By IIS Radio SPRINGFIELD -The Illinois State Fire Marshal’s office is offering some safe cooking tips for your Thanksgiving celebration. Some top reminders include never leaving food on the stove or grill unattended and making sure the stovetop is free of napkins or potholders that can catch fire says fire marshal spokesperson JC Fultz. “If…… MORE
By Dave Dahl SPRINGFIELD – The state of nursing homes at this stage of the pandemic faced an Illinois Senate committee. From the Health Care Council of Illinois, Matt Pickering says his members are hurting. “With the inadequate Medicaid funding, coupled with extraordinary expenses from the pandemic, many facilities in Illinois are in financial freefall,”…… MORE
By IIS Radio SPRINGFIELD – Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White’s office is launching its annual disability parking sting at malls across the state. The message of the operation is simple says secretary of state spokesperson Beth Kaufman: “If you don’t belong there, don’t park there.” “It’s a statewide shopping mall effort and we will…… MORE
By WJBC Staff CHICAGO – The Illinois Tollway expects as many as nine million vehicles with Thanksgiving travelers to drive the tollway system during this year’s extended holiday. Over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend the heaviest travel is expected on Wednesday when nearly 1.8 million vehicles are projected to use the 294-mile tollway system. On an…… MORE
By IIS Radio SPRINGFIELD – State and local police are boosting patrols for the Thanksgiving holiday. Police will be on the lookout for drunk drivers, speeders, those not wearing a seatbelt, distracted drivers and more says Illinois Department of Transportation spokesperson Paul Wappel. “There will be more patrols out including state troopers and local law…… MORE
By Neil Doyle BLOOMINGTON – Some communities are making changes to their Christmas Parade routes and adding safety measures after last weekend’s tragedy in Wisconsin. Bloomington Police Chief Jamal Simington says as of now, there won’t be any changes to the local parade route, but more conversations are taking place. Chief Simington spoke with WJBC’s…… MORE
By USDA SPRINGFIELD – There were 5.1 days suitable for field work during the week ending November 21, 2021. Statewide, the average temperature was 40.6 degrees, 1.3 degrees below normal. Precipitation averaged 0.26 inches, 0.41 inches below normal. Topsoil moisture supply was rated 11 percent short, 74 percent adequate, and 15 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture…… MORE
By HOI ABC MCLEAN COUNTY – One person is dead and another injured after a passenger vehicle struck a tow truck along southbound Interstate 55 at mile marker 173 in McLean County Monday night. Illinois State Police said preliminary reports indicate the tow truck was recovering a disabled semi-trailer along the shoulder when the tow…… MORE
By HOI ABC BLOOMINGTON – David Mouser will be the next superintendent at Bloomington Public Schools, pending approval of the District 87 Board of Education. A 25-year veteran of education, Mouser is currently the superintendent of Tri-Valley CUSD #3 in Downs and has served in the role since 2014. The board will make the official…… MORE
The McLean County Health Department is issuing guidance for the Thanksgiving holiday as county officials report 153 new cases of COVID-19 over the weekend.… MORE
By Mike Matejka Because of COVID, there is no Labor Day Parade this year. It’s always a great event for our everyday workers to march proudly down the street and enjoys the festive crowd. If there had been a parade, this year’s Labor Day theme was to be “150 years of struggle: your right to vote.” …
By Mike Matejka As President Donald Trump threatens to send federal marshals into Chicago, over the objections of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, recall another Illinois Governor who protested the incursion of armed federal personnel into the city. Those federal troops, rather than calming, escalated the situation, leading to deaths and violence. Illinois poet Vachel Lindsay…
By Mike Matejka Our nation is at a unique watershed in human relations. African-Americans have been killed too many times in the past before George Floyd, but the response to this man’s death is international and all-encompassing. I was a grade-schooler during the Civil Rights 1960s. I watched Birmingham demonstrators hosed and the Selma – Montgomery…
Looking around our community, when we say employer, most will respond to State Farm, Country, or Illinois State University. We too often forget those who are building our roads, serving our food, or our public employees. COVID-19 has made us more aware of the risk. Going to work every day for some people means…