(Kankakee-jm) – The National Weather Service is preliminarily giving the tornado that ripped through the southern portion of Kankakee a rating of an EF-3 with estimated wind speeds of 150 mph. The weather service says they are still analyzing and doing assessments and further details of the tornado will be released at a later time. The Kankakee County Emergency Operations Center is open and actively working to assist residents. Damage assessments are expected to continue today as crews continue the cleanup process. Kankakee Community College announced they are closing all of their campuses while their main campus serves as a shelter for displaced residents. Luckily there were no fatalities and only a few injuries.
(Springfield–jc) 53rd District State Senator Chris Balkema, Republican from Channahon, is helping to push Senate Bill 34-81, called the Fairness in Property Tax Foreclosure Task Force bill. Balkema says it provides a Task Force concerning property foreclosure for failure to pay property taxes…
53rd District State Senator Chris Balkema, Republican from Channahon
(Urbana-jm) – A University of Illinois physicist who won one of the most prestigious awards in his field passed away over the weekend. Sir Anthony Leggett was a professor emeritus at the University of Illinois who was widely recognized as a world leader in condensed matter physics. His time at the University of Illinois started in 1964, when he joined the Physics Department as a postdoctoral researcher. He departed a few years later but returned in 1983 and stayed until his retirement in 2018. Leggett was known for his work on superconductors and fluids, along with quantum mechanics. His research earned him the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2003.
(Rantoul–jc) Rantoul Village leaders continue to improve on infrastructure in town and one of the next projects is to keep a clean water supply as the village continues to grow. Rantoul Mayor Sam Hall the Third says village leaders are moving forward with the project and approved a loan to take the next step…
Rantoul Mayor Sam Hall the Third
(Paxton–jc) – Ford County Clerk and Recorder Amy Frederick reminds the voting public that her office will be open on Saturday from 8-30am until noon for early voting. The final date for early voting is Monday March 16th with the Spring Election day set for Tuesday March 17th.
(Buckley–jc) A proposed sanitary sewer treatment plant project will be before voters in Buckley on Tuesday. The project total is over 16 million dollars. That figure includes all costs. The village of Buckley has received a 5 million dollar grant and a 45 percent reduction of cost from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. That brings the cost of the needed project to just over 4 Million dollars. Buckley does not have a treatment plant and the sewer lines have caused a great deal of issues for area residents and businesses. Buckley Mayor Scott Shockley says village leaders have worked on a solution for a long time, with the hopes the issue passes on the March 17th election ballot…
Buckley Mayor Scott Shockley. The project will be paid over 30 years with an annual payment of around 140 thousand dollars.
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin , a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, met with members of the Illinois Soybean Association and the American Soybean Association to discuss the severe downturn in the farm economy. Topics ranged from the importance of a full, five-year Farm Bill, strong crop insurance programs, and federal trade policies with the Chinese market for Illinois soybeans. The group also discussed increased expenses for diesel and fertilizer after U.S. military attacks on Iran and shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
(Crisman–jc) –A celebration of life is scheduled on Saturday, March 14, for a Chrisman, Illinois teen who died last Friday after being struck by a line drive during baseball practice.Bentley Wolfe, 15, was a sophomore at Chrisman High School, where he played basketball and baseball. Services are scheduled to be held at the school on Saturday, with visitation beginning at 9 a.m. and a celebration of life starting at noon.
(The Center Square) – Republican State Representative Martin McLaughlin deems legislation crafted to address Illinois’ rising in-state tuition costs as a needed adjustment in fine-tuning a system where homegrown students now incur the ninth most expensive in-state tuition costs across the country and second highest in the Midwest. Introduced by State Representative Jeff Keicher, House Bill 5037 calls for a study of the entire system, followed by a 10-year plan to make it more competitive and affordable.As in-state tuition costs at all the state’s public universities have risen by about $6,000 a year from 2009 to 2025, overall enrollment at those institutions has dipped by roughly 13,000 as at least nine of them have lost population.
(Kankakee–jc) Illinois Governor J B Pritzker will be visiting Kankakee County this afternoon to take a first hand look at damage from tornadoes and severe thunderstorms from Tuesday afternoon. The governor’s visit is set for 2-15 this afternoon in Kankakee
(Chicago–jc) –A Chicago woman is charged with attempted murder and aggravated battery with a firearm after an alleged road rage shooting on the Dan Ryan Expressway at 18th Street.Illinois State Police say Dorshae T.N. Harris, 30, was arrested after the shooting was reported on March 8. The victim was hospitalized with a gunshot wound.
