Illinois' Temporary Budget Set To Expire

Illinois' debt will begin to grow by leaps and bound starting Sunday.  The state's temporary budget is set to expire at the end of 2016.  Lawmakers say there's little hope for a new budget anytime soon.  The state will continue to collect taxes and pay some bills.  But Illinois will lose the legal authority to spend on anything outside of schools, pensions, state worker paychecks, and some mental health programs as of Sunday.

BPD Chief and BLM

A productive discussion… that's what Bloomington's Police Chief says he would like to see happen between himself and the city's Black Lives Matter activists. Chief Heffner attended a Black Lives Matter meeting two weeks ago, where activists demanded action from him on a range of issues. Heffner has invited Black Lives Matter activists to attend the minority and police partnership meeting February 1st. He hopes any issues the group has will be addressed at that time and he looks forward to a productive dialogue.

Schock Trial Likely Headed For July

Federal prosecutors say they don't have a problem putting former Congressman Aaron Schock on trial in the summer.  The U.S. Attorney's Office yesterday didn't object to Schock's request to move his trial from February to July.  The former downstate congressman says he needs to prep as many as 100 witnesses in his fraud case.

llinois To See 200 New Laws In 2017

Illinois is getting new laws that deal with everything from the state's opioid epidemic to yoga classes at the beginning of next week.  Nearly 200 new laws will take effect Sunday.  Some of the laws are serious.  Illinois is banning bath salts in 2017.  But others, like a new law for carp and the yoga class deregulation, are less pressing.

Murder Trial Pushed Back

The trial of a former Bloomington High School teacher, accused in the stabbing death of her husband, is being pushed back. It's being delayed so Sarah Mellor's defense can have more time to prepare. The 30 year old pleaded not guilty earlier this year to first degree murder. October, 31 year-old Mark Mellor was stabbed at a campground near Carlock. He later died at the hospital. The trial was supposed to begin in January.

Central Illinois Investigators Puzzled By Kidnapping DeatH

Investigators in Bloomington-Normal and Peoria say they know how a local man died, but they still don't know how he got hurt.  An autopsy yesterday showed Maunds Bryant died of a head injury.  Police say Bryant was taken in a weekend kidnapping, but they don't know how he hurt his head.  Officers in both Peoria and Bloomington-Normal are working the case together.

State Farm Classic

The 38th annual State Farm Holiday Classic kicked off Tuesday with its first round of games. Basketball teams from as far as Southern Illinois and the Wisconsin border made the trek -- with fans in tow. It's the largest co-ed high school tournament in the state and the second largest in the country. The 4-day, 64-team tournament has offered an economic boost to the cities since 1975. In the past city officials have said the tournament brings in over 150-thousand dollars in tax revenue from just six courts.

Afni Will Add 150 New Web Chat Jobs to its Bloomington Customer Engagement Operations in 2017

Afni is growing its Bloomington operations by adding 150 new contact center jobs in 2017. Most of the new positions will be web chat customer service agents, which represent a growing trend in how people interact with companies. Afni’s new web chat agents will represent a major U.S. brand by assisting their small business customers with questions related to service plans, billing, and account changes. The web chat jobs expand the types of entry-level employment options the company now offers in Bloomington. Two hiring open house events are ccheduled for January 4 and January 7.

Illinois Supreme Court Clarifies Snow-Shoveling Rules

Not that you'll need them this week, but the Illinois Supreme Court is clarifying the rules for shoveling your walk.  The high court says homeowners aren't on the hook if someone slips and falls as long as they made an effort to shovel snow and ice.  But the court says homeowners are on the hook if they ignore ice and snow, particularly from some other form of negligence on their property.

Quad Cities Congresswoman May Run For Governor

The Quad Cities' congresswoman is considering a run for governor in 2018.  An assistant to Cheri Bustos released a statement yesterday saying the Democratic congresswoman is giving a run "serious consideration."  Bustos easily won her heavily Democratic district last month.  She's on the short list of possible Democratic challengers to Governor Bruce Rauner.  But she'll have to find help to compete with the millions of dollars Rauner is expected to spend on the race.

Chicago Police: 57 Shot, 11 Killed Since Friday

Top cops in Chicago say the long Christmas weekend saw an "unacceptable" amount of gun violence.  Police say yesterday's shootings bring the grim total to 57 shot and eleven killed since the holiday weekend began on Friday.  Police say most of the shootings were gang-on-gang violence.

