The state won’t be having its request for another hearing on same day voter registration heard by a federal judge. The Illinois Attorney General’s Office was denied the opportunity by Judge Samuel Der-Yeghiayan. The judge refused to reconsider his decision that the same day option benefited Democratic strongholds. That flew against the argument from the AG that not allowing same day registration would unfairly deny some citizens voting rights. This isn’t the last step in the appeal process, another one can be filed to the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Curt Lovelace's second trial will be held next year, and away from Adams County. 

Saying he has reasonable apprehension that Lovelace would have an impartial jury at his murder re-trial, Judge Bob Hardwick Friday granted a defense request to move the trial out of Adams County, due to extensive local media coverage. The trial will now be held in Sangamon County Court in Springfield, starting January 23rd, and last two weeks. Defense attorney Tara Thompson said afterwards she's happy with the decision.



In his ruling, Hardwick cited results of a survey done by the defense over the summer, that said one third of 200 Adams County residents surveyed had formed an opinion on the case. 

Lovelace faces one count of 1st Degree Murder, and is accused of smothering his first wife Cory with a pillow the night before her body was found on Valentine's Day, 2006. He remains free on 3 point 5 million dollars' bond. 

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin used his seat as ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration to move the discussion forward on allowing Syrian refugees. Durbin says the numbers of the bloodshed and instability of Syria just keep getting worse and it's now the largest refugee crisis in history.

Durbin says children are bearing the brunt of the suffering.

Durbin cited the analysis of former CIA Director Michael Hayden, who notes the global refugee crisis is straining the resources and infrastructures of Lebanon, Jordan, and Turkey.

Do you ever wonder why Illinois roads are deteriorating, even though we have higher gas taxes than many neighboring states? One big reason is the money we pay in gas taxes and registration fees doesn’t always get used for road construction, instead being diverted to the general fund. There is a constitutional amendment on the ballot November 8th that would prevent state government from diverting money away from the road fund. Don Shaefer is with the Midwest Truckers Association.



How much money has the legislature diverted from the road fund over the years?

Don Shaefer. Six billion dollars could have gone a long way toward improved roads and bridges. Taking money from the motor fuel tax fund is unfair to taxpayers, especially in rural Illinois where we have to drive more and there is little or no public transportation. It is also a tax that hits lower and moderate income people the hardest. So if you want better roads, and more truth in taxation, vote YES on the safe roads amendment on Nov 8th.

The City of Shelbyville is looking more appealing to both residents and visitors, and the city is hoping a program called Street Scape will help boost that even more. Street Scape's application was sent in Shelbyville since 2010 and Thom Schafer Streets Commissioner from the Shelbyville City Council said he thinks when all is said and done with the program, there will be many positives that comes to the city.

Another thing Shafer is focused on is the Shelbyville Bike Trail, where phase 8 is in the works, to lengthen the trail even more. Shafer said this trail will also help the city continue its plan to better Morgan Street and improve features of it.

The construction of Morgan Street will begin later this year. Shafer appeared on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show live from our Shelbyville Studios.

A local Taylorville business has just recently completed a remodel of their current location. Doc’s Maytag on the corner of Spresser and Cheney Streets recently updated their store for a much more customer friendly environment. Tammy Braye, co-owner of Doc’s Maytag said how they saw the renovation as an opportunity to better serve their customers.

Doc’s Maytag has been around with a storefront location in Taylorville for over a decade. Braye shared the history of the store.

Docs Maytag also plans to run several specials to help celebrate their renovations at Chillifest. Braye said what to expect at their booth at Chillifest.

Doc’s Maytag is open Monday through Friday from 9 until 5, and on Saturday from 10 until 2. For more information give them a call at 824-8100.

SCAN or Strasburg Community Action Network strives to make the village a great place to live for present and future residents. SCAN helped develop a housing lot called York Acres where, essentially, people can live there for free with help from other SCAN programs. Justin Kline from SCAN explained how this works.

Tomorrow morning, SCAN is holding Burnout for the Burg, a car show fundraiser, to make sure SCAN can continue to progress with it's projects and improve Strasburg. Kline said SCAN's main focus is on repairing the parking lot at the community center.

Kline appeared on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show live from our Shelbyville Studios. 

All of Shelby County is looking to improve and the Shelby County Board is constantly finding new ways to do just that. One way they are doing this, is by focusing on their youth and giving them the chance to take a step ahead of other kids and join the Shelby County CEO program. Bruce Cannon, Vice Chairman of the Shelby County Board said this program is still being set up, and 58 local businesses and people are interested in getting it going.

Cannon said Shelby County is also thinking about applying for an enterprise zone which will help expand the county and allow more business and residents to come in.

The three year tax abatement means if someone builds a house or business on the enterprise zone, property tax won't be assessed for three years. The County will discuss to move forward with the idea this upcoming week. Cannon appeared on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show live from our Shelbyville Studios. 

A new seasonal business has opened up for business in Taylorville. Sunny Knoll Organics sells organically grown pumpkins as well as seasonal decorations. Nick Poor, Co-Owner of Sunny Knoll Organics talked about what the business is all about.

Poor explained the difference between organically grown pumpkins and non-organically grown pumpkins.

Pumpkins and decorations won’t be the only thing that Sunny Knoll Organics will sell. Poor talked about how he dyes concrete, and how he makes old concrete attractive.

Sunny Knoll Organics will be open from the spring until the late fall months. Poor said Sunny Knoll Organics may be open for the Christmas season, but that hasn’t been decided yet.

The Greater Taylorville Chamber of Commerce Chillifest starts in just two days, and the city of Taylorville is buzzing with energy. This year will be bigger and better than it's been in a long time, with two stages for shows, carnival rides, and Taylorville now being the Chili Capital of Illinois. Patty Hornbuckle, CEO of the Taylorville Chamber explained all that's going on in the Taylorville Square to prepare for the celebration.

Hornbuckle wanted to clarify that both bags tournaments Chillifest is holding will be blind draws, to prevent people from choosing their partner and running the boards.

Chillifest kicks off Saturday Morning October 1st in the Taylorville Square. More information can be found at chillifest.info or by calling the chamber office at 824-4919. Hornbuckle appeared on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show. 

Next week is National 4-H week and the University of Illinois Extension is ready to celebrate with the kids. Throughout the week the extension will have different ways to celebrate such as wearing clovers, and participating in trivia night. But Terri Miller, Publicist at the U of I Extension explained the reason to celebrate 4-H week.

Miller said she advocates 4-H because of what she's seen it do to help her daughters grow to become more confident, prepared, and leader-like.

Next Tuesday will be the big day for National 4-H week in Christian County as they celebrate Clover Day, and that night the organization is playing “Are You Smarter than a 4-H'er.” For more information call the extension office at 217-287-7246. Miller appeared on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show. 

Lincoln Land Community College is beginning to have Advising Appointments for the Spring Semester. Open registration starts October 20th, but that's right around the corner, so it's important students meet with their advisers, to make sure they take the right classes to graduate on time. Scott Stallman, Associate Vice President of Education Outreach at LLCC said this is the time for students to begin setting up appointments, and gave a sneak peak of some of the classes offered next semester.

LLCC is also coming Taylorville High School where the high school is having their College Night on October 5th, to help students figure out where they want to go and what school might be the best fit for them.

More information can be found at llcc.edu, by calling Stallman at 786-2774, or by visiting the campus on Spresser Street in Taylorville by the airport. Stallman appeared on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show. 

The Taylorville Kiwanis Club installed new officers for the new Kiwanis year starting October First, at their weekly meeting on Tuesday.  From the left:  Dan Sneed, Treasurer; outgoing President Bill Kerns; Division 30 Lieutenant Governor and local Spiritual Aims Committee chair Dick Wamsley; Secretary Diane Beatty; incoming President Will Perkins; and President Elect for 2017-18 Martin Vota.

__________________________

The Taylorville Kiwanis Club reviewed committee efforts this past Kiwanis year, and held its annual installation of officers, at its weekly meeting Tuesday at the Taylorville Memorial Hospital auditorium.

The Taylorville Kiwanis Club was involved in many projects for children and youth in the past year. The club's Priority One committee, chaired by member Harriett Morrisey, distributed coats, hats, gloves and boots to young children thru their Coats for Kids program.  The committee also sponsored a car seat safety check, and donated a car safety seat to a needy family.

The Kiwanis Club's Park Committee, chaired by Jerry Woodard, continued improvements at the park on Lake Taylorville, including installing new parking lot posts, installed 3 new signs, and is working on 2 smaller pavilions and improving the large pavilion at the park.

The club was involved in a number of fund raising efforts in the past Kiwanis year, with all monies staying in the communities to benefit children and youth.  Fund raisers included Peanut Days, the WRAN Kiwanis Radiothon, Pancake and Sausage Breakfast, and Happy Bucks.

The club uses those dollars to support local youth efforts, including Camp Care-A-Lot, YMCA programs, high school scholarships for college, the local Food Pantry, Christmas In the Park, International Spastic Paralysis, the Shriner's Hospital for Crippled Children, and Project Eliminate to eliminate tetnus worldwide.  The club also sponsors the High School Kiwanis Key Club and Junior High Builders Club.

The club awarded the Kiwanisian of the Year Award to member Randy Miller, for his efforts as publicity co-chair, hosting the WRAN Kiwanis Radiothon, and his involvement in Peanut Days and the Pancake and Sausage Breakfast.

Incoming Kiwanis officers starting October First are Will Perkins as president, Martin Vota as president-elect, Diane Beatty continuing as secretary, and Dan Sneed continuing as treasurer.

The Taylorville Kiwanis Club is part of global organization of volunteers dedicated to improving the world one child and one community at a time.  Weekly meetings are held Tuesdays at noon at the Taylorville Memorial Hospital auditorium.  For information on the club, go to taylorvillekiwanis.com.
 

Regional Radio News has learned that water services in the City of Nokomis has temporarily been turned off, and that a boil order will be in effect once service is resumed. It's currently unknown as to why water services were interrupted, or when they will resume. Regional Radio News will have more details once they become available.

National Bank at Hillsboro has hired a new commercial loan officer, William Cobetto. Cobetto served as the assistant adjutant general for the Illinois National Guard and was responsible for the operations and programs effecting over 3,000 Illinois Air National Guard personnel. In addition to his time in the military, Cobetto also attended St. Louis University where he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Aeronautical Administration. Cobetto has also been the owner of two local businesses for over 20 years.

Some election officials are rethinking their plans for November 8th after a federal judge scaled back Election Day voter registration for highly populated areas in Illinois. Republican forces who filed suit claimed the extension of same day registration was unconstitutional. Judge Samuel Der-Yeghiayan's (dehr-YAY'-gehnz) move temporarily blocks wider same-day registration at individual polling places. State Senator Bill Brady weighed in.

If you think the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is just about Lincoln, think again. A new exhibit “Rare and Rarely Seen” features an impressive set of artifacts. Chris Wills with the Library//museum says one of the most impressive items features crucial correspondence between the two top generals of the Civil War.

Other items include a dress worn by Marilyn Monroe, wooden shoes worn by someone held at the Dachau Nazi Concentration Camp, a Howitzer shell representing Illinois that was fired at President Kennedy's funeral and a document signed by George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. The exhibit runs through January 29th. 

Tuesday was National Voter Registration Day and State Senator Andy Manar used that event to prop up his push for automatic voter registration. The measure that Manar sponsored was passed by lawmakers in a bi-partisan vote, but Manar says Governor Bruce Rauner reversed a previous stance on the legislation and vetoed it. Manar continues to tout the benefits of automatic registration and he responds to those who believe the legislation paves the way toward vote fraud.

Manar's legislation would create an opt-out voter registration system instead of the current opt-in system. Under the proposal, eligible Illinois voters would be automatically registered to vote when they visited the Illinois secretary of state and other similar state agencies for services.

Rebecca’s Antiques just recently re-opened at a new location on the southeast corner of the Taylorville Square. Rebecca Stiner, owner of Rebecca’s Antiques spoke with Regional Radio News and talked about her history in the antique business.

The new location on the square has undergone a lot of restoration since the decision was made to move into the new location. There is still some work to be done, however Stiner said she plans to restore the building, instead of replacing various aspects of it.

Stiner does plan on having a grand re-opening complete with a ribbon cutting ceremony with the Greater Taylorville Chamber of Commerce, however a date has not been picked yet for that.

The University of Illinois Extension and Christian County 4H are preparing for Christian County Ag Safety Day Thursday. The event will be held at the Christian County Fairgrounds and will aim to teach local 5^th graders about the importance of safety when dealing with Agriculture. Alicia Gullidge, Program Coordinator with 4-H and Youth Development at the University of Illinois Extension shared what the kids will learn about during the day.

Gullidge shared one particular issue the program looks to highlight for the kids.

There has been a reduction in area deaths in the Ag Industry, partially due to an increased focus on safety. Gullidge said if we can continue to teach the next generation of the Ag industry, that number will continue to drop.

Morning sessions begin at 9am, with the afternoon sessions beginning at 12:15pm.

2016 Christian County Ag Safety Day Presenters

• Shelby County Electric - Electrical Safety
• Taylorville Fire Department - Fire Safety
• Darrick Fleming - PTO/Auger-Christian County Seeds
• Taylorville Police Department - Gun Safety
• Gary Letterly - Mower Safety
• Melissa Brookens - Water Safety
• Jerry Sutton - Home and Farm Chemical Safety
• Megan Lutz - Grain Bin Safety

Taylorville's celebration of the year is days away and citizens are ready to celebrate and have a good time with a bowl of chili. Mayor Greg Brotherton said he is also excited for Chillifest and said he loves seeing the kind of turn out there will be and all of the visiting people enjoying the town of Taylorville.

