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Report Shows 110% Rise in Illinois Domestic Violence Deaths as Advocates Call for Action
Advocacy groups are sounding the alarm on a spike in domestic violence cases. A new report from the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence says domestic violence deaths in Illinois rose by 110% last year, with 94 incidents of domestic violence leading to 120 deaths in 2023. That includes 107 homicides and 13 suicides in which the perpetrators took their own lives. That’s up from the previous year, when there were 45 incidents that led to 57 deaths.
Produce sold at Walmart, Kroger stores in Illinois subject to recall over potential Listeria contamination
A recall of produce items originally issued earlier this month has been expanded to the possibility of listeria contamination, with select packaged and bulk produce items sold at Illinois Walmart and Kroger stores included. According to the Food and Drug Administration, no illnesses or consumer complaints connected to the recall...
Unemployment claims in Illinois declined last week
Initial filings for unemployment benefits in Illinois dropped last week compared with the week prior, the U.S. Department of Labor said Thursday. New jobless claims, a proxy for layoffs, fell to 8,428 in the week ending July 20, down from 9,574 the week before, the Labor Department said. U.S. unemployment...
Illinois Women Warned About Vicious New Banking & Romance Scams
Obviously no scam is good, but I would argue the worst are the ones that prey on emotions to rob a person blind or worse. That's why there are urgent warnings for Illinois women to be aware there are current ploys that use text messages to lure victims into romance and banking problems.
Illinois quick hits: Congress members file MINES Act; conservation police applications sought
Congressmembers file MINES Act A bipartisan proposal has been brought forth by some Illinois members of Congress to unveil the federal government’s efforts toward preventing coal mine collapses. The Monitoring, Investigating, Navigating and Explaining Subsidence Act was brought forth by U.S. Reps. Nikki Budzinski, D-Springfield, and Mike Bost, R-Murphysboro. It would require the U.S. Department of the Interior's Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement to provide a report to...
Construction continues at Urbana’s Meadowbrook Park
URBANA, Ill. (WCIA) — The Urbana Park District is getting closer to the expected completion of a major overhaul project at Meadowbrook Park. Andy Rosseau, the Park District’s Project Manager, said the district doesn’t have an exact date for when the project will be finished, but they expect it to be complete by late summer […]
‘It’s my heart’: Take a tour of the fiber arts store drawing people to Forsyth from across the country
FORSYTH, Ill. (WCIA) — It can be fun to get your creative juices flowing, starting a one-of-a-kind art project. In Our Town Forsyth, The Fabric Cobbler is filled with all the fabrics and other supplies you need to make anything your heart desires. Scarlett Wells, the owner, started her business 12 years ago with only […]
Irish Fest returns to Allerton next week
Allerton Park’s Irish Fest is back on Friday, August 2nd, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on the Gatehouse Lawn. The event features traditional Irish music by Turas at 6 p.m. and On the Lash at 7:30 p.m., offering new takes on classic songs. Food trucks Daro Coffee Co.,...
Miller Park Zoo set to open historic animal building for first time since 2020
BLOOMINGTON (25News Now) - For the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bloomington’s Miller Park Zoo is reopening the historic Katthoefer Animal Building to the public. The building was closed to visitors in March 2020 because the big cats, primates, and members of the weasel family...
Historic Lexington 'castle' hits the auction block
A historic home in Lexington will be sold by auction after sitting on the market for nearly a year. The 1898 Victorian mansion at 10 N. Spencer St., known as "The Castle," was originally built for David Hyatt Van Dolah, an aristocrat best known as a broker of French horses.
Springfield man faces murder charges after fatal shooting
A man has been charged after a fatal shooting on July 25 in Springfield. Stephen A. Woolridge was taken into custody a day after the shooting and was charged with three counts of first-degree murder. The shooting happened in the 700 block of North Fifth Street around 11 a.m. The victim, 45-year-old...
Springfield man indicted in drowning death of child
A Springfield man has been indicted in the death of a child March 16 who drowned while without adult supervision. Barrett Koches, 7, had been living with foster parents David Yankee and his husband, Michael, for nearly a month. Barrett was found in the family’s backyard pool in the 2300 block of Winnebago Drive.
Campus construction projects continue into the summer
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus is quickly remodeling and expanding with new academic and apartment buildings in summer 2024. Steven S. Wymer Hall, the Undergraduate Library and 608 E. Chalmers are just three projects being worked on over the summer. Steven S. Wymer Hall. Steven S. Wymer Hall began...
New Central coach: 'Whatever you want to learn, I'm here to help you learn it'
Jul. 25—CHAMPAIGN — Kris Bell's basketball roots go back to his childhood in Danville's Lincoln Park neighborhood. Playing in tournaments there launched a career that has included stints at Schlarman and two different semi-pro teams, Danville's former Coal Miners and Riverhawks clubs. "I came up in the Keon Clark era, where Bud Gouard used to have Post tournaments and anybody that was anybody ...
Community Spotlight: Medicare now accepted at UI Audiology & Speech-Language Pathology Clinic
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — The Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Clinic at the University of Illinois is now able to provide services for patients covered by Medicare. To talk about it, WCIA’s Brandon Merano was joined by Rabel Lohana from the College of Applied Sciences at Illinois for a Community Spotlight. The certification allows Medicare patients […]
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