreements with the federal government and Illinois are frozen or suspended, including the local Food Purchase Assistance Program. ..
Illinois Agriculture Director Jerry Costello.
(Danville-jc) –East Central Illinois Community Action Agency is celebrating 60 years of service to the Ford, Iroquois and Vermilion counties. The public is invited to join them in the celebration. The positioning statement from the group is to Help people and change lives. The 60th anniversary celebration is set for April 25th 6pm at the New Life Banquet Center on North Bowman Avenue in Danville
(Springfield–jc) – The Illinois Commerce Commission’s Office of Diversity and Community Affairs’ 20-24 Annual Report shows that diverse spending by the state’s largest investor-owned utilities has grown steadily for the fourth year in a row at over $2 billion. Some utilities reported a nearly 45 percent share of their total spending with diverse suppliers, including minority, women, veteran, and small business enterprises. The big 6 utilities include Ameren Illinois, Illinois American Water and Nicor Gas Company
(Springfield–jc) The 2025 Illinois spring trout fishing season will open Saturday, April 5 at 58 ponds, lakes, and streams throughout the state. An early opportunity at select trout sites – the spring catch-and-release fishing season – will open Saturday, March 22. No trout may be kept during the catch-and-release period, but anglers can keep trout after the opening of the regular season beginning April 5. The daily harvest limit for each angler is five trout.The Illinois Catchable Trout Program receives funding support by those who use the program through the sale of inland trout stamps.
WPXN news notes…
The Rantoul Area Chamber of Commerce will hold their Business After Hours today 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 pancake breakfast on Saturday, March 15th from 7-10 am. Breakfast includes pancakes, sausage, hashbrowns and eggs for $8.
Paxton IGA will hold their cookout fundraiser benefiting the Paxton Buckley Loda Band on Saturday March 15th from 10-2.