Mayor Brotherton said Taylorville being the Chili Capital of Illinois makes this celebration even better, and the future of Chillifest looks bright.

Chillifest takes place on the Taylorville Square October 1st and 2nd and Regional Radio News will cover the entire event. Go to the Chillifest tab on taylorvilledailynews.com for full details. Mayor Brotherton appeared on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show. 

Planning for retirement is an important part of anyone's life, and it's good to know some of the best ways to plan for retirement. Social Security will only replace 30 to 40 percent of someone's pre-retirement income, but it's much better to have around 70 to 80 percent coming in. Kevin Rice, Assistant Manager of the Social Security Administration in Springfield said there are many possible ways to plan for retirement and begin to save today.

Rice said Social Security also helps calculate what someone's retirement benefit will be, that way people can know what to expect by the time they retire. 

Rice said more information can be found at socialsecurity.gov, and it's important that it's dot gov because there are many other scamming websites out there. Rice appeared on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show. 

This week Crimestoppers is seeking information in regards to a criminal damage that occurred in Taylorville.

At around 7:30 pm on Monday September 26, 2016, person or persons unknown shot and damaged 4 windows at the Family Dollar Store, located at 201 West Vine Street. The unknown subject or subjects drove by the store and fired a pellet gun at the windows as they passed. 3 windows were damaged and a fourth was completely shattered. The suspect vehicle then left the scene heading west on Vine Street. The total dollar amount of damage is unknown at this time.  

Please contact Crimestoppers if you have any information on this crime or any other crimes or wanted persons. Crimestoppers will pay cash rewards of up to $1,000.00 for information that leads to an arrest and you do not have to give your name. Crimestoppers will pay double the normal reward for information that leads to an arrest for the crime of the week. 

You can contact Crimestoppers at 824-9100, at our website Christiancountycrimestoppers.org, or by texting CRIMES (274632) and then your tip. As always, you will remain anonymous.  

We don’t often think of earthquakes in Illinois, but they do happen. Not only is the famous New Madrid Fault close to southern Illinois, but there is a Wabash Fault that runs along the Wabash river valley. The New Madrid fault hasn’t produced a major earthquake since 1812, but every now and then someone predicts one. Is this something to worry about?

RFD asked Tim Larson with the State Geological Survey if earthquake insurance is a good idea in Illinois. He says it depends on where you live.



Homeowners insurance typically does not cover earthquakes, but a rider can easily be added to your policy at fairly low cost. 

With harvest moving along rapidly, farmers are hoping for a period of cool dry weather to keep the combines running, and State Climatologist Jim Angel says the next ten days will bring near perfect conditions.



That takes us through the first week of October.., The rest of the month should be mild, with normal to above normal rainfall, especially in western Illinois.



Jim Angel with our harvest weather update.

Bloomington physician David Gill's roller coaster bid to get on the November ballot in the 13th Congressional District has suffered a possible fatal blow. U.S. Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan is denying Gill's request to face off against incumbent Rodney Davis and Decatur Democrat Mark Wicklund. Gill appealed to the Supreme Court last week the U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals blocked a lower court order to return him to the ballot. Gill is running out of options, but he has at least one more card to play. He plans to appeal to a different Supreme Court justice, which is allowed under court rules.

Congressman Rodney Davis wants Washington to expand investment in pediatric cancer. Four percent of the National Cancer Institute's (NCI) budget goes toward pediatric cancer research and he says that's not enough. It's not the only number that bothers Davis who is still stirred by the memory of a Jerseyville's boy battle with cancer.

September is Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month.

One of the many fun activities that will be available at the Greater Taylorville Chamber of Commerce Chillifest will be a scarecrow fundraiser where you can build your own scarecrow. Mathew Heberling with the New Vision 4-H Club that will be operating the booth at Chillifest said how the scarecrow fundraiser will work.

The event will operate much like build-a-bear, but with scarecrows. Heberling shared what the pricing will be to build your own scarecrow.

The funds generated during the fundraiser will benefit the New Vision 4-H Club, with Heberling mentioning how it the club typically uses the funds to help benefit other organizations in the area as well.

Election day is right around the corner, and a big part of voting is making sure that you’re properly registered to vote. Christian County Clerk Laurie Mense said there’s been some confusion about the process in the county, especially when it comes to third party organizations attempting to assist people with registering.

Mense said this misinformation has lead to the County Clerk’s office receiving some heated letters from citizens. She stressed that the information these organizations have is not always the current information that the County Clerk’s office has on file.

Another issue with these voter registration organizations is the fact that some of them may simply be trying to obtain your personal information.

Mense urged that if you have any questions about the voter registration process, call the County Clerk’s office at 217-824-4969, or check out their website at christiancountyil.com. Another resource is vote.usa.gov, which helps guide citizens through the voter registration process in their state.

Local elections are around the corner in Christian County and there are many positions available including City Clerk, several Alderman positions, and the biggest hole to fill will be the new city mayor. Mayor Greg Brotherton has officially said he thinks his time is up and he believes two terms as mayor is more than enough. Mayor Brotherton said a new mayor should be elected to bring new and fresh ideas to the city.

Brotherton also said he is worried about who the next mayor will be, and hopes it won't be like the current presidential election, where the most qualified people aren't stepping forward to make the commitment. He said there needs to either be an increase in the mayor's salary to interest qualified candidates, or the mayor should become part time, decrease the pay, and hire a city manager.  

The salary for the upcoming mayor will have to be decided by the second City Coucil meeting on October 17th. Mayor Brotherton appeared on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show. 

The presidential debates have been the talk of the nation since Monday night as it gave the first real impression of how the presidential candidates can think both on their feet and under pressure. Jim Bohannon, host of the Jim Bohannon show tuned into the debates as well and said he thought both candidates did as well as the other, but neither did an outstanding job. He said that each candidate's supporters aren't really budging, and these debates are only for those who are still undecided.

One major topic of the debate was the economy and how jobs can be created. Bohannon said Secretary of State Hillary Clinton acted like everything was fine in the economy, but for the most part she was wrong. And if Trump pulled a Ronald Reagan during that topic, he could have helped his case.

Listen to Jim Bohannon on the Jim Bohannon Show, weeknights from 9:00 until midnight on NEWSTALK WTIM. Bohannon appeared on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show. 

27 year old Lacey M. Stephens of Taylorville was heading north on a bicycle on the east sidewalk of Main Street in Taylorville. 73 year old Carolyn S. Bertinetti was heading west on Market Street and stopped at the stop sign. After stopping, Bertinetti turned south onto Main Street. During Bertinetti’s turn, Stephens struck Bertinetti on the drivers side. Stephens was transported by ambulance to TMH.

The Taylorville Park Board met on Monday night at the administration office at Manners Park for their regularly scheduled monthly meeting. The board welcomed two guests on the agenda. The first of which was Bobbie Durbin from CTI. CTI had previously proposed the installation of fiber lines in Manners Park to serve the Taylorville Park District with phone and internet service, and proposed a wifi hot spot for the chautauqua building at Manners Park. Durbin once again laid out CTI’s proposal for the Park Board.

Durbin explained CTI’s end goal of installing internet services at the chautauqua building, stating they would like to better run their Christmas in the Park display.

A motion was made after Durbin stated CTI’s proposal to accept the proposal as presented. The motion was seconded, and passed in a unanimous vote. There is currently no timetable however as to when the services will be installed.

The Park Board also heard from Jeff and Jason Boldig with the Lakeshore Golf Course. The Boldigs had an update for the Park Board on the fairway renovations at Lakeshore.

After hearing from the various reports from the Maintenance Superintendent and Recreation Director, as well as approving the payment of bills, the monthly meeting of the Taylorville Park Board adjourned at 8:45 pm.

The Secretary of State Police Hazardous Device Unit rolled into action in their own back yard over the weekend after a suspicious package was found outside the Illinois Supreme Court, across the street from the Capitol in Springfield. Henry Haupt with the Secretary of State's office talks about the process of how the elite unit determined the package was not a threat.

A number of streets around the Capitol and Supreme Court were closed while the unit. 

As we head through the last days of September, the 2016 harvest is picking up steam. Right now it’s mostly corn being harvested, with some beans starting to come in.
Jeff Adkisson , VP of the Grain and Feed Assoc. of Illinois talked about the crop coming in to their member elevators.



Adkisson says there have been some issues with Diplodia, and some low test weights, but those problems seem to mainly in the earliest planted corn.



Jeff Adkisson of the Grain and Feed Assoc. of Illinois

Taylorville Mayor Greg Brotherton has been elected once again to the Illinois Municipal League’s Board of Directors. Mayor Brotherton spoke with Regional Radio News and explained exactly what the IML does.

Mayor Brotherton said serving on the board is a great opportunity to connect with fellow elected officials around the state and get ideas as to how to better serve the citizens of Taylorville.

The IML just recently held it’s 103^rd Annual Conference in Chicago, which was attended by roughly 2,000 local elected and appointed officials.

Taylorville is looking at some positive changes in how the Water Plant operates and what it can do for the community. The new water plant is being developed and has recently undergone a change to double the capacity of what it does now, rather than triple the capacity. Mayor Greg Brotherton said this change will service the area well, and still provide more than enough room for growth.

Brotherton also mentioned the new water plant will have state of the art technology to rid the water of nitrates that pollutes it. This technology doesn't just dump them back into the water either, but truly get rid of them.

Mayor Brotherton appeared on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show. 

For the past three years Taylorville Memorial Hospital has partnered with Joint Works to allow themselves to have the ability to have joint replacement surgeries in house. TMH offers two types of joint replacement surgeries including in the hip and knee and has educators to walk patients through the process of what they should expect through the program. Missy Keiser is a Joint Works educator and explains how she works with the patients.

Keiser said TMH has a panel coming to Janice Hopper Auditorium to talk about what Joint Works does, on October 11th, and the hospital invites anyone to join, ask questions, but asks that people register for the event online.

More information can be found at 217-824-1378 or at jointworksmemorial.org. Keiser appeared on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show. 

Central Illinois native Kevin Corley has written and published his second book about the history of Coal Mining in Christian County, this one named “Throw Out the Water.” But don't let the topic fool you, Corely's book is full of action, and is based off of true events from the area. Corely said he conducted 44 oral interviews where he took people who had family living in the time frame and created their relatives into characters and used their direct quotes in the novel.

Corley said a major part of his book is the coal mining wars which stemmed off of using machines in coal mines rather than mining by hand.

Corley will be available for multiple book signings in the area, the first taking place during Taylorville's Chillifest on the square. Corley appeared on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show. 

Sangamon County Coroner Cinda Edwards released initial details of a death investigation being conducted by the Coroner’s office and Springfield Police Department. 34 year old Kristyl N. Barney of Springfield was pronounced deceased by Physicians in the Memorial Medical Center’s Emergency Room at 3:13 Saturday Morning. Barney sustained a stab wound while at a residence in the 1200 block of North Eighth Street in Springfield. A autopsy was scheduled for Monday (this) morning in Springfield. The Springfield Police Department are continuing to investigate the incident.

According to a preliminary traffic crash investigation, on September 25^th at 11:17pm, 20 year old Bailey M. Yonker was traveling north on IL. Rt. 29, approaching 800N. Yonker ran off the roadway to the left, and overturned. Yonker was transported to Memorial Medical Center with serious injuries.

A recent survey conducted by the Strategic Planning Committee of the Illinois Judicial Conference, in coordination with the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts, along with Loyola University Chicago showed that Illinois’ Fourth Circuit Court excelled in user survey results. Fourth Circuit Chief Judge Michael D. McHaney spoke with Regional Radio News and said he’s not surprised at how well the Fourth Circuit scored in the survey.

McHaney emphasized that these results weren’t just for the judges in the court system. The survey included everybody involved in the courts.

The Fourth Judicial Circuit is made up of a number of counties in Central Illinois. Chief Judge McHaney expressed that the Fourth Circuit continues to work to make sure that the court system is fair, efficient, and accessible for all. The statewide results of the survey can be viewed on the Illinois Supreme Court’s website at illinoiscourts.gov.

Taylorville Community Credit Union has once again earned a 5 star rating from the nation’s leading independent bank and credit union rating firm, Bauer Financial. TCCU President Will Perkins spoke with Regional Radio News and said what the rating means for the credit union.

Perkins shared some of the strategies that TCCU has followed over the years that have lead to the continued success and high ratings of the credit union.

Perkins said the credit union is always trying to think of new ways to improve the experience their members have with TCCU, and shared some information about one upcoming event that the credit union has planned.

With this rating, it makes 85 consecutive quarters that Taylorville Community Credit Union has received 5 star status from Bauer Financial. TCCU was established in 1956, and today operates offices in Hillsboro, Litchfield, and Taylorville.

The Taylorville Kiwanis Club is on busy street corners and in front of local businesses this Friday and Saturday, as their annual Peanut Days fund raiser is taking place.

Kiwanis members are asking for donations for the many local Kiwanis programs for children and youth, and those who donate are rewarded with a package of peanuts.

Above, Kiwanis member Bernie Curvey stood at the corner of West Main Cross and Webster Streets collecting monies for the local Kiwanis programs for children and youth.

