(Rantoul-jm) – A 13 year old male was taken to the hospital after he was struck by a Champaign Police car in Rantoul Tuesday afternoon. It happened around 3:30 pm along U-S 136. The preliminary investigation shows the 13 year old ran out into the street from the Credit Union One parking lot crossing both lanes of eastbound traffic before colliding with the car which was traveling westbound. The 13 year old was taken to the hospital in serious condition.

 

(Springfield-jm) – The Illinois Commerce Commission is encouraging Ameren Illinois customers to give public comment on the utility's proposed natural gas rate increase. A pair of public hearings will be held in Springfield and East St. Louis on August 27 and 28. Customers who can't attend the hearings can submit comments via the ICC website or call the Consumer Services Division at 1-800-524-0795 during regular business hours. Ameren filed its petition with the ICC for a $134 million general rate increase in January 2025.

 

(Charleston-jm) – Eastern Illinois University will end its affiliation with the Public Broadcasting Service effective October 1. According to University leaders, the resultant shift in WEIU-TV's funding model makes sure EIU students will still have access to their broadcast journalism and news media production learning experiences at EIU. Currently, PBS accounts for approximately 25 percent of WEIU-TV's programming. The station has identified existing programming options to replace its existing PBS content. Going forward, WEIU-TV will drop its PBS brand affiliation and officially operate as "A Service of Eastern Illinois University." The station's annual operational costs totaled roughly $1 million last year. EIU said the station has not received any institutionally appropriated monies since 2016. Grants, underwriting, and local fundraising drives offset those costs by up to $165,000 each year.

 

(Paxton–jc)  It’s going up on Monday morning at 9. The Paxton Foundation project to place a replica of the 1887 water tower tank in downtown Paxton is nearing completion. It started as an idea for the Paxton Foundation group back in 1985. Over the past two years, the group has raised over 100 thousand dollars to re-create the tank to be the “crown on the town, “ in downtown Paxton. Paxton Foundation Spokesperson Royce Baier says over the past month, they have been doing preparation for the installation…

   

Paxton Foundation Spokesperson Royce Baier

 

(Champaign-jm) – A Champaign County entertainer has been sentenced to 20 years in prison over child pornography charges. According to Champaign County court records, Dante Scott is ordered to serve his 20-year sentence in the Illinois Department of Corrections. He is also to receive credit for 344 days that were previously served.  Scott pleaded guilty to one count of disseminating child pornography in June, and the other seven counts were dropped. Scott was previously a DJ and entertainment manager in the Champaign area.

 

(Hoopeston-jm) – As the contract dispute between Teasdale Latin Foods and its employees enters its twelfth week, the union representing the workers, BCTGM Local 1, has filed additional charges against the company. The charges, filed on August 18, 2025, accuse Teasdale of failing to provide critical information necessary for effective bargaining and engaging in regressive bargaining practices dating back to April 11, 2025. Despite exchanging proposals over the weekend and moving closer to a resolution, Teasdale reportedly backtracked on part of their previous offer on Monday, August 18. The union claims that Teasdale has denied them access to information critical for evaluating the company's proposals during this crucial phase of negotiations.

 

(Buckley–jc)  – Some senior citizens will be losing some coverage for social security at the end of the year. Abbe Insurance Agent Larry Abbe is hosting a meeting on Monday in Buckley as an information event…

   

Abbe Insurance Agent of Buckley Agent Larry Abbe. THose interested in the meeting are ask to call Abbe at 217-394-2243

 

(Kankakee–jc)  –– The Illinois State Police  with the assistance of the Kankakee Area Metropolitan Enforcement Group, arrested 63-year-old Dwayne B. Cook of Spring, Texas after a traffic stop on Interstate 57 over the weekend. On Saturday, a state trooper conducted a motor carrier safety inspection on a truck tractor on I-57 northbound near milepost 302 in Chebanse in Kankakee County. A search of the truck tractor revealed 15 kilo bundles (approximately 40 pounds) of suspected cocaine. ? The driver, identified as Cook, was arrested, and charged with Controlled Substance Trafficking, a Class X Felony and Intent to Deliver a Controlled Substance, also a Class X Felony. He is being held at the Jerome Cobs Detention Center pending his first court appearance Tuesday afternoon. 

 

CHICAGO — A group of former Obama administration officials and election lawyers announced Tuesday they are attempting to reform the way the state draws district maps for the state legislature. They want to do this by passing a state constitutional amendment via a ballot initiative during the 2026 general election.

