(Undated-jm) – Thirty six schools from the Chicago area to Southern Illinois were put on notice Thursday afternoon. The Department of Justice announced it was launching investigations into the content in their classrooms. The DOJ is looking into whether gender ideology or sexual orientation content is making it into curriculums, as well as whether or not schools are segregating sports and intimate spaces based on gender at birth. Among those being looked into is the Bloomington Public School District, Iroquois County Community Unit School District and the Ridgeview School District.

 

(Springfield–dm)-51st District Republican State Senator Chapin Rose recently held a press conference to discuss his new piece of legislation called Senate Bill 4196. This bill would make changes to the SAFE-T Act and repeal recent laws from Governor Pritzker regarding ICE in Illinois. 

   

51st District Republican State Senator Chapin Rose

 

(Champaign-jm) – It was a violent week in Champaign last week. On Tuesday, an 18 year old was shot in the Schnucks parking lot on the city’s west side. On Friday, a man was stabbed in the Walmart parking lot on North Prospect Avenue then that evening, police responded to a person shot in the 500 block of East Columbia Avenue. The victim, 33 year old Aaron Sibley was pronounced dead at Carle Foundation Hospital. Anyone with information on any of the crimes are asked to call Champaign Police.

 

(Roberts–dm)-Friday May 15th Jeremiah 33:6 will be holding a free produce pantry and health fair at the RobertsVillage Gym.. Jeremiah 33:6 spokesperson Valarie Wright tells us about a free A-1-C test that will be available that day.

   

Jeremiah 33:6 spokesperson Valarie Wright.  The Produce pantry and Health fair is free to anyone, regardless of income.

 

(Sadorus-jm) – The Champaign County Sheriff's Office is asking the public for help after someone stole over $8,000 worth of soybean seeds from a property in April. According to the sheriff's office, it happened in rural Tolono Township near Sadorus on April 24. Officers responded to the area of County Roads 600 North and 700 East for reports of stolen agricultural materials. According to police, the victim reported two large boxes of soybean seeds with an estimated value of around $8,200 missing from a shed on their property. The sheriff's office is asking for the community's help in gathering information related to the incident. The investigation is ongoing, and no arrests have been made.

 

(Iroquois County–dm)-The Ford/Iroquois County Farm Bureau is sponsoring Camp 911 to 3rd graders in the area.  Ford County Farm Bureau Manager Casey Claire explains what Camp 911 is.

   

Ford Iroquois County Farm Bureau Manager Casey Claire 

 

Illinois gas prices have risen by an average of more than 50 cents per gallon in the last week. According to AAA, the average price for regular unleaded was $4.86 on Friday, up from $4.30 one week before and $4.67 on Thursday. The average Illinois price one year ago was $3.40.

Illinois Farm Bureau President Philip Nelson is urging the U.S. Senate to swiftly pass the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026. The House approved the bill by a vote of 224 to 200 on Thursday. The legislation updates funding levels for crop insurance and price support, disaster assistance, risk management programs, operation and marketing loans, and federal agricultural research.

 

 

(Normal–jm) – Illinois State University administrators said they’re willing to negotiate in good faith with striking workers after Governor JB Pritzker urged the two sides to return to the bargaining table. A sixth session with the federal mediator is scheduled for today at 11 a.m., which would be the second meeting since about 350 dining, building services, and grounds employees went on strike over salary April 8. No agreement was reached during an April 15 bargaining session, and no talks have been held since then. The administration said it contacted the federal mediator Thursday morning about resuming negotiations. According to ISU’s webpage, the most contentious issues include AFSCME’s demand that union workers receive the same or greater pay increases than non-union employees, and that pay increases should be retroactive to July 1, 2025.

 

(Springfield–jc)  – After a proposed state constitutional amendment on redistricting did not advance this week, the timing will not see a redistricting question on the November ballot. 89th District and Illinois House Minority Leader Tony McCombe says the latest power grab attempt by the democrats, has failed…

   

89th District and Illinois House Minority Leader Tony McCombe Republican from Savannah

 

(Savoy-jm) – United Airlines has postponed its launch of service to Chicago O'Hare from the University of Illinois-Willard Airport. Fly Champaign-Urbana said the postponement is due to the FAA capping flights at O'Hare. The service is now expected to start on Oct. 25, after it was previously set to begin June 1. Willard Airport announced in January that United Airlines would launch the service at the facility. Customers affected by the change or who need more information about their booked flights can visit United's website or call 1-800-825-9925.

