(Springfield-jm) – Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul says his office was underfunded by $10 million in the latest budget, and that could make it more difficult to fight legal battles against the Trump Administration while still fulfilling its enforcement duties in the state. Raoul made that statement during an event at the City Club of Chicago where he also talked about the challenges of working with a federal government. The Attorney General’s budget for the upcoming fiscal year is $184.5 million, $10 million less than last year.
(Champaign–jc) Champaign County Sheriff's police responded to a “shots fired’ incident on Wednesday afternoon in rural Champaign. Police say deputies were called to the 200 block of Cameron Drive near Champaign. Upon Investigation, they found additional evidence. No one was hurt in the incident.The Champaign County Sheriff’s office continues to investigate the incident this morning.
(Springfield-jm) – A bill that will soon head to Governor J-B Pritzker's desk will officially remove an estimated 10,000 people from the state’s Medicaid program, leaving them without any form of health coverage. That group is made up mainly of people who are not U-S citizens but who are in the country legally, according to the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill removed eligibility for nearly all noncitizens except lawful permanent residents, Cuban and Haitian entrants and migrants from certain Pacific island nations. In order to comply with the change in federal law, Illinois lawmakers included language in the Medicaid omnibus bill removing most groups of noncitizens from eligibility under state law.
(Springfield-jm) – The State Board of Education adopted the Illinois Comprehensive Numeracy Plan Wednesday. The plan is a first of its kind statewide framework designed to support schools and districts in strengthening mathematics for students. The plan provides research based guidance to help teachers build students confidence, reasoning and problem solving skills in mathematics. The plan does not mandate curriculum or specific programs but instead provides a framework that districts can adopt or adapt based on local needs.
(Gibson City–jc) With a new budget of nearly 56 Billion Dollars, the state of Illinois will have a new budget going into fiscal year 2027. The budget was passed along party lines with the majority Democrats pushing the increases that also include 800 Million dollars in new taxes. Ford County Republican Party Spokesperson Tom Bennett of Gibson City reacts to the new budget stating that the budget process continues to be just one sided with the Democrats in the majority…
Ford County Republican Party Spokesperson Tom Bennett
(Gibson City-jm) – Gibson City is moving forward with a plan they hope will generate more residents. The city council is offering an incentive for new homeowners. The new program will give buyers a $10,000 reimbursement after they close on at least one of more than 20 lots where a new home has been built. The city is working with a bank to offer low interest loans to compete with other communities in the area. The lots are in the Railside Estate and Falcon Pointe subdivisions.
(Urbana-jm) – A small amount of mercury was thrown away at a lab on the University of Illinois campus Wednesday, leading to an Illini Alert asking the public to stay away. The alert announced that hazardous materials were released at 205 North Mathews in Urbana, which is the Newmark Civil Engineering Laboratory. The mercury was contained and the incident was resolved.
(Paxton–jc) City of Paxton council members passed several redevelopment agreements at this week’s city council meeting. Paxton Mayor Bill Ingold says one is with the Cagle Law Office Building in the downtown area…
Paxton Mayor Bill Ingold
(The Center Square) – Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker says there could be a special legislative session in Illinois this summer, but he won’t raise people’s taxes to pay for a new Chicago Bears stadium. Speaking in Chicago the governor says a special session would happen if the General Assembly can get together on one piece of Bears legislation. The fall veto session is scheduled Nov. 17-19 and Dec. 1-3.
(Chicago–jc) –More than 92,000 Illinois consumers have lost or dropped Affordable Care Act health insurance in recent months. The Chicago Tribune reports that the unusually large decline followed the expiration of tax credits that had helped to curb the plans’ costs. Last month, Democrats on the Joint Economic Committee estimated that nearly 120 thousand people in Illinois would lose health insurance due to the A-C-A cuts.
(Springfield–jc)Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs has announced a new grant program. Charitable Trust Hunger Relief Grants provide up to $5,000 to volunteer-driven food pantries, soup kitchens and similar nonprofit organizations with no full-time employees. A statement from Frerichs’ office said he launched the program after the Trump administration cut funding for the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program and a program that allowed Illinois farmers to sell food to Meals on Wheels and food pantries.
