The State of Illinois continues to work on ways to improve testing. According to Dr. Ngozi Ezike, Director of Public Health, who spoke at today’s daily press conference from Governor JB Pritzker on the coronavirus outbreak, testing can be the difference between staying closed and opening up again.

The state tested 13,000 people over the last 24 hours, and have maintained the 10,000 tests a day threshold since they broke that barrier last week. 

Governor Pritzker also stressed that testing is more than just using a machine to run tests.

While the Governor said he won’t go in and break up any groups that get together, like a Church gathering, he is hoping people will go ahead and do the right thing.

The Illinois Department of Public Health announced 2,563 new cases of COVID-19 including 141 new deaths which brings the total amount to 52,918 cases including 2,355 deaths in 97 of the 102 counties in Illinois. IDPH has tested 269,867 people. Listen every afternoon at 2:30 for Governor Pritzker’s daily press conferences on the coronavirus on NEWSTALK WTIM and its many platforms and for the latest closings cancellations and businesses that are open visit Taylorville Daily News.

Taylorville High School seniors that were expecting to get their diploma at a "drive-thru" graduation, will now have their diploma presented at their home.

The Illinois State Board of Education on Wednesday suspended any "drive-thru" graduations across the state, citing health concerns.

As a result, Taylorville school superintendent Doctor Chris Dougherty is now planning to deliver each T-H-S senior their diploma at their home, accompanied by principal Matt Hutchison and board president Steve Turner, on graduation date of May 22nd.

Doctor Dougherty added if the State Board of Education changes their minds, Taylorville will go back to previous ideas.

Doctor Dougherty wants to honor what the Governor and the State Board of Education decide.

There are 21 new reported COVID-19 cases in Central Illinois over the last 24 hours. Christian, Sangamon, and Macon County all saw increases in their COVID-19 cases with Sangamon reporting 19 new ones. 

While there may be some concern over long-term care facilities, the Christian-Montgomery County Emergency Management Agency is continuing to work on infection control protocols. The Chris-Mont EMA has routine conference calls that include EMA, health departments, local hospitals, and coroner offices to keep up communication and to make sure there is enough PPE. 

The concern of course for the EMA is that the virus will get into separate facilities, not because of poor screenings, but because people can carry it with no symptoms.  As always, the EMA urges you to frequently wash your hands, use hand sanitizer often, only go out if you have to. 

As a reminder, the Governor’s orders for the shelter in place change on Friday, with mask requirements if you can’t maintain 6 feet on social distancing. The Chris-Mont EMA urges masks because it will help if you are a potential asymptomatic carrier of COVID-19. 

As always, visit Taylorville Daily News for all the latest up to date numbers on the coronavirus, by clicking the icon that says “Current Coronavirus Numbers by County,” and more as the outbreak continues.

Two men are facing charges after a body was found in Beecher City on Wednesday. 29-year-old Kimberly A. Mattingly’s body was found in rural Beecher City, which resulted in an investigation by the Illinois State Police Division of Criminal Investigation (ISP) (DCI). 

Christopher E. Glass of Mason Illinois was taken into custody by the Indiana State Police and Terre Haute Police Department.  He is in custody pending extradition to Illinois. Glass’ bond was set at $5 million with 10% to apply. Glass is being charged with two counts of First Degree Murder, Concealment of Homicidal Death, and a parole violation warrant from the Illinois Department of Corrections.

Also, 37-year-old Aaron M. Kaiser of Beecher City was arrested and charged with the Concealment of Homicidal Death. Kaiser is being held in the Effingham County Jail pending a bond hearing. If convicted a first-degree murder sentencing range is between 20-60 years up to life in the IDOC. If convicted of concealment of a homicidal death, the sentencing range is up to 2-5 years in the IDOC. 

ISP DCI was assisted by multiple law enforcement agencies including, the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, Edgar County Sheriff’s Office, Effingham County Sheriff’s Office, Paris Police Department, Edgar County State’s Attorney’s Office, Indiana State Police, and the Terre Haute Police Department. 

The public is reminded that all subjects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Anyone with information regarding this investigation or other crimes is encouraged to call ISP DCI at 278-5004.

People should not be afraid to go to the Emergency Department at Taylorville Memorial Hospital. That’s the message from TMH President and CEO Kim Bourne.

Everyone is screened before they’re allowed entry into Taylorville Memorial Hospital, according to Bourne.
 

To those who are ignoring potentially serious health issues and not going to the Emergency Department, Bourne said that TMH can treat you safely and to never ignore any potentially serious health issue.

Kim Bourne with Taylorville Memorial Hospital was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show.

The Habitat For Humanity ReStore in Moultrie County has been hit hard by the COVID-19 crisis, but according to store manager Tara Reed they’ve busy behind the scenes.

The Habitat For Humanity home in Moultrie County is funded mostly by the ReStore, according to Reed.

If you would like to make a donation to the Habitat For Humanity ReStore in Moultrie County, they have a system in place for you to do that.

Tara Reed with the Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Moultrie County was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show.

The Dove, Inc. Domestic Violence Program has been around for a long time in Moultrie County and the new Coordinator is Becky Fries and she talked about how they help victims of domestic violence on a daily basis.

Because of COVID-19 Dove, Inc. has faced a number of challenges, but they’re still opearating each and every day.
 

The Dove, Inc. Domestic Violence Program has had a positive impact on the lives of a lot of people, including Coordinator Becky Fries.

For more information on Dove, Inc., please visit doveinc.org. Moultrie County Coordinator for the Dove Momestic Violence Program, Becky Fries was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show.

Open-book management and transparency by a Central Illinois agriculture business that has a location in Taylorville, is being recognized nationally.

Jenner Ag is celebrating its 6th consecutive nomination for the prestigious "Great Game of Business" All-Star Award.  Chief Financial Officer Clinton Hohenstein (hoe-en-stine) says the open-book management concept started with a book.

Hohenstein says employees are more accountable as a result.

Jenner Ag has been able to better deal with the challenges in the agriculture industry with this open-book management style.

There's a special business culture at Jenner Ag according to Hohenstein.

Jenner Ag has received the "Great Game of Business" All-Star Award twice, and has been nominated 7 times.  This year's winners will be announced in Dallas September 9th thru the Eleventh.

Connecting with a church on-line during the Stay at Home Order, is the best way of connecting or re-connecting your faith.  So says Taylorville Ministerial Association President Bill Kerns, who is also pastor of Davis Memorial Christian Church.

Kern's comments came in the recent Miller Media Group special "An Hour of Faith and Encouragement."

Kerns added to search out a church once the Stay at Home order ends.

That special program featuring the Ministerial Association presidents from Taylorville, Pana, and Shelbyville, can be heard anytime by clicking the "WTIM Podcasts" icon at taylorvilledailynews.com.

The State of Illinois is working hard to help with outbreaks at senior living facilities. Governor JB Pritzker announced that the State is doing what they can to help protect the workers and residents of these places by adding a support program of nurses to homes.

The Governor says that these nurses will have three tasks on top of their main jobs.

The Department of Veterans Affairs is also helping out with giving more bed space to those who may need it and to help Seniors who may need a safe place.

Illinois Director of Public Health, Dr. Ngozi Ezike says that the IDPH is working hard to help the long term care facilities. 

The Illinois Department of Public Health announced 2,253 new cases of COVID-19 including 92 deaths. This brings the total amount to 50,355 cases including 2,215 deaths in 96 of the 102 counties in Illinois. Listen every afternoon at 2:30 for Governor Pritzker’s daily press conferences on the coronavirus on NEWSTALK WTIM and its many platforms and for the latest closings cancellations and businesses that are open visit www.taylorvilledailynews.com.

The Taylorville burn ban has been extended. The leaf burning ban that is in place in Taylorville will remain that way until at least May 5th, according to Mayor Bruce Barry. On Monday, May 4th, the City Council will vote if it will be either extended or eliminated. The burn ban was put in place in April to help alleviate extended breathing issues of people who may be compromised further from COVID-19. For any questions or comments call the Mayor at 287-7946.

Montgomery County is reporting two new cases of COVID-19. The Montgomery Nursing and Rehab Center located in Taylor Springs has confirmed a resident of the facility has tested positive for the coronavirus. The center continues to focus on resident safety and prevention. It is still thoroughly screening all employees, not allowing visitors, conducting intensive vital sign screenings, and avoiding all communal dining and activities. If you would like an update on your loved one, call 532-6126 for updates. 

Around central Illinois, Sangamon County is reporting 41 new cases of COVID-19, with most cases coming from the Villas of Sherman, a senior care community that brings the total cases in Sangamon County to 153. Moultrie and Macon Counties are both reporting 1 new case of the virus as well. 

Continue to remain positive and ensure you check in on shut-ins and others you know who may need things during this COVID-19 outbreak.

For the complete look at numbers of coronavirus cases in Central Illinois, click on the “cases by county” icon on www.taylorvilledailynews.com.

Moultrie County Health Department Health Services Coordinator, Glenda Plunkett, announced a fifth confirmed case of COVID-19.
 

When it comes to testing, Plunkett said that anyone with COVID-19 like symptoms can get a test even without an order from your Doctor.
 

The CDC recently updated the list of COVID-19 symptoms. Plunkett said that if you have two or more of those symptoms you should quarantine yourself and try to get yourself tested.

For more information on the Moultrie County Health Department, please visit www.moultriehealth.org. Moultrie County Health Department Health Services Coordinator Glenda Plunkett was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show.

A Taylorville teen is helping out those in need during this tough time. 12-year-old Gage Price is known in the Taylorville community as “The John Deere Boy” as he mows yards thru-out town.

His grandmother Brenda Barker reached out to Regional Radio about a good deed he did.

Price took his lawn mowing money and made life for the animals at the Christian County Animal Shelter a little better.

Price learned of the need the Animal Shelter had, and decided to do something about it.

Price spent over $120 on the dog and cat food and cat litter and encourages people to think of these furry friends.

E-mail us your Good News stories, by clicking that icon at taylorvilledailynews.com.

Nationally syndicated radio host Jim Bohannon thinks that the President’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic as a whole has been good.

The President has to learn, according to Bohannon, that he can never be sarcastic.

President Trump would do himself a great service, according to Bohannon, if he would just learn to stop blerting.

Jim Bohannon is the host of the Jim Bohannon Show heard weeknights on NEWSTALK WTIM from 9pm until midnight. For more information on Jim Bohannon, please visit his website which is www.jimbohannonshow.com. Jim Bohannon was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show.

We have a strong work ethic in America, but sometimes that work ethic prevents us from asking for help when we may need it. So says Shelbyville Ministerial Association President Don Jeffries, who is also the pastor of the First Assembly of God Church in Shelbyville.

Jeffries comments came in the recent Miller Media Group special "An Hour of Faith and Encouragement." Jeffries added that he hates asking for help, but loves being the one to help someone who is in need.
 

That special program featuring the Ministerial Association presidents from Taylorville, Pana, and Shelbyville, can be heard anytime by clicking the "WTIM Podcasts" icon at taylorvilledailynews.com.

Hospitals across Illinois on May 11th can start doing elective procedures, but there are a lot requirements that Taylorville Memorial Hospital President and CEO Kim Bourne says that they will have to meet.
 

One of the requirements that has to be met before a procedure can be held is that they have to have a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of that procedure.
 

Allowing elective procedures is a step in the right direction, according to Bourne.

Taylorville Memorial Hospital President and CEO Kim Bourne was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show.

The Social Security Commissioner, Andrew Saul, has important information for Supplemental Security Income recipients who do not file tax returns, but have dependent children. If you did not file taxes in 2018 or 2019 and have dependents, you must act by Tuesday, May 5th, 2020 to receive the additional $500 payment per eligible dependent child.

All you need to do is go to www.irs.gov and visit the section that’s titled, Non-Filers: Enter Your Information to provide the necessary information to receive the additional payment.

Commissioner Saul said, “by taking this proactive step to enter information on the IRS website about them and their qualifying children, they will also receive the $500 per dependent child payment in addition to their $1,200 individual payment. If people in this group do not provide their information to the IRS soon, their payment at this time will be $1,200 only. They would then be required to file a tax year 2020 tax return to obtain the additional $500 per eligible child.”

For more information on the coronavirus, please visit www.taylorvilledailynews.com or www.socialsecurity.gov/coronavirus/.

Governor JB Pritzker fired back to the temporary restraining order placed by Representative Darren Bailey from Clay County during his daily press conference. The order which only applies to Representative Bailey, challenges the Governor on his Stay-At-Home Order. Governor Pritzker addressed reporters and highlighted that Clay County is one of the most ill-prepared counties if the virus gets out of hand there, although Clay County is only reporting 2 cases and no deaths of COVID-19. The Governor called it a political stunt.

Governor Pritzker continued, saying that the state is appealing and that this is keeping him from doing his job of keeping Illinoisans safe. 

When pressed further, Governor Pritzker says because of his actions, we are beating the coronavirus.

The IDPH announced 2,219 new cases of COVID-19 including 144 deaths. IDPH is reporting a total of 48,102 cases including 2,125 deaths in 96 of the 102 counties in Illinois. Listen every afternoon at 2:30 for Governor Pritzker’s daily press conferences on the coronavirus on NEWSTALK WTIM and its many platforms and for the latest closings cancellations and businesses that are open visit www.taylorvilledailynews.com.