Those programs include Kiwanis Park, Coats for Kids, high school and YMCA scholarships, and the Christian County CEO program.

More information on the Taylorville Kiwanis Club can be found at taylorvillekiwanis.com.

We should all be aware that farming is a dangerous occupation. In fact, it rates right up there with coal mining and Alaskan commercial fishing. And young people on the farm are especially at risk. Marsha Salzwedel, with the National Farm Medicine Center reminds us that young people, age 18 and under, often lack the judgement of adults and can easily put themselves at risk.



Children are on the worksite because a farm is not an ordinary workplace; it is a home and a lifestyle for the entire family. But the fact is that children, working or playing on the farm are at risk. Salzwedel says the number of injuries, many fatal to children on the farm is surprisingly high.



That’s about 12,000 debilitating injuries per year, plus over 100 deaths on the farm. As an adult, we often overestimate our children’s abilities so it’s a good idea to think back to the time we were very young and the times we did some pretty dumb things….and you know we all did. By the way, the number one cause of death and injury to children involves being around, or riding on tractors. 

Governor Bruce Rauner is taking to the sky Sunday to help Central Illinois animal rescue efforts. Springfield based Wild Canine Rescue is looking to generate funds for a new no kill shelter and Governor Rauner will help with close air support.

The cost is $25 per bone. The bones can be aquired at the event at Sheedy Shores Winery in Loami, or by email at wildcaninerescue@gmail.com. The event runs from 3 to 5 pm Sunday with the bone drop taking place at 4:30. 

A crowd gathered outside international agribusiness giant Brandt's Springfield headquarters Thursday to see Nascar legend Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Riverton native Justain Allgaier of the Xfinity Series. Earnhardt told the crowd of race fans why Justin is a great fit for his "Jr Motorsports" team and why Brandt is a great fit for him as a sponsor.

Earnhardt had a stay in school message and it was no cliche. His father, the legendary Intimidator Dale Earnhardt Jr dropped out of school before high school and didn't want his son to follow in his footsteps.
 

Allgaier and Earnhardt were joined by two-time Brazilian Porsche series champ Miguel Paludo, whose racecar is also sponsored by Brandt.

A local eatery is moving. Charro Mexican Restaurant in Taylorville will be moving from it’s current location on West Route 104, to a new location in the same building that used to be CVS Pharmacy. Ezekiel Camacho, owner of Charro Mexican Restaurant said the business’ lease for it’s current location is almost expired. The Restaurant tried to purchase the building that it’s currently in, however a deal couldn’t be struck, and it was time to move on.

Camacho said the lease for their current location ends on October 10^th, and he’s hoping to open for business at the new location on October 17^th. That open date is subject to how quickly the construction can be completed on the new location.

The big celebration of Balloonfest is on the way in Shelby County and the pressure is on to make sure everything is set up. Kevin Bernson from Shelby Electric Cooperative is one of the people in charge of Balloonfest and he said the committee is excited of what's to come this year. Bernson explained how Balloonfest got started and what the celebration is all about.

Bernson said there will be a lot of events going on this year including a $5.00 all you can eat breakfast, Helicopter Rides, Plane Rides, and of course, Hot Air Balloon flights.

Balloonfest will take place October 7th through the 9th . More information can be found at lakeshelbyville.com or on their Facebook Page at Lake Shelbyville Balloonfest. Bernson appeared on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show live from our Shelbyville Studios. 

Central Illinois Public Transit is now available in seven counties in central Illinois and it continues to develop to accommodate the community as much as possible. Nathan Nichols, Mobility Manager at the Central Illinois Public Transit said the transit has two events coming in mid October. The first takes place October 15th and features free rides for the Shelbyville Chamber of Commerce's Bar Stool Run, and there will be bus stops around town to pick people up throughout the city to take them to the different locations.

Also on October 15th, Nichols said CIPT in Shelby County will be holding a Training Session to teach their drivers what to do when a car or van is burning.

More information can be found by calling CIPT at 1-800-526-0844. Nichols appeared on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show live from our Shelbyville Studios. 

The Villas of Hollybrook in Shelbyville has been open for five years now and based off of how they accommodate their residents, it's understandable. The Villas of Hollybrook is in a good location in Shelbyville on Main Street and provide tours for anyone interested. Emma Qualls Assistant Executive Director of the Villas of Hollybrook said they also allow their residents to have their own cars, provide parking for them, and don't have any long term contracts for those who live there.

Qualls said the contract for each resident includes all utilities, laundry services, meals, house cleaning, and much more.

More information can be found at their website at meridiansenior.com or by calling them at 217-774-1040. Qualls appeared on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show live from our Shelbyville Studios.

The C.E.F.S. Economic Opportunity Corporation recently recognized volunteers that have helped the organization help the community in a variety of ways. In particular, C.E.F.S. awarded it’s 2016 Outstanding Volunteer Service Award to Cynthia Harrison of Tovey.

Harrison has volunteered with the Golden Circle Nutrition Program Center in Kincaid for years, and has often volunteered with others were not available and on days when the Kincaid Nutrition Site Supervisor needed time off, with Harrison temporarily taking over for her. Harrison also loves to bake and share her goodies with the other seniors at the center.

If you would like more information on the C.E.F.S. Community action agency or program, please contact the local C.E.F.S. Christian County Outreach Office at 217-824-4712, or the central office at 217-342-2193.

Governor Rauner says creation of the new agency designed to boost state government's effectiveness online has paid off. A few months after the launch of the Illinois Department of Innovation and Technology, Rauner says the effort to streamline information technology has paid off.

Rauner launched the new agency, noting that some state agencies were working with 40-year-old computer technology. He said that inefficiency wasted taxpayer money.

Gasoline and diesel fuel prices have a long history of volatility. Beginning in the 1970’s, we began using more oil than we produced and became susceptible to import supply disruptions that would send prices soaring, and lead to occasional shortages.

During the late 70’s and through the 80’s we had a series of embargoes and other disruptions in the world oil market that produced sky high prices and long lines to buy gasoline and diesel fuel at the pump.
Then, for most of the past decade world demand caught up with production and we saw gasoline prices fluctuate widely, from under two dollars a gallon to over four dollars at times. But for the past year or so, gas prices have held at or just over two dollars a gallon, crude oil at 40 to 50 dollars. According to Harry Cooney, energy risk management expert with GrowMark, the reason for low, stable prices has been a huge increase in domestic production in recent years.



Cooney says production has risen so rapidly that the U.S. has achieved the long sought goal of self-sufficiency in oil production.



But even though we no longer have to rely on imports from unstable regions of the world, prices will still fluctuate. There is a cost of extraction, and when prices fall too low, domestic production starts to decline. Cooney expects some increase in the price of crude oil over the next year.

But a rise from 40 to 60 dollars a barrel is a far cry from the 100 dollar plus prices oil occasionally peaked at prior to the massive increase in domestic production. Fuel price and supply stability is an important factor in maintaining a stable and growing economy. . 

An official in the George W. Bush administration says he's expecting a 'less aggressive' federal Environmental Protection Agency under the new president -- whomever he or she may be. Bruce Knight served as an Undersecretary of Agriculture for eight years at U-S-D-A and now runs a Washington, D-C-based consulting firm;

Knight talks about the need for urban and rural residents to step up and take some action to improve water quality.



Knight recently moderated a panel discussion in Bloomington on water quality. He believes urban and rural communities and residents can meet the challenge without a lot of additional federal regulation.

A pair of Metro-East residents have been arrested in connection with a string of burglaries across Central and Western Illinois. 18 law enforcement agencies teamed up to arrest Bradley and Jennier Seyler of Collinsville. They were identified as suspects in a series of burglaries of businesses and ATMs in Jacksonville, Taylorville, Carlinville, Pittsfield and Quincy. Jacksonville Police played a central role in identifying the suspects.

A group of fire fighters being dispatched to a help in the case of a disaster is fairly common. But this time an Illinois group of wildfire experts was deployed to Montana to assist with wildfires out west. The Illinois Wildland Crew was gone for 2 weeks to work the fire lines. Tim Schweizer from the Department of Natural Resources says the team receives top notch training.

Big sky country isn’t the first place the team has been deployed, they have assisted in fires in Minnesota, Georgia and Arizona. 

The Christian County Economic Development Corporation held their Executive Committee Meeting on Thursday. Mary Renner, Executive Director of the CCEDC spoke with Regional Radio News and shared how the major topic of the day was the continued discussion of a grant to bring a new industrial park to the north side of Taylorville.

Renner said that most of the work on the application is complete, and the CCEDC is hoping to be able to submit the application for that grant by the end of November.

Other items that were discussed at the meeting involved discussion on the annual CCEDC meeting, as well as how the organization can better market itself in the future. The next CCEDC Full Board will be on October 21^st at 10:30am, with the CCEDC Annual Meeting following at 12 noon at Taylorville Memorial Hospital.

The Christian County Health Department’s 50^th Anniversary is coming up, and the Department will be holding an open house to celebrate. Public Health Administrator with the Christian County Health Department Nancy Martin spoke with Regional Radio News and talked about some of the activities that will happen at the open house.

Martin also shared some of the history of the health department, and mentioned how the health department is one of those things where you have been affected by the work they do, even if you don’t realize it.

The open house celebration is on Tuesday, October 4^th from 4 until 6 pm at the Health Department Offices at 902 West Springfield Road in Taylorville. The Greater Taylorville Chamber of Commerce Ribbon Cutting will be talking place at 4:30 to celebrate the Christian County Health Department becoming a new member of the Chamber of Commerce.

Taylorville's biggest event of the year is just over a week away and the Greater Taylorville Chamber of Commerce is on high gear making sure everything is ready for it. This year will have many new attractions such as sanctioned Bags Tournaments, the Lil Chilli Bean Contest, and the Miss Chillifest Pageant. But Patty Hornbuckle, CEO of the Greater Taylorville Chamber of Commerce, said this year they will also have North and South Stages to entertain the public more than ever.

The stage show schedule can be found on the chillifest website.

This year Chillifest will also have the Carnival returning with rides for just about anyone to enjoy.

Chillifest will be on Saturday and Sunday October 1st and 2nd. Registration sheets are available for vendors, Lil Chilli Bean Contests and more at the Chamber office on the second floor of US Bank on the South side of the Taylorville square. Hornbuckle appeared on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show. 

Elections are only two months away and politicians are campaigning hard to either stay in power or take it away from someone else. Congressman Rodney Davis is working hard in Washington DC making sure his work speaks for itself and what he's able to help the country do. Davis said before his present term he said he was going to make big changes, and his office worked hard to make sure it happened.

Congressman Davis said he is looking to help people with pediatric cancer by using the research money to develop drugs that are better suited for children rather than adults.

Congressman Davis also mentioned that he wants to make sure research dollars don't go to the construction of buildings to research, but to the research itself. Congressman Davis appeared on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show. 

The University of Illinois Extension has begun holding their weekly meetings of Hot Topic Tuesday where people can join to talk and learn about issues in the food and nutrition world. Lisa Peterson, Nutrition and Wellness Educator at the extension, said next week they are talking about Gluten Free and whether people should use these products or not. Peterson gave some insight as to what gluten free is, and what these foods are primarily used for.

Peterson said people who don't have Celiac's Disease shouldn't get the gluten free food because it's taking nutrition the body needs out of the diet.

The topic of Gluten Free will be discussed on Hot Topic Tuesday at the U of I Extension next Tuesday from 6:30 to 7:30. Peterson appeared on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show. 

The Friends of the Taylorville Public Library is preparing for their annual Book Sale that will be held on Saturday from 10am until 3pm, as well as Sunday from noon until 3 in the library’s community room. The friends will also host a special preview night on Friday evening from 6 until 8, and will feature a wide variety of refreshments, and the first opportunity to purchase book sale items.

Hard-backed books, soft covered books, as well as audio-visual materials will be available at the sale. Donations of books are also being accepted for the sale at the circulation desk of the library. Volunteers are also still needed ot help with the sale. To volunteer or if you have any questions about the sale or the library, give them a call at 217-824-4736.

The late heat wave in September has continued through this week in most of Illinois and it looks to continue through the weekend and even into next month. State Climatologist Jim Angel says that right now it looks like October will be must like this month.

Angel says that a possible return of La Nina could show the bulk of winter could be cold and stormy but without it we just might dodge a nasty winter

Work on the future Ayerco Station on Route 29 in Edinburg is progressing as work crews have started assembling the frame of the store and getting walls up. Carl Adams, Vice President of Illinois Ayers Oil Company that operates the Ayerco Convenience Centers spoke with Regional Radio News and said they’re pleased with the progress of the construction.

The project is currently several months behind. Adams said how this was because the project originally wanted to add a food partner onto the location as well, however the station hasn’t been able to do so.

The tentative open date for the Ayerco Station is currently set for sometime in late December.  

C-N-B Bank and Trust in Taylorville held their annual Customer Appreciation Day in the bank parking lot during the noon hour on Wednesday.  The bank offered the public barbeque sandwiches, chips, soda or water, kettle corn and hats, as their way of saying “thank you” to the community.

Loan officer Susie Montgomery told Regional Radio News this is an annual event.

C-N-B Bank and Trust holds Customer Appreciation Days at all 13 of their locations each fall.

State Senator Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet) has been appointed as Assistant Leader of the Senate Republican Caucus. Senator Rose spoke with Regional Radio News and said the new position will allow more focus on the state budget.

