(The Center Square) – A Mahomet man has been charged with fraud and failing to pay employment taxes to the Internal Revenue Service. Prosecutors charged Hans Lee Grotelueschen, 56, with failing to pay the employer’s share of more than $859,000 collected from workers at this Champaign based business, YG Financial Group, from 2018 through 2024. Grotelueschen was also accused of fraudulently obtaining and improperly using pandemic era loans.

 

(Springfield–jc)  A new law signed by Illinois Governor J B Pritzker yesterday requires construction sites with 10 or more workers to provide a separate restroom for women. Reaction to the new law from 88th District  Republican Representative Regan Deering of Decatur…

 

88th District State Representative Reagan Deering Republican from Decatur

 

(Champaign-jm) – Champaign Police are investigating a report of shots fired Monday afternoon. Authorities say officers responded to the 2500 block of West Springfield Avenue just before 4 on Monday afternoon. Upon investigation, officers located shell casings and damage to a vehicle and building.  The investigation continues this morning

 

(Rantoul–jc)  Activities at the Rantoul Sports Complex may change some, but the months of September and October are busy ones. Rantoul Sports Complex Director of Operations Brandon Denton says several large soccer tournaments are coming to Rantoul…

   

Rantoul Sports Complex Director of Operations Brandon Denton

 

(Rantoul-jm) – Champaign County Crimestoppers and Rantoul Police are seeking the public's help in identifying the person who committed a hit and run crash in Rantoul. It happened around 12:30pm  on July 31st in the parking lot of the Rantoul Walmart. They say a male exited Walmart and entered a gray Audi SUV with Florida plate. As he was backing out, he struck the rear driver’s side quarter panel of a second vehicle causing over $1,000 in damage before leaving the scene. The suspect is described as a slim black male wearing a black t shirt, black shorts and white and pink shoes. 

 

(Rantoul–jc)  There is a new wall mural in Rantoul. The Champaign County African American Heritage Trail and the Experience Champaign-Urbana Foundation unveiled the mural to honor the Tuskegee Airmen who trained at the former Chanute Air Force Base in Rantoul. Several family members of the Tuskegee Airman were present on Monday afternoon. Family Member Barbara Suggs Mason  says the mural does a great job of depicting the airmen…

Tuskegee Airmen Family Member Barbara Suggs Mason

Another family member present was Angela Rivers who talked about her uncle who trained at Chanute…

Tuskegee Airman Family Member Angela Rivers.

Both ladies are residents of Champaign.

 

(Mahomet–jc)  An incident along Interstate 72 near Mahomet in Champaign County caused traffic delays for several hours Monday morning and early afternoon. All lanes were closed and diverted near Mahomet. Authorities say a semi tractor trailer caught fire. 

 

(Paxton–jc)  It’s just over 1 thousand 200. That’s the amount of students in the Paxton Buckley Loda School District. Paxton Buckley Loda School Superintendent Eric Bohm provides more on the numbers…

 

 

Paxton Buckley Loda School Superintendent Eric Bohm

 

(Champaign County–jc)  – The Champaign County Residential Electronics Collection  event this fall will take place on Saturday, October 10, 2026, from 8am to noon at Parkland College.  Registration for this event opens on Tuesday, September First. To attend the  event, residents of Champaign County must register online in advance on line  The online registration process allows residents to reserve an available 15-minute time slot between 8 a.m. and 12 p.m. on Saturday, October 10. 

 

(Springfield–dm)-The Illinois treasurer’s office made $1.45 billion in investment earnings from the state investment portfolio during fiscal year 2026, according to a statement from Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs. The agency said it made nearly $759 million in gross investment earnings for cities, school districts, counties and other units of government through the Illinois Funds local government investment pool.

 

WATSEKA, Ill. — Iroquois Memorial Hospital will hold its September Know Your Numbers Lab Fair Sept. 14-19 at the hospital in Watseka and at IMH clinic locations in Gilman, Kentland, Milford and St. Anne on select days. No appointment is necessary. The Lab Fair gives area residents an opportunity to have routine blood work completed for $65. Several additional screenings are also available for an added cost.They include Ferritin testing , a thyroid profile and T-S-H testing A-One-C and vitamin level test are also options, Lab Fair dates and times vary by location.

 

(The Center Square) – President Donald Trump has announced plans to visit the Chicago area for the Presidents Cup golf tournament scheduled from September 22-27 at Medinah Country Club. Trump said it was his honor to accept PGA Tour Commissioner Brian Rolapp’s invitation to be the honorary chairman of the Presidents Cup.