Almost no new cases of COVID-19 were reported across central Illinois on Monday, with only 5 new cases in Sangamon County and one death in Shelby County. The Chris-Mont Emergency Management Agency Director Greg Nimmo, released a press release highlighting again, some of the reasons why there are no recoveries listed.

Kevin Schott, Deputy Director of Chris Mont EMA, says that we just don’t have enough information to list recoveries effectively.

Recovery can be a long process, and the Chris-Mont EMA is urging people to not base your safety on how other people are recovering or if they have recovered. Every person is different. While the Illinois Department of Public Health is doing surveys to check on recoveries, Chris-Mont does not have enough staffers to be able to do that.

Schott hopes that everyone just uses some common sense when out and about.

For a full look at numbers of COVID-19 cases in Central Illinois visit www.taylorvilledailynews.com.
 

A Shelby County man has died from the coronavirus. Shelby County is reporting their first resident to die of COVID-19 is a 73-year-old male from Shelbyville. He was hospitalized at Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center in Mattoon. He tested positive on April 24th and passed away at 10:15 on Tuesday morning. 

The man did not have any underlying health conditions and the Shelby County Department of Public Health is urging all citizens to take the necessary precautions to stop the spread of the virus.

Illinois State Senator Andy Manar fought back against the criticism of Governor Pritzker for not taking a regional approach to the opening of the economy. Manar said that the Governor has taken a regional approach.

Manar said that it would be foolish to fully reopen the economy after taking one step forward to then have to take 2 steps back.

Anecdotal examples like why it’s safe for 400 people to be in a grocery store, so why can’t a hair salon open for one on one service, according to Senator Manar, discounts what should be driving the important decisions that are being made and that’s data.
 

Illinois State Senator Andy Manar was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show.

Illinois Congressman Rodney Davis was recently asked to join President Trump’s Opening Up America Again Congressional Group and he talked about how excited he is to get to work reopening the United States economy.

Taylorville, Illinois should be a model, according to Davis, of what to do when addressing the coronavirus.

Congressman Davis said that there are more safe ways to open things than there are to continue to keep things closed.

Illinois Congressman Rodney Davis was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show.

Republicans are still frustrated over what they see as careless oversight when it comes to the release of prisoners due to the coronavirus outbreak. State Representatives Avery Bourne, Terri Bryant, Tom Bennett, and John Cabello are pushing hard for transparency and open lines from the Illinois Department of Corrections.  

Representative Avery Bourne is very frustrated over the lack of information from Governor JB Pritzker and his administration.

Representative Bourne wants to know names, crimes committed, and if families of crimes were notified that these people have been released into the community. She says that she is tired of hearing about things from press releases and not from the Governor.

Republicans are also very concerned over Illinois using a bailout after a disaster to recover after years of financial waste.

Governor JB Pritzker has maintained that he has been transparent with everyone over the IDOC releases.

Governor JB Pritzker is facing backlash over his stay at home order and was on the defense today during his daily press conference. The Illinois Governor was quick to defend his actions on Monday stating once again that there are more cases in Chicago, but he does things for all of Illinois.

Governor Pritzker also was adamant that people understand that he speaks with all local officials about their area of the state.

After finding out that a Judge has issued a restraining order against the Governor over the stay-at-home order from Representative Darren Bailey’s lawsuit, Governor Pritzker did not mince words.

The IDPH announced 1,980 new cases of COVID-19 including 50 deaths. IDPH is reporting a total of 45,883 cases including 1,983 deaths in 96 of the 102 counties in Illinois. Listen every afternoon at 2:30 for Governor Pritzker’s daily press conferences on the coronavirus on NEWSTALK WTIM and its many platforms and for the latest closings cancellations and businesses that are open visit www.taylorvilledailynews.com.

Christian County is reporting new positive tests in the battle against COVID-19. According to the Christian County-Montgomery County Emergency Management Agency, Christian County is up to 28 positive tests with 4 deaths and 241 negative tests. Shelby County Department of Public Health announced late last week, that they are up to 10 COVID-19 cases, with 4 cases coming from a community-integrated living arrangement operated by Healthcare Management Corporation.

Chris-Mont EMA again stressed that they will not be giving recovery numbers due to guidance from health officials as to the moment when people are no longer infected. 

A Mcdonalds in Hillsboro is taking precautionary measures after an employee had a family member test positive for the virus. Out of an abundance of caution, the restaurant quarantined those who worked with the employee and closed briefly for a deep cleaning. The store is following CDC guidelines and is expected to reopen today. Due to staffing levels, hours of business will be reduced. 

For complete numbers of cases by county visit www.taylorvilledailynews.com.
 

Illinois' 4th Judicial Circuit Court has announced it's continuing court cases presently being heard in several Regional Radio County Courthouses, out of an abundance of caution and in response to the coronavirus outbreak. The 4th Circuit includes County Courthouses in Christian, Shelby, Montgomery, Fayette and Effingham Counties in the Regional Radio listening area.

Jury trials, traffic cases including driving under the influence, criminal misdemeanor cases, ordinance and small claims cases, all family court and child support cases, all pay or appears and compliance hearings, and marriages, are all being continued until at least May 15th.

The statement added that all evictions will end until further notice, but in-custody cases including bond settings, criminal felony cases with time constraints, juvenile detention and shelter care hearings, emergency and plenary orders of protection, and other emergency hearings, WILL be held as usual.

Criminal jury trials are continued until at least June 15th, and civil jury trials are continued until at least January First, 2021.

COVID-19 is having a huge impact on The Effingham Performance Center. The Executive Director of the EPC is Kim Jansen and she said that they were prepared for the Governor’s recent announcement that the stay at home order would be extended.

The EPC had 10 shows that were impacted by COVID-19 and they’ve all been rescheduled.
 

For the latest information on what’s happening at The EPC as far as shows being rescheduled, please visit www.theepc.org/.

Kim Jansen with The Effingham Performance Center was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show.

The Shelby County Economic Development Council was created to promote and stimulute economic development in Shelby County. Daley Schwengel is the Director of the SCEDC and has been on the job since February.

The main project that Schwengel has been working is the 2020 Census.

The COVID-19 pandemic had a huge impact on how Schwengel was going to educate Shelby County residents on the importance of the Census.

For more information on the Shelby County Economic Development Council find them on Facebook. Daley Schwengel with the Shelby County Economic Development Council was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show.

A former Pana High School Student will serve as Lake Land Student Trustee for 2020-2021. Lucas Duduit will serve as a liaison between the students and the Board of Trustees. Duduit was elected for the position after a vote from the student body. He says voting was down, but he won pretty easily noting that the pandemic really kept voting numbers low but a helpful flyer helped him get his win.

Duduit says that he is looking forward to helping Lake Land Students to make it better than when he arrived. He is interested in politics and is hopeful that he can get into state or local government after he gets his degree in engineering science. 

One of the things that he wants to do as a Trustee is help push through some new ideas. One of those ideas is to be able to have counseling on campus that can help deal with stress from school or at home. Another idea is to put a list of hotlines or phone numbers on the back of ID’s to make them easily accessible to students since they do carry around the ID all the time.

Duduit says he’s honored to be serving during times of uncertainty and is looking forward to what he can do to change Lake Land for the better moving forward.

Lucas Duduit is majoring in engineering science and plans to transfer to the University of Illinois to study electrical engineering.

While the DMV buildings themselves are closed, there are still ways you can renew your vehicle registration. Jesse White, Illinois Secretary of State, is urging Illinoisans to use www.cyberdriveillinois.com. Since the middle of March, more than 400,000 people have renewed their stickers online. This is an increase of 50% from last year.

To renew your vehicle registration online, you need your registration ID and PIN which are located on the renewal notice and registration card. 90-day extensions have been given for driver’s licenses, ID cards, and other transactions.

Www.cyberdriveillinois.com also offers other essential services, available like renewing a driver’s license through Safe Driver Renewal, obtain a duplicate driver’s license or ID card, change your address, or obtain a driving record abstract.

The federal government extended the REAL ID deadline by one year which is now set for October 1st, 2021.

One benefit of the Stay at Home order, is having the time to re-connect your faith.  So says Taylorville Ministerial Association President Bill Kerns, who is also pastor of Davis Memorial Christian Church.

Kern's comments came in the recent Miller Media Group special "An Hour of Faith and Encouragement."

Kerns added that when people are disconnected from God, they're disconnected from others.

That special program featuring the Ministerial Association presidents from Taylorville, Pana, and Shelbyville, can be heard anytime by clicking the "WTIM Podcasts" icon at taylorvilledailynews.com.

Governor JB Pritzker gave a short press conference on Sunday highlighting some of the new numbers but more importantly answering questions about COVID-19.  Governor Pritzker warned Illinoisans that if you’re protesting and not wearing masks, you’re putting everyone in danger.

Governor Pritzker says the whole reason that we’re doing social distancing in the first place is to limit the spread of the virus. There is concern over people not self-enforcing, but Governor Pritzker is discouraging police from enacting on it hoping that people will follow the rules. 

When asked what gyms will have to do to stay safe once they are allowed to reopen again, Governor Pritzker said it won’t be easy.

The Governor also urged teachers to prepare for both in-class and E-learning for next year as there is no indication this will end anytime soon.

Governor Pritzker did say that there are plenty of things that the state is doing to help Schools prepare for E-learning. 

The IDPH announced 2,126 new cases of COVID-19 including 59 deaths. IDPH is reporting a total of 43,903 cases including 1,933 deaths in 96 of the 102 counties in Illinois. Listen every afternoon at 2:30 for Governor Pritzker’s daily press conferences on the coronavirus on NEWSTALK WTIM and its many platforms and for the latest closings cancellations and businesses that are open visit www.taylorvilledailynews.com.

Dr. Ngozi Ezike addressed some rumors at the daily press conference of Governor JB Pritzker on Saturday. The Director of Public Health says never ingest household cleaners.

Dr. Ezike urges everyone to please listen to the science.

Governor Pritzker says that he will not consider a regional approach on the stay at home order because the virus can go anywhere.

Illinois poison control specialists can be reached 24/7 at 1-800-222-1222. The IDPH announced 2,119 new cases of COVID-19 with over 11,000 tested. IDPH is reporting a total of 41,777 cases including 1,874 deaths in 96 of the 102 counties in Illinois. Listen every afternoon at 2:30 for Governor Pritzker’s daily press conferences on the coronavirus on NEWSTALK WTIM and its many platforms and for the latest closings cancellations and businesses that are open visit www.taylorvilledailynews.com.

Memorial Health System’s newest venture is making COVID-19 information more accessible. A new video series they are calling ‘COVID-19 Conversations’ shares information about many topics surrounding the virus, including testing, updates, and how to stay healthy.

In a press release sent out by Memorial Health System Aimee Allbritton, who is the Senior Vice President and Chief Transformation Officer, was quoted as saying, “Our goal is to make sure the public has a source of reliable information about COVID-19.”

The videos are done interview style and composed of different staff members at Memorial Health System talking about their area of expertise. The series will be updated regularly throughout the coronavirus outbreak.

The videos can be found by visiting www.choosememorial.org/COVID-19/COVID-19-Conversations.

Illinois reached their 10,000 tested mark of COVID-19 and tested over 16,000 people over the last 24 hours, but also saw its highest total of new cases at 2,724. The state is also reporting 108 additional deaths. Dr. Ngozi Ezike, Director of Public Health says that testing is absolutely critical.

The hope is that by testing staff and residents that they can detect cases earlier and before an outbreak occurs.  Governor JB Pritzker says he is pleased that we have gotten over the 10,000 tested marker. He believes testing is key to everything we have to do to move forward.

Governor Pritzker says that antibody tests are being promoted but aren’t where we want them to be yet.

Governor Pritzker says one of the big reasons is that we don’t know how accurate they are and that this is a new virus so researchers don’t know yet if antibodies equal immunity. The total coronavirus cases in Illinois are 39,658 overall with 1,795 deaths in 96 out of the 102 counties of Illinois. Listen every afternoon at 2:30 for Governor Pritzker’s daily press conferences on the coronavirus on NEWSTALK WTIM and its many platforms and visit www.taylorvilledailynews.com for the latest closings cancellations and businesses that are open.

Illinois State Representative Brad Halbrook thinks that the Governor’s actions to address COVID-19, in the long run, could actually be worse than the pandemic itself.

The situation downstate, according to Rep. Halbrook, is dramatically different than it is in and around Chicago.
 

Halbrook says that Hospitals in Central Illinois are just not experiencing the coronavirus wave.
 

For more information on State Representative Brad Halbrook, please visit www.rephalbrook.com/ and for more information on COVID-19 please visit www.taylorvilledailynews.com/.

Montgomery, Shelby, and Fayette Counties are all reporting 1 new COVID-19 case. Macon County has the most with 96 positive tests and 11 deaths.  Sangamon County has tested the most people with over 1,350 negative tests and 73 positives and 33 recoveries

Chris-Mont EMA has announced that they will not be giving recovery numbers. Chris-Mont EMA Director Greg Nimmo says that guidance from health officials as to the moment people who had been infected can no longer infect others is often conflicting, and follow up testing is often unavailable. A big concern from the US News and World Report is that with the coronavirus some people who appear to have recovered may become symptomatic again. 