Senator Rose was one of the lead negotiators in the stopgap budget that was signed into law on June 30^th. With the resignation of State Senator Matt Murphy (R-Palatine), another key budget negotiator, Senator Rose will continue to focus on securing a new state budget.

Senator Rose was appointed to this new position by Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno (R-Lemont) on September 15^th. Senator Rose previously served as Senate Republican Whip.

September is Hunger Action Month and that means a lot for the Central Illinois Food Bank. Krista Lisser, Public Relations Manager for Central Illinois Food Bank said Hunger Action Month means they want people to be aware that hunger is present in Illinois, and citizens need to come together to help prevent it. She said her goal for people in the area is to do at least one action to make sure someone doesn't have to go hungry one night.

Lisser also said as we enter the fall months many holidays are approaching and the Food Bank needs donations to help give families a nice meal for those holidays and the season to come.

Fresh food Donations can be made at the food bank in Springfield or donate can to your local can drop. For more information call 217-522-4022 or visit centralilfoodbank.org. Lisser appeared on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show. 

This week is Farm Safety Week and Ameren Illinois wants to make sure people are aware of the issues when it comes to using farm equipment in the field and on the road, and to make sure farmers aren't putting themselves in danger. John Barud, Senior Director of Ameren Illinois Operations gave some tips for people to be safe, including knowing where power lines are, staying ten feet away from them, and what to do when equipment comes in contact with power lines and there is a need to get out of the vehicle.

Barud said if there isn't a need they should stay in the vehicle and call for help by calling the electric provider. But that isn't all that Ameren and Barud is worried about, as they also have power lines underground and underground gas lines.

Ameren asks before farmers dig they call 811 because if the underground lines get hit it could be very harmful and maybe even lethal.  For more information go to ameren.com or call 1-800-755-5000. Barud appeared on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show. 

This week Crimestoppers is seeking information in regards to a series of thefts that occurred in Taylorville.

Sometime over the past several weeks, several boats at the Lake Taylorville marina and several lake lots have been entered into and items taken.  Multiple items, including tables, furniture, tools, batteries and other items have been taken.  It is unknown if all the incidents are related.  The total dollar amount of the thefts is unknown at this time.

Please contact Crimestoppers if you have any information on this crime or any other crimes or wanted persons.  Crimestoppers will pay cash rewards of up to $1,000.00 for information that leads to an arrest and you do not have to give your name.  Crimestoppers will pay double the normal reward for information that leads to an arrest for the crime of the week. 

You can contact Crimestoppers at 824-9100, at our website Christiancountycrimestoppers.org, or by texting CRIMES (274632) and then your tip.  As always, you will remain anonymous.  

On September 16th, 32 year old Danielle J. Hendershot of Assumption was traveling south on 2525 East Road. At 1600 North, Hendershot came to an unmarked T-intersection. Hendershot ran off the road, hitting a ditch, and was taken to Pana Community Hospital via Assumption Ambulance to be treated for injuries.

On September 19th, 37 year old Nathan I. Holste of Taylorville was on a motorcycle heading eastbound on County Highway 6. 57 year old Barry M. Keller of Pocahontas was driving a semi tractor trailer, eastbound on County Highway 6. Keller stated he activated his right turn signal, slowed, and began to make a right turn. Holste failed to slow in time for the turning tractor-trailer, skidded about 150 feet, and struck the right rear of the trailer. Keller was not injured, however Holste was transported to Taylorville Memorial Hospital via Suttons Ambulance to be treated for injuries.

The Christian County Senior Police Academy and TRIAD program will be having it’s next event on Thursday. The group will be headed to Springfield for a field trip to Hy-Vee Foods. Brian Hile with the TRIAD program said the participants will also learn about healthy eating and food preparation while on the field trip.

Hile said that those in the Senior Police Academy should meet at the Taylorville Municipal Building before 10am, when the group will be headed to Springfield.

For more information on the Christian County TRIAD program, contact Brian Hile of the Taylorville Police Department at 824-2211, or Christian County Senior Center at 824-4263.

The Taylorville Kiwanis Club heard about some good things happening at Memorial School in Taylorville, at their weekly luncheon on Tuesday at the Taylorville Memorial Hospital auditorium.
Memorial principal Nancy Ganci told Kiwanis members that her school is the 3rd and 4th grade attendance center for the Taylorville school district, and that she's served there for some 13 years.  Ganci said there are many good things happening at Memorial, including the popular “Breakfast in the Classroom” where students get breakfast served to them right in their classroom. 

Ganci said serving breakfast in classrooms has actually had a calming effect for the students, and tardiness has also plummetted.
Another positive program at Memorial School is the Taylorville Christian Church “Back Pack for Kids”, a confidential program that fills back packs with food for needy kids.
Ganci also shared about how the school was improving the literacy of students by starting a reading program each morning before school, and another program that helps challenged readers to improve.
The public is reminded of the annual Kiwanis Peanut Days fund-raiser on the streets of Taylorville this Friday and Saturday, with proceeds benefitting local Kiwanis projects for children and youth.
The Taylorville Kiwanis Club is part of global organization of volunteers dedicated to improving the world one child and one community at a time.  Weekly meetings are held Tuesdays at noon at the Taylorville Memorial Hospital auditorium.  For information on the club, go to taylorvillekiwanis.com. 

Lake Land College will be offering free GED classes in several locations beginning on October 10^th. Classes will be available in Arthur, Effingham, Marshall, Mattoon, Pana, Paris, and Shelbyville, and will continue all semester. For more information contact Adult Education at 217-238-8292 or email adulteducation@lakelandcollege.edu.

The orientation schedule is as follows.

• Arthur- Arthur Public Library, 225 S. Walnut - Tuesday, Oct. 11, 4:30 p.m.
• Effingham -  Lake Land College Kluthe Center for Higher Education and Technology, 1204 Network Center Blvd. - Tuesday, Oct. 11, 4 p.m.
• Marshall - Lake Land College Eastern Region Center, 224 S. 6^th St. - Monday, Oct. 10, 4 p.m.
• Mattoon - Lake Land College Workforce Development Center, 305 Richmond Ave. E. - Wednesday, Oct, 12, 8 a.m. & 4 p.m.
• Pana - Lake Land College Western Region Center, 600 E. 1^st St. - Thursday, Oct. 13, 5 p.m.
• Paris - First United Methodist Church, 324 W Court St. - Tuesday, Oct. 11, 4 p.m.
• Shelbyville - Shelby Christian Church, 200 N. Hickory St. - Monday, Oct. 10, 5:30 p.m. 

A first for the Governor today. 



Bruce Rauner held a town hall style event on Facebook. The Republican appeared on a live video chat of the social media platform to take questions from the hundreds that tuned in. The questions were selected by his communications team. During the event he addressed charter schools, criminal sentencing reform and his final question was what do you like about being governor. 

Nascar legend Dale Earnhardt Jr is the undisputed most popular racer for racing fans. But concussion woes forced him to leave the Sprint Cup Series for the time being and that meant missing out on racing at at Chicagoland Speedway last weekend. Eardnhardt will find himself in Illinois this week though as Ag giant Brandt will bring Earnhardt and Infinity Series racer Justin Allgaier to Brandt's Springfield headquarters for a half hour public event. Brandt's Chief Marketing Officer, Karl Barnhart, says it's the rarest of opportunities for Junior fans.

Earnhardt Jr. will appear at the Brandt Co. Springfield headquarters from 5:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday for a moderated question-and-answer session. (Springfield 2935 South Koke Mill Road) 

Tuesday was the first day a candidate may begin circulating petitions for elected office for the City of Taylorville. City Clerk Pam Peabody spoke with Regional Radio News and shared what offices are up for grabs.

Peabody mentioned that petition packets are available at the City Clerks Office, and said they must be filed by December.

Peabody said the Clerk’s office has already had several people pick up packets. The terms that will expire in 2017 are Mayor Greg Brotherton, City Clerk Pam Peabody, City Treasurer Jacque Nation, Alderman Larry Budd, Alderman Rob Heberling, Alderman Ernie Dorchinecz, Alderman Shawn Burtle, and the two year term for the Ward I Alderman currently held by Alderman Jim Olive.

CNB Bank and Trust as announced a new addition to their team. Victor Henson will be taking the roll of Trust Officer, and will be administering trust accounts for CNB’s Taylorville, Jacksonville, Carlinville, and Pittsfield branches. Henson spoke with Regional Radio News and shared how he brings plenty of banking experience to CNB and Central Illinois.

Henson said he’s doing business development in Central Illinois with CNB as well, and currently is just trying to get to know everybody.

Henson will work closely with his clients and fellow advisors within the wealth management group to develop financial strategies based on each clients unique needs and long term objectives. To contact Henson, call 217-243-6654 or email him at vhenson@cnbil.com

On Saturday, two students from Central A&M High School died in a motorcycle accident. Since then, family, friends and classmates of the students have been grieving and will be for quite some time. Karen Vatthauer, Clinical Therapist and Owner of Beacon Professional Counseling, taught a class at Central A&M this morning and said when she got to campus she could feel the sadness in the school atmosphere.

Vatthauer said it's important to realize that people grieve for different amounts of time and when people begin dealing with it, it'll be different from person to person. She explained some of the different ways people grieve.

For more information, call Vatthauer at 824-3435. Vatthauer appeared on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show. 

Pana Community Hospital has signed on two new physicians to their locations within the Pana Medical Group and the Community Medical Clinic. Melissa Rybolt, Marketing Coordinator from Pana Community Hospital said Dr. Dennis Yap and Dr. Mohammed are both family practitioners that will help the hospital grow and benefit the needs of the community better. Rybolt explained what these two doctors will bring to the community.

Rybolt said, the hospital also acquired two new specialists recently, Dr. Scott Matz a urologist and Dr. El Batar an orthopedic surgical specialist.

To find out more about these doctors and what they specialize in call the Pana Medical Group at 562-2143 or the Community Medical Clinic at 562-2544. Rybolt appeared on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show. 

The Shelbyville Rotary Club had their weekly meeting at the Shelbyville Memorial Hospital. Kevin Bernson, Shelby Electric Cooperative Vice President for Public Relations and Community Communication was this week’s guest speaker.

Bernson presented information about Shelby Electric Cooperative, which started powering homes in Shelby County Rural areas in 1939, and now provides energy for 9 Central Illinois Counties. Bernson also discussed Touchstone Energy, which coordinates with 750 electric cooperatives across the country. Touchstone’s icon is a hot air balloon, and with that, informed everyone of a Shelbyville Lake Balloon Fest that’s being planned this fall. The tentative dates are October 7^th through the 9^th.

The event will also feature several other attractions including a breakfast fundraiser, music, and several attractions for the kids, including a bounce house. All balloon fest events are free and open to the public, although donations are appreciated. Also all events are subject to weather conditions, and balloon pilot’s discretion.

You can follow the event on Facebook by searching balloonslakeshelbyville, on the events page at lakeshelbyville.com. You can also get more information by calling 217-774-3986.

Ann Chandler gets sworn onto Library Board.

The Taylorville City Council met in their regularly scheduled meeting on Monday Night at the Taylorville Municipal Building. The meeting started off with the Mayoral Appointment of Ann Chandler to the Library Board, which the council approved unanimously. The Council also voted to accept the resignation of former Police Chief Dave Herpstreith, which also passed unanimously, with comments coming from the council commending the job that Herpstreith has done.

The major item of the night revolved around the pay of several elected officials. There were motions to direct City Attorney Rocci Romano to prepare ordinances to provide an annual salary of $58,000 for the Mayor during the four-year term of office that begins in May of 2017, as well as for ordinances regarding pay for the city Alderman, as well as City Clerk and Treasurer. Alderman Shawn Burtle commented on the matter stating how he believes that a raise in the Mayor’s pay doesn’t always equate to a raise in performance from the office, bringing up examples of how the city had paid past mayors substantially more, and how current Mayor Greg Brotherton was currently doing a good job at a lower rate of pay without having a secretary.

Another issue that was brought up by Alderman Ernie Dorchinecz was the fact that two Alderman, Bruce Jones and Rob Heberling, were both absent from the meeting. He felt it was only fair that the motions regarding official salaries were tabled until they could be voted on by the full council. The motion to table for the raise for the Mayor’s Salary was passed 4-3, with the motion to table for all other matters failing, and those motions all passing with only one no vote for each.

One item on the agenda that had received some interest in the community was an ordinance to eliminate the residency requirement for the City Librarian. Alderman Larry Budd read an e-mail he had received from a concerned citizen that stated how her grand kids attended schools in Taylorville, however lived in another city. The e-mail detailed how her kids could not utilize the Taylorville library, due to not technically being residents of the city. She asked that should the council eliminate the residency requirement for the City Librarian position, they consider allowing non-residence of the city to utilize the library, should they work or attend school in the city. Alderman Budd shared that he had explained to the citizen that the reason the city was eliminating the residency requirement for the Librarian position, was due to a lack of qualified candidates within city limits who were interested in the position. Ultimately the motion to eliminate the residency requirement for the City Librarian position passed unanimously.

Another topic of discussion at Monday Nights Taylorville City Council meeting revolved around the security at Lake Taylorville. The Lake and Airport Committee held a meeting prior to the city council meeting, where they voted on a motion to install a new security system at the Lake Area, which includes the replacement of cameras with new, high definition security cameras in many different locations around the lake and marina. The motion passed unanimously in the committee, as well as during the council meeting. Alderman Martin Vota wanted to let the public know that the issue of security at Lake Taylorville has been addressed.

