Local News

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) U.S. House members, including those from Illinois, introduced an amendment to the Farm Bill that would provide consumers with permanent, year-round access to E-15 fuel. The proposed Farm Bill could be voted on by the full House this week, although more than 300 amendments have been submitted. The E-15 amendment would allow year-round sales of higher ethanol-gasoline blends, plus it would change how biofuel-blending law exemption requests from […]

(OLNEY/NEWTON) With a Blood Emergency is place throughout the Midwest, the American Red Cross is asking area blood donors to get out and give blood at their next earliest opportunity to help replenish low area blood supplies on hand : Monday (4/27/26) at the Flat Rock Community Center from 1:00 to 5:30 Tuesday (4/28/26) at the Flora High School from 8:30 to 2:00 Tuesday (4/28/26) at the Blood Donation Center […]

(SPRINGFIELD) The Illinois State Police welcomed 20 new Troopers last Friday from Cadet Class 152 at a graduation ceremony at the ISP Academy in Springfield. With all of the new State Troopers reporting to duty as of yesterday, one was assigned to Troop 8, based in Collinsville, the others were split between Troops serving LaSalle, Moline, and Chicago. This class brings the number of State Troopers up to 741 that have joined the State Police since 2019.  (SPRINGFIELD) The Illinois Gaming […]

(LINCOLN) The National Weather Service had issued a Severe Thunderstorm Watch for the southern two-thirds of Illinois, not only including the 70+ southernmost counties in the Land of Lincoln, but for several counties in neighboring Missouri and Kentucky. In effect until 4:00 this afternoon, those in the watch area should monitor a NOAA Weather Alert Radio for updates.

(OLNEY/NEWTON) With an approaching storm system moving across the Midwest, our downstate area can expected multiple rounds of shower and thunderstorms, along with severe weather conditions likely by tonight. In fact the thunderstorms will be capable of producing strong damaging winds, large hail, flash flooding, and possibly tornadoes. As some lingering rain ends by tomorrow afternoon, we’ll dry out for the rest of the work week with temperatures hanging at […]

(OLNEY) It was earlier this week that the Illinois Eastern Community Colleges District accepted the intent to retire notice from Dr. Matt Fowler, President of Wabash Valley College and IECC Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs, which will be effective on June 30th, of next year, 2027. Dr. Fowler’s career with IECC spans more than 25 years, beginning in 1999 as a faculty member, and followed by a variety of roles within the District and at […]

(SPRINGFIELD) The USDA has signed a $300 million deal with Palantir Technologies Inc. this week to help the agency implement its “One Farmer, One File” initiative originally announced in February to help nationwide farmers reduce paperwork. The partnership is expected to help modernize how the USDA delivers services to farmers while strengthening farm security to accelerate the delivery of farmer programs in USDA’s farm production and conservation areas. The program is meant to provide all of a farmer’s USDA program data in […]

(SPRINGFIELD) It was earlier this week that the proposed millionaires tax was shot down in the Illinois House as the Democrat leadership said it was unable to get enough votes together to push it through. The proposed House Joint Resolution Constitutional Amendment 21 would have raised the tax rate on income earned more than $1 million from 4.95% to 7.95%. The tax dollars brought in by the amendment would have […]