Nimmo says the Chris-Mont EMA will continue to provide positive and negative tests and loss of life for Montgomery and Christian County but no further numbers will be posted at this time.

For the latest on the coronavirus outbreak and the most up to date phone numbers, information from the CDC, and helpful guides on COVID-19, please visit www.taylorvilledailynews.com. You can also find out the latest complete numbers of coronavirus cases by county by clicking the icon on the top of the page at Taylorville Daily News as well. 

Taylorville has postponed the opening of the Lake Taylorville Campgrounds and Lake Lots.  Due to the shelter in place being extended by Governor JB Pritzker, Taylorville Mayor Bruce Barry announced that the opening will be postponed until May 14th.  Boating, fishing, and hiking are still allowed but per the Governor’s orders, no more than two people are allowed per boat.

 

“I understand that this is an inconvenience for all concerned but in the current circumstances with the safety and well-being of all our residents and visitors being my top priority—this is a decision I must make.--Taylorville Mayor Bruce Barry” 

The Mayor is encouraging everyone to stay at home if possible, continue to visit local businesses for your essential needs, wear a mask, and above all else practice social distancing by staying at least 6 feet away from each other.
 

The Moultrie County Health Department is reporting 2 additional confirmed cases of COVID-19. The individuals are both females in their 40s.  They are isolated in their homes and public health officials will continue to monitor the individuals and notify any close contacts.

60 Moultrie County residents have been tested for COVID-19. 51 tests have been negative 4 are positive and 5 are pending. 

The two new cases are completely unrelated.

Visit taylorvilledailynews.com and click on “Current coronavirus cases by county” for a complete update on the full numbers in Central Illinois.

The Howard G. Buffett Foundation recently purchased $60,000 worth of meal vouchers for First Responders within Christian County. Patty Hornbuckle is the CEO at the Greater Taylorville Chamber of Commerce and she wanted to remind folks that the vouchers will be given out until they run out.

Jodi Rusher at the CEFS Economic Opportunity Corporation was recently given a large grant to help individuals pay rent and utilities. If you would like more information call Jodi at 824-4712.

There is a big need for this right now and Jodi Rusher and CEFS will do whatever they can to help.

For more information on the Greater Taylorville Chamber of Commerce, please visit www.taylorvillechamber.com/. Patty Hornbuckle with the Greater Taylorville Chamber of Commerce was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show.

There is a brand new state of the art lab at Taylorville Memorial Hospital and COVID-19 has kept them pretty busy over the last few months. Phyllis Jachino is the Manager of Labratory Services at TMH and she said that COVID-19 tests are somewhat hard to come by.

If the patient doesn’t meet the Illinois Department of Public Health criteria for a COVID-19 test, they can also send it to Memorial Medical Center.

There have been a lot of changes at the labratory due to COVID-19 according to Jachino. The majority of the changes deal with the front line staff that deal with patients on a regular basis.

Phyllis Jachino with Taylorville Memorial Hospital was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show.

The 4-H Fair is a big part of the lives of a lot of Central Illinois families and Sara Marten, the 4-H Youth Development Educator at The University of Illinois Extension Office says that there is a lot of uncertainty right now.
 

Marten said that they are determined having some sort of exhibit opportunity for the kids.

There are many different 4-H alternate plans being discussed, including holding an online video conference.
 

For more information on The University of Illinois Extension Office, please visit extension.illinois.edu/cjmm. Sara Marten was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show.

Memorial Health System is helping those who are recovering at home from COVID-19. MHS is sending monitoring equipment in at-home kits to help health care providers spot potential issues for residents who are self-quarantining. 

Nearly 70 patients who were tested at the Memorial respiratory clinic in Springfield received kits to monitor blood-oxygen levels, heartbeat, temperature, and lung function. There is also a peak-flow meter to measure lung function, an inhaler, a thermometer, a spirometer to exercise the lungs, and a battery-powered pulse oximeter. There will also be an instruction pamphlet with space to record readings.

Memorial Health will be giving kits out to Springfield, Decatur, Jacksonville, Taylorville, and Lincoln.

There are a lot of Central Illinois residents that are in need of skilled care, thearpy, and hospice care and Tom Culberson, Director of Clinical Services at Quad County Home Health, Hospice and Home Medical Supplies says that they have a variety of different services available.
 

When the COVID-19 crisis began, Culberson and his team immediately got to work combing through every piece of information from the CDC and the Illinois Department of Public Health so that they were prepared to care for their patients.
 

One positive that could come out of the COVID-19 pandemic is the advancement in technology. Culberson said that a lot of what Quad County Home Health has implemented over the past few months is here to stay.
 

Tom Culberson with Quad County Home Health, Hospice and Home Medical Supplies was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show.

Illinois House Republicans claim the Governor's extension of the Stay at Home Order doesn't go far enough to re-open the state while dealing with the coronavirus outbreak.

95th State Representative Avery Bourne says the Governor needs to look at re-opening the state on a regional basis, and that there are many common sense things the Governor can allow.

Bourne claims a lack of transperency in the Governor's Thursday decision.

Bourne is thankful that state parks and some small retail businesses can re-open.  Both were pushed by House Republicans.

The State of Illinois will be shut down for another 30 days. Governor JB Pritzker announced today that Illinois will be continuing their shelter in place order until at least May 30th. This comes after the Governor had been hinting at extending it during his previous press conferences. 

While the state will remain closed, there are some changes from the previous stay at home order. The changes that will go into effect on May 1st include phasing in the reopening of some state parks including Sangchris Lake State Park, the allowing of certain elective surgeries, non-essential businesses are able to open for phone calls and curbside pickup, and the requirement to wear a mask when out in public.

Governor Pritzker says this wasn’t an easy decision for him to make.

The IDPH is reporting 1,826 new cases of COVID-19 with 123 additional deaths, bringing the total to 36,934 cases overall with 1,688 deaths in 96 out of the 102 counties of Illinois. Listen every afternoon at 2:30 for Governor Pritzker’s daily press conferences on the coronavirus on NEWSTALK WTIM and its many platforms and visit www.taylorvilledailynews.com for the latest closings cancellations and businesses that are open.

The Full List of Changes: 

    OUTDOOR RECREATION: State parks will begin a phased re-opening under guidance from the Department of Natural Resources. Fishing and boating in groups of no more than two people will be permitted. A list of parks that will be open on May 1 and additional guidelines can be found on the Illinois Department of Natural Resources website. Golf will be permitted under strict safety guidelines provided by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) and when ensuring that social distancing is followed.

NEW ESSENTIAL BUSINESSES: Greenhouses, garden centers, and nurseries may re-open as essential businesses. These stores must follow social distancing requirements and must require that employees and customers wear a face covering. Animal grooming services may also re-open.
     
    NON-ESSENTIAL RETAIL: Retail stores not designated as non-essential businesses and operations may re-open to fulfill telephone and online orders through pick-up outside the store and delivery.
     
    FACE COVERINGS: Beginning on May 1, individuals will be required to wear a face-covering or a mask when in a public place where they can’t maintain a six-foot social distance. Face-coverings will be required in public indoor spaces, such as stores. This new requirement applies to all individuals over the age of two who are able to medically tolerate a face-covering or a mask.
     
    ESSENTIAL BUSINESSES AND MANUFACTURING: Essential businesses and manufacturers will be required to provide face-coverings to all employees who are not able to maintain six-feet of social distancing, as well as follow new requirements that maximize social distancing and prioritize the well-being of employees and customers. This will include occupancy limits for essential businesses and precautions such as staggering shifts and operating only essential lines for manufacturers.
     
    SCHOOLS:  Educational institutions may allow and establish procedures for pick-up of necessary supplies or student belongings. Dormitory move-outs must follow public health guidelines, including social distancing.

CORRECTION OF PREVIOUS STORY: 

An employee is being EVALUATED for a COVID-19 case that works at the Walgreens in Pana. They have not tested positive as of right now. 
 

Regional Radio News apologizes for the error to Walgreens and to the employees who work there.

Central Illinois saw its largest increase in COVID-19 cases over the last 24 hours with over 45 new cases in the area. Macon County reported 38 new cases bringing their total to 96 positive tests. Montgomery County also saw 5 new positive tests bringing their total to 22 positive tests. The Chris-Mont Emergency Management Agency Director, Greg Nimmo, issued a press release announcing that a team member who works at the Walgreens in Pana is being evaluated for COVID-19. The Walgreens is taking precautionary measures and continuing to follow CDC Guidelines.

According to a corporate statement from Walgreens, “Our clinical and safety teams work closely with our field and store leadership to respond accordingly, which may include identifying and contacting individuals who may be at risk in order to self-quarantine or self-monitor their health, as well as cleaning and disinfecting the location or impacted areas of the store. Cleanings may require temporarily closing a store, at which time customers may visit a nearby store location for their prescription needs.”

In Montgomery County, a staff member at Montgomery Nursing and Rehab Center has tested positive for COVID-19. The facility has closely followed protocol for Long Term Care Facilities to ensure the safety of its residents and staff.  No residents or additional staff has any symptoms of COVID-19. The facility and staff are doing what they have to do to limit the risk of the virus spreading.

For complete numbers on the coronavirus in Central Illinois visit www.taylorvilledailynews.com. 

EDITORS NOTE: We previously incorrectly stated that an employee tested positive at Walgreens--They have not they are currently being evaluated for COVID-19. We apologize for the mistake.

NEWSTALK WTIM has announced it will re-air the special program it aired on Monday on all 5 of its' stations called "An Hour of Faith and Encourgement", this Sunday morning at 10.

The program dealt with the spiritual, mental and physical effects of the coronavirus outbreak and the state's "Stay at Home" order.

Featured on the program were the 3 presidents of the Taylorville, Pana, and Shelbyville Ministerial Associations, with each discussing one of the 3 effects.

Guests included Bill Kerns, pastor of Davis Memorial Christian Church in Taylorville; Amanda Richards, pastor of the First United Methodist Church in Pana; and Don Jeffries, pastor of First Assembly of God Church in Shelbyville.

NEWSTALK WTIM's on-air platforms include the BIG 870 across Central Illinois, 96.1 FM in Christian County, 107.5 FM in Shelby County, and 107.7 FM in Moultrie County.

The program is also available anytime by clicking the "WTIM Podcast" icon at taylorvilledailynews.com.

The history of McMullin-Young Funeral Home and Cremation Services goes back to before the Civil War. Mack Young is part owner and he talked a little about how the second oldest funeral home in Illinois got its start by making cabinets and coffins.
 

Alex Young is a Licensed Funeral Director at McMullin-Young and the 7th generation to join the funeral home. Young said that joined the family business because as he grew older he realized all the good that his father and grandfather have done in the community.
 

McMullin-Young Funeral Home, due to COVID-19, is only able to offer private family services at this time, but they hope to be able to have the larger services soon.
 

For more information on McMullin-Young Funeral Home please visit, www.mcmullinyoung.com/. Mack and Alex Young from McMullin-Young Funeral Home were both guests on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show.

If you’re looking for ways to help out the local businesses in your community, social media is a way that you can. Laurrie Minor is the Executive Director of the Sullivan Chamber and Economic Development and she said that buying gift certificates are great, but posting positive comments on social media about the business is another way you can help.

Engaging with the posts that the local business makes on social media is another way you can help get that business in front of more people.
 

For more information on the Sullivan Chamber and Economic Development, please visit www.sullivan-chamber.com/. Laurrie Minor was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the Christian County CEO Program is as strong as it ever has been. Facilitator Dick Adams said the long term goal of the CEO Program is that the students come back and open up businesses within Christian County.
 

Adams went on to say that they are still meeting on a regular basis and they still have speakers coming in on a regular basis. Instead of doing the meetings in person though, they’re using the internet.
 

One of the speakers that they had recently was former Christian County Circuit Judge, Ron Spears who talked to the students about the different business ownership models that are available to them.

For more information on the Christian County CEO Program, please visit www.christiancountyceo.com/. Dick Adams was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show.

The Taylorville Memorial Hospital Emergency Room Nurse Manager is Kristy Cesaretti and she wanted to let everyone know that the TMH ER is operating normally despite COVID-19.

When you do arrive at the Emergency Room at TMH you will go through a quick screening process.
 

TMH along with Memorial Health Systems were well prepared for this crisis, according to Cesaretti, when it comes to Personal Protective Equipment.
 

Taylorville Memorial Hospital Emergency Room Nurse Manager Kristy Cesaretti was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show.

On a day that saw the highest amount of patients tested for COVID-19, the state also saw its highest number of new cases. The state tested over 9,000 people yesterday and saw over 2,000 new COVID-19 cases. Governor JB Pritzker says that the state is opening two new test sites in Aurora and Rockford. 

Director of Public Health, Dr. Ngozi Ezike continues to urge people to get tested if you feel sick.

Governor Pritzker says that they are weighing all the options as we go forward when it comes to a stay at home order.