State Fair Coliseum Declared Too Dangerous For People

One of the most iconic buildings at the Illinois State Fair is too dangerous for public use. "The State Journal Register" is reporting on a new inspection that found a host of serious problems with the building. The report says support columns are rusting to the point that they're a risk for failures. State officials say it could cost about four-million dollars to fix the issues. But the state doesn't have much money for, or the authority to spend it as of the new year.

Former Governor Wants President Obama To End Sentence

Former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich is in prison because he tried to sell Barack Obama's old seat in the U.S. Senate. Now, Blagojevich is looking to President Obama to get him out. Blagojevich's legal team filed a request last week for a presidential commutation. The Justice Department confirms it received the request. But the White House is silent on what the president may do.

Gas Prices Up In Illinois

Illinois gas prices are up.  Triple-A reports the average price for a gallon of regular gas is around two-dollars-43-cents.  That is nearly 32-cents more than a month ago.

Sloppy Weather To Start The Holiday Weekend

Forecasters say folks from Chicago to Rockford are going to see less than an inch of new snow today. But that should be just enough to make roads slick just in time for holiday travelers In central Illinois, the worry is sleet this evening. Forecasters say we'll see some rain after 2pm. But it may become slick as we head into the evening.

Rauner Wants AFSCME to Pay $2M a Day for Contract Delay

Governor Rauner says Illinois' largest public employee union should pay for dragging its feet over contract talks. The governor filed an unfair labor practices complaint yesterday against AFSCME. Rauner wants a judge to order the union to pay two-million dollars a day for delaying a new contract for state workers. AFSCME says it has the legal right to delay a 'final offer' from the governor, and they are using it.

Schock Seeks Delay in Trial

Former Illinois Congressman Aaron Schock says he needs til July to prepare his defense. The indicted former Congressman earlier this week asked a judge to push his trial back from February. Schock says he needs to prep about 100 witnesses. The federal government is charging Schock with lying on his campaign and government reimbursement accounts.

Former Coliseum Mgr May Face New Charges

The man who used to run Bloomington's city-owned coliseum may be facing new charges from his time at a similar job in Minnesota. Curtis Webb is already facing felony charges in McLean County for spending city money on himself. Yesterday, investigators in Bemidji, Minnesota confirmed they're looking at Webb as well. Police in Bemidji aren't offering specifics about their case, but say the discovered the 'impropriety' after Webb's troubles in Bloomington surfaced.

IL School Funding Update

The lawmakers tasked with finding a better way to pay for Illinois' schools say they hope to have something ready by Governor Rauner's deadline. Senators Jason Barickman and Andy Manar [[ muh-naar ]] don't know quite what that something will look like. But both said this week, they're confident the governor’s school funding task force will have a plan by the February deadline

Man in Morton Library Stabbing Gets 32 Years

The central Illinois man who went on a stabbing spree at a local library is heading to prison for three decades. A judge in Pekin yesterday sentenced Dustin Brown to 32-years for child pornography and attempted murder charges. Police say Brown took a knife to the children's section of the Morton library and tried to stab some kids. An elderly man stopped him, but was wounded in th
e attack last year.

Illinois Exodus Continues

Illinois is losing people at an alarming rate. New census numbers released yesterday show Illinois lost more people than any other state in 2015. Just over 37-thousand people packed-up and moved out of state. Republicans in Springfield say people are fleeing the state because taxes are too high and there aren't enough jobs.

McLean County Board Will Not Move Meeting Times

If you have an issue with McLean County you may still have to miss work to speak to your elected officials.

County board members voted down the suggestion that they move 9 a.m. meetings til 7 p.m. to give the public more of a chance to participate.

A number of Republicans on the board say business can be conducted during the business day.
County leaders add that they've met at 9 a.m. for years, and it's seemed to work so far.

Critics say the idea to move the meetings is about accommodating the public rather than making the day shorter for elected leaders.

In Other Business:

McLean County is the latest to approve tax breaks for Rivian.

All local governments with a claim to the taxes from the old Mitsubishi plant have to agree to give the upstart car company about a half-million dollars in tax breaks for each of the next four years.

