(Undated–jc) –Gas prices have risen again. According to Triple A, the average price for a gallon of regular unleaded in Illinois jumped from 4 dollars .53 cents Tuesday to nearly 4 dollars 63 cents Wednesday. The national average increased 4 cents to 4 dollars 37 cents on the average. The price for a gallon diesel in Illinois was also up another dime to 6 dollars 26 cents per gallon
(Champaign County-jm) — State Representative Carol Ammons and her husband Champaign County Clerk Aaron Ammons will now go on trial in December in their federal court case. The couple filed motions asking their upcoming pretrial hearing and opening day of trial to be postponed after their initial hearing was set for Election Day, November 3rd, with the trial beginning November 17th, the deadline in which all election ballots including absentee and mail in ballots, must be counted.
(Springfield–jc) The man responsible for investigating misconduct of Illinois lawmakers will resign at the end of the month following criticism of his work. Democrats and Republicans are calling for a stronger Legislative Inspector General and ethics reforms to address issues under the Capitol dome. Reaction from 106th District State Representative Jason Bunting, Republican from Emmington…
106th District State Representative Jason Bunting Republican from Emmington
(Paxton-jm) – A Chicago man has been sentenced to 18 years in prison for possessing fentanyl and battering a peace officer. Rashawn Carter pleaded guilty to one count of manufacturing and delivering 400-900 grams of fentanyl and one count of battery of a peace officer. Carter was arrested after he fled from an Illinois State Trooper who pulled him over near Paxton back in June. He was located up in a tree and arrested.
(Paxton-jm) – Two people accused of committing an armed robbery at a Paxton park last year have been sentenced following plea deals. 23 year old Stefonce Moffitt was sentenced to 21 years in prison after pleading guilty to armed robbery. In exchange, a charge of theft between $500–$1000 and driving on a suspended license was dismissed. 24 year old Devin Starkey was sentenced to 23 years in prison after pleading guilty to one count of armed robbery. A charge of theft between $500-$1000 was dismissed. A third defendant, 23 year old Jamarh Gray, is charged with a single count of armed robbery. His trial is set for October 5th. The armed robbery occurred at Fulton Park in March of 2025.
(Paxton–jc) City of Paxton engineers continue to take the next steps in the process for the improvements on North Market Street in the city to the township and county property lines. The city received a million dollar grant to help with that project. Paxton Mayor Bill Ingold says the city is expecting to let bids sometime later this year or early 20-27…
Paxton Mayor Bill Ingold
(Springfield–jc) – The state of Illinois continues to wait on the federal government concerning a requested presidential major disaster declaration from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for severe weather that impacted eight Illinois counties last month. If approved, F-E-M-A grants would be available for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs to help residents and businesses. Governor Pritzker did extend his August 18th disaster proclamation for another 30 days. The FEMA request covers Champaign, Cook, Ford, Fulton, McLean, Tazewell, Vermilion and Will counties.
(Paxton–jc) – Weather permitting, The City of Paxton will be flushing hydrants starting Thursday, October 1st through Friday, October 9th beginning on the West side of town. During this time water users may notice some discoloration or loss of water pressure.
(Paxton–jc) It’s property tax time again for property owners in Ford County. Ford County Treasurer Taylor Burnett says the second installment is due by Friday…
Ford County Treasurer Taylor Burnett
(Springfield–jc) – By refusing to join a federal tax credit scholarship program, Illinois may be forgoing more than 1 Billion Dollars in education funding.
Illinois Governor J-.B Pritzker has not yet announced whether Illinois will opt in or opt out of the program that is set to take effect on January First. American Federation for Children Senior Fellow Patrick Graff said the scholarships would take no money from the public school system. The initiative provides individual tax credits up to One Thousand 700 Dollars for donations to eligible scholarship-granting organizations. Graff said people in states that opt out could still receive a tax credit by donating to organizations in states that opt in.
(Washington–jc) Illinois Republican U.S. Rep. Mary Miller has introduced legislation she says will protect college students’ personal information from being shared without their consent for partisan voter registration drives.
Miller introduced the Student Voter Data Protection Act on Wednesday. The measure requires student participation in such data sharing to be opt-in rather than opt-out.
(Mahomet–jc) No new teachers deal has been reached in the Mahomet Seymour School District in the latest meeting between the district and teacher representatives. There is speculation that teachers may take the next step to go on strike. No timetable was given on the next steps in the process.