The closest state ran drive-thru facility to Central Illinois is in Bloomington. The IDPH is reporting 2,049 new cases of COVID-19 with 98 additional deaths. This brings the total to 35,108 cases overall with 1,565 deaths in 96 out of the 102 counties of Illinois. Listen every afternoon at 2:30 for Governor Pritzker’s daily press conferences on the coronavirus on NEWSTALK WTIM and its many platforms and visit www.taylorvilledailynews.com for the latest closings cancellations and businesses that are open.

The Christian County Montgomery County EMA announced one new COVID-19 case in Montgomery County this brings their positive case count up to 17. Other health departments reported increases in positive tests in Sangamon, Macon, and Fayette Counties.  Sangamon has the highest positive tests in central Illinois with 66 and Macon has the highest death total in central Illinois with 11. 

The Chris-Mont EMA reminds everyone to be aware of posts on Facebook and other social media formats from unofficial sources. If a positive COVID-19 case is determined, the Department of Public Health will trace and monitor the situation and contact you if you need to be quarantined. Many things are kept confidential due to HIPPA and privacy. 

Remember to stay home if you are sick, order online or use a curbside pickup if at all possible. Talk to your doctor online, phone, or email, use hand sanitizer often, and wash your hands often.

For full numbers of COVID-19 cases in Central Illinois visit www.taylorvilledailynews.com. 

An employee at the Dollar General In Raymond has tested positive for coronavirus. The Montgomery County Health Department has confirmed that an employee working at the Dollar General has tested positive, and the store is being cooperative and instituting proper cleaning protocols to follow CDC guidelines. 

The Raymond DG is providing staff with face masks and gloves for their safety and the safety of others. The Montgomery Health Department reminds you that even though you may have shopped at the DG in Raymond, it doesn’t mean you have had close contact with someone with the virus. 

If you have experienced COVID-19 symptoms, always contact your healthcare provider for what to do next.

The store will remain open. No further information will be given on this as its an ongoing investigation.

Dr. Ngozi Ezike, Director of Public Health spoke at Thursday’s press conference and says that while there have been a lot of answers, for every answer new questions arise.

Dr. Ezike says with things opening up, we have to continue to follow the rules and continue to social distance.

Governor JB Pritzker says that they are still looking at capacity limits and it will be up to the epidemiologists to decide when churches can get back together again to worship.

The Illinois Department of Public Health announced 2,268 new cases of COVID-19 including 87 new deaths which brings the total amount to 102,686 cases including 4,607 deaths in 100 of the 102 counties in Illinois. IDPH tested 29,307 people in the last 24 hours and overall have tested 672,020 people. The 7-day rolling positivity rate is 14%.

Listen every afternoon Monday through Friday at 2:30 for Governor Pritzker’s press conferences on the coronavirus on NEWSTALK WTIM and its many platforms. For local numbers click on the icon for coronavirus cases by county and for the latest closings, cancellations, and businesses that are open visit Taylorville Daily News. 

Student loan payments in Illinois will be deferred until at least the end of September. While Federal Loans had been taken care of with the CARES Act from the Federal Government, non-Federal loans were still being enacted hurting thousands of Illinoisans.  Governor Pritzker announced that there are new loan relief options.

Dr. Ngozi Ezike, Director of the Department of Public Health in Illinois, says that for people reporting on their health and answering their surveys, people are indeed recovering.

Governor Pritzker believes that the peak will not hit now until the middle of May and while the stay at home order will change, the Governor doesn’t want to completely remove it.

The IDPH announced that there are 1,551 new cases in the last 24 hours along with 119 additional deaths. Currently, IDPH is reporting 33,059 total cases including 1,468 deaths in 96 out of the 102 counties of Illinois. Listen every afternoon at 2:30 for Governor Pritzker’s daily press conferences on the coronavirus on NEWSTALK WTIM and its many platforms and visit www.taylorvilledailynews.com for the latest closings cancellations and businesses that are open.

The Christian County Board met on Tuesday afternoon via a phone conference. During that meeting, Greg Nimmo Christian Montgomery County Emergency Management Director spoke to the group encouraging everyone to wear masks and to do their part to keep social distancing.

Ten liquor license holders were approved for renewal. Downtown Taylorville presented their list of events from April through October, which included the Farmers Market events downtown. There was concern about the events being held due to the coronavirus. Chairwoman Becky Edwards expressed her concern over holding these events but felt that the calendar still needed to be put together, even if events were suspended.

The motion did pass. Due to a new law that adopted animals must be microchipped, Animal Control Director Vince Harris, said that it's necessary to raise prices for adoption fees to help cover costs.

A motion was also approved to install chicken wire in the ceiling on the third floor to catch further falling ceiling not to exceed $1300. Board member Phil Schneider said they will be keeping a close eye on it.

The motion to extend the emergency declaration for Christian County was also approved for another 30 days. The next Christian County Board meeting will take place on Tuesday, May 19th.

The following numbers have been released for COVID-19 in the following counties. Christian has 26 positive tests and 4 deaths. Montgomery County has 16 positive tests and 1 death. Shelby County is reporting 4 positive tests. Sangamon County is reporting 63 positive tests and 5 deaths with 31 recoveries. Macon County is reporting 55 positive tests with 10 deaths and 9 recoveries. Moultrie is reporting 2 positive tests and Fayette is reporting 15 positive tests with 1 death and 3 recoveries.

Chris-Mont Emergency Management Director, Greg Nimmo, spoke at the Christian County board meeting and said if you are going out in public you should wear a mask.

One of the most important reasons to wear the mask is you can go seven days before showing any signs or symptoms.

For more information on COVID-19 and precautions that you can take visit www.taylorvilledailynews.com

The Illinois High School Association has canceled all spring sports for the rest of the school year.  The IHSA Board met on Tuesday for a conference call and announced their decision to cancel all spring state tournaments. The decision came after Governor Pritzker announced that all Illinois High Schools will complete the school term from home via e-learning.

The board also announced that summer contact days are suspended for this year unless state government and medical leaders allow gatherings. 

Craig Anderson, IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson expressed his remorse over the situation.

“Our thoughts right now are with all the impacted students, coaches and communities. Especially the seniors. It will be difficult for them to find a silver lining in all of this but we stress that even if they don’t get the chance to compete again at the high school level, they are better for having been a part of their respective high school teams. By participating in high school sports and activities, they were exposed to life lessons in teamwork, leadership, and overcoming adversity that are difficult to replicate elsewhere. The latter is applicable now more than ever. We hope that we can band together and refocus all our efforts on supporting the doctors, nurses, first responders, and all the other essential personnel who are putting their health and safety on the line each day to keep us safe.”
 

The Christian County Board will meet remotely at noon on Tuesday.  To join the meeting, dial 1- 408-418-9388. The operator will ask for the meeting number. Type the number 628-131-667#.  There might be a password. The password is 0421#. The meeting will approve previous minutes and have public comments including a reading of communications. 

Under committee reports, there will be a motion to approve ten liquor license renewals. For the building, grounds, and environmental committee, a list of events was presented by the director of downtown Taylorville, Marcia Neal. Vince Harris, from animal control, has proposed a small increase in adoption fees to help cover the cost of chipping which is now mandatory. For highway business, some equipment was authorized to be sold and approval to purchase a new mini excavator will go to the board. 

Under new business, Greg Nimmo, Chris-Mont EMA manager will give an update. There will also be a motion to extend the emergency declaration proclamation, along with taking a look at some finance issues.

A motion will be brought before the board to authorize payment of courthouse ceiling repairs and to install chicken wire in the ceiling on the third floor to catch any falling ceiling. 

Under appointments/reappointments, Dave Wagner will be appointed to a 3 year term for the Taylorville Fire Protection District, Jim Hahn will be reappointed to to the board of directors for the Central Illinois Economic Development Authority. 
 

Families throw away approximately $1500 worth of food each year. Lisa Peterson is the Nutrition and Wellness Educator at The University of Illinois Extension Office and she talked about the importance of keeping an inventory of what food you have on hand.

The FDA and the CDC recommend purchasing one to two weeks of groceries at a time. So, according to Peterson, it’s important to both understand what you have and to be creative with what food you have that way you have less waste.

If you have a smartphone, there is an app that can help you keep track of when your food will go bad. It’s called the Food Keeper App.

For more information on The University of Illinois Extension Office, please visit extension.illinois.edu/cjmm. Lisa Peterson was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show.

Jessie Reed is a Certified Technician at Family Drug in Shelbyville and she said that they are open for business and taking every possible precaution to keep staff and customers safe from COVID-19.

If you need Family Drug to deliver your prescriptions to you, they have a delivery driver at the store Monday – Friday and they deliver to Findlay on Tuesday, Cowden on Wednesday, and Windsor on Friday.

Reed said that the best way to limit your trips to the pharmacy is by using Med Sync. Med Sync can be used to sync all of your prescription refills that way they’re all filled at the same time.
 

For more information on Family Drug in Shelbyville, please visit www.familydrug.net/. Jessie Reed with Family Drug in Shelbyville was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show.

Dove, Inc. is about ready to celebrate its 50th anniversary and they serve a five county area with varying social service programs. In Shelby County the main program is the Domestic Violence Program, but they also recently started a Dove Financial Assistance Program that is currently on hold due to COVID-19. Susie Kensil is the Shelby County Coordinator for Dove, Inc. and she outlined both of those programs.
 

Since the middle of March everyone at Dove, Inc. in Shelby County has been working from home, but if someone is in need in person services that can be arranged as long as everyone has a clean bill of health.

The “Stay at Home” order has some concerned that there could be a dramatic increase in domestic violence. Kensil says that true domestic violence is about power and control and sometimes work or school is the only safe place a domestic violence victim has.
 

For more information on Dove, Inc. please visit their website www.doveinc.org or find them on Facebook. Shelby County Dove, Inc. Coordinator Susie Kensil was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show.

The Christian County Sheriff’s Office is working hard every single day to protect the residents of Christian County. Sheriff Deputies are still making arrests and people are still being booked into the county jail. Sheriff Bruce Kettelkamp said that they are taking every possible precaution to keep the staff and inmates safe from COVID-19.

Recently, the Christian County Sheriff’s Office did have a positive COVID-19 case with one of the part time cooks, but according to Sheriff Kettelkamp no inmates were impacted and the few employees that could have had contact with the cook that tested positive went on a voluntary quarantine.
 

When asked about Governor Pritzker’s release of convicted murderers, Sheriff Kettelkamp said that he feels for the families of the victims.
 

Christian County Sheriff Bruce Kettelkamp was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show.

A restaurant in Litchfield is open on Monday after a COVID-19 case last week shut them down. The McDonald’s in Litchfield was shut down last week after an employee tested positive. On Saturday, a professional cleaning service along with an industrial hygienist came in to disinfect, sanitize, and properly clean the restaurant. 

All food contact surfaces were cleaned and employees out of the Springfield area came in to restaff the restaurant. The business reopened today for drive-thru as the dining area is still closed from Governor JB Pritzker’s executive order. All employees who enter the building will follow CDC guidelines which include testing temperature and answering screening questions before being allowed to work. The staff will be wearing masks as a continued precaution.

Christian County is reporting 25 positive tests with 4 deaths while Montgomery County is reporting 16 positive cases with 1 death. All other counties are reporting the same numbers as yesterday. Find out more by visiting www.taylorvilledailynews.com.

Flattening the curve seems to be working. That is the message that Governor JB Pritzker said on Monday during his daily press conference.  Governor Pritzker says early models show that while there are too many Illinoisans being hospitalized, we’re doing our part.

The Illinois Department of Public Health will continue to use what assets are available to them to handle issues and outbreaks at long term care facilities with what the IDPH calls “Strike Teams.”

The Governor did address some concerns about long term care facilities not adhering to standards.

The IDPH is reporting 1,151 new cases of COVID-19 with 59 additional deaths. This brings the total to 31,508 cases overall with 1,349 deaths in 95 out of the 102 counties of Illinois. Listen every afternoon at 2:30 for Governor Pritzker’s daily press conferences on the coronavirus on NEWSTALK WTIM and its many platforms and visit www.taylorvilledailynews.com for the latest closings cancellations and businesses that are open.

The Taylorville City Council met on Monday evening as they had last meeting—with nobody in attendance. Due to COVID-19, the City Aldermen met remotely, with Alderman Kathy Driskell, Mayor Bruce Barry, and Alderman Larry Budd in attendance and everyone else from their houses. 

The city passed an ordinance amending allowing of installment liquor license payments because of COVID-19. Cabin Rental increases also passed. The rental rate will be $60 per rental unit for Sunday through Thursday and $65 per rental unit for Friday, Saturday, and holidays. An ordinance approving the use of the BDD funds for demolition and removal of 204 East Main Cross also was approved.

A discussion was held over increasing the number of UTV permits by 10 to a total number of 35 for the city. Mayor Bruce Barry explained that with COVID-19 hurting revenue, this would be a way to bring a little bit more money into the city. 