(Springfield-jm) – A bill heading to Governor J–B Pritzker's desk could strengthen the state’s civil rights protections amid federal rollbacks. The plan codifies the use of disparate impact standards within the Illinois Human Rights Act. The change would create stronger protections than the federal minimum by safeguarding people from discrimination in employment, housing, education, financial credit and public housing.
(Springfield-jm) – A plan heading to Governor J-B Pritzker’s desk could help lower drug prices by regulating 340B contracts. The 340B drug pricing program was created in 1992 to improve access to care at safety net hospitals and clinics. It helps low income and uninsured patients get critical medicals, but state hospital leaders believe Big Pharma has limited access to medications, as 340Bs can only sign on pharmaceutical contracts. The bipartisan bill could stop a company from setting restrictions on a contract unless the limit is required by state or federal law. Opponents of the plan say there is no evidence Illinoisans are benefiting from the 340B program and reforms will not change that.
(Melvin–jc) The Ford County Fair starts on Saturday in Melvin. The First day is the national Country Concert featuring Clay Walker and Walker Montgomery.
Ford County Fair Spokesperson Diane Perkins says it's a one big day cattle show on Sunday…
Ford County Fair Spokesperson Diane Perkins. The annual Queen Pageant is Monday night at 7. Fair activities continue through the week at the fairgrounds in Melvin
(Champaign-jm) – A Champaign man linked to a murder in New Mexico over 40 years ago is behind bars. Champaign Police arrested 73 year old Charlie Brown Junior in connection to the November 1983 homicide of 71 year old Agnes Tybo in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
(Champaign County-jm) – A nearly $50 million project is set to give more people, places and businesses access to internet services in Champaign County. Once all three phases are complete, nearly 600 miles of fiber internet will be laid, giving almost 3,000 new household connections to broadband. Phase one is expected to be complete by the end of the year, phase two is expected to be completed by 2030.
(Rantoul–jc) The Spring and Summer weather is starting to “heat” up and for those needing help, there is a one stop center for those in Rantoul and Champaign County. Community Service Center of rantoul executive Director Cindy Crawford says electricity bill help is available and more…
Rantoul Community Service Center Executive Director Cindy Crawford
(Paxton–jc) Another “No Kings” rally and march is set for the city of Paxton on Sunday. The march is set for noon on Sunday at the corner of Pells and Market in downtown Paxton. The event is set on President Trump’s 80th birthday. A meet and greet at Veteran’s Square will take place after the rally and march.
(The Center Square) – A congresswoman from Illinois has again brought calls on the United States Postal Service to improve rural delivery service in the country.
The issue, notable in her district and across Illinois, was raised amid larger conversations about the independent agency’s financial viability. U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski, Democrat from Springfield, is familiar with congressional discussions surrounding the independent federal agency, as she leads the Congressional Postal Service Caucus in the House. The US Post Office is self-funded and operated on 81billion dollars in revenues with nearly 90 Billion dollars in expenses last year
(Springfie3ld–jc) –According to a new report from the Tax Foundation, Illinois ranks 27th in the nation with a beer excise tax rate of 23 cents per gallon.
The report said Tennessee has the highest beer tax burden at $1.29. Wyoming’s rate of two cents a gallon is the lowest, followed by Missouri at six cents and Wisconsin at 6.5. The report said, in the United States, taxes are the most expensive ingredient in beer, accounting for more of the final price than labor and materials combined.
WPXN News notes…
Rantoul will hold their summer nights concert series on Friday, June 19th with New Souls performing in downtown from 6-9pm.
The Buckley Fire Department will hold a pancake and sausage breakfast on Saturday, June 20th from 6-10 am at the Buckley Fire Station.
The 2026 Buckley Fun Day will take place on Saturday, June 20th with the ladies aid bake sale and sportsmans club fishing derby at 9 am, tractor show from 10-2, golfing into the lake and kids inflatables from 11-2, CLHS food stand at 11 am, 4-H coloring contest 11-noon, tractor parade at noon, bingo from 1-2, kids tractor pull at 2 and the Lions Club Duck Race at 3:17pm.
The 2026 Fisher Blues, Brews and BBQ festival will take place on Saturday, June 20th from 11am-10pm.
The 27th annual Rankin Lions Club Truck and Tractor Pull will take place on Friday, June 26th at 6pm at Centennial Park.
The Onarga American Legion will hold a fish fry on Friday, June 26th from 4:30-7pm at the Legion Building at Durham Park.