 

(Urbana-jm) – University of Illinois police have arrested a second juvenile in connection to an armed threats call last week. UIPD officers took the second suspect into custody Saturday night after spotting him near Fifth and Green Streets. Officers detained the teenager because he matched the description of the suspect. Despite commands to keep his hands visible, the juvenile repeatedly reached into his pockets. During a subsequent search, officers discovered a loaded, unserialized handgun tucked into his waistband. The juvenile was charged with aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of an unserialized firearm and unlawful possession of a firearm without a FOID card.

 

(Rantoul–jc)   The Champaign County African American Heritage Trail and the Experience Champaign-Urbana Foundation unveiled  a new mural honoring the Tuskegee Airmen Monday at 707 Veterans Parkway in Rantoul. Experience C-U’s Robert White talks about the funding for the new mural in the village…

 

 

Experience C-U’s Robert White. The mural was created by Chicago Artist  Dwight White the second, and pays tribute to the service, courage, excellence, and sacrifice of the Tuskegee Airmen while recognizing Rantoul’s meaningful place in their story through the former Chanute Field.

 

(Gibson City-jm) – Gibson City leaders are looking at ways to address flooding in their community. They want to create two properties in town to increase the outflow of water. The project would involve a dry basin to capture 40 percent of the water from the northeast part of the city. That would cost about a million dollars. They are also planning a new $32 million sewer plant to actively pump water out of the system. The city’s next steps are to raise enough money for the projects. They are already sitting at half a million dollars for the dry basin project.

 

(Livingston County-jm) – Two people have been arrested in Livingston County after police say a traffic stop revealed four children, two adults and two dogs enclosed in the back of a U-Haul truck. It happened last week on I-55 at Pontiac. The driver told police they were moving from Louisiana to Michigan. Roy Hamel the second and Sabrina McKinney were charged with six counts each of endangering the life or health of a child. The children were taken to the hospital to be examined for heat related injuries.

 

(Washington–dm)-A mid-July heat dome appears to have contributed to late August crop condition numbers for corn grown in parts of the Midwest.

USDA’s Rod Bain has the story

 

 

(Champaign–jc)  –Parkland College will host the 2026 Illinois Regional College Fair  for area high school students and their families to explore a wide range of higher learning opportunities on Monday, September 14. The event introduces high school and community college-transfer students to representatives and displays from more than 60 national educational institutions. Participants will learn more about educational planning and speak to college and university representatives.

 This event is free and open to the public.

 

 

(The Center Square) – Trump administration officials say they have ordered the emergency removal of 110 commercial driver’s license schools associated with more than 5,000 drivers who failed English language proficiency tests. They have also shut down 150 additional schools that claim to be certified but have unlicensed instructors and don't have adequate space to allow drivers to get behind the wheel and drive. U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy and U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin spoke in Detroit on Monday, joined by other federal officials and U.S. attorneys from several Midwest districts. “A lot of the licenses unlawfully issued come from California, New York, and a lot from Illinois,Duffy said. Duffy also said many of the violations happen in the Midwest. The Illinois Secretary of State’s office did not immediately respond to The Center Square’s request for comment.

 

(Paxton–dm)-There’s lots of activities going on at the Paxton Library.  Paxton Library Director Deb Mason tells us about some of the activities happening soon.

 

 

Paxton Library Director Deb Mason

 

WPXN News notes…

The American Red Cross will hold a blood drive at the Paxton Church of Christ on Thursday, September 3rd from 12:30-5:30 pm.

 

The 78th Annual Central State’s Thresherman’s Reunion in Pontiac will take place September 3rd through the 7th.

 

The 82nd Annual National Sweetcorn Festival will take place September 3rd-7th at McFerren Park in Hoopeston. 

 

Middlefork Forest Preserve in Penfield will host their 3rd annual Cardboard Boat regatta on Saturday, September 5th registration and inspections begin at 2:30 pm with races beginning at 3:30 pm.

 

Dennis Stroughmatt and Band will perform at the Melvin Community Hall on Saturday, September 5th at 7pm. Doors open at 5:30 pm. Cost is $10 for adults, kids under 12 are free.

 

The Harvest Moon Drive In Theatre in Gibson City will hold their 15th annual Frightfest weekend number One– September 10th through the 12th.