After approving the payment of bills, the Taylorville City Council meeting adjourned at 7:52pm.

The Illinois Supreme Court has picked its new leader. Justice Lloyd Karmeier has been tabbed by his colleagues to take over as Chief Justice effective October 26th. The court's choice was uninamous. Karmeier will serve a three year term. He succeeds Justice Rita Garman.

Hidden explosives and crude bombs loaded with bbs to maximize terror have the New York metro area on edge. While the works of bomb squads are drawing great attention in the New York/New Jersey area, some of their colleagues are meeting in Springfield. The International Association of Bomb Technicians & Investigators conference has kicked off in Springfield. The Secretary of State's Police has been known for its bomb squad ever since the unit was formed in the mid 70s. Secretary of State Police Director Sydney Roberts continues to be impressed with the work of the squad.

Police and first responders from around the Midwest and even some from outside the US are taking part in the conference.

As usual during a presidential election year, the race for the White House is getting nearly all the media attention, but David Yepsen, Director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at SIU says, with all the economic issues in Illinois, we all should be paying attention to the statehouse races.. While the Governor is not up for election, and House Speaker Madigan is in a very safe district, small changes in party representation can make a big difference for either party.

Yepsen says the way we draw statehouse districts in Illinois puts most members in safe districts with little chance of losing a general election, and is hopeful that the Fair Map Amendment, or a similar non-partisan redistricting plan, can be put in place before the 2020 census comes out which is when the next round of redistricting will be conducted.

Meanwhile, says Yepsen, too many people go to the polls knowing their choice for President, but pay too little attention to the myriad of down ballot races. He suggests getting a sample ballot, and looking at the positions off all candidates in order to be an informed voter in November. 



David Yepsen of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute. Their research and polling results on Illinois political and economic issues are available at PaulSimonInstitute.org.

A groundbreaking ceremony took place on Monday afternoon at the future site of the new location for the Taylorville Food Pantry. Pastor Rodney Blomquist with the Taylorville Ministerial Association spoke with Regional Radio News and said the Food Pantry has been growing, and the new building will help the Pantry in many different ways.

The Food Pantry’s future location is a great example of a community coming together to help. Pastor Blomquist said the group didn’t have to do any sort of organized fundraising for the new site. Word simply got out, and the rest fell into place.

The new location will be on the northwest corner of East Main and Water Street in Taylorville. The Taylorville Ministerial Association is still seeking donations for a few things for the new site. To donate, mail donations to 223 West Franklin in Taylorville, as well submitting donations to the local churches involved in the Ministerial Association, letting them know to get it to the food pantry.

The Greater Taylorville Chamber of Commerce held a special business after hours event for the Greater Taylorville Chamber of Commerce Chamber Week at the new Taylorville Urgent Care located at 1510 West Springfield Road on Thursday night. WTIM was live on location, and spoke with Dr. Paul Toofan, Physician and Owner of the Taylorville Urgent Care, who said how the facility runs a discount program that often times is cheaper than going through your insurance.

Toofan shared how Taylorville Urgent Care is open nearly every day throughout the year, and also said how many of the usual questions people have about the facility can be answered on their website.

For more information call Taylorville Urgent Care at 217-824-8244 or visit them online at taylorvilleurgentcare.com.

The City of Taylorville is scaling back it's plans for a new water plant. Taylorville Mayor Greg Brotherton spoke with Regional Radio News and said how the reason for the scale back was largely due to the city not bringing in as much money as it projected.

Brotherton said there is no concerns with the new, smaller plant about any sort of issues delivering water to the city, should the city grow. Brotherton said the city is still giving itself plenty of headroom to bring in new businesses and industries to the city.

Plans for the new water plant originally for a plant that could provide roughly 5 million gallons of water per day. The new plans will most likely be for a plant that has closer to a 4 million gallon per day capability.

The Taylorville Ministerial Association Broke Ground at noon today for the new building that will house both the Taylorville Food Pantry and the Summer Lunch Program. Pastors Steve Robinson and Rodney Blomquist said this new building will be much bigger and will have a central location for all of the programs, which will allow for better convenience and more efficient work to help the community.

The Taylorville Ministerial Association said this project has been in the works for two years and has been able to come together this fast because of the community and volunteers coming together to help. Robinson said they hope this pantry can be up and running within the next 4 months, but that time isn't solidified because of the contractor's work schedule.

The building will be located on the corner of Water St and East Main Cross in Taylorville. Robinson and Blomquist appeared on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show. 

The Treasurer's Office in Springfield has a new program that hasn't been in place for long, where people can invest money in savings accounts that don't get taxed. This Program is called Able Accounts and it runs similarly to College Savings, but it's used for families who have a child with disabilities. Treasurer Michael Frerichs said Able Accounts allows families to save for their disabled children who will need help later in life, especially once the parents pass away and the child needs something more than what the government can provide them.

Frerichs said there weren't a lot of companies who wanted to partner with Illinois to make this work, but the state found other states to partner with to help it work.

For more information go to illinoistreasuerer.gov. Treasurer Frerichs appeared on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show. 

The remaining 2 lanes of southbound Illinois Route 29 that have been under construction this summer, were recently opened.  Above is where the new stretch of road south of Barry, opened.  The stretch runs thru Breckenridge and around Edinburg, to connect with the existing 2 lanes of southbound traffic that had been constructed from Sharpsburg to Taylorville a few years ago.

The new section of northbound lanes are down to one lane as they're being repaved as part of the final portion of construction.

Officials with the Illinois Department of Transportation tell Regional Radio News, that a formal ribbon cutting to open the completed construction, will take place later this fall.

Preliminary reports of a motorcycle wreck that killed 2 Central A&M High School Students has been confirmed by Sangamon County Coroner Cinda Edwards.

Regional Radio News has learned that the Taylorville-Salem varsity football game will now start at 6pm to avoid potential severe weather later tonight.

The game will be heard live on NEWSTALK WTIM THE BIG 870 AM across Central Illinois, 96.1 FM in Christian County, 107.5 FM in Shelby County, and streamed at taylorvilledailynews.com.

Regional Radio News has learned that the varsity football game between the Taylorville Tornados and the Salem Wildcats will kickoff at 6:30 PM rather than the previously scheduled time of 7pm. WTIM will begin it's coverage of the game with the Tornados Pregame Show at 6:15pm.

Shelby County is en route to being paired with Christian County to allow them to have the enhanced 911 system. Undersheriff Rob McCall said this helps the county because the state of Illinois gave Shelby county, one of 9 counties in the state without the enhanced system, a deadline to make sure they have it. He said the county has until July 1st, 2017 to get the system, and their plan to have it is to pair with Christian County.

Undersheriff McCall said Shelby County is installing additional radio equipment to make sure their radio system will work. He said all of the equipment and training will cost the county a lot of money, but they have received a grant of $600,000 to make sure it will all be paid for.

McCall said Shelby county will need every minute of the time between now and the First of July to make sure everything is set up for the enhanced 911 system. Undersheriff McCall appeared on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show live from our Shelbyville Studios. 

Schools have been back in session for nearly a month, and kids and new staff are still getting settled in their new classrooms. That won't stop new Shelbyville High School Principle Shane Schuricht from making some changes throughout the year to  help improve the school. Schuricht said, so far, the new technological features to the school are great and they will help improve how students learn at school.

Other changes Schurict is looking to make include better safety and forming a Principal's Cabinet to give the student body, student leaders to look up to.

Schuricht appeared on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show live from our Shelbyville Studios.

There were two accidents recently that resulted in injuries.

On September 15th 61 year old Bradley M. Bona of Taylorville  was traveling southbound on County Highway 1 and was slowing to turn left onto Township Road 1000 North. 19 year old Kayla J. Jett of Nokomis was also traveling southbound on County Highway 1 and was behind Bona. Jett stated she was distracted by her dog in the vehicle, and when she looked up she saw the lights of Bona’s vehicle. Jett was unable to stop in time to avoid striking Bona’s vehicle. Jett’s vehicle received major front end damage, with Bona’s vehicle receiving rear end damage. Jett was taken by a private vehicle to Taylorville Memorial Hospital to be treated for possible injuries.

On September 12th, 26 year old Cody A. Harrison of Taylorville was northbound on Cheney St. Harrison struck the curb on the east side of the roadway, then crossed into oncoming traffic, colliding with 76 year old Carol L. Haubold of Taylorville head on in the southbound lane. Both drivers were transported by EMS for medical treatment, and both vehicles were towed from the scene.

As school continues to set back in, one thing stays on the mind of the Christian County Sheriff. Sheriff Bruce Kettlekamp has written twice about educating the youth about substance abuse, especially with underage drinking. Kettlekamp said when people drink alcohol before they're 21, it causes brain damage because the brain isn't yet fully developed, and that's the key reason to making sure they don't drink underage.

Kettlekamp said, no matter what, the kids will be exposed to it, but it's up to the parents to make sure the kids know how dangerous it is for them to drink underage.

More information can be found at christiancountysheriffsoffice.com or by calling the sheriff's office at 824-4961. Sheriff Kettlekamp appeared on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show. 

Christian county 4-H is taking a step and getting things ready for their next year of the program. The next thing 4-H is looking at is their Ag Safety Week where 5th graders in the area will meet at the Christian County Fairgrounds and be taught safety measures for many different parts of agriculture. Alicia Gullidge, 4-H youth and development Coordinator at the U of I Extension said Ag Safety Day will be on September 29th, and since many of these kids could be going into an agriculture career field, it's important they are taught how to be safe.

The first week in October is another special week for 4-H where National 4-H week is taking place. Gullidge said this is the main week for 4-H sign-ups, learning what kids will be a part of the program, and what topics they'll be focused on.

4-H Enrollment will now be done electronically and for more information call 827-7246. Gullidge appeared on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show. 

Chillifest is the main focus for the Greater Taylorville Chamber of Commerce, now that the event is just over two weeks away. Little Mister, Little Miss, Jr. Miss, and Miss Chillifest registration is closed, but there is still availability for the Lil Chilli Bean Contest. Patty Hornbuckle, CEO of the Greater Taylorville Chamber of Commerce said this year the Lil Chilli Bean contest will be a little different, where tickets will be used for votes instead of spare change, and families get to decorate their ticket boxes however they want to.

Hornbuckle said, this year their Kid Zone will also have new attractions and have plenty of entertainment to keep the kids happy.

For more information, call the Chamber of Commerce at 824-4919 or visit their office on the second floor of US Bank on the South Side of the Taylorville Square. Hornbuckle appeared on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show. 

The Christian County TRIAD for Seniors will be hosting a Fire Department Day at the Taylorville Fire Department tomorrow at 9:30AM. TRIAD is dedicated to increasing awareness of crimes against senior citizens. The group also sponsors programs and events to help educate senio citizens about preventative measures they can take to protect themselves in multiple situations.

Police Chief Brian Hile, says that the event will include an "Arson Dog" demonstration as well as many other informational activites.

Hile also explained that the Senior Police Academy works side by side with TRIAD to help improve quality of life for seniors.

The Senior Police Academy, although not actual law enforcement, focuses on important issues surrounding seniors.

For more information you can stop off at the Taylorville Fire Department for the event or call the Taylorville Police Department at 824-2211.

September will be a busy month for the Shelby County Health Department while they are hosting their Medicare/Medicaid Flu and Pneumonia clinics at area villages and towns within Shelby County all throughout the month.

The Center of Disease Control (CDC) recommends that people get vaccinated against the flu as soon as the vaccine becomes available. The CDC also recommends vaccinations for all individuals 65 years of age and older.

Here is a full schedule of the Flu & Pneumonia Clincs in Shelby County;

Thursday, September 22nd - Moweaqua (American Legion) 9:30AM-10:30AM

                                               Findlay (Community Building) 11AM-12PM

                                               Windsor (Christian Church) 1:30PM-2:30PM

Friday, September 23rd - Herrick (Community Center) 9AM-10AM

                                         Oconee (American Legion) 10:30AM-11:30AM

                                         Tower Hll (Lions Club) 1:15PM-2:15PM

                                         Cowden (Community Center) 2:45PM-3:30PM

Thursday, September 29th - Sigel (Community Building) 9AM-10AM

                                              Stewardson (Community Building) 10:30AM-11:30AM

                                              Strasburg (Community Building) 1PM-2PM

For more information you can call Shelby County Health Department at 774-9555 or visit them online at shelbyhealth.net

At approximately 12pm on Tuesday, September 13th, an African American male with a light blue and striped backpack, wearing a white shirt, light colored blue jeans, and tan boots entered the Bank & Trust Co. in Raymond. The suspect handed the teller a note demanding money.

3 local schools in the Panhandle School District were put on lockdown as a precautionary action. The lockdown lasted about an hour.

As of now the suspect is still on the loose. More details to follow as they become available to Regional Radio News. If anyone has any information on the suspect pictured, please contact your local police department.

The Taylorville Kiwanis Club heard about the Senior Life Solutions program at Taylorville Memorial Hospital, at their weekly luncheon on Tuesday at the Taylorville Memorial Hospital auditorium.

Amy Graham, director of the program, told Kiwanis members that anyone, including the patient's physician, can refer someone.

The T-M-H Senior Life Solutions provides mental health assistance up to 4 days a week for a period of up to one year, for those age 65 and older.