Aldermen’s opinions were mixed. The original plan was to only get 25 UTV’s see how they went for the year, and then decide to purchase more. Aldermen Kathy Driskell was worried that if they said yes to 10 more, the people who would want UTV’s would just keep asking for more. Mayor Barry asked Taylorville Police Chief Dwayne Wheeler if there had been any incidents. Chief Wheeler said that there had only been one and it was in Stonington, with a resident who wasn’t even licensed. The vote was held and passed 5-4 with Mayor Barry the deciding vote. Aldermen Megan Bryant, Ernie Dorchinecz, Jim Olive,  and Budd voting yes and Aldermen Driskell, Chris Skultetty, Lee Lanzotti, and Shawn Burtle voting no. 

A motion to cease all spending from the 2% Utility Tax Ward Account was also a narrow vote with the Mayor casting the deciding vote on that issue as well as it passed 5-4. Larry Budd was very concerned about losing revenue.

Aldermen Budd said that he hoped he would be wrong.  Voting yes on the motion was Aldermen Budd, Dorchinecz, Lanzotti, and Olive. Voting no was Aldermen Burtle, Driskell, Skultetty, and Bryant. Even though spending is going to be curtailed, there are still a few projects that have already been signed off on, that will still be taken care of. 

Mayor Bruce Barry encouraged everyone to stick together during this tough time and thanked the National Guard for all their help with the Park Glen quarantine.  He also encouraged people to help donate either their money or time to the Taylorville Food Pantry.

The next City Council meeting is set to take place on May 4th. 

The 5 Miller Media Group radio stations in Taylorville, Monday afternoon hosted what it called "An Hour of Faith and Encouragement" discussing the spiritual, mental, and physical needs the coronavirus outbreak and subsequent "Stay at Home" order have caused.  

Presidents of local ministerial associations in Taylorville, Pana, and Shelbyville, joined the discussion.  Bill Kerns is pastor of Davis Memorial Christian Church and is president of the Taylorville Ministerial Association, addressing the spiritual needs local communities are going thru.  Kerns said people are searching to discover or renew their faith.

Amanda Richards is pastor of the First United Methodist Church in Pana and president of that community's Ministerial Association, talked about how her own family addresses the mental challenges of what's going on in life.

Don Jeffries is pastor of the First Assembly of God Church in Shelbyville, and leads that town's Ministerial Association.  Jeffries talked about people's physical needs and how the faith community is there to help.

You can hear the full one-hour program by clicking the "WTIM Podcast" icon at taylorvilledailynews-dot-com.

The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) has started pavement improvements on Illinois 29 and Illinois 48 in Taylorville. Paul Wappel is an IDOT Public Information Officer at the Springfield Central Office and he said that the roads will be much smoother when done, and that the work is expected to take about 2 weeks.

This week is Work Zone Safety Awareness Week and Wappel wants to remind motorists to please slow down when you’re driving in a work zone.

For any updates on the Illinois 29 and Illinois 48 road construction project or for any other IDOT District 6 updates, please follow them on Twitter @IDOTDistrict6 or go to GettingAroundIllinois.com and click on IDOT’s traveler information map.

Gateway Foundation in Springfield continues to remain open to help those who need rehab facilities or care during this time from addiction. The Foundation continues to adapt to COVID-19 and make necessary adjustments. Business Development Coordinator, Mindy Melton says that one of the biggest adjustments has been moving outpatient services to virtual care. Despite services being online, there is still care through the computer for individuals that need it.

Gateway is also doing a new alumni app that offers a virtual 12 step program.

While virtual care has become an important step during this time, there are still beds available at Gateway.

For more information on Gateway Foundation, call 529-9266 or a 24 hour number at 877-505-HOPE. You can also visit www.gatewayfoundation.org. 

The Taylorville City Council will meet on Monday evening. Due to the Governor’s stay at home order members of the general public are prohibited from attending this meeting in person. Any person who wishes to address the City Council during this meeting may send an email during this meeting to Mayor Bruce Barry at mayorbarry@taylorville.net. 

During the meeting, ordinances involving the Taylorville City Code and approving the use of BDD Tax Funds for the demolition of work at 204 East Main Cross will be discussed. Some motions to be argued and approved/denied include awarding bids for curbs and gutters, approving contracting with IEPA Division of Laboratory for sampling, increasing the number of UTV permits by ten to a total number of 35, ceasing all spending of the 2% Utility Tax Ward account, and approving the Treasurer’s report.

There will be a motion to accept the resignation of Deputy Clerk Cindy Dey effective May 1st and hire her as an independent contractor and not as a City employee. 

The meeting will wrap up with City Attorney and Mayoral updates and a closed session. Stay tuned to Regional Radio News for more on the City Council meeting after its completion.

Be listening this afternoon at 4 on all 5 Miller Media Group radio stations, as we, along with the Ministerial Associations in Taylorville, Pana, and Shelbyville, present a special program called "An Hour of Faith and Encouragement".

Company president Randal J. Miller will lead the discussion about the spiritual, mental, and physical challenges people are having from the coronavirus outbreak and related "Stay at Home" order, with the leaders of the 3 local ministerial associations:  Pastor Bill Kerns, president of the Taylorville Ministerial Association; Pastor Amanda Richards, president of the Pana Ministerial Association; and Pastor Don Jeffries, president of the Shelbyville Ministerial Association.

The progarm will also be streamed live on taylorvilledailynews.com, on the WTIM mobile app, and on Amazon Alexa.

Again, that's today at 4 on all 5 Miller Media Group radio stations.

More personal protective equipment is on its way into Illinois. Governor JB Pritzker announced the latest shipment will be coming in from China. Governor Pritzker says the National Guard is coordinating the logistics to make this all work.

Dr. Ngozi Ezike, Director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, says we need to keep our children strong during this time and keep them hopeful. 

Dr. Ezike does not have a definitive number for recovery information but says that her team is consistently following up to get more real data on these numbers.

The Illinois Department of Public Health announced 1,197 new cases of coronavirus disease in Illinois, including 33 additional deaths. This brings the total number of cases to 30,357 with 1,290 deaths in 93 of the 102 counties in Illinois. Listen every afternoon at 2:30 for Governor Pritzker’s daily press conferences on the coronavirus on NEWSTALK WTIM and its many platforms and visit www.taylorvilledailynews.com for the latest closings cancellations and businesses that are open.

The Park Glen quarantine will end in Taylorville on Sunday. The Christian-Montgomery County Emergency Management Agency announced that the 14-day quarantine for Park Glen residents will end at 7PM on Sunday evening. The Christian County Health Department worked with the Illinois National Guard Medical Team to assess all residents. They found no COVID-19 signs or symptoms and will lift the quarantine. 

Christian County is reporting 25 positive tests to include 4 deaths. Montgomery County is reporting 13 positive tests including 1 death. Shelby County is reporting 4 positive tests. Sangamon County is reporting 59 positive tests with 5 deaths. Macon is reporting 54 positives with 9 deaths. Moultrie is reporting 2 positives while Fayette County is reporting 13 positive tests with 1 death. Sangamon, Macon, and Fayette Counties are reporting a combined 41 recoveries.

Stay tuned to Regional Radio News for more on the coronavirus outbreak. As always, visit www.taylorvilledailynews.com for the latest information along with information from the CDC, full numbers across Central Illinois, businesses that are still open, and much more.

Pictures Courtesy: Chris-Mont EMA Facebook Page

Another day in Illinois, another day full of new COVID-19 cases. The Illinois Department of Public Health announced 1,585 new cases of coronavirus disease in Illinois including 125 additional deaths. Governor JB Pritzker said it’s alright to feel drained from this, as it’s draining everyone but there are still plenty of bright spots in Illinois. 

Governor Pritzker says that once he knows about extending the stay-at-home order he will announce it.

He was also mum on whether or not the state would open fully or on a county by county basis.

IDPH is reporting a total of 29,160 cases including 1,259 deaths in 93 of the 102 counties in Illinois. Listen every afternoon at 2:30 for Governor Pritzker’s daily press conferences on the coronavirus on NEWSTALK WTIM and its many platforms and visit www.taylorvilledailynews.com for the latest closings cancellations and businesses that are open.

The Chris-Mont Emergency Management Agency along with the Montgomery County Health Department has announced that the Litchfield Oncology Institute that’s located at 1201 E. Union Ave., in Litchfield, IL has been placed under quarantine as of Thursday, April 16th, 2020. Mahmood Real Estate, LLC are the owners and they placed the facility under a voluntary quarantine due to an outbreak of COVID-19. 

Five staff members and two patients have tested positive for the virus. The Montgomery and Macoupin County Health Departments are working together on a solution for the patients so that they’re able to continue treatment. The Litchfield Oncology Institute is privately owned and not associated in any way with St. Francis Hospital or the Springfield Clinic. 

This is an active investigation. No further information will be released at this time. 

The Illinois Department of Public Health has notified the Montgomery County Health Department of positive COVID-19 cases at the Litchfield, IL McDonald’s. The owners have decided to voluntarily close the facility and are fully cooperating with the Health Department.

If anyone has any concerns, please self-monitor yourself for symptoms and contact your primary care provider if any symptoms arise or advance.

This is an active investigation. No additional information will be released at this time.

With the spread of COVID-19 so prevalent today, the need for doctor care is still there for regular appointments. One way that is being done in central Illinois and other areas around the state is through virtual care.  Dr. Paul Pederson, President of the Illinois State Medical Society, says that because of the coronavirus, virtual care has found its way to the forefront a whole lot quicker than it would have.

Through virtual care it’s a whole lot easier to monitor patients and get compliance for things like taking your medicine.

Seeing virtual care, Dr. Pederson mused at just how much technology has changed since he started nearly 40 years ago.

Many area hospitals and physicians are practicing virtual care. Contact your primary care physician to find out if your doctor is doing it as well.

The Miller Media Group radio stations in Taylorville, along with the Ministerial Associations in Taylorville, Pana, and Shelbyville, will be hosting a special program called "An Hour of Faith and Encouragement" on all 5 M-M-G stations this Monday from 4 to 5pm.

Company president Randal J. Miller will lead the discussion about the spiritual, mental, and physical challenges people are having from the coronavirus outbreak and related "Stay at Home" order, with the leaders of the 3 local ministerial associations:  Pastor Bill Kerns, president of the Taylorville Ministerial Association; Pastor Amanda Richards, president of the Pana Ministerial Association; and Pastor Don Jeffries, president of the Shelbyville Ministerial Association.

The progarm will also be streamed live on taylorvilledailynews.com, on the WTIM mobile app, and on Amazon Alexa.

An American company that made machine gun oil and camaflouge sticks for soldiers in World War II to keep their factory operating, is now making hand sanitizer for the coronavirus outbreak that's being sold locally.

Laura Long is the owner of Little Luxuries, the Merle Norman Cosmetics dealer in Taylorville, and tells Regional Radio News it's for sale at her shop.

You can order this hand sanitizer with a phone call to Long, who will either deliver it to your door without contact, or she'll ship it.

Long is not limiting how many of the Merle Norman hand sanitizers you can buy.

Long's number again is 820-5959.

On a day where Illinois broke their own record for most cases of COVID-19, the top conversation was about school. Governor JB Pritzker announced today that school for the rest of the year would be canceled. 

Governor Pritzker praised schools that have already worked hard to overcome adversity.

There was also a special message for the seniors of Illinois.

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced today 1,842 new cases of coronavirus in Illinois including 62 additional deaths. Currently, IDPH is reporting a total of 27,525 cases including 1,134 deaths in 92 out of the 102 counties in Illinois. Listen every afternoon at 2:30 for Governor Pritzker’s daily press conferences on the coronavirus on NEWSTALK WTIM and its many platforms and visit www.taylorvilledailynews.com for the latest closings cancellations and businesses that are open.

The Christian County Sheriff’s Office and the Illinois State Fire Marshal Office conducted a criminal investigation and have arrested 40-year-old Eric J. Klein and 39-year-old Leanna M. Grissom. Both Klein and Grissom are residents of Pana and they have been arrested for arson. 

According to information filed on April 17th by Christian County States' Attorney Mike Havera, both Klein and Grissom knowingly set fire to the home of John J. Klein on April 16th, 2020. The home is located at 2690 East 250 North Rd. in Pana. 

Klein and Grissom are both currently in custody at the Christian County Jail. Klein’s bond was set at $200,000 and Grissom’s was set at $30,000. Arson is a class two felony and is punishable by three to seven years in prison with fines not to exceed $25,000. 

Regional Radio News reminds everyone that this is an accusation and that all suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.  Stay tuned to Regional Radio News for more on this story as it becomes available.
 

With schools being closed for the rest of the year, Kathleen Agney, the Shelby County Farm Bureau Agriculture in the Classroom Coordinator, is sending lesson plans to area teachers to help them keep their students busy at home.

One of the lessons that Agney worked on recently was a poultry lesson, raising chicks.

Even though almost every event has been canceled or postponed, Agney is still very much looking forward to their summer Agriculture Institute Day on Wednesday, June 10th for teachers to help them incorporate agriculture into the classroom all year long.

For more information on the Shelby County Farm Bureau please visit their website www.shelbycofb.com or find them on Facebook. Shelby County Farm Bureau Agriculture in the Classroom Coordinator Kathleen Agney was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show.