(The Center Square) – Legislation that could make insurance companies cover seizure detection devices is advancing at the Illinois Statehouse.
The bill, sponsored by state Sen. Julie A. Morrison, D-Lake Forest, mandates health insurance plans in Illinois cover medically prescribed seizure detection devices, ensuring that individuals can access these devices without additional barriers like prior authorization or cost-sharing. A number of seizure detection devices are FDA-cleared and alert caregivers to seizures in real-time, potentially reducing hospitalizations and saving lives of epileptic patients, according to the Danny Did Foundation, a non-profit in support of the bill.
(Washington–jc) Some parts of the nation will experience another round of cold temperatures in the near future after enjoying above normal warmth. Rod Bain reports…
(Rantoul–jc) The goal this year for the Rantoul Sports Complex is to bring more people to the village for its wide variety of sports contests. Last year over 1 point 1 million people came to the area to watch local sports, tournaments and more. Rantoul Sports Complex Director of Operations Brandon Denton says teams come from the local area, but also around the midwest…
Rantoul Sports Complex Director of Operations Brandon Denton
(Watseka-jm) – As Iroquois Federal and Servbank are taking the next steps to consolidation. Iroquois Federal Board Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Walter H. “Chip” Hasselbring III has been named to the Servbank Board of Directors. Hasselbring’s appointment reflects the shared commitment of both organizations to strong governance, community leadership, and maintaining a meaningful local voice as the two institutions come together.
(Gibson City–jc) A new Gibson Area Hospital Pharmacy business has opened in Gibson City. The state of the art facility has been open for a few weeks and is located along route 9 in the city, says Gibson Area Hospital Spokesperson Bill Kirby…
Gibson Area Hospital Spokesperson Bill Kirby
(Springfield–jc) – The state of Illinois has launched a taxpayer-funded program that will give eligible first-time homeowners up to 15 thousand dollars as a down payment or closing cost assistance to purchase a new home. The Illinois Housing Development Authority launched the “Access Home” initiative today.
(Springfield–jc) –Applications are open now for Illinois’ Local Food Infrastructure Grant program — but advocates say interested applicants should begin the process immediately. The Fiscal Year 2026 application period is open through March 27. However, applicants must complete several required state registration steps before submitting their proposals, which can take time.
The program supports projects that strengthen the local food supply chain, including cold storage, food processing equipment, transportation capacity, and distribution infrastructure. More information is found on-line at a-g-r-dot-Illinois-dot-gov.
(Gibson City–jc) The Gibson City Restoration Association holds a weekly Queen of Hearts drawing to raise funds to restore the historic Burwell Building in downtown Gibson City. The Queen of Hearts jackpot came in at $5,390. Shaun Zimmerman had his ticket pulled from the tumbler and he chose to see what was behind card #3. It revealed the jack of diamonds. Shaun won $40 for having his ticket pulled from the tumbler.
(Springfield–jc) Was it You? A single ticket sold in Illinois has won the massive 533 million dollar Mega Millions jackpot, ending weeks without a top prize winner. The identity of the winner has not yet been revealed, raising questions about who bought the lucky ticket and how much they could actually take home after taxes. A second ticket holder in Illinois was 4 million dollars matching a required number and the mega ball number.
WPXN News notes…
The Rantoul Area Chamber of Commerce will hold their Business After Hours this evening from 5:30-7:30 pm at The Villas of Hollybrook.
The Loda American Legion will hold their fish and chicken fry on Friday, March 13th from 4-6 pm. Cost is $10 for adults and $5 for kids 6-12.
The Elliott Amvets will hold their spaghetti dinner on Friday, March 13th from 5-7 pm. Cost is $10.
The World's Smallest St. Patrick's Day parade will take place on Saturday, March 14th from 11-1 in downtown Rantoul.
Christ Lutheran High School in Buckley will celebrate Pi(e) Day with stand up comedy with Jeremy Nunes on Saturday, March 14th at 2pm.
The PBL Choir will hold a murder mystery dinner on Saturday, March 14th at 6pm at Pueblo Lindo in Paxton. Tickets are available by emailing pblchoralboosters at gmail dot com.