Graham added those completing the program have parties to celebrate.  In its 3rd year, the T-M-H Senior Life Solutions program has helped over 70 patients in Christian County and surrounding area.

The public is reminded of the annual Kiwanis Peanut Days fund-raiser on the streets of Taylorville September 23rd and 24th with proceeds benefitting local Kiwanis projects for children and youth.

The Taylorville Kiwanis Club is part of global organization of volunteers dedicated to improving the world one child and one community at a time.  Weekly meetings are held Tuesdays at noon at the Taylorville Memorial Hospital auditorium.  For information on the club, go to taylorvillekiwanis.com. 

The Taylorville Memorial Hospital Foundation is beginning their 27th “Lose-To-Win” Challenge. Janelle Cornell, Clinical Dietitian with Taylorville Memorial Hospital said she loves working with the program because she gets to see the joy in people's faces as they make progress through the Challenge.

Cornell said there are many people who know how to lose weight, but will not have the incentive to do so. This program is designed to give them that incentive.

Late registration for Lose to Win is available and for more information contact Cornell at 824-1840. Cornell appeared as a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show. 

Governor Bruce Rauner had Japan on his mind this week. He gathered with officials from across the region and the island nation at the the Midwest U.S.-Japan Association Conference in St. Louis. He says the relationship has offered a lot more than cultural understanding.

Illinois is the fourth largest exporter to Japan. 

Harvest season is beginning, and that means farmers and everyone who travels in farm country needs to be extra alert as this is the most dangerous time of year. The number one safety issue for farmers remains tractor roll-overs, but collisions on the road with automobiles is a close second, according to Dave Newcomb with the Illinois Fire Service Institute.



The Fire Service Institute, based at the U of I in Champaign, trains full time and volunteer firemen across the state. Newcomb says actual firefighting has become a small part of the job… as most of the work involves being first responders for emergencies. Newcomb says a big part of the training for first responders in rural areas involves issues related to farming.



Dave Newcomb is with the Illinois Fire Service Institute. 

State Representatives Norine (NOR-EEN) Hammond of the 93rd House District and Randy Frese of the 94th House District have been campaigning toward reelection like many Illinois lawmakers in recent days. But they also have their minds on the state’s fiscal issues to be addressed beyond November.

Rep. Hammond says she has heard from frustrated constituents while traveling throughout her district.

Rep. Frese said Illinois needs legislation that frees employers to hire more workers, and that a larger worker force, in his words, “Can perhaps enlarge that pie to the point where we don’t have to increase rates of income tax, but rather we have more people paying in.”

Both Hammond and Frese spoke in Monmouth recently as part of an ag breakfast event.

The Shelby County Health Department has received its seasonal supply of flu vaccine and will be hosting walk-in clinics this week.

The clinic is open to all children ages 2 months to 18 years. Vaccines offered are Polio, Hepatitis B, Menveo (Meningitis vaccine), a vaccine for chickenpox, pneumonia, and many others.

Some booster shots are required after 4 years of age or prior to kindergarten entry.

Walk-in influenza and Pneumonia vaccination clinics for all adults age 19 and older began on Monday and will continue through Friday from 8AM to 11:30AM; then an afternoon clinic from 1PM until 3:30PM at the health department.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends influenza vaccination for all adults yearly to be protected from infection.

Guidelines from the CDC recommend a pneumonia vaccination for all individuals 65 years of age and older. A booster shot is required if you were vaccinated for pneumonia before the age of 65.

For additional information on Health Care provider’s acceptance by the Shelby County Health Department or the walk-in clinic; call 774-9555, Monday-Friday from 8AM-4PM

Temperatures in the heartland might be cooling off but gas prices in Illinois are on the rise according to a recent survey by “Gas Buddy”.

The average retail price for gasoline in the Prairie State has risen 1 cent in the past week, averaging $2.28 per gallon.

The survey included information from 4,378 gas outlets in Illinois.

This hike in prices as compared to the national average which has fallen 1.8 cents over the last week to $2.17 a gallon.

Illinois gas prices during the past week compared 22.6 cents per gallon lower than the same day a year ago and are 7 cents higher than a month ago.

In comparison the national average has increased by only 5 cents per gallon over the last month and sits at 17.2 cents a gallon lower than this day a year ago.

For LIVE fuel prices you can visit gasbuddy.com

The IHSA Board of Directors met at the IHSA office in Bloomington for their regularly scheduled meeting on Monday, where the Board announced that the Student Section Showdown will return for the 3^rd year in a row.

The inaugural contest took place in 2014-15, with Central A&M High School and Prospect High School being named the champions in Class 1A/2A and Class 3A/4A, respectively. Last year’s winners were Breese Central (Class 1A/2A) and Ottawa Township (Class 3A/4A).

The Student Section Showdown came from the IHSA Student Advisory Committee (SAC). This contest creates competition for student sections from around the state to show off their school spirit.

The deadline to enter is February 7^th, 2017 where schools are asked to submit a video, up to 3 minutes, showing off their school spirit with their student section during a game.

The submissions will be judged by the SAC and representatives from the finalists will be invited to the IHSA Boys Basketball State Finals, where the winners will be revealed.

For complete entry and contest details go to ihsa.org

The Taylorville Board of Education met in its regular monthly meeting Monday night to discuss FY2017 budget as well as to possibly ask the city to raise property taxes in light of new budget deficit issues.

Currently, Taylorville has the lowest tax rate of any school system in Christian County at 3.42%.

Taylorville school district is on a projected budget deficit of nearly $1.5 million this year ($1,460,216). During a special meeting preceding the actual board meeting, the board adopted the FY17 school district budget with a unanimous vote.

The board has been considering a referendum to be put on the April ballot to raise the property tax to help in the areas where the budget is lacking.

In other business the board heard from Dr. Greg Fuerstenau (FUR-STA-NOW) that Girls’ Soccer is coming back to Taylorville High School as soon as an Athletic Committee can approve the team and get a season scheduled. That athletic committee is set to meet on October 3^rd.

Dr. Fuerstenau (FUR-STA-NOW) also stated that the end date for the 2016-17 school year has been set at June 2^nd. 

The Christian County Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) will have a meeting on Tuesday September 13^th, at 2:30PM at the Christian County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) (TVL Fire Dept.) at 202 North Main St. in Taylorville.

The meeting will include information and a presentation on “How the Village of Kincaid responded, recovered and rebuilt” by Kincaid Police Chief, Dwayne Wheeler.

The LEPC will also have Web Emergency Operations Center training as well as an overview of state-wide, full scale exercise with the Christian County which was held in June.

For more information contact or Nancy Martin at 820-1651.

September is National Preparedness Month and the American Red Cross of Central and Southern Illinois is encouraging people to create a disaster escape plan so everyone in the home knows exactly what to do when a crisis strikes.

Trish Burnette, Regional Communications Director of the Central & Southern Illinois Red Cross, says that the sometimes the national disasters get the most attention, but citizens should be mindful of local disasters right here at home.

Burnette talked about the “Home Fire Campaign” as well as other services that the Red Cross is offering to prepare people for what to do in the face of these disasters.

The Red Cross has also put out a preparedness app for those looking to get their children involved in the planning as well as receive tips and instruction on what to do during a crisis.

For more information, you can go to getasmokealarm.org or visit the Central and Southern IL Red Cross at redcross.org.

The Christian County Historical Society held their Prairie Days event over the weekend at the Christian County Historical Society grounds. Taylorville Mayor Greg Brotherton proclaimed the start of the event, and spoke with Regional Radio News where he urged listeners to head out to the grounds to learn about the region’s history.

Chuck Courtright, a retired member of the Genealogical Society also spoke with Regional Radio News and said that Taylorville was once a much smaller community than it is now.

The Christian County Historical Society Prairie Days gave visitors a chance to view the history of the region, and offered many different attractions throughout the weekend as well. For more information on the Christian County Historical Society, visit their website at christiancountyhistorical.com

Due to unforeseen circumstances the Eric Paslay Show that was originally scheduled for September 15^th at the Effingham Performance Center in Effingham has been rescheduled. It will now take place on February 23^rd. Original tickets will still be honored on the new date, and refunds can be obtained by calling the box office at 217-540-2788.

Prairie Farms will be moving their corporate offices from their Carlinville location to Edwardsville next year. CEO and Executive Vice President Ed Mullins said the move will allow Prairie Farms to consolidate their corporate offices to one location.

The Carlinville plant will continue to operate as it does now, but the corporate employees who work at that location will be making the move to the St. Louis area, where much of the corporate staff currently works.

Mullins said the move will make life easier for the company, considering the current difficulty to schedule meetings between the various locations. Mullins also expressed a desire to make the company a more appealing place to work for the next generation of corporate employees.

Senator Andy Manar is coming to the Christian County Senior Citizens Center on Wednesday September 28th for the Christian County Senior Fair. Manar will be there offering many things such as free health screenings, information on community services from the Area Agency on Aging for Lincolnland, and giving people the chance to update, renew, or replace their driver's license. Judy Gates from the Christian County Senior Citizens Center said the event is free and it's a great way for people to talk to Manar and let him know their needs and problems.

Classes for the 7th annual Senior Police Academy began earlier this month, but classes will continue, every Thursday through late October. Gates said the event is free and open for all, but those interested need to register as soon as possible because seating is limited.

For more information call the Christian County Senior Citizens Center at 824-4263. Gates appeared on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show. 

A big crowd was on hand for the annual Downtown Taylorville Committee Big Machine Day on the square Saturday morning.  Kids young and old got to climb on the big equipment from agriculture, contractors and first responders.

Downtown Taylorville also held their weekly Farmer's Market as part of the festivities on the Taylorville square Saturday.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit on Friday granted a stay to U.S. District Judge Sue Myerscough’s preliminary injunction which had prevented the Illinois State Board of Elections from removing Dr. David Gill’s name from this November’s ballot. The stay was granted at the request of the Board of Elections and Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan.  The decision of the Court of Appeals, if allowed to stand, effectively prevents Gill from running for Illinois’ 13th District U.S. House seat as an Independent.

Gill and his team of circulators collected more than 11,300 petition signatures in 90 days this spring in an effort to gain ballot access. After the Democratic candidate and a representative of the Republican Congressman filed objections to Gill’s petition, the State Board of Elections determined that Gill only had 8593 valid signatures, short of the 10,754 required by Illinois law to run as an Independent.

Gill then filed a federal lawsuit seeking to have the signature requirement declared unconstitutional, and he won the preliminary injunction on August 25. State authorities immediately appealed that decision and asked the Appellate Court to stay Judge Myerscough’s decision while their appeal is pending.

In response to the Appellate Court’s decision, Dr. Gill said he was disappointed for the voters of Illinois' 13th Congressional District.

The decision means that incumbent Republican Rodney Davis of Taylorville will be running against Democrat Mark Wicklund of Decatur in the November 8th election, without Gill's name appearing as an independent candidate.

Congressman Darin LaHood is joining the chorus of Central Illinois leaders praising Springfield swimmer Ryan Held after his gold medal performance in last summer's Rio Olympics.
 

Last Friday, Governor Bruce Rauner declared it Ryan Held Day in Illinois.

While the technology isn’t quite ready for driverless trucks, Don Schaefer of the Midwest Truckers Assoc. says the federal transportation folks are looking at ways to use technology in order to limit truck speeds.



With GPS technology, a speed control system could know where any truck is, and limit it’s speed to just under the posted limit. Schaefer says limiting speed only for trucks can be safety hazard if cars are travelling faster.



Don Schaefer with the Midwest Truckers assoc. If you would like to comment on the proposal during the 60 day comment period, contact your County Farm Bureau for information, or visit the Midwest Truckers Assoc website

The Shelby County Office of Tourism Digital Photo Contest officially finished taking entries today, but will continue to take last minute entries through Monday. Freddie Fry, from the Shelby County Office of Tourism, said the photos will be used for their new visitor guide and when people send in their last minute entries, they need to make sure to have an entry form.

Fry said the Shelby County Office of Tourism works hard to make sure these visitor guides aren't the same every year, but does need help from advertisers to help them print them out so they can be placed around town and even at the information centers for the state.

For more information go to lakeshelbyville.com. Fry appeared on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show live from our Shelbyville Studios. 

October is breast cancer awareness month and the Pink Ribbon Program is here to help all those in need. Glenda Plunkett, the Marketing Coordinator at Shelby Memorial Hospital, says that the high costs of treatment should not be a burden on those that need care.

Plunkett also says that the Pink Ribbon Program will be hosting an informational booth at the Shelbyville High School football game on October 7th to help kick off breast cancer awareness month.

For more information visit mysmh.org.Plunkett appeared as a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show live from our Shelbyville studios.

As Fall approaches, the Chautauqua Preservation Committee has plenty of events on the way that will take place for the Shelbyville community. Brenda Elder, with the Chautauqua Preservation Committee said one of the events that is coming up soon is a breakfast that will take place along with Balloon Fest. The breakfast is a fundraiser to help out many committees in the community and will be buffet style.

The Dacey's Hollow Haunted Trail dates have also been set for this year in late October and this year Elder said they will have two different versions; one for kids that's all about having fun and getting candy and another for fear seekers.

Elder appeared on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show live from our Shelbyville Studios.

Illinois State Police District 9 Commander Scott Compton has announced the activity and enforcement figures for the month of August. Troopers in District 9, which includes seven counties, answered over 300 calls for service, and initiated over 1200 incidents in the field during the month.