The IHSA is recognizing athletes and first responders along with many other schools in Illinois on Friday evening. Taylorville High School is participating in “Lights For the Fight.” The initiative is being done Friday evening at 8:00 PM. The athletic complex lights will be illuminated and will be on for 20 minutes and 20 seconds. 

The tribute is for the seniors, student-athletes who have missed the spring season, health care workers, first responders, and other essential workers on the front lines of the pandemic.

School officials are encouraging people to drive by the athletic complex, showing your support for these people by honking your car horn as you pass by the athletic facility.

Editor's Note: This story has been updated as we were given a new start time for the initiative. The original story had a start time of 8:20 PM. 

The FBI has arrested 50-year old Randall R. Burrus of Assumption on multiple charges including possession of a firearm by a felon and possession of a firearm after conviction for misdemeanor domestic violence. He has a previous felony and misdemeanor convictions in Shelby and Christian counties. 

According to a press release from the Department of Justice US Attorney John C. Milhiser, Burrus is being accused of using the Discord gaming chat platform to make various threats using the username “Martyrdom.” The FBI National Threat Operations Center handled the investigation after they received a tip saying that the subject of the conversation seemed to be, according to prosecutors, the planning of an attack at a school, mosque, or synagogue somewhere either in Canada, the United States, or New Zealand.   

The FBI searched the house on Sarah Street in Assumption on Wednesday. During that search, they seized a .223 Ruger Mini 14 rifle, a Smith and Wesson .40 handgun and numerous boxes of ammunition.

If Burrus is convicted on all charges he faces up to 10 years in prison. Burrus is currently being held in Macon County Jail on a federal hold with no bond. He is set to appear for his next hearing on Monday, April 20th. 
 

The Howard G. Buffett Foundation recently gave meal vouchers to first responders within Christian County. It originally had an end date, but Greater Taylorville Chamber of Commerce CEO Patty Hornbuckle says that they decided to remove that end date because it has been so well received.

There have been a few additions to the list of restaurants that the vouchers can be redeemed at.
 

There are a variety of organizations, along with first responders, that are in desperate need of volunteers. If you feel safe volunteering, Hornbuckle encourages you to do so.
 

For more information on the Greater Taylorville Chamber of Commerce please visit taylorvillechamber.com. Patty Hornbuckle was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show.

Illinois is working on a safe reopening plan with other surrounding states to figure out what is the best way to reopen the state. Governor JB Pritzker announced a plan working with the Governors of Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio working through the economic issues to figure out how the States can work together to get it done. 

Governor Pritzker won’t commit to extending the stay at home order at this time but says he continues to look at the evidence for and against it every day.

There are 1,140 new cases including 125 new deaths in Illinois. Illinois as a whole is reporting a total of 25,733 positive tests of COVID-19 including 1,072 deaths in 90 of the 102 counties of Illinois. Dr. Ngozi Ezike, Director of the Illinois Department of Public Health says they are learning new information about the virus all the time. 

Listen every afternoon at 2:30 for Governor Pritzker’s daily press conferences on the coronavirus on NEWSTALK WTIM and its many platforms and visit www.taylorvilledailynews.com for the latest closings cancellations and businesses that are open.

Christian County has seen no change in coronavirus cases from yesterday according to the Chris-Mont Emergency Management Agency, meaning they are still at 24 positive tests with 4 deaths. Montgomery County is reporting 9 positive tests and 1 death while Sangamon County has 52 positive tests and 3 deaths, Macon County reports 43 positive tests and 6 deaths, and Fayette County is reporting 12 positive tests and 1 death. Shelby County is reporting 4 positive tests and Moultrie is reporting 2 positive tests.  Sangamon County is also sharing that they have 26 recovered cases and Fayette is reporting 3 recovered cases. 

The end date of April 19th for the quarantine of the Park Glen complex looms and it will be up to the health department on whether or not to extend. The residents will be alerted when a decision is made. While under the restrictions, all basic needs are being met including food and medical among others. 

With the stimulus package being passed there is help on the way to many people that need it. Unfortunately, it also opens the door for scammers. The Chris-Mont EMA warns not to trust anyone who says they can get you money now. 

As always visit www.taylorvilledailynews.com for more information on this virus and what you can do to help stop the spread. 

Life’s Journey Senior Living in Taylorville has taken significant steps to protect the residents and staff. Executive Director Stephanie Dilley said that they’re only using essential employees and not allowing anyone from the outside into the facility.

A top priority for Life’s Journey Senior Living is making sure that families are able to communicate with their loved ones. Dilley said that their main focus is keeping up on social media and sending videos to family members.

They are still accepting residents. The new resident has to be free of symptoms for two weeks, tested, and quarantined to their room for two weeks upon arrival.
 

For more information on Life’s Journey Senior Living in Taylorville please visit www.lifesjourneymc.com. Stephanie Dilley with Life’s Journey Senior Living in Taylorville was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show.

This week we recognize our public safety 911 dispatchers. Working behind the scenes is often a thankless job that can have some workers putting in 50-60 hours a week. One woman who works as a 9-1-1 dispatcher for Christian and Shelby County is Kaci Devore. Devore says she always wanted to be a dispatcher. 

Working for the people of Christian and Shelby County makes it all worthwhile.

While working for the people is important, Devore says she couldn’t do it without the support of her coworkers and other dispatchers.

April 12-18 is National Dispatcher Week across the USA. We thank the many dispatchers across Illinois and the nation for their hard work every single day.

Dispatchers Kaci Devore and Kathy Schuyler work as Christian and Shelby 9-1-1 Dispatchers.

Many businesses have, but many haven't taken advantage of the many federal and state programs to assist local businesses.  That's the word from the Executive Director of the Christian County Economic Development Corporation, Mary Renner.

Renner says that while the programs have differences, they have similarities, and she's happy to direct local businesses where to go.

Renner will do everything she can to help local businesses apply for these programs.

Her number again is 638-5032.  Renner adds her job is to sort out all the information so local businesses can apply.

More information is available on-line at christiancountyedc.co.

The Illinois State Police are asking for your help. The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office along with the ISP Division of Criminal Investigations is looking into the whereabouts of 29-year-old Kimberly A. Mattingly. Mattingly is from Paris, Illinois and is 5’3” and 160 pounds. She has blue eyes and possibly brown hair.  

If you have any information, please contact the Illinois State Police Division of Criminal Investigations tip line at 278-5004 or by email at ISP.DCI.ZONE05@Illinois.gov, on the ISP’s Facebook page or their twitter.

The Miller Media Group radio stations in Taylorville, along with the Ministerial Associations in Taylorville, Pana, and Shelbyville, will be hosting a special program called "An Hour of Faith and Encouragement" on all 5 M-M-G stations this Monday from 4 to 5pm.

Company president Randal J. Miller will lead the discussion about the spiritual, mental, and physical challenges people are having as a result of the coronavirus outbreak and related "Stay at Home" order, with the leaders of the 3 local ministerial associations:  Pastor Bill Kerns, president of the Taylorville Ministerial Association; Pastor Amanda Richards, president of the Pana Ministerial Association; and Pastor Don Jeffries, president of the Shelbyville Ministerial Association.

The hour-long discussion will pre-empt regular programming on NEWSTALK WTIM, WMKR Genuine Country 94.3, WRAN groovy 97.3, WRAN Cruisin' 98.3, and NEW Country 104.1, from 4 to 5pm this Monday.  

The progarm will also be streamed live on taylorvilledailynews.com, on the WTIM mobile app, and on Amazon Alexa.

The following numbers have been released from Chris-Mont Emergency Management Agency concerning COVID-19. For Christian County there are 24 positive tests with 4 deaths. Montgomery County is reporting 9 positive tests and 1 death. Sangamon County is reporting 48 positive tests and 3 deaths, Macon County is reporting 43 positive tests and 3 deaths, and Fayette County is reporting 12 positive tests and 1 death. Shelby County is reporting 4 positive tests and Moultrie is reporting 2 positive tests.  Sangamon County is reporting 26 recovered cases and Fayette is reporting 3 recovered cases. 

To receive daily updates about COVID 19 from the Illinois Department of Public Health, text the word “COVID” to 312-500-3836. You will receive a welcome message from IDPH and a second text letting you know you will receive updates from 36363 and receive a link to the IDPH Frequently asked questions page. 

There is a rumor going around that only elderly people or people with pre-existing conditions are at risk when it comes to COVID-19. This just isn’t true. Older adults and people with medical conditions are at higher risk, but anyone can contract this virus. Anyone can get sick. Everyone should take precautions regardless of age. Continue to follow the Governor's Stay at home order through April 30th. 

As always visit www.taylorvilledailynews.com for more information on this virus and what you can do to help stop the spread. 

Governor JB Pritzker is concerned about the budget and is putting together a plan for the economy to get through the COVID-19 crisis.  All 50 states have lost revenue and the Governor is doing his part to help Illinois avoid taking on more debt and find themselves more in the hole. The Governor has said that he has already worked on cutting expenditures.

Utilizing all areas of the government including the treasurer and Comptroller, Governor Pritzker is pleased with what they’ve done to help the economy. 

The Illinois Department of Public Health announced 1,346 new cases of coronavirus disease including 80 additional deaths. This brings the total to 24,593 cases including 948 deaths in 89 counties. Dr. Ngozi Ezike, Director of the IDPH, says that Illinois wouldn’t be where it was today if it weren’t for essential workers.

Listen every afternoon at 2:30 for Governor Pritzker’s daily press conferences on the coronavirus on NEWSTALK WTIM and its many platforms and visit www.taylorvilledailynews.com for the latest closings, cancellations, and businesses that are open.
 

There were over 20 new cases in Central Illinois of COVID-19 over the last 24 hours. Every county in the regional radio listening area including Montgomery County, Christian County, Shelby County, Fayette County, Sangamon County, and Macon County all reported new cases. 

Shelby County reported an 80-year-old female resident of Shelbyville Manor tested positive for the virus. The Health Department has ordered all staff and residents of the facility to be tested. 

Fayette County reported two new cases today. That brings their total up to 19. It is Fayette's first new cases in over a week.  Christian and Montgomery County reported three new cases combined as well. 

According to the Chris-Mont EMA, the Central Region is on target to move to Phase 3 on May 29th and phase 4 on June 26th. 

As always, visit taylorvilledailynews.com and click on the coronavirus cases by county for the latest recovery numbers and the latest on the coronavirus outbreak in our listening area.

COVID-19 is having an impact on everything and everyone. Denise Evans, the Coordinator for the Safe Passage Program, is used to working out of her office at the Taylorville Police Department, but because of COVID-19 she’s having to work at home.

Evans is also taking steps to protect her drivers, by not asking them to transport clients.
 

Safe Passage is a program that’s entirely supported by donations, so they’re taking Krispy Kreme orders. If you would like to place an order to help support the Safe Passage Program, please call Denise at 638-3247.

Denise Evans with The Safe Passage Program was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show.

The cleanup continues at Neal Hall on the Lake Land College campus south of Mattoon, after part of its roof caught fire while being replaced, at 2:50 Tuesday afternoon.

College President Doctor Josh Bullock is thankful for the quick work by first responders.

Dr. Bullock added most of the water damage did not occur in classrooms.

He added he was thankful that the campus was closed due to the coronavirus outbreak.

And, Bullock can't wait for the "Stay at Home" order to end to get students back on campus.

The Neal Hall roofing project will continue after fire repairs are made.

Tornado season is upon us and Chris Miller, the Warning Coordination Meteorologist at the National Weather Service says that we’re headed into the peak of that season.

Christian County, according to Miller, has seen more tornadoes over the past two years than any other county in Illinois.

Farmers are obviously extremely concerned about the upcoming spring planting season, Miller said that they were a little nervous about the spring planting season headed into the winter, but things are looking much better after February and March.
 

Chris Miller with The National Weather Service was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show.

Since the start of the Coronavirus pandemic, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has granted clemency to over 1,300 inmates including 7 convicted murderers and House Republicans like State Representative Avery Bourne are concerned about public safety and want answers from the Illinois Department of Corrections.

House Republicans like State Representative Avery Bourne are concerned that the Governor is using the COVID-19 crisis to push a political agenda.

For more information on the Illinois Department of Corrections please visit idoc.illinois.gov and for more information on State Representative Avery Bourne please visit her website, www.repbourne.com.

If you are needing food in Shelby County, the food pantry at Shelbyville First United Methodist Church is available to help you. Dave and Nancy Mills are in charge of the food pantry in Shelby County.  Nancy says you can come once a month to get food.

Despite COVID-19, the food pantry is doing its part to practice social distancing and follow guidelines set from the CDC.

The food pantry is located at 205 West Main Street in Shelbyville.

People in Assumption woke up to quite a sight on Wednesday morning. The FBI is at a house on Sarah Street in Assumption. The evidence response team for the FBI was seen taking pictures in and outside of the house. The Christian County Sheriff’s Office is also helping with the investigation and we will be following up with them for more as the situation develops.

Stay tuned to Regional Radio News for more on this story as it becomes available.

Lake Land College is dealing with a fire in Neal Hall. Around 2:50 on Tuesday afternoon, a fire broke out in an isolated section of the roof of Neal Hall, a campus building at Lake Land College in Mattoon. Area fire departments and emergency services responded and put out the fire. 

