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Champaign StreetFest to serve food, music, entertainment and more
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — This Saturday marks the Champaign StreetFest: Downtown Throwdown. The event will feature a food competition, music, live entertainment, local vendors, and kid-friendly activities. The StreetFest is put together by the City of Champaign and the Champaign Center Partnership. It will last from 2-9 p.m. on Walnut and Market Streets. The second […]
9TH ANNUAL WHITE SQUIRREL SADDLE CLUB 2024 TRACTOR SHOW AND TRUCK & JEEP SHOW THIS WEEKEND
(OLNEY) The East Fork Arena, just north of the East Fork Lake Dam, at the north edge of Olney, will be busy this Saturday from 8:00 to 3:00 with the 9th Annual White Squirrel Saddle Club’s 2024 Tractor Show and Truck & Jeep Show with only a $2.00 admission, free for those age 12 & younger. With Tractor registration from 8:00 to 10:00 and Truck & Jeep signup from 9:00 to 11:00, the judging is at 12 noon with various categories and the awards & dash plaques announced at 12:30. Also a skillet throw & fan belt toss at 10:00, auction at 11:00, pedal tractor pull at 1:00, and tractor games at 2:00, concluded by a Tractor Parade. Plus plenty of concessions, a huge bouncy inflatable green tractor with grain cart obstacle, various vendors, and bring your lawn chairs for the live Outdoor Classrooms, featuring a U of I Extension garden to pantry program, a petting zoo, and information about beekeeping & Christian homeschooling. All ages welcome. For more, call Jeff anytime at 618-302-7091.
CrimeStoppers seeking information after fiber optic cables cut, parts of St. Louis and Illinois suffer network disruptions
ST. LOUIS — Police are asking for the public's help in finding who is responsible for cutting fiber optic lines, leading to service disruptions throughout the St. Louis region. An area telecommunications provider experienced vandalism to their fiber optic network in recent months, according to St. Louis Regional CrimeStoppers.
Baby goat returned to petting zoo at Ozark Empire Fair, no charges filed
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Ever heard of a ‘Wild Goat Chase’? Workers at Hedricks Petting Zoo at the Ozark Empire Fair were left scrambling Tuesday night when witnesses informed staff of a theft. “We had already closed down and I was getting ready to head home and somebody said they [saw someone] steal a baby goat, […]
Kalamazoo man pleads guilty in international scam of elderly victims
Federal attorneys announced four people pleaded guilty Tuesday to participating in an international mail and wire fraud scheme originating in Nigeria and targeting elderly and vulnerable people. 37-year-old Fatai Okunola of Kalamazoo was charged along with three co-conspirators in Illinois and Texas. U.S. Attorney Mark Totten says the defendants used...
Springfield burglars steal $13k, Crime Stoppers seeking tips
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — The Springfield Police Department is looking for two people who stole more than $13,000 from an ATM and gaming machines earlier this month. Crime Stoppers is now getting involved in the hopes of finding a tip to pass along to police. Officials said that the morning of July 8, two suspects […]
Two Indicted on Charges of Possession of Stolen Vehicles
A La Salle County grand jury has indicted two people on charges of possession of stolen vehicles. On July 21, 33-year-old Travis Thomas of Marseilles was booked on a felony charge of possession of a stolen vehicle. According to court records, Thomas was involved in a crash that day that also led to a few tickets including leaving the scene of an accident.
Illinois Weather Alert: Severe Storms Expected Before Sunny Weekend
Champaign, IL – Central Illinois is set to experience a mix of severe weather and pleasant conditions in the coming days. According to the US National Weather Service, showers and thunderstorms will redevelop this afternoon, with some storms potentially being severe. The region is expected to face hot and humid conditions today, with heat index values ranging from 100 to 105 degrees.