(Springfield-jm) — The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is working to improve a law that took effect in January and gave landowners and farmers more flexibility to hunt deer on their property. Farmers across the state told lawmakers nuisance deer cause expansive and costly damage. During a Joint Committee on Administrative Rules meeting, members of the committee expressed concerns about the vagueness of the law and asked for some clearer guidance on the law.
(Washington–jc) The pace of the fall harvest has picked up in East Central Illinois and the harvest is slightly ahead of the average for this time of the year. U S D A Meteorologist Brad Rippey looks at the corn and soybeans harvested to date…
U S D A Meteorologist Brad Rippey
(Watseka–jc) Iroquois County Clerk Breein Suver is reminding voters that the Illinois State Board of Elections has a feature on its public website. This tool has proven to be a great benefit to all Illinois residents. The “tool” is called “Are You Registered to Vote” and it allows individuals to answer that very question quickly and easily. Those interested can access the link through the Iroquois County website and look for the “Are You Registered to Vote?” tab.
(Champaign County–jc) –The Champaign County Association of REALTORS is celebrating its members with annual awards. A highlight of this year’s celebration was the announcement of Carol Meinhart, broker with The Real Estate Group, as 2026 Realtor of the Year. Mark Adair, of Pristine Inspections & Testing, was named Affiliate of the Year. Rylee Khachaturian, broker with Coldwell Banker Real Estate Group, was named R.O.O.K.I.E. of the Year. Eric Porter, broker at The Real Estate Group, is the recipient of the Linda J. Green Legacy Award and
Nick Taylor, managing broker of Taylor Realty in Mahomet, was the winner of the Affiliates Choice Award.
(Paxton–jc) It takes a lot of volunteers to help with the one day, full day event, Paxton Swine and Dine each year. Paxton Swine and Dine Spokesperson Alan Meyer says more volunteers are welcome…
Paxton Swine and Dine Spokesperson Alan Meyer. The annual event is this Saturday in downtown Paxton. WPXN will be broadcasting live at 7am to help start the day in the city.
(Champaign-jm) – Duncan Road in Champaign will close this week to complete construction. The road will close today until noon between Bloomington Road and Marianna Drive. The overpass portion will be closed to traffic but access will remain to properties in the area. The city of Champaign says the contractor will work to end construction as soon as possible to minimize disruptions.
(Champaign–jc) –The Champaign Fire Department responded to a fire in a duplex in the 28 hundred block of Heritage Drive Wednesday morning just after 9. Fire crews quickly extinguished this fire. Once on the scene, firefighters reported light smoke coming from the eaves of the home. A single hose line was extended to extinguish this fire that originated in the wall. The cause of this fire is accidental and was attributed to electrical work being performed in the home. No injuries were reported.
(Bloomington–jc) The I H S A Football regular season is at the halfway point this week and this year more teams will be making the playoffs. In updating our story from yesterday, I H S A Assistant Executive Director Matt Troha says the final decision was made to help conferences, scheduling and competition…
I H S A Assistant Executive Director Matt Troha
(St Louis–jc) – A federal judge in St. Louis has sentenced a Pakistani national who ran a Ponzi scheme that bilked investors out of millions of dollars to 11 years in prison. Prosecutors said Siddharth Jawahar, 38, was in the United States illegally. From 2016 to 2023, Jawahar allegedly took in about 35 million dollars from investors in his company, Swiftarc Capital L-L-C while investing about $10 million and fueling an extravagant lifestyle.
WPXN News notes…
Paxton’s annual Swine n Dine BBQ Competition and Festival will take place on Saturday, September 19th in downtown Paxton. The evening's entertainment includes live music with Gina Miles and Gabby Barrett.
The Champaign County Farm Bureau will host From Seed to Prairie: How tallgrass prairie plants got their start on Monday, September 21st at 7pm. The event is free but registration is required.
The Ford County Public Health Department will hold a walk in flu clinic on Wednesday, September 23rd from 8:30-11 am at the Kempton American Legion.
The Milford Christian Church will hold their Harvest of Talents on Saturday, September 26th from 8-2. Activities include breakfast and lunch, kids games from 9-11 and live auction at 1pm.
The 58th annual Clinton Apple n Pork Festival will take place on Saturday, September 26th and Sunday, September 27th.
The Gathering in Gilman will hold their Junk in the Trunk outdoor flea market on Saturday, September 26th from 9-2.
