News Watch Headlines


Illinois State University Announces Presidental Finalists.

Friday, 15 March 2024

We're closer to learning who will be Indiana State University's next president.

On Thursday, the university announced a list of finalists.

The candidates are Dr. Matt Cecil who's a special advisor to the president at Northern Kentucky University. Formerly, Dr. Cecil served as the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs from July 2021-January 20 ... READ MORE >>




Flora Man Sentenced For Attempted Kidnapping

Friday, 15 March 2024

Matthew Kelledes of Flora,37, was sentenced to eight years in jail Thursday for an attempted kidnapping.  

Effingham authorities said that incident happened in January at a motel along Avenue of Mid America in Effingham, where Kelledes tried to steal a child under two years old.

They said before the police arrived on the scene, a fight broke out between Kelledes and ... READ MORE >>




Man Jailed After Deadly Tuscola Stabbing

Thursday, 14 March 2024

A man faces murder and battery charges following a deadly stabbing in Tuscola.

Joshua Henderson appeared in Douglas County Court Thursday afternoon on charges of First Degree Murder, Aggravated Battery and Aggravated Battery with a Deadly Weapon.

Police were called to an apartment building at 400 South Park Street Wednesday on reports of a stabbing. When they arrived, officers e ... READ MORE >>




U.S. House Passes Legislation that Could Lead to TikTok Ban

Wednesday, 13 March 2024

The United States House of Representatives passed a bill that would ban TikTok Wednesday.

TikTok, which has more than 150 million American users, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Chinese technology firm ByteDance Ltd.

If passed, the legislation would ban TikTok if ByteDance doesn’t sell its stakes in the social media platform within six months of the bill’s enac ... READ MORE >>




Man Dead After Standoff at Effingham Truck Stop

Monday, 11 March 2024

A suspected bank robber took his own life Friday following an hours-long standoff at an Effingham truck stop.

Jamon Weaver, a 33-year-old truck driver from Georgia, was suspected of robbing a bank in Shelby Township Michigan Thursday, then riding a motorized scooter to his semi-truck, which was parked nearby, according to information from the Shelby Township Police Department and the Ef ... READ MORE >>




ISU Announces International Partnership with a South Korea University

Friday, 8 March 2024

Indiana State University announces a new international experience program!

A new exchange program is signed between Indiana State University and Chungnam National University in Daejon, South Korea.

The university said the new partnership will implement various education and experiental learning opportunities for students.

The program will include student teachi ... READ MORE >>




At Home COVID Tests

Wednesday, 6 March 2024

The government is suspending free at-home COVID-19 testing kits starting Friday.    
    
Since November, US households have been able to order 4 individual rapid antigen COVID-19 tests.

All orders placed before Friday will be delivered, said federal officials.

The government suspended the program last May, but re-opened it in Septem ... READ MORE >>




Soundstage Capitol Grants

Thursday, 29 February 2024

Three Central Illinois film studios will receive more than ten million dollars as part of the state’s Soundstage program, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker announced Wednesday.

“The Demand for film production space in Illinois is growing every day,” said Governor JB Pritzker.

The grant funding will support the state’s continued efforts to position Ill ... READ MORE >>




Decatur Man Dies after Being Shot in Car

Thursday, 29 February 2024

The deadly shooting of a man while in his car Wednesday morning is believed to have been targeted and not a random act, Decatur Police have said.

Kemari Carr, 22, of Decatur had been stopped in his Pontiac sedan at the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and Pershing Road just before 6:30 a.m., when the occupants of another car fired shots at him, according to information relea ... READ MORE >>




Secretary of State Proposes Auto Insurance Legislation

Wednesday, 28 February 2024

The Illinois Secretary of State proposed legislation that will change the way auto insurance rates are made.

If passed, House Bill 4611 will eliminate insurance companies from using data that can be discriminatory like race, age, zip code, and even home ownership.

“The emphasis on socio-economic factors is transparently unfair and discriminatory, leading to less availabili ... READ MORE >>




Clark County Road Construction Project

Wednesday, 28 February 2024

Drivers need to be aware of an upcoming consruction project, said Clark County authorities.

Starting March 10th, The Illinois Department of Transportation will start work on the IL Route 40 bridge over Interstate 70.

This will be staged construction, meaning IL Route 40 will be cut down to one lane of use, and traffic across the bridge will be controlled by traffic signals, ... READ MORE >>




Central Illinois Airport Awarded $3 Million Grant

Friday, 23 February 2024

Crawford County Airport in Robinson will be receiving $3.8 million dollars in federal funding, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

The money will be used to build a new Climate Change Resilient Terminal, according to Crawford County Airport officials.

The original terminal was deystroyed by a tornado in March 2023.

Work on the facility's hanger fin ... READ MORE >>