Worker Freedom of Speech Act signed into law in Illinois
HENDERSON, Ky. (WEHT) — Wednesday, Illionois Governor JB Pritzker signed a bill that he says will help workers. “In Illinois, we respect the rights and dignity of workers,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “We will never stop fighting for an Illinois where every worker is given the dignity and respect they deserve,” said Governor Pritzker. The law bans […]
Experts discuss police officer training programs
SPRINGFIELD, ILL (WICS/WRSP) — Questions are being raised about the training for police officers. This comes after former sheriff's deputy Sean Grayson was arrested and charged with first degree murder in the death of Sonya Massey. The Illinois Sheriffs' Association tells us police officers go through a 16-week training...
Illinois’ first dispensary with dockside service opens in Chicago suburb
A new dispensary in suburban Chicago made waves in the cannabis industry with its grand opening Tuesday. Smokehouse, the state’s first dispensary located directly on the water, opened at 44 US 12 in Fox Lake. The new store offers boat slips and a dedicated attendant, catering to customers arriving...
OLNEY PRINCIPAL SERVING AS ILLINOIS PRINCIPALS ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT
(SPRINGFIELD) Congratulations to a Richland County school administrator as the Illinois Principals Association (IPA) has announced that Cris Edwards, principal of Richland County Elementary School in Olney, will serve as President of the IPA for the 2024-2025 school term. A member of the Illinois Principals Association since 2007, Edwards has most recently served as the State Director for the Wabash Valley region and a member of the IPA Board of Directors, plus she was named Illinois Elementary Principal of the Year in 2023, received the Wabash Valley “Reaching Out & Building Bridges” award in 2021, and the Wabash Valley Herman Graves award in 2019. Edwards began her career in education in 1992 as a Language Arts & Current Events teacher in Tuscon, Arizona, moving to Edwards County High School in Albion as Economics, Government, & Language Arts teacher and on to Parkview Junior High School in Lawrenceville as Social Sciences teacher before becoming an administrator in the Richland County School District in 2007.
PET OF THE WEEK: Meet Cookie, a sweet treat who is looking for his “furever” fam
CHAMPAIGN, IL (Chambana Today) – We’ve got a sweet addition to your family. He’s ready to hop in the cat carrier, go home with you, and settle into your daily routine. Cookie, a nearly 12 lb. male domestic short hair feline, is almost a year old and is currently available for adoption at the Champaign County Humane Society (CCHS). He is a confident young boy who has shown a lot of progress with time and calm, slow introductions.
Victim Treated and Released Following Tuesday Afternoon Shooting Incident in 400 Block of N. Bowman
THE FOLLOWING IS A DANVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT RELEASE. On Tuesday, 7/30/24 at about 2:00 p.m., Danville Police Officers and Detectives responded to the 400 block of N. Bowman for a 911 call reporting a subject had been shot. On arrival, officers located a 39-year-old male with a gunshot wound. The...
Can't Wait For Saturday | For reporters, every day feels like a game day
Jul. 31—*** If you wander by the Smith Center at about noon these days, you might see a pack of media types waiting to get in. I'm the one with the digital recorder, which replaced the giant cassette recorder that used to get in the way of camera shots. Not intentionally, of course. The Smith Center is the venue for daily media sessions, which are held before the players and coaches go into ...
Good Morning, Illini Nation: Mid-summer bracketology update
Jul. 31—We're inside 100 days until the first games of the 2024-25 college basketball season. The NCAA tournament? That's a little further away. Selection Sunday is March 16, and the First Four tips off two days later. But there's never not a good time to talk about bracketology. Even months away from basketball being played and even more from it being particularly relevant to where teams ...
Big summer leading TeRah Edwards to starting nose tackle spot: 'We are empowering him'
CHAMPAIGN — The final two games of last season are stuck in TeRah Edwards' mind. He can't shake them or the little things that led to two losses by two points each. Those losses, which kept Illinois from back-to-back bowl bids, fueled his summer and carried him into training camp where he's on the cusp of his biggest role yet.
Charleston Fire Chief retiring, replacement named
CHARLESTON, Ill. (WCIA) — The Charleston Fire Department has announced that their longtime chief is retiring. Chief Steve Bennett has served in the CFD for 25 years, but now he’s stepping away from the job. His last day will be Friday. As for Bennett’s successor, the city is promoting from within the department. City administrators […]