 

(Chicago–jc)  Illinois Governor. J.B. Pritzker says he looks forward to resuming public events soon after he underwent a medical procedure on Friday.

The governor’s deputy chief of staff for communications, Matt Hill, said in a statement provided to The Center Square that Pritzker completed a routine outpatient urology procedure. Hill said the governor would fulfill his duties but pause public events for the next week while he rests.

 

(Urbana-jm) – The man already convicted of a deadly drunk crash in Urbana last year saw his trial on federal charges pushed back to September. Julio Cucul-Bol appeared in court via Zoom for a previously scheduled status hearing in the federal case against him. The federal charges against Bol, an undocumented immigrant from Guatemala, consist of making false statements on a bank application, possessing a false green card and a false Social Security card, and false use of a passport. Prosecutors allege that Bol used an alias to obtain these documents and in an application to JPMorgan Chase Bank. The documents and banking statements with the alias were found in the wreckage of Bol’s Mitsubishi Outlander the night of the deadly crash on January 19, 2025. Urbana Police determined that he got behind the wheel drunk and rear-ended a Honda Civic at University and Coler Avenues, killing 21-year-old Chloe Polzin of Deerfield and 20-year-old Katherine Abraham of Glenview. He was sentenced to 30 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for aggravated DUI causing death and leaving the scene of a deadly crash.

 

(USDA–dm)-What weather conditions where during the month of May, may be of concern for crop growers with planting and plant establishment occurring? USDA’s Rod Bain has the story

   

(The Center Square) – A new Civic Federation report has identified a persistent structural imbalance in the Illinois budget, with expenditures projected to grow faster than core revenues. The Chicago-based government research organization examined how Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s budget proposal for fiscal year 2027 advances the state’s goals for financial stability. The report said Illinois’ fiscal position is likely to weaken unless the state adopts policy changes to better align revenues and expenditures, support stronger economic growth and expand the tax base.

 

(Champaign–jc)  – The Illinois Flash Index of Economic Growth for April continued its gradual decline falling to 101-point-zero compared to its 101-point-two level in March. The reading one year ago was a bit higher still. 

While the Illinois economy is still growing, the Illinois unemployment rate has diverged from the national rate. In July and August of last year, both rates stood at 4-point-three percent–a rare occurrence for Illinois. Now the Illinois' unemployment  rate is   5-point-One percent while the national rate is still at 4-point-three percent.

 

 

(Paxton–jc)  Today’s WPXN Business of the Day is Picket Fence Florist in downtown Paxton. Owner Dawn Mertes says they are ready for a wide variety of gifts for Mom for Mother’s Day…

She says they also have candy bouquets……

   

Picket Fence Florist downtown Paxton Owner Dawn Mertes.

You can order Mom’s Flowers and more on line or call Picket Fence Florist at 217-379-4245

Picket Fence Florist downtown Paxton is the WPXN Business of the Day, t

WPXN News notes…

The St. Joseph Township-Swearingen Memorial Library is having a used book sale  Monday, May 4th through Wednesday, May 27th.  All sales are by donation to the library.

 

The River Valley Church of Christ in Fisher will hold their free garage sale on Friday, May 8th and Saturday, May 9th. Hours both days are 7-noon.

 

The Rankin Lions Club will hold their Friday Supper on Friday, May 8th from 4:30-7:30pm.

 

The Elliott Amvets will hold their spaghetti dinner on Friday, May 8th from 5-7 pm. Cost is $10.

 

The Harvest Moon Twin Drive In will hold their Spring Fling Craft and Vendor Show Mother’s Day Market on Saturday, May 9th from 9-2.

 

Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley High School’s third annual Greenhouse Plant Sale & CTE Expo is set for 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, May 9, at the high school’s greenhouse in Gibson City.