Urbana is Now a Sanctuary City

Urbana, Illinois is now officially a 'sanctuary city.' City leaders approved a resolution last night that states Urbana will "defend the human rights of immigrants." Some council members say the vote is an overreaction to Donald Trump's election. But some community activists say the resolution is exactly the right reaction to Trump's comments about immigrants.

Secretary of State Will Continue to Send Reminders

Don't worry about forgetting about your new license plate in the new year. Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White's office says it will send reminders to drivers even without a state budget. White's office made the announcement yesterday. Illinois' six-month stopgap budget is due to expire at the end of the month, state government will start to run out of money a few weeks after that.

Normal Police Warn of Scam

Don't sign anything from anyone saying they're with the Town of Normal Electric Aggregation program. Police say it's a scam. NPD investigators say someone has been going door to door, trying to sign people up. Police say the city isn't involved and are telling people to call the police if a door to door salesman tries to sign them up for the program.

Normal Town Council OK's Property Tax Hike

Just weeks after voting to give millions of dollars in tax incentives to a developer for a Portillo's and a start-up car company, leaders in Normal are raising taxes to pay for police and fire pensions. The town council last night approved a nearly two-percent property tax increase All of the money is earmarked to prop-up the city's underfunded retirements for cops and firemen. Normal councilwoman Cheryl Gaines says they're not taking the decision lightly. But the votes comes just weeks after the deals to spend other city money on 'economic development' projects.

Lawmaker Wants Seat Belts On School Buses

Illinois school kids could soon have to click-it on the bus as well. Skokie State Rep Lou Lang is pushing a plan to require three-point seat belts for new school buses in the state. Lang says the belts will make the bus ride safer. School leaders worry about the cost and whether the seat belts will actually make things safer for students.

Report: Fewer Tickets, More Highway Deaths In Illinois

More people are dying in crashes on Illinois' highways, but the State Police aren't writing more tickets. "The State Journal Register" is reporting that the Illinois State Police wrote just 127-thousand tickets last year. That's down from 210-thousand tickets in 2010. The paper also says the number of deadly accidents ticked-up. It's not clear if there's a connection.

Closings and Cancellations

Pontiac Township High School District 90  - Closed

County: Livingston
City: Pontiac

Prairie Central Schools  - Closed

County: Livingston
City: Fairbury

Gibson City - Melvin Sibley Schools  - Closed

County: Ford
City: Gibson City

Heartland Head Start  - Closed

County: McLean
City: Bloomington

Heyworth School District 4  - Closed

County: McLean
City: Heyworth

Kiddie Korner Preschool  - Closed

County: McLean
City: Normal

LeRoy School District 2  - Closed

County: McLean
City: Le Roy

Olympia CUSD 16  - Closed

County: McLean
City: Stanford

Tri-Valley CUSD 3  - Closed

County: McLean
City: Downs

Unit 5 Schools  - Closed

County: McLean
City: Normal

Dangerous Wind Chills

...WIND CHILL ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM CST MONDAY...

* WIND CHILL VALUES...WIND-CHILL VALUES BETWEEN 15 BELOW AND 25
  BELOW ZERO WILL CONTINUE THROUGH NOON TODAY...THEN WARM TO
  AROUND 15 BELOW ZERO FOR THE AFTERNOON. WIND-CHILL VALUES WILL
  DECREASE SLIGHTLY OVERNIGHT REACHING 15 TO 20 BELOW ZERO.

* OTHER IMPACTS...FROSTBITE CAN OCCUR ON EXPOSED SKIN IN UNDER
  30 MINUTES UNDER THESE CONDITIONS. HYPOTHERMIA CAN DEVELOP IF
  PROPER PROTECTIVE CLOTHING IS NOT WORN. AVOID PROLONGED TIME
  OUTDOORS IF POSSIBLE.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WIND CHILL ADVISORY MEANS THAT VERY COLD AIR AND STRONG WINDS
WILL COMBINE TO GENERATE LOW WIND CHILLS. THIS WILL RESULT IN
FROST BITE AND LEAD TO HYPOTHERMIA IF PRECAUTIONS ARE NOT TAKEN.
IF YOU MUST VENTURE OUTDOORS...MAKE SURE YOU WEAR A HAT AND
GLOVES.

Winter Weather Advisory

The National Weather Service is posting a Winter Weather Advisory for pretty much the northern third of Illinois from noon today til 6 a.m. Sunday. The snow will be deepest by Rockford, while folks by Bloomington could see a mix of snow, ice, and sleet.