The roof had been in the process of being replaced and contractors were there working on the project. They were able to escape the building without injury. 

With COVID-19 keeping campus restricted no students or staff were on campus when this occurred. 

Neal Hall houses a nursing lab, 2-D and 3-D art labs, a music classroom, a biology lab, and a greenhouse. There is also an earth science lab and general education classrooms in the building as well. 

The fire is still under investigation.

The light on the other side of COVID-19 is getting brighter. That is the message that Illinois Governor JB Pritzker put out at today’s press conference. Through statistical analysis and looking at doubling rates which take a look at how many days before case counts double, Governor Pritzker says the state is doing better as a whole.

The rates have gone from 2 days at the start of the pandemic in Illinois to 8.2 days. That shows that it is slowing at a tremendous rate and flattening the curve. The hospitalization data is also showing improvements.

There were 1,222 new cases of COVID-19 diagnosed yesterday including 74 deaths. This brings the total to 23,247 positive tests with 868 deaths in 88 counties. Director of Public Health Dr. Ngozi Ezike says that people have been responding to their surveys and people that responded after 28 days, 69% reported feeling better. Dr. Ezike says we have to continue to stay the course.

Listen every afternoon at 2:30 for Governor Pritzker’s daily press conferences on the coronavirus on NEWSTALK WTIM and its many platforms and visit www.taylorvilledailynews.com for the latest closings, cancellations, and businesses that are open.

Park Glen residents in Taylorville will have breakfasts and lunches for the rest of the quarantine. Through a combined effort from multiple agencies, meals were provided to the residents to get them through the current quarantine end date of April 19th. 

Former Christian County Emergency Management Agency Director, and current Hanover Park Township Emergency Director, Mike Crews helped with that effort. He says he was happy to be able to help people in the town he spent so much time in.

Crews said he never dreamed he would be in a position to help Taylorville citizens again, but knows they would do the same to help him if the situation was reversed.

1750 meals were provided to the residents of Park Glen. For more information on the coronavirus, please visit www.taylorvilledailynews.com

Christian County is hurting today after another death from COVID-19. The Chris-Mont Emergency Management Agency Director Greg Nimmo sent out a press release announcing that a person hospitalized has died from the coronavirus. The total number of deaths in Christian County is now at 4. 

In Christian County, there are 24 positive tests with 4 deaths, and in Montgomery County, there are 9 positive tests with 1 death. In Shelby County there have been 4 positives, Moultrie County is reporting 2 positives and Fayette County is reporting 11 positive tests with 1 death. In Sangamon County, there are 44 positives with 3 deaths and in Macon County, there are 42 positives with 3 deaths including 2 deaths from the Fair Havens Senior Living Long Term Care Facility.

Don’t forget that you can always visit an Emergency Room right now if you need to. Both Christian and Montgomery Emergency Rooms are fully operational and taking patients. With that being said, there will be additional screening questions for COVID-19 and a temperature check, but they are ready to handle any emergencies that you may have. If you have a life-threatening medical emergency, please dial 9-1-1. 

Visit taylorvilledailynews.com for the latest information on COVID-19. 

Mental health wellness is something that’s always important, but it is especially important during the COVID-19 pandemic. If you need to speak to a mental health professional, there are resources and services that are available to you including the Call4Calm support line.

Illinois State Senator Andy Manar said, “This pandemic has cast a great deal of stress into our lives over a very short period of time. If you are dealing with heightened levels of anxiety or depression as a result, please know that you are not alone. We are all in this together, and there are people and resources available to help you work through this.”

The Call4Calm support line is operated by the Illinois Department of Human Services’ Mental Health Division. If you need to speak to a mental health professional you can text “TALK” to 552020. A counselor will call you within 24 hours of your text. You can also text key words such as “unemployment,” “food,” or “shelter” to receive important information on that specific topic.

The Christian County Farm Bureau is doing what they can to help support agriculture education by hosting “Food Truck Friday.” Melissa McMillan is the CCFB Manager and she said that the money raised will support the Foundation’s Scholarship Fund.

This month, Big Jake’s BBQ will be at the Farm Bureau in the west parking lot from 11-2 on Thursday, April, 16th.

The Christian County Farm Bureau is located at 400 W. Market St. in Taylorville. For more information on “Food Truck Friday” visit christiancofb.com or find them on Facebook.

Remote learning and moving forward through a pandemic took center stage during a remote meeting via Google Hangouts on Monday evening for the Taylorville School District. President Stephen Turner led the board, all of which were in attendance, during the meeting and praised superintendent Chris Dougherty for her hard work during this COVID-19 outbreak. Dr. Dougherty was on vacation when the outbreak happened and self quarantined but continued to communicate diligently with the staff.

The building trades house has a flexible finish date, and some volunteers are coming in and keeping social distancing, finishing up the house. Principal Matt Hutchison praised teacher Matt Blomquist for his hard work on the building trades house. 

With the executive order in response to COVID-19, Dr. Dougherty promised to keep the board up to date on what is going on and to make sure the board is aware and participating in any guidance that gets put out. Matt Hutchison spoke about graduation plans, which is still set for May 22, by having an alternate plan such as a drive-thru graduation.

Dr. Dougherty will be putting out a 5 page timeline on how the School District has handled the COVID-19 virus and the steps and order that she and the School Board have responded. Dr. Turner thanked the staff and the board for their hard work during this pandemic. 

The next Taylorville School Board meeting is set for Monday, May 11th. 

The state of Illinois is working towards improving unemployment both in the numbers and helping people. Governor JB Pritzker announced in his daily COVID-19 press conference some of the ways that he is helping improve the process especially the filing process. There were over 513,000 unemployment claims filed over the last five-week period which is more than the entire year of 2019. The Governor says the whole process has been overhauled including getting more employees to respond to claims.

IDES has also updated the phone system to reduce wait times. 

Governor Pritzker says it’s not just the phone systems that have been updated, but online as well.

Illinois Department of Public Health is reporting 1,173 new cases with 74 additional deaths. This brings the total number of cases to 22,025 cases with 794 deaths in 87 counties. Listen every afternoon at 2:30 for Governor Pritzker’s daily press conferences on the coronavirus on NEWSTALK WTIM and its many platforms and visit www.taylorvilledailynews.com for the latest closings cancellations and businesses that are open.

Taylorville Lake Lots are opening for maintenance purposes this weekend. A memo from the office of Taylorville Mayor Bruce Barry reminded residents that the Lake Lot gates will be open from Friday, April 17th through the 19th from 8 am to 4 pm on each of those days. The purpose of the gates being open is for residents to clean and pick up their sites. No campers are allowed. Breaking the rules, or being on the premises outside of the allotted hours will result in automatic lease termination.

The memo also reminds residents of the city-wide burn ban, which does extend to the cleaning of the Lake Lots. Bagged up trash can be disposed of by the city by either taking it to the city dump or placing where the wood chip pile used to be on West Lakeshore Drive.

Chris-Mont Emergency Management Agency Director Greg Nimmo released some new numbers for the counties concerning COVID-19. Montgomery County has 9 positive tests including 1 death. The county is reporting 139 negative tests. Christian County is reporting 24 positive tests including 3 deaths and 141 negatives. Sangamon County is reporting 41 positive tests with 3 deaths. Shelby County is reporting 3 positive tests, Moultrie County is reporting 2 tests, and Fayette County is reporting 11 positive tests and 1 death. Macon County is reporting 42 positive tests and 1 death with 31 of the positive tests coming from Fair Havens Senior Living long-term care facility in Decatur.

Rolling Meadows in Taylorville had their quarantine lifted on Saturday morning. Park Glen still remains under quarantine until April 19th. The Chris-Mont EMA, Department of Public Health, and the city of Taylorville continue to monitor the situation. 

The Chris-Mont EMA also is warning of potential scams from people calling, texting, or emailing saying they can give financial help. The EMA is warning people to not trust anyone who offers financial help and then asks for money or personal information. The Department of Homeland Security, FEMA, the US Health and Human Services and the CDC staff never charge for disaster assistance. If you get a phone call like that please inform the authorities.

For more information on the coronavirus and links for websites visit www.taylorvilledailynews.com. 

Gwen Podeschi is a Christian County Master Gardener and she joined the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show to discuss the virtual help desk, what types of questions they get asked this time of year, and when it’s best to plant your tomatoes.

Podeschi started out by discussing the virtual help desk.

Podeschi went on to discuss the different types of questions they get asked this time of year.

Finally, Podeschi discussed when it’s best to plant your tomatoes. 
 

For more information on the Christian County Master Gardener’s please visit extension.illinois.edu/cjmm. Gwen Podeschi was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show.

Illinois State Representative Avery Bourne represents the 95th State Representative District of Illinois and she joined the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show to discuss the upcoming tele-town hall that she’s co-hosting with Congressman Rodney Davis on Thursday April 16th at 3:20 in the afternoon, why the stay at home order needs to be much different if it’s extended past April 30th, and why she thinks that there needs to be a better administration of state government.

Representative Bourne started out by discussing the upcoming tele-town hall that she’s co-hosting with Congressman Rodney Davis on Thursday April 16th at 3:20 in the afternoon.
 

Representative Bourne went on to discuss why the stay at home order needs to be much different if it’s extended past April 30th.
 

Finally, Representative Bourne discussed why she thinks that there needs to be a better administration of state government.

For more information on State Representative Avery Bourne please visit repbourne.com. State Representative Avery Bourne was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show.

Jill Williams is a Registered Dietitian and Nutrition Educator with the St. Louis District Dairy Council and she joined the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show to discuss World Health Day, the importance of a well balanced diet, and how important dairy is in a well balanced diet.

Williams started out by discussing World Health Day.

Williams went on to discuss the importance of a well balanced diet.

Finally, Williams discussed how important dairy is in a well balanced diet.

For more information on the St. Louis District Dairy Council please visit stldairycouncil.org. Jill Williams was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show.

Rebecca Livingston is the Agricultural Literacy Program Coordinator at the University of Illinois Extension Office and she joined the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show to discuss how working from home is a big adjustment, how she’s using social media to interact with students on a regular basis, and how she’s working on a lot of different lesson plans for the Fall.

Livingston started out by discussing how working from home is a big adjustment.

Livingston went on to discuss how she’s using social media to interact with students on a regular basis and to promote agriculture literacy.

Finally, Livingston talked about how she’s preparing for school to return in the fall.
 

For more information on the University of Illinois Extension Office please visit extension.illinois.edu/cjmm. Rebecca Livingston was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show.

The Taylorville School District will hold their monthly board of education meeting on Monday evening via remote. The virtual meeting will be held via Google Hangout. If you want the code, contact Julie Lebeane, District Secretary at jlebeane@tcusd3.org. The meeting will go over the distance learning grant, and the building trades house. With remote learning being at the forefront of discussion, trades classes are really hit hard by the new rules. The board will discuss the best way to handle those classes.

Under new business, the board will discuss as a whole how to best handle the suspension of in-person instruction for school closures, the best response, and a resolution for handling it. The board will also talk about a title grant from the federal government in response to COVID-19. The board will continue to look and work on the 2020-2021 schedules. 

The meeting will finish with a Superintendent report, along with a possible executive session. As always stick to taylorvilledailynews.com for the latest on Taylorville School District and the decisions they have made as they continue to help our students be successful. 

The coronavirus does not take days off for holidays, so Governor JB Pritzker gave a press conference on Sunday, albeit a little shorter than his usual press conferences. The governor expressed his thanks to the many people who are following the rules of social distancing.

With Dr. Ngozi Ezike off, Governor Pritzker gave today’s numbers of COVID-19 cases. Illinois has 1,672 new cases of coronavirus including 43 additional deaths. This brings the total number to 20,852 cases, many of which have already recovered and 720 deaths in 86 of the 102 counties in Illinois. Governor Pritzker says that he sees a blessing in the numbers.

On the homefront, according to the Christian-Montgomery Emergency Management Agency, there are 24 positive cases in Christian County and 3 deaths. Montgomery County has 9 cases with 1 death. Shelby County announced their fourth case, a 31-year-old female who is self-isolating at her home in Shelby County. 

The Governor says that you don’t know if we’ve reached the peak for the spread until the numbers start going down.

For the latest on coronavirus and what you can do to help fight the spread visit www.taylorvilledailynews.com and listen for Governor JB Pritzker’s press conferences every afternoon at 2:30 PM on NEWSTALK WTIM and its many platforms.

The Regional Radio listening area again got hit by severe weather Saturday evening.

The National Weather Service in Lincoln received these storm reports:

–at 7:31 one-inch hail was reported by a trained spotter 3 miles south of Loami in Sangamon County.

--at 7:37, three-quarter inch hail was reported by an emergency manager one mile north of Auburn in Sangamon County.

--and at 7:37, one-inch hail was reported by a trained spotter 3 miles southwest of Chatham in Sangamon County.

High temperatures will drop to the 40’s by Monday and extend into the week.

Patty Hornbuckle is the CEO of the Greater Taylorville Chamber of Commerce and she joined the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show to discuss the I Love Local Campaign.

