HERE’s THE WGFA NEWS STORIES MAKING HEADLINES TODAY, THIS FRIDAY, JUNE 29th > DONOVAN BOE SAYS “NO” TO REGIONAL HIGH SCHOOL…… WATSEKA COUNCIL TO ADDRESS CITY HALL MOVE AT JULY 5th MEETING……. HEALTH OFFICIALS TRACKING DEAD BIRDS…… RED CROSS BLOODMOBILES SET FOR JULY ……

PARTLY CLOUDY TODAY. HIGHS IN THE MID 70s. THE WEEKEND FORECAST CALLS FOR SUNNY SKIES SATURDAY AND SUNDAY WITH HIGHS IN THE LOW 80s.

1. The Board of Education at Donovan is withdrawing from future talks about a regional high school. A 4-3 vote this week finds the board favoring to stay away from any future discussions about the regional concept. Donovan was part of a group of districts gathering info. Donovan joins Iroquois West Unit 10 in pulling away. Other Iroquois County schools involed in the discussions include Watseka, Crescent-Iroquois and Milford.
2. A Watseka City Council meeting to address a possible re-location of City Hall will be the topic of a July 5th get-together. Mayor John Weidert informed the Area Chamber of Commerce that a July 3rd Finance committee meeting is too bogged down with agenda items, so a special meeting to address the City Hall is scheduled for Thursday at 6:30 pm. The Watseka Area Chamber of Commerce opposes re-locating City Hall to Brianna Drive on the city’s east side.
3. The public can help the Ford-Iroquois Public Health Department track West Nile virus activity by collecting dead birds for testing. Submitted birds should be believed dead less than 48 hours. Birds should only be submitted IF they haven’t been damaged by scavenging animals or decomposed. Residents should double bag the birds in plastic bags and take them to the Health Offices in Paxton or Watseka.
4. The Red Cross has a busy month of July ahead for bloodmobiles. The Red Cross office in Danville is hosting the first bloodmobile on Monday, July 2nd. Two more are set in Iroquois County, July 10th and 11th at the Cissna Park American Legion and the Immanuel Lutheran Church at Loda. Several more are spread out in Kankakee County.
5. I-DOT is suspending construction work during the July 4th holiday period. Several locations will have traffic moving freely until the road work resumes after the holiday. Motorists however, should be aware of barricades, traffic signals and posted detours.
6. Police agencies are also on the look-out for impaired drivers. Roadside Safety Checks are being conducted by Illinois State Police.
7. In SPORTS—- the Eastern Illinois baseball league schedule this weekend includes a Central Angels at Buckley doubleheader with the Dutchmasters Saturday at 1 pm. The Dutchmasters are AT Clifton Sunday for a twinbill at 1 pm. Other Sunday games: Paxton at Lexington, Gifford at Royal, Clinton at Champaign.
8. Legion Post 23 (Watseka) baseball finds the local team at Monticello for two games; at Home at Legion Park in Watseka Sunday vs Bloomington Gold.
9. The Cubs open an important 3-game set against Milwaukee at Wrigley Field today. The White Sox have won four with a sweep of Tampa Bay.
10. The Bulls made Joakim Noah of the University of Florida their #1 pick in the NBA draft.

“Your Illiana News Source” —- 94.1 FM, WGFA

HERE’s THE WGFA NEWS STORIES MAKING HEADLINES TODAY, THIS FRIDAY, JUNE 29th > DONOVAN BOE SAYS “NO” TO REGIONAL HIGH SCHOOL…… WATSEKA COUNCIL TO ADDRESS CITY HALL MOVE AT JULY 5th MEETING……. HEALTH OFFICIALS TRACKING DEAD BIRDS…… RED CROSS BLOODMOBILES SET FOR JULY ……

PARTLY CLOUDY TODAY. HIGHS IN THE MID 70s. THE WEEKEND FORECAST CALLS FOR SUNNY SKIES SATURDAY AND SUNDAY WITH HIGHS IN THE LOW 80s.

1. The Board of Education at Donovan is withdrawing from future talks about a regional high school. A 4-3 vote this week finds the board favoring to stay away from any future discussions about the regional concept. Donovan was part of a group of districts gathering info. Donovan joins Iroquois West Unit 10 in pulling away. Other Iroquois County schools involed in the discussions include Watseka, Crescent-Iroquois and Milford.
2. A Watseka City Council meeting to address a possible re-location of City Hall will be the topic of a July 5th get-together. Mayor John Weidert informed the Area Chamber of Commerce that a July 3rd Finance committee meeting is too bogged down with agenda items, so a special meeting to address the City Hall is scheduled for Thursday at 6:30 pm. The Watseka Area Chamber of Commerce opposes re-locating City Hall to Brianna Drive on the city’s east side.
3. The public can help the Ford-Iroquois Public Health Department track West Nile virus activity by collecting dead birds for testing. Submitted birds should be believed dead less than 48 hours. Birds should only be submitted IF they haven’t been damaged by scavenging animals or decomposed. Residents should double bag the birds in plastic bags and take them to the Health Offices in Paxton or Watseka.
4. The Red Cross has a busy month of July ahead for bloodmobiles. The Red Cross office in Danville is hosting the first bloodmobile on Monday, July 2nd. Two more are set in Iroquois County, July 10th and 11th at the Cissna Park American Legion and the Immanuel Lutheran Church at Loda. Several more are spread out in Kankakee County.
5. I-DOT is suspending construction work during the July 4th holiday period. Several locations will have traffic moving freely until the road work resumes after the holiday. Motorists however, should be aware of barricades, traffic signals and posted detours.
6. Police agencies are also on the look-out for impaired drivers. Roadside Safety Checks are being conducted by Illinois State Police.
7. In SPORTS—- the Eastern Illinois baseball league schedule this weekend includes a Central Angels at Buckley doubleheader with the Dutchmasters Saturday at 1 pm. The Dutchmasters are AT Clifton Sunday for a twinbill at 1 pm. Other Sunday games: Paxton at Lexington, Gifford at Royal, Clinton at Champaign.
8. Legion Post 23 (Watseka) baseball finds the local team at Monticello for two games; at Home at Legion Park in Watseka Sunday vs Bloomington Gold.
9. The Cubs open an important 3-game set against Milwaukee at Wrigley Field today. The White Sox have won four with a sweep of Tampa Bay.
10. The Bulls made Joakim Noah of the University of Florida their #1 pick in the NBA draft.