The enforcement figures totaled 648 citations. Over 300 of those were speeding citations. The district also issued 463 written warnings, as well as conducted 45 criminal arrests. Troopers also assisted over 300 motorists, conducted nearly 250 motor carrier inspections, and investigated 102 traffic crashes, three of which resulted in three total fatalities.

During the month, 422 citations were issued for “Fatal Four” violations. Those violations are most associated with fatal traffic crashes, and include speeding, DUI, failure to wear a seatbelt, and distracted driving.

Sangamon County Coroner Cinda Edwards as released initial details in a death investigation regarding 34 year old Glenda L. Scott of Springfield. Scott was pronounced deceased at Memorial Medical Center Thursday morning at 12:40am. Scott was a passenger in a vehicle that left the roadway and struck a tree in the 200 west block of Pine Street about a quarter until 7pm on Wednesday. An autopsy is scheduled for Friday morning in Springfield, and the Springfield Police Department is investigating the crash.

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin is blasting Republican leaders on the issue of Zika. He is asking Congressional Republicans to follow up on President Obama's request for 1.9 billion dollars in emergency funding to help fight Zika. Durbin says Zika discussions may center on Florida for the moment, but Illinois is not immune to Zika worries.

Durbin says the Zika situation represents a new precedent.

President Obama made the request for 1.9 billion dollars in funding to fight Zika seven months ago.

Taylorville Community Credit Union is increasing their annual scholarships that they award to area students each year from $500 to $1000. Will Perkins, TCCU President, said how TCCU wanted to help give back to the community.

Perkins shared some of the ways students can register for the scholarships if they’re interested.

Student registration is open from now through October 14^th, with the scholarship voting period taking place from November 9^th through February 28^th. Visit taylorvillecommunitycreditunion.com to learn more about the scholarships.

The Central Illinois Community Blood Center will be hosting a community blood drive in Assumption on Thursday, September 15^th from 4 until 6:30 pm. Libby Bair, Donor Relations Consultant with the Central Illinois Community Blood Center said that walk ins are welcome, but encourage donors to sign up.

Blood Centers are usually trying to recover from a lower amount of blood donations over the summer. Bair explained why that is.

Potential donors must be at least 17 years of age, or 16 with parental permission, and weigh more than 110 pounds. A photo ID is also required to donate. Those with diabetes or controlled high blood pressure may also be accepted as eligible donors. For more questions contact the Central Illinois Community Blood Center at 1-800-747-5401.

The Christian County Historical Society will be holding their Prairie Days Events this Saturday and Sunday in Taylorville. Rachel Ward, Coordinator for the Christian County Historical Society spoke with Regional Radio News and shared where everyone can find the Prairie Days Events.

Ward shared some of the attractions that Prairie Days will have.

The Miller Media Group will be broadcasting live from the Christian County Historical Society Prairie Days as Groovy 97.3 WRAN will be live on location on Saturday from 10 until 11.

Governor Bruce Rauner continues to pledge to stay on the sidelines as the race for President moves toward its final weeks. He is shooting down speculation that he's ready to throw his support to Republican nominee Donald Trump.

Rauner meanwhile continues to offer his enthusiastic support to US Senator Mark Kirk in his race for re-election.

State universities are reporting mixed numbers on fall enrollment. The University of Illinois was near a record incoming freshman class this year and Illinois State is doing quite well. ISU in Bloomington Normal reports they have their largest fall signup in 27 years. More than 3,600 freshmen are enrolled as Redbirds. That’s not the case at Southern Illinois. Saluki enrollment is down 7.5 percent, to just under 16,000 students.

Late summer or early fall depending on how you look at it right now is still a prime time for bug and mosquito bites. But you can still do plenty to avoid them. Applying products with DEET in the them are always a good idea but for those looking for a less chemical alternative new studies show that you can use products with the oil of lemon eucalyptus, that’s according to U of I Extension’s Kelly Allsup.



If you going with the trusted DEET spray, Allsup says make sure that your using a product with at least 10 percent of the bug repellent in it.

The Christian County Board takes pride in their partnership with the public transportation service, Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), and hopes that the citizens of Taylorville are informed on how to use it properly.

Chairman of the CC Board, Paul Schmitz says to call 24-hours ahead of time to properly schedule the stops for the next day and since it is already paid for, the citizens should take advantage of the service.

Schmitz also commented that IDOT is attempting to get contracts for local college students for some public transportation.

For more information on the IDOT service around Taylorvile, you can contact them at 824-3201. Schmitz appeared as a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

The Christian County Prevention Coalition would like to extend an open invite to any concerned citizen in the area to take part in their various programs.

The CCPC exists to educate, prevent and help those with addictions or any other issues related to drugs or alcohol.

Board member Dennis Metsker says that the CCPC is here to make a difference.

Metsker says that the CCPC has many different opportunities to get involved in the area.

The CCPC's next coalition meeting will be September 28^th at the Taylorville Memorial Hospital in the auditorium at 4:30pm. For more information you can visit them online at cc-pc.org.

Commuters traveling on Illinois Route 29 will have more lanes to choose from soon. Ron Archambeau, District Six Construction Engineer with the Illinois Department of Transportation said the southbound section of the project should open up as early as the end of this week.

Archambeau said that even though part of the project will be open, commuters should still expect lane closures on the highway as work is finished up on the northbound side of Route 29.

Archambeau expects all work on Route 29 to be completed sometime around mid-October.

Rebecca's Antiques on the Taylorville Square is once again open and ready for business after they closed a short time for restoration. Rebecca's Antiques changed locations from their store on East Main Cross because Rebecca Stiner, Owner of Rebecca's Antiques, thought the available location on the corner of the square was too good to pass up. Stiner said the store is open for business now, but there will be a grand re-opening soon.

Stiner explained her store is not finished being restored yet, and she still has outside construction going on including archway repair, siding removal, but a lot of the inside reconstruction has already been finished.

Stiner said in her new location she also has a little boutique she wanted to try out to go along with her antiques. Rebecca's Antiques new location is at 100 W Market Street on the southeast corner of the square.

This week Crimestoppers is seeking information in regards to a burglary that occurred in Taylorville.

Sometime during the overnight hours between Thursday, August 25 and Friday August 26, 2016, person or persons unknown attempted to make entry into the Loading Zone Bar, located at 2100 West Spresser Street.  The front doors to the business were damaged, when the unknown subject or subjects were attempting entry.  There did not appear to be anything taken.  The total dollar amount of damage is unknown at this time. 

Please contact Crimestoppers if you have any information on this crime or any other crimes or wanted persons.  Crimestoppers will pay cash rewards of up to $1,000.00 for information that leads to an arrest and you do not have to give your name.  Crimestoppers will pay double the normal reward for information that leads to an arrest for the crime of the week. 

You can contact Crimestoppers at 824-9100, at our website Christiancountycrimestoppers.org, or by texting CRIMES (274632) and then your tip.  As always, you will remain anonymous.  

A pair of area death investigations that were being conducted by Christian County Coroner Amy Calvert Winans has been finalized. 18 year old James A. Reinstorf of Pana died on July 17^th at 10:53am at his residence in Pana. His cause of death has been determined to be hydromorphone intoxication, and the manner of his death has been ruled to be accidental.

33 year old Luis Gerardo De La Cruz Hernandez of Taylorville died on July 27^th on Route 29 in Taylorville Township. His cause of death was determined to be from multiple blunt injuries caused by being struck by a semi-tractor trailer truck as a pedestrian. His death was also determined to be accidental.

Regional Radio News has learned from Edinburg Superintendent Fred Lamkey that Edinburg Schools will dismiss at 2pm today due to the excessive heat, and the fact that the building’s air conditioning unit broke.

The Taylorville City Council met in regular session on Tuesday night. The meeting which was delayed a day due to the Labor Day Holiday had several notable items on the agenda. One was a motion to table by Alderman Bruce Jones a motion that would direct the City Attorney to prepare an Ordinance to amend the Taylorville City Code on items regarding the definition of “taverns or lounges” and “restaurants” in the city. Alderman Jones spoke with Regional Radio News following the City Council meeting and explained why the video gaming issue has been such a problem for the city, and what the reasoning is for bringing it back to the committee level.

The motion to table passed unanimously, and will now go back to the committee level for further review.

Another issue that generated some confusion and lengthy discussion at Tuesday’s Taylorville City Council Meeting was on a motion to allow Superintendent Wiseman to purchase a new backhoe, while trading in a used piece of equipment to help offset some of the costs. City Attorney Rocci Romano brought up a rather odd piece of legislature that caused an issue with the motion.

Alderman Earl Walters who made the motion stated why he didn’t like the statue that was causing the problems.

The motion was ultimately tabled, giving time for bids to be sent out on the equipment. After voting on a number of other motions and approving the payment of bills, the Tuesday meeting of the Taylorville City Council adjourned at 8pm.

500 Illinois hunters will literally get a shot this year at bobcats roaming the state. For the first time in four decades, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources has opened applications to hunt and trap bobcats. IDNR spokesman Tim Schweizer says those lucky enough to receive a permit can hunt and trap bobcats in early November;



Schweizer says the return of hunting bobcats in the state represents a "conservation success story." IDNR estimates as many as five-thousand of the predators now roam Illinois.

A 6-foot, 300-pound steel rooster that disappeared from a central Illinois front yard has been found, but the mystery of who nabbed the sculpture remains unsolved. Melanie and Darrell Hall of Moweaqua reported their rooster missing in June. A tip led the Christian County Sheriff's Department to a creek five miles from the Halls' farmhouse. They found the rooster sculpture in pieces and submerged. A welder and a body shop are getting Ruben back in shape.

Sangamon County Coroner Cinda Edwards has released the initial details of a death investigation for 18 year old Dwayne S. Davis of Springfield. Davis was pronounced deceased at HSHS St. Johns hospital on Monday, after suffering a gunshot wound on September 3^rd. An autopsy is scheduled for Wednesday, and the Springfield Police Department is investigating.

Taylorville Mayor Greg Brotherton has appointed Brian Hile as interim Chief of Police. Hile, who’s been with the Taylorville Police Department since 1996, spoke with Regional Radio News and said that it’s an honor that the Mayor has confidence in him.

Hile said that one of the goals for the Taylorville Police Department moving forward is to continue increasing the involvement with the community, and mentioned some of the ways the Department has planned to do that.

The appointment by Mayor Brotherton will need to be ratified by the full city council. Hile, who previously served as the Deputy Chief of Police, replaces Dave Herpstreith, who resigned as Chief, but has stayed on with the Department as a patrol officer.

This month's NEWSTALK WTIM Central Illinois Smiles Family Dentistry "Big Smile for the Community" honoree, is Delores Hunt, who is an active member of the Christian County Home and Community Education Association. Hunt share some of the things the Christian County Home and Community Education Association does throughout the year.

To nominate someone for the NEWSTALK WTIM Central Illinois Family Dentistry "Big Smile for the Community" award, send your nomination to bigsmile@randyradio.com.

United Way of Christian County will be holding a Taylorville Wide Garage Sale this upcoming Friday and Saturday, September 9th and 10th. The Garage Sale begins at 7:00 a.m. both days, and will have various end times depending on the sale location. Susan Lawrence, Executive Director of United Way in Christian County said there will be 11 locations on their map for people to visit, but there will most likely be more for those who registered late, so it's best to keep an eye out.

Lawrence said the maps don't just list the locations of each registered sale, but they also have items each sale will have that would be most interesting for the shoppers.

The maps can be found at Angelo's Pizza, Taylorville Food Center, and the Greater Taylorville Chamber of Commerce. For more information call the United Way office at 217-824-8404 or find them on Facebook at United Way of Christian County.  Lawrence appeared on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show. 

There was a fatal accident in Shelby County last weekend. On Saturday, August 27^th at about 1am, 21 year old Tucker M. Schwengel of Shelbyville was headed southbound on Shelby County Road 1950 East when the vehicle left the road about 200 feet north of Shelby County Road 900 North. Schwengel’s vehicle eventually struck a ditch embankment and concrete culvert, sending the vehicle airborne before eventually coming to a rest in a tree line near Shelby County Road 900 north. Schwengel, the only occupant of the vehicle was pronounced deceased by the Shelby County Coroner.

Recently Taylorville received recognition from the International Chili Society as the “Chili Capital of Illinois”. Greater Taylorville Chamber of Commerce CEO Patty Hornbuckle spoke with Regional Radio News and talked about some of the chili cook-offs Taylorville hosts that helped bring it this designation.

Hornbuckle said that the process to get the recognition took a lot of research.

State Representative Avery Bourne has started the process for Springfield to recognize Taylorville as the Chili Capital of Illinois by filing House Resolution 1357, which would officially designate Taylorville as the Chili Capital of Illinois.

Watson Inc. recently made a rather significant donation to the Taylorville Food Pantry. Team members at Watson’s Taylorville plant held a school supply drive over the summer, and collected school supplies to help fill 216 backpacks that Watson Inc. then donated to the Taylorville Food Pantry. Moira Watson, Vice President of Marketing and Communications for Watson Inc. spoke with Regional Radio News and said the main offices learned that the Taylorville Food Pantry was seeking school supply donations, and reached out to its Taylorville location to see if they could do something to help.

Moira Watson said the company held a competition between employees in good fun to help with gathering school supplies.

The backpacks have since been distributed to needing families in Taylorville. The company hopes that the children who received the backpacks will find the school supplies useful, and help them have a successful school year.