They say the current legislative redistricting process leads to overrepresentation of Democrats and few competitive legislative districts, meaning politicians must do less to serve their constituents. Former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, a Republican, and former Secretary of Commerce Bill Daley, a Democrat and member of the Daley political family, are leading the effort. Both served under President Barack Obama, with Daley as his chief of staff.

 

(Springfield-jm) – Illinois will soon pay landowners if their property is disturbed by carbon capture construction, thanks to a bill signed into law by Governor J-B Pritzker. A bipartisan group of lawmakers approved the plan to provide compensation if crops, trees, fences, shrubs, livestock, or other objects are damaged during carbon capture construction.

 

(Springfield-jm) – Governor JB Pritzker signed two bills into law this week to create a clear regulatory system for cryptocurrency and other digital assets. The bill action comes as the FBI recently reported that Illinois consumers lost over $270 million in crypto fraud cases last year. One of the laws calls for new consumer protections for crypto users, including investment disclosures, customer asset safeguards and service standards. It will cap daily kiosk transactions at $2,500 for new customers and limit transaction fees to 18%. The other law requires operators to be transparent about the risks involved with their products, services and virtual currency by providing disclosures for customers. It also calls for operators to provide a toll-free customer service line, establish anti-scam policies and have consumer protection officers enforcing the law.

 

(Gilman–jc)  The Iroquois West Schools open for the year on Wednesday morning. Newly hired Iroquois West School Superintendent Trent Eshlemann says the district is ready for a new year that includes new contracts for teachers and support staff…

 

Iroquois West School Superintendent Trent Eshlemann

 

(Urbana-jm) – Planned construction work at the Florida Avenue Residence halls on the University of Illinois campus is now expected to last into the school year following a safety incident last month. The incident led to the contractor working on the building taking additional steps to ensure worker safety, University Housing said in a news release. This resulted in an additional six weeks being added to the project’s timeline, pushing the project into the school year, while students are living in Oglesby Hall and its twin building Trelease Hall.

 

(Champaign-jm) – C-U at Home is a local nonprofit helping people experiencing homelessness through its Pathway to Progress program — a 12- to 18-month journey focused on long-term stability for people over 18. C-U at Home is working to open a new mid-barrier shelter in Champaign by the end of the year. The new shelter on Mattis Avenue will house 26 people — 10 women and 16 men — offering more than just a roof over their heads. It’s a full renovation project that will include offices for staff, individual rooms, kitchens, a gym, tech spaces and more.

 

(Washington–jc)  How is the soybean crop doing to date? U-S-D-A Meteorologist Brad Rippey has the answers…

 

U S D A Meteorologist Brad Rippey

 

(The Center Square) – Illinois student leaders serving on state higher education boards will now receive a500 dollar-per-semester scholarship under a recently signed law championed by State Senator Dave Koehler, Democrat fromPeoria.

Illinois State Representative Paul Jacobs, Republican from Pomona, who serves on the higher education appropriations committee, says recently signed Senate Bill 14-75 is another unnecessary expense for taxpayers at a time when the state faces far greater challenges.

 

(Springfield–jc)  – Yes it is hot, yes it is summer.  But, are you looking for extra income and a possible leg up on full-time employment? The Illinois Department of Transportation is taking applications for seasonal positions to help with snow-and-ice removal and other maintenance duties throughout the state as part of the annual Snowbird program. ? Both full-time temporary and hourly on-call positions are being filled to help maintain more than 45,000 lane miles statewide during winter. ?The starting salary for full-time temporary is $6,044 per month. Hourlies are paid $27.79 an hour.

 

WPXN News notes…

 

The 2025 Half Century of Progress will be in Rantoul August 21st through the 24th.

 

The 2025 Mahomet Music Festival will take place Friday, August 22nd with 2025 American Idol contestant, Mahomet native Lexi  Tieffel and 2023 The Voice Season 23 winner, Paxton native Gina Miles performing. 

On Saturday, August 23rd, its Lakeview and country group Parmalee performing.

 

Christ Lutheran High School’s annual Knight for Christ Benefit Auction is set for Saturday, August 23, at the Ford County Fairgrounds in Melvin. The event features a silent auction starting at 4 p.m. and dinner from 4 to 6 p.m., followed by a live auction. Reservations are required and cost $50. For more information, people can visit the school’s website, www.christlutheranbuckley.com.

 

The City of Paxton will hold brush pickup starting Monday, August 25th and going from the west side of town to the east side.