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM FRIDAY TO
MIDNIGHT CST SATURDAY NIGHT...

* TIMING...PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN FRIDAY EVENING AS
  SNOW THEN TRANSITION TO A MIX OF FREEZING RAIN...SLEET...AND
  SNOW AFTER MIDNIGHT. THE PRECIPITATION WILL TURN BACK TO ALL
  SNOW BEFORE ENDING LATE SATURDAY. THE WINTRY MIX MAY BRIEFLY
  TURN TO ALL RAIN EAST OF THE ILLINOIS RIVER DURING THE MORNING
  HOURS SATURDAY.

* MAIN IMPACT...LIGHT ICING IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ON UNTREATED
  ROADS ACROSS THE AREA FRIDAY NIGHT. LIGHT SNOW MAY ACCUMULATE
  ON TOP OF THE THIN LAYER OF ICE ON SATURDAY.

* OTHER IMPACTS...VERY COLD CONDITIONS WILL MOVE INTO THE AREA
  FOLLOWING THE STORM WITH WIND CHILLS FALLING BELOW ZERO BY
  SUNDAY MORNING. A WIND CHILL ADVISORY MAY BE NEEDED.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY MEANS THAT PERIODS OF SNOW...SLEET...OR
FREEZING RAIN WILL CAUSE TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR
SLIPPERY ROADS...AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING.

BN by the Numbers

Manufacturing in the twin cities is on the decline, but local leaders hope they've found the answer to their problems. The Bloomington-Normal Economic Development council broke down manufacturing in the area Thursday. Jobs, retail, and wages in McLean County are on the rise, but manufacturing significantly slowed. Some hope Rivian Automotive will turn things around. Organizers say manufacturers like Rivian bring in more than just line jobs. They think suppliers, engineers, and more startups will want to relocate once the plant is up and running. The future energy jobs bill was also discussed at the meeting.

BEC: Hauman Stays on the Mayoral Ballot

Bloomington mayoral candidate Diana Hauman will remain on the ballot following a ruling Thursday afternoon by the Bloomington Board of Election Commissioners. The board granted a request by Hauman's attorney for a directed ruling that insufficient evidence was presented to remove Hauman's name from the ballot.

Tax Levy Up For Homeowners in Bloomington District 87

Homeowners in Bloomington are going to pay more for District 87 schools. The school district says the tax rate may drop for homeowners, but the levy percentage is going up. The average 165-thousand dollar house would now pay almost three thousand dollars a year just to District 87 School leaders say they need the money. Bloomington's school board says they've cut all they can. They can't cut any more.

Decision on Challenge to Renner's Campaign Paperwork Expected Friday

We may know tomorrow about Bloomington mayor Tari Renner's campaign paperwork. Bloomington's election commission is considering a challenge to the mayor's signatures. All candidates must get a certain number of registered voters to sign their support for the campaign., Renner's signatures are being challenged as suspect or not from registered, Bloomington voters. The mayor says he's confident he has enough valid signatures to stay on the ballot. 

Unit 5 Extends Tax Breaks to Rivian

Unit 5 is giving up almost 400-thousand dollars a year in the hope that a start-up car company brings jobs to Bloomington-Normal. School leaders last night voted to extend Rivian tax breaks. Unit 5 is giving up the most money, about 390-thousand dollars a year for the next four years, to get the car maker into the old Mitsubishi plant. Town leaders say without Rivian the plant will be torn down and the school will get nothing. Unit 5 leaders aren't saying how they're going to patch the hole in their budget.

Prof Arrested on Gun Charges

Prosecutors say a professor at Illinois Weselyan University had been drinking all day when he grabbed his gun and fired 13 bullets into a bedroom door over the weekend States Attorney Jason Chambers says the evidence against Darryl Brown paints and unflattering picture. Brown is now facing weapons charges. He's due back in court at the end of the month. Wesleyan says Brown has been on leave this semester

Heartland CC Okays Tax breaks for Rivian

Heartland Community College is the latest to give its approval to a start-up car company to move to town. The Community College needs to sign-off on the property tax breaks the company says it needs to buy the old Mitsubishi plant. Heartland's portion of the half-million dollars a year in property taxes comes to about 42-thousand dollars a year. Unit 5 schools still have yet to approve the tax breaks.