“Your Illiana News Source” —- 94.1 FM, WGFA

HERE’s SOME OF WGFA’s TOP NEWS OF THE DAY FOR THIS THURSDAY, JUNE 28th > Chamber of Commerce objects to proposed move of the Watseka City Hall ….. Iroquois County Zoning Board of Appeals OK’s zoning change for Recycling Center property …… I-DOT plans to halt construction for July 4th holiday; Police plan Roadside Safety Checks….. Bear kills local couple’s daughter …… Mini-Budget approved by lawmakers …….

LESS HUMID WEATHER TODAY, HIGH NEAR 77 WITH A 50% CHANCE OF MORE SHOWERS AND T-STORMS.

• July 3rd meeting in Watseka finds the City Council contemplating moving City Hall to Brianna Drive–on the city’s east side. it’s a proposed move the Area Chamber of Commerce doesn’t like. Chamber President Chuck Bohlmann speaks for the Chamber, saying–in a letter to the Editor of the Times-Republic–the City Hall belongs downtown; it’s the hub of the community. A petition drive is underway to gather support for the chamber’s stance.
• The Iroquois County Board will decide on a re-zoning for the property site where the Recycling Center sits in Iroquois Township. But the Zoning Board of Appeals has said OK to a switch from Manufacturing 1 to M-2, to help the impending sale of the Center. The County has operated the Center for several years along Route 24 west of Crescent City.
• I-DOT is suspending construction work on area raodways for the July 4th holiday. The effort is to provide motorists with some relief from the congestion at work sites. Area projects continue in Iroquois, Kankakee and Livingston counties.
• Police agencies will also enforce the “You Drink and Drive, You Lose” campaign during the holiday. Officers will be looking for impaired drivers during Roadside Safety Checks.
• The daughter of a former Iroquois County school leader was killed by a bear in Romania. Kathryn Evans, the 30-yr-old daughter of Greg and Beth LaPlante of St. Anne, was fatally mauled by a brown bear during a humanitarian effort in the mountains of Romania. She was with a group of six people when the attack took place. Friends said Mrs. Evans died saving another friend from the attack. (Greg LaPlante was school superintendent in Crescent City).
• Illinois lawmakers have approved a 31-day mini-budget in an attempt to avoid a governemnt shutdown.
• Other area news on WGFA News Links —

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WGFA NEWS FOCUSING ON THESE STORIES FOR A WEDNESDAY, JUNE 27th > TAX TIME HAS ARRIVED IN IROQUOIS COUNTY…. AMBER ALERT TEXT MESSAGES CAN HELP RESCUE KIDS……. PROPOSED CITY HALL MOVE STIRS OPPOSITION……. DRAINAGE DISTRICT EXPANSION MEETING IN LIVINGSTON COUNTY…….

ILLIANA WEATHER CALLS FOR A HIGH OF 88 TODAY. THERE’S A 50% CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND T-STORMS. THE FORECAST CONTINUES TONIGHT AND THURSDAY.

• Talk of moving Watseka City Hall from the downtown area has the Watseka Area Chamber of Commerce balking. Chamber officials believe the City Hall presence is needed downtown. In a letter to the Editor of the Times-Republic, the Chamber President Chuck Bohlmann states ‘we need the hub of our community in downtown.’ The letetr states the Mayor and City Council have an obligation to the entire city–east, west and center. A newspaper headline last week indicated the city council is considering a new city hall on Brianna Drive.
• Iroquois County taxpayers should receive their 2006 tax bills in next week’s mail. The deadline to pay the first installment is August 7th. The second installment comes due September 7th. Most banks will accept payment. Taxes can also be paid in the Treasurer’s Office at the Administrative Center in Watseka.
• A second informational meeting on a proposed expansion of the Vermilion River Outlet Drainage District is this afternoon in Forrest. The 1 pm meeting is at the VFW. Commissioners are proposing expanding the 63,000 acres to 315,000 acres. Parts of Iroquois, Ford and McLean counties are also in the proposed expansion area. The court will decide to approve or disapprove the annexation.
• Area residents are urged to sign-up for the AMBER Alert text messages to be received on their cell phones. Representative Lisa Dugan says AMBER Alerts have helped rescue more than 342 children nationwide since 2002. AMBER Alerts are declared by police agencies investigating an abduction. Alerts are distributed via radio/Tv STATIONS and the Emergency Alert System. Citizens can sign up to receive the free AMBER Alerts.
• A Texas man was jailed after reports of reckless driving in Piper City. 21-yr-old Michael Gonzales of Houston (TX) was also charged by Piper City Police with No Valid Driver’s License. The arrest was made at Branch Park Tuesday evening after citixen complaints of a motorist ‘doing donuts.’
• An Indiana man was jailed in Watseka after a traffic stop today on I-57 in Iroquois County. 35-yr-old Kevin Varner of East Chicago (IN) was stopped by state police for speeding. He was found to wanted in Indiana for a Parole Violation and a search of the vehicle produced illegal fireworks.
• See more area news on WGFA NEWS LINKS —

“Your Illiana News Source” — 94.1 FM, WGFA