Recently Taylorville received recognition from the International Chili Society as the “Chili Capital of Illinois”. State Representative Avery Bourne has also started a push in Springfield to have the capital officially recognize Taylorville’s chili greatness by filing and sponsoring House Resolution 1357 which would officially designate Taylorville as the state’s chili capital. Bourne said how Taylorville Chamber of Commerce CEO Patty Hornbuckle brought the issue to her attention, it was all hands on deck to check the facts and draft the resolution. Bourne also said how a House Resolution is different from a bill, stating how a Resolution only needs a majority vote in the state house to pass.

Bourne said that so far there is some support from the house for the Resolution, but knows that it will be a tough battle in the Capital City where many feel Springfield should have the state chili capital honors.

The chili cook-offs bring roughly 10,000 people to the area each year, which means more business for the community. Bourne and the various members of the community who helped with the resolution hope that it will help bring more attention to the area and its chili cook-offs in the future.

The American Cancer Society’s Special Friends Program is intended to help provide friendship and fun to pediatric cancer patients and their siblings, by pairing the kids with a student in medical school to help bond. Katie Champion, Senior Manager of Community Engagement with the American Cancer Society explained who is eligible for the Special Friends Program.

The program hosts a series of parties for the kids and students to have fun and help show the kids that doctors are people too. Champion shed light on one of the upcoming parties that the program has lined up.

Most of the parties are hosted in Springfield, and many of the families involved come from all over central Illinois. For more information on the Special Friends Program, contact Katie Champion at the American Cancer Society at (217) 523-4503.

It's no cold war. Taylorville and Springfield chili enthusiasts are offering different opinions on bragging rights when it comes to producing chili. The cities are just 30 miles apart on Route 29 and that only seems to be fueling the rivalry. A crowd gathered in Taylorville to hear State Rep. Avery Bourne's resolution recommending the Christian County town be named the “Chilli Capital of Illinois.” Former Governor Jim Edgar signed a resolution previously naming Springfield the ‘Chilli Capital of the Civilized World.’” Bourne knows it won't be easy taking on the Capitol City in the Capitol.

Taylorville officials say their 5 chili cookoffs bring 10,000 visitors a year to the Christian County Seat.

The DuQuoin State Fair approaches its final turn this weekend. When visitors pass worn out buildings and facilities, Governor Bruce Rauner says it's a clear reminder of the benefits of the brand new Illinois State fair foundation that will serve both state fairgrounds facilities.

The launch of the fair foundation is expected early next year. 

The current presidential campaign has been filled with a lot of anti-trade talk, which most economic experts agree is not a good sign for future economic growth. The public does seem to have a lot of misconceptions about the Trans Pacific Partnership in particular which will make it politically difficult for congress to approve the agreement. International trade expert Paul Drazek says failure to approve the TPP could have some international repercussions.



Drazek has a long career in trade issues with USDA, US Trade Representative’s office, American Farm Bureau Federation and other government and private agencies. 
A common complaint about the TPP is the myth that it was negotiated in secret by big business, and we don’t really know what’s in it. However, Tamara Nelson, Illinois Farm Bureau’s point person on trade the agreement is totally transparent, and the entire proposed agreement is right there on the internet.



Trade agreements, like the TPP as well as the decades old NAFTA agreement are taking the blame for a soft job market when most trade experts say the job market would be even softer without them. The major selling point of these agreements is lowering of import tariffs by our trading partners, making their markets more accessible to US exports, thus creating more jobs here at home.

You will notice that law enforcement types are less likely to have much time off during the holiday weekend. The Illinois State Police will team up with more than 200 other local departments to enforce the DUI and seat belt law. Sangamon (Sang-uh-mun) County Sheriff Wes Barr warns late nights add extra danger, so police will respond with added personnel in the overnight hours.

13 people died in Labor Day wrecks last year. 

The level of gun violence in Chicago hasn’t slowed down this summer. But Governor Bruce Rauner isn’t ready to call in the National Guard to help stamp down crime. This week some community leaders made the call again to have the National Guard deployed but Rauner says that even though Father Michael Pfleger is looking for that to be the next step it’s not the right one. 



Rauner says that he’s already doing what he can by helping increase State Police patrols on Chicago expressways and giving Chicago Police more surveillance tools.

With the start of the 2016-2017 school year, CEO, or Creating Entrepreneurial Opportunities began its second year of the  program. CEO takes high school upperclassmen and teaches them how to network as well as how to grow a business of their own, while they create and attempt to sell their own product or service. Three CEO students, Dalton Lingle, Kyle Woods, and Alexis Gipson joined the Groovy Morning Show on Groovy 97.3 WRAN and explained what CEO is all about.

Lingle, Woods, and Gipson then said what they hope to get out of the program when the year is finished, and what their plans are afterward.

Regional Radio News will follow up with the CEO students throughout the year to show how they grow and what they learn from their first week through their last.

This weekend is labor day weekend, and with the extra day off from work and school, along with the expected beautiful weather, Lake Shelbyville is expecting a huge crowd of people. While the lake itself might be a bit too cold to swim in people still have the option to boat, hike, camp, and more. Ashley Florey, Natural Resource Specialist at Lake Shelbyville said the lake has a lot of events going on this weekend to provide fun for kids and adults including tours, movie nights, and scavenger hunts.

Florey said on Monday Bobber the Water Safety Dog and his friends will be in the Pana Labor Day Parade.

Florey said this is one of the last weekends to go out on the lake as Labor Day signifies the last day of summer, and parts of Lake Shelbyville are closing to the public, but other areas won't close until later in the year.

Florey said there will be extended camping allowed in some areas for hunter to camp on site, but it depends on the weather. She also said all the beaches will be closed starting on September 11th. Florey appeared on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show live from our Shelbyville Studios.

Regional Radio News has been informed that the boil order that had been in effect for the city of Strasburg has been lifted. Regional Radio News learned that a rock had made its way into a regulator that regulates pressure for the water system coming into the city. The city of Strasburg has since removed the rock and re-tested the water quality which passed, hence lifting the order which had been in effect since 12:30pm Thursday afternoon.

Over 30 member agency leaders, co-chair's, team leaders and corporate leaders attended Thursday night's kickoff of the 2017 campaign for the United Way of Christian County at the Taylorville Memorial Hospital auditorium.

Each of those groups were recognized for their upcoming work towards this year's campaign goal of 147-thousand dollars to help fund 27 member agencies in Christian County.

Executive director of the United Way Susan Lawrence was emcee for the event, and told Regional Radio News that member agencies must be non-profit and serve Christian County.

Lawrence added that her United Way board took a hard look at their budget, and is funding at the same level as in the past.

Lawrence says those in attendence felt good about being involved in the local United Way fund raising campaign.

For more information on the United Way of Christian County, click their icon at taylorvilledailynews-dot-com.

The Chicago skyline is known the world over and it’s being showcased even more on national television. The number of productions is increasing around the state. Familiar names like Chicago Fire aren’t going anywhere and now new shows are being added. Christine Dudley with the Chicago Film office says the state’s tax credit helps adding productions and the bottom line is Chicago is a great place to film.



The film office can’t provide exact numbers on the jobs create by the productions but says the number is in the thousands. 

Fire officials in Eastern Illinois's Vermillion County say two people are dead after an explosion rocked a small town. The blast outside Fairmount, town of just over 600 people. The Illinois State Fire Marshal is investigating. The Vermilion County coroner identifies the victims as 77-year-old Delores Sapp and 64-year-old Floyd Walton. Smoke could be seen for smiles and fire officials say the home was blown "completely apart". 

The group that wants Illinois to reform the way it creates legislative maps has filed a petition asking the Illinois Supreme Court to reconsider its recent ruling that declared the effort unconstitutional.

In a split, four-to-three decision, the Illinois Supreme Court late last week voted to keep the initiative from reaching voters, despite signatures of more than a half million registered voters on petitions who want to see it on November ballots. It would create an independent, non-partisan commission to create legislative maps instead of the Illinois General Assembly.

At a Chicago press conference Wednesday, Independent Maps coalition chairman Dennis FitzSimons (fitz-CY-muhns) says the group filed the petition because they believe the court’s majority was wrong and inconsistent. The group says it has the right to point out arguments most of the justices overlooked and misinterpreted. 

Groups such as Illinois Farm Bureau, Illinois League of Women Voters and Latino Policy Forum helped gather signatures on petitions. The Independent Maps group says it owes those groups and the more than 560-thousand Illinois voters who signed petitions to make every possible effort to get the question before voters in November.

The Bloomington-based Growmark cooperative has released its end-of-fiscal year financial reports. The co-op announced estimated fiscal year sales of $7.1 billion, down from $8.7 billion last year. It estimated pretax income at $103 million, down from $134 million in its fiscal year 2016, which ended yesterday. At its annual meeting underway in Chicago, Growmark C-E-O Jim Spradlin attributed the numbers to the current rocky farm economy.



At its annual meeting in Chicago, the Bloomington-based co-op gave Illinois Farm Bureau its "Friend of Growmark" award to recognize the organization's 100th year. Spradlin credits county Farm Bureaus with creating Growmark.

Still, the co-op, which not only operates in Illinois but 39 other states and Ontario, plans to return $52-million in patronage refunds to its member cooperatives and farmer-owners.

Macon County Coroner Michael E. Day has released a statement with the preliminary autopsy results of 4 year old Amarrtah Reynolds of Decatur. Reynolds was pronounced dead on Wednesday at Decatur Memorial Hospital Emergency Room at 4:51 PM. She was brought to the hospital with multiple traumatic injuries. Preliminary autopsy results indicate acute subdural hemorrhages to the brain, and multiple contusions consistent with blunt force head trauma. The extensive injuries are consistent with non-accidental, inflicted trauma, and the head injuries were the primary cause of death. Decatur Police Detectives are continuing their criminal investigation into the matter.

The Pana Tri-County Fair kicked off Thursday. The big series of events of the night was the Little Miss, Jr. Miss, and Queen contests. Miller Media Group’s Daniel Statum was live on location and spoke with Alex Russel, 2015 Miss Pana Tri-County Queen. Russel shared how she got involved with pageantry.

Because agriculture is such a big industry in Illinois, Russel said a Pageant Queen for the County fairs should have a good understanding of agriculture.

The Pana Tri-County Fair will continue to run through Monday, with events such as live music, Harness Racing, Truck Pulls, and a carnival throughout the fair. For more information visit online at panatricountyfair.com.

Taylorville is being recognized as the “Chili Capital of Illinois”. The Illinois Chamber of Commerce along with Taylorville Mayor Greg Brotherton as well as Christian County Chairman Paul Schmitz and many other members of the community gathered in the Christian County Square on Thursday as State Representative Avery Bourne (R-Raymond) announced her filing and sponsorship of House Resolution 1357, which would designate Taylorville as the Chili Capital of Illinois. Representative Bourne spoke with Regional Radio News and said how she was excited to push for the resolution to pass in the Illinois House.

The International Chili Society has already issued a proclamation designating Taylorville as the Chili Capital of the State, with further proclamations coming from Christian County, and the City of Taylorville itself. Taylorville Chamber CEO Patty Hornbuckle said that the added attention to Taylorville with these proclamations can only do good things for the city.

Christian County along with Taylorville has a growing history with Chili Cookoffs. County Board Chairman Paul Schmitz said that it’s been a dedicated group of people making it happen.

Taylorville hosts five International Chili Society sanctioned chili cook offs each year, and is home to several world champion chili cook off champions. The next chili cook off in Taylorville will be the Taylorville Chillifest, that will be held on the square on October First and Second. For forms on Chillifest, visit the Chillifest website at chillifest.info, or stop by the Chamber office on the second floor of the US Bank Building on the south side of the Taylorville Square.

A major press conference was held in Taylorville this morning, where Greater Taylorville Chamber of Commerce CEO Patty Hornbuckle declared the City of Taylorville as the Chili Capital of Illinois. Hornbuckle was joined by Mayor Greg Brotherton, Paul Schmitz, Christian County Board Chairman, and Carol Hancock CEO and owner of the International Chili Society, in proclaiming Taylorville as the Chili Capital of Illinois. Hornbuckle said that it meant a lot to her that the International Chili Society views the city as the Illinois Chilli Capital.

Hornbuckle said she is grateful for Tom Calvert because of all of the work he puts into helping the chili cookoffs in Taylorville run smoothly and represent the City of Taylorville as a world champion when he competes around the country.

Hornbuckle mentioned that Calvert's appearance in other cities helps bring visitors to Taylorville and those visitors for the chili cookoffs help the city's economic development. To have the label finalized, Hornbuckle is waiting for a final formal vote which will take place in November. Hornbuckle appeared on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show. 

With the start of the 2016-2017 school year, CEO, or Creating Entrepreneurial Opportunities began its second year of the program. CEO takes high school upperclassmen and teaches them how to network as well as how to grow a business of their own, while they create and attempt to sell their own product or service. The 8 students in the program, aren't fully sure what to expect from the program, but two students, Matthew O'Brian and Zebert Dunaway, hope to learn to network,  sell themselves, and much more.

Since the students have only been in the class for a week and a half, they are still learning what the class will bring to them, but Dunaway and O'Brian explained what made them want to join the class this year and take advantage of this opportunity.

Regional Radio News will follow up with the CEO students throughout the year to show their growth from their first through their final week. Dunaway and O'Brian appeared on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show.