IDOT Eyes Use of Drones

Snow plows are still going to have to clear the roads and tractors are always going to have to mow the grass, but the Illinois Department of Transportation is hoping drones can take over some jobs. The agency says it's testing two drones. The hope is to eventually use them for surveying or emergency response.

Normal Okays Five-Million Dollars For Start-Up Car Company

Leaders in Normal say they don't see the downside of giving a start-up car company as much as five million dollars in incentives and tax breaks to move into the old Mitsubishi plant. Normal approved the package for Rivian Automotive last night. Rivian hasn't made a single car in its six years, but company leaders told Normal's council it is finally ready to move toward production. Rivian hopes to have a vehicle by 2019. 

Schock Says 'Justice Will Prevail' After Court Appearance

Former Congressman Aaron Schock says he is confident 'justice will prevail' at his federal corruption trial. Whenever it begins. A judge in Springfield set Schock's trial date for February, but few people think testimony will actually begin in just two month. Schock is facing prison time after prosecutors say he spent government and campaign money on his lavish lifestyle. 

Governor Silent On Budget Back-Up Plan

Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner isn't saying what he'll do if the state gets to the end of the month without a new state budget. Illinois' six-month budget expires December 31st. The governor yesterday would only say he's confident lawmakers can get things done before then. If not, many at the statehouse are predicting pain for those who depend on state government. 

Muftee Announces Bid for 9th Ward Seat

There's a new candidate running for city council in Bloomington. Sheheryar (‘Shay-her-yar’) Muftee is running for the ninth ward seat from Bloomington's northeast side. Mufti says he's a fiscal conservative and is promising to vote against tax increases and what he calls over-spending. Attorney Kimberly Bray is also running for the seat to replace Jim Fruin.

Normal Set to Approve $1M in Incentives for Rivian to Take Over Mitsubishi Plant

Leaders in Normal are expected to approve a million dollars in incentives that could lure a start-up car company to the old Mitsubishi plant. The city council is scheduled to vote on the incentives for Rivian. The automaker has yet to produce a car. Normal leaders say they're not worried because most of their incentives are tied to specific jobs requirements for the new company. The state is also looking at some incentives for the company

Blaze Leaves 3 Without a Home

Three people have no home after an early morning fire in the 600 block of West Seminary Street. The Bloomington Fire Department was called to the multi-apartment house at about 12:45 a.m.. No injuries were reported. 

Wintry Mix Expected

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LINCOLN IL
617 AM CST SUN DEC 11 2016

ILZ027-029-031-036>038-043>046-121230-
CHAMPAIGN-DE WITT-FULTON-KNOX-MCLEAN-PEORIA-PIATT-TAZEWELL-
VERMILION-WOODFORD-
617 AM CST SUN DEC 11 2016

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL
ILLINOIS...EAST CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND WEST CENTRAL ILLINOIS.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

PERIODS OF SNOW WILL REDEVELOP THIS MORNING THEN CHANGE OVER TO
FREEZING RAIN...SLEET...AND RAIN AROUND MIDDAY. THE PRECIPITATION
WILL BE PREDOMINATELY RAIN THIS AFTERNOON. AN INCH OF SNOW IS
POSSIBLE BEFORE IT CHANGES OVER TO RAIN.

Start-Up Car Company In Talks To Buy Normal Plant

A start-up car company is in talks to buy central Illinois' old Mitsubishi plant.  Leaders in the town of Normal yesterday said Rivian Automotive is looking at buying the plant.  Rivian is described as an "automotive technology company."  Town leaders say they're offering a-million-dollars in incentives and expect the company to create 500 jobs.  The state is also in talks about incentives for the plant. 

Governor To Lawmakers: Drop Paycheck Suit, Pass Budget

Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner is trying to ratchet up the pressure on lawmakers to deliver a new state budget.  The governor yesterday tweeted out a video asking a half dozen or so lawmakers to drop their suit over late paychecks and focus on a new state spending plan instead.  Rauner says the fact that some lawmakers are suing while the state's schools and social services implode is "stunning." 

Schock Trial To Stay In Peoria

 Former Congressman Aaron Schock won't be tried in his hometown.  A federal judge yesterday turned down Schock's request to move his corruption trial to Peoria.  Schock is facing a laundry list of charges in connection to what prosecutors say was years worth of illegal government and campaign spending.  The judge says keeping the trial in Springfield won't hurt Schock's ability to defend himself.