Hornbuckle started out by discussing what the I Love Local Campaign actually is.

Hornbuckle went on to discuss how they’re promoting the I Love Local Campaign and the importance of shopping local.

Finally, Hornbuckle talked about what some local small businesses are doing to keep the business open.
 

For more information on the Greater Taylorville Chamber of Commerce please visit taylorvillechamber.com. Patty Hornbuckle was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show.

The State of Illinois is working on more efficient ways to communicate with the public and get them more information. Governor JB Pritzker announced in Saturday’s press conference that there were new telehealth numbers that would help people who are suffering from issues related to COVID-19. The program is called “Call4calm.”

The Governor also announced a new program set to monitor patients remotely. 

Governor Pritzker will be hosting a Facebook Live virtual town hall meeting at 5 on Saturday, to answer any questions children may have about the virus. For more information on that visit his Facebook or Twitter page.

Dr. Ngozi Ezike, Illinois Director of Public Health says that there are 1,293 new cases of coronavirus including 81 additional deaths. This brings the total state numbers to 19,180 cases including 677 deaths in 86 counties. Dr. Ezike says we are starting to get through, but we need to stick with what we are doing.

Listen for Governor JB Pritzker’s press conferences every afternoon at 2:30 PM on NEWSTALK WTIM and its many platforms. As always visit www.taylorvilledailynews.com for the latest information on the spread of the virus and what you can do to help stop the spread.

Freddie Fry is the Executive Director of the Shelby County Office of Tourism and she joined the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show to discuss what it is that they’re working on at the Shelby County Office of Tourism and how COVID-19 will impact the grants that they receive moving forward.

Fry started out by discussing what it is that they’re working on at the Shelby County Office of Tourism.
 

Fry went on to discuss how COVID-19 will impact the grants that they receive moving forward.

For more information on the Shelby County Office of Tourism please visit lakeshelbyville.com. Freddie Fry was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show.

Monica Cameron is with the Shelbyville Public Library and she joined the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show to discuss how much things have changed at the Shelbyville Public Library, what it is that she’s doing on a daily basis at the Library, and how you don’t need access to a computer to file an unemployment claim. Cameron started out by discussing how much things have changed and how fast they have changed because of COVID-19 at the Shelbyville Public Library.
 

Cameron went on to discuss what it is that she’s doing on a daily basis at the Library.
 

Finally, Cameron talked a little bit about how you don’t need access to a computer to file an unemployment claim.
 

For more information on the Shelbyville Public Library visit shelbyville.lib.il.us/. Monica Cameron was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show.

The new building on East Park Street in Taylorville that will be the new home of Taylorville Home Source, is going up quickly. 

Store owner Rick White tells Regional Radio News that the walls are up, and the building's roof is currently being installed.  

White says he's happy with the progress and hopes to be in the expanded location this summer.

Friday's "Media Concert for Hunger" broadcast on Miller Media Group radio station WMKR Genuine Country 94.3 in Taylorville, and on radio stations across Illinois, helped raise over one-point-2 million dollars for the state's food banks and food pantries.

The special ad-hoc radio network was organized by the Illinois Broadcasters Association, and Regional Media, an Illinois group of radio stations and digital platforms in northwest Illinois.

Monies raised will be distributed statewide based on zip code of the donors.  You can still watch the concert, which featured artist videos of country music as well as other genre's, and still donate, all at concertforhunger-dot-com.

The state of Illinois will be increasing drive-through testing as they try to flatten the curve against the spread of coronavirus. Drive-through testing will be done in more spots that have been hit hard from the virus in Chicago. The state will also be opening up some new alternate housing for people that have the virus, to have a safe space for them to stay for their quarantine. Governor JB Pritzker, hopes that this will be a way for people to protect themselves.

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has directed $6.8 million dollars of its COVID-19 response funds to support health departments across the state.

Governor Pritzker says that they are still working on making testing better. Dr. Ngozi Ezike, Director of the IDPH announced that there are 1,465 new cases today with 68 additional deaths. This brings the total number of cases in Illinois to 17,887 cases overall with 596 deaths in 83 counties. Dr. Ezike announced some new initiatives to help address the COVID-19 outbreak including a new equity team.

Dr. Ezike also introduced a new text message system for the latest information on COVID-19.

Listen every afternoon at 2:30 on NEWSTALK WTIM and its many platforms for Governor JB Pritzker’s daily press conferences and as always visit www.taylorvilledailynews.com for more information on local businesses and restaurants that are open. 

The quarantine for Rolling Meadows residents in Taylorville will be lifted on Saturday morning as long as the Illinois Department of Public Health approves. The approval comes after a 14-day quarantine started when some residents came down with COVID-19. Park Glen Complex in Taylorville still remains under quarantine through April 19th. The residents will be informed when the final decision is made to have the quarantine lifted. 

Christian County is reporting 23 positive tests along with 3 deaths. Montgomery County is reporting 8 positive tests including 1 death. Shelby County is reporting 3 cases and Moultrie County is reporting 2 COVID-19 cases.

The Chris-Mont EMA is encouraging you to do your part in stopping the spread of disinformation when it comes to COVID-19. You can do that by not believing rumors, not passing them along, and going to trusted sources of information to get the facts.

Continue to visit www.taylorvilledailynews.com for the latest on the coronavirus and its effects on Central Illinois. 

Illinois State Police responded to a fatal crash in Auburn on Thursday afternoon on Illinois Route 104 and Purdom Road in Sangamon County. Preliminary investigation reveals that 39-year-old Joshua L. Allen of Sherman, was driving a 2016 GMC Pickup Truck pulling a trailer with 2 anhydrous tanks westbound. 43-year-old Kimberly A. Miles of Auburn was also traveling westbound and driving a USPS Mail Truck. 

Miles slowed down her truck to turn south onto Purdom Road from Illinois Route 104. Allen failed to reduce speed and rear-ended Miles vehicle.  Allen swerved into the eastbound lanes and seeing oncoming traffic tried to swerve back into the westbound lanes causing the vehicle to overturn onto a 2010 Buick driven by 77-year-old Sandra S. Laurent of Divernon. 

Laurent was pronounced deceased on the scene by the Sangamon County Coroner. The roadway was closed for about 5 hours to clean up the accident. The incident is still under investigation.

Picture Courtesy: Google Maps
 

The Taylorville Fire Department responded to a structure fire at a house on the 500 block of White Avenue on Thursday evening. When firefighters arrived, the front of the house was fully ablaze. The resident had self-evacuated and was taken to Taylorville Memorial Hospital by Dunn’s Ambulance for smoke inhalation. Taylorville fire crews along with Stonington Fire and Owaneco Fire helped put out the blaze. Taylorville Police and Dunn’s Ambulance also assisted. The damage was confined to just the original house. The Illinois State Fire Marshall was called and are investigating the fire.

Picture Courtesy: Taylorville Fire Department

Hope. That is the message from Governor Pritzker Thursday during his daily press conference. Over 45,000 people in the state have chosen to volunteer towards the fight against COVID-19, but Governor Pritzker had a simple message today and that was “Thank You.”

Governor Pritzker touted his All In Illinois program saying that in just one week, people from all across Illinois have reached nearly 3 million people on social media.

Dr. Ngozi Ezike, Illinois Director of Public Health announced 1,344 new cases of COVID-19 with 66 additional deaths. This brings the total to 16,422 cases overall with 528 deaths in 81 counties. Dr. Ezike also wanted to give a special thank you, thanking those in public health. This week marks National Public Health week. 

Listen for Governor JB Pritzker’s press conferences every afternoon at 2:30 on NEWSTALK WTIM and its many platforms, and for the latest up to date information on the coronavirus, visit www.taylorvilledailynews.com.
 

Leroy Kleimola, a news and sports reporter for the Miller Media Group in Taylorville, was named this week as the company's "Employee of the Quarter" for the first quarter of 2020.

Kleimola was selected by management and staff as the "Employee of the Quarter", and joined the company in April of this year.  In addition to being the station clusters' news reporter, he also does play-by-play and color for Taylorville sports.

He's been instrumental in leading the group's on-air and on-line coverage of the coronavirus outbreak in recent weeks.

Kleimola received a 100-dollar bonus from the company, and his name will be put into a drawing for a Florida trip which includes airfare and car rental.

The Miller Media Group radio stations in Taylorville has announced it's set up a new e-mail address for listeners to its stations, and readers of its on-line daily newspaper taylorvilledailynews.com, to share "Good News" stories.

These stories can be about a single act of kindness, something a family member did, something a community member did for someone, or that a group or organization did for someone that's worthy of being a "Good News" story.

Information shared thru the special e-mail address, which is:  goodnews870@randyradio.com, will be turned into news stories that will air in local newscasts on the 5 Miller Media Group radio stations, and also shared on-line at taylorvilledailynews.com.

Listeners can either send an e-mail to that address, or click the link to that e-mail on taylorvilledailynews.com.

A memo from the office of Mayor Bruce Barry announced that the opening of Lake Taylorville Campgrounds and Lake Lots will be postponed until May 1st. The due date of April 16th for leases and payments has not changed. This decision has been made in accordance with the statewide “Stay At Home” order that Governor JB Pritzker has put in place. Mayor Barry says that he understands the inconvenience but feels that with the current circumstances being the way that they are, it is for the safety and well-being of all residents and visitors. Continue to stay safe at home and practice social distancing.

Montgomery County announced new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday evening. The Chris-Mont County Emergency Management Agency released the numbers late on Thursday evening. Montgomery County is now reporting 5 cases of the virus with 1 death, while Christian County is reporting the same amount: 23 positive of which includes 3 deaths.  Sangamon County is reporting four new positive cases. This brings their total to 35 positives with 2 deaths. Shelby County is still reporting 3 cases. Moultrie County is reporting 2 cases. Macon County is reporting 13 positive cases with 1 death. 

The Chris-Mont EMA announced they will no longer be listing pending tests in their reports. The reason for that is as new sources of testing have opened up through some private providers it is increasing the number of pending tests overall. While that is good, private providers will track their own pending cases so Chris-Mont EMA will no longer be giving those numbers out. 

These numbers reflect all state-approved tests and any known private laboratory testing. As always stay tuned to Regional Radio News and taylorvilledailynews.com for more on the coronavirus outbreak.

Several health care providers in Illinois received part of a 51-million dollar grant just announced by the U-S Department of Health and Human Services, to treat the corona virus outbreak.

Among local health care providers receiving money were:

Central Counties Health Centers with locations in Taylorville, Springfield, and Jacksonville, which received over 841-thousand dollars;

the Macoupin County Health Department in Carlinville receiving over 652-thousand dollars;

and Southern Illinois University in Springfield, receiving just over one-million dollars.

Severe weather hit the Regional Radio listening area Wednesday afternoon into Wednesday evening, with high winds and damage in several areas.

Reports coming into the National Weather Service Office in Lincoln indicated many trees and power poles were blown down, and barns or barn roofs blown off, in the Maroa, Warrensburg, and Argenta areas of Macon County, as well as just across the Sangamon-Christian County line near Illiopolis.  

Ameren reported numerous power outages thru-out the Regional Radio listening area, including Decatur, Taylorville, Shelbyville, Mattoon, Windsor, and Gays just west of Mattoon where several power poles were snapped off due to high winds.

Several trained spotters across Central Illinois reported hail as large as an inch and a half in diameter, as well as winds as high as 60 miles an hour.

The weather should calm down and turn cool for at least the next week.

Laurrie Minor is the Executive Director of the Sullivan Chamber of Commerce and she joined the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show to discuss the different programs available to small business owners to help them during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Minor started out by discussing the Downstate Small Business Stabilization Program and how you can apply for it.

You can apply for up to $25,000 and the funds need to be used for operating expenses.

If you have any questions you can call Laurrie Minor at the Sullivan Chamber of Commerce at 728-4223.

For more information on the Sullivan Chamber of Commerce visit sullivan-chamber.com. Laurrie Minor was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show.

What started out as just a simple opportunity for a job, went from disaster to a message of hope for one woman. Anna Thompson, who lost two jobs at the same time due to the coronavirus, biked from Edinburg to Taylorville for a job opportunity at Aldi’s on Friday. While inside for the job interview, her bike was stolen along with her backpack. The backpack contained a lot of her private hard to replace items. She chased the suspect, but he did get away. 

Thompson called 9-1-1 and Taylorville Police Officer Alan Mills began to search for the bike. Officer Mills was able to eventually track down the missing bike and get Thompson all of her things back on Monday. Thompson got the job at Aldi’s. That in itself is a fantastic story but it doesn’t end there. 

Shirley Niethe, who works for ACE Hardware in Taylorville, heard about the situation and agreed to help Thompson get a car by giving her a check of $1,000 towards a vehicle. Thompson couldn’t believe it and is grateful for the love and support of the Taylorville Community.

Thompson says she was down on her luck and saw the job opportunity for Aldi’s come open and she had to at least try for it. 

Thompson also credited the Taylorville Police Department for all their help towards getting her bike back.

At the end of the day when asked about why she would support a total stranger, Niethe says it is important to help others especially during times like these. Ultimately it goes to show, that a little kindness can go a long way. 

Megan Jesse is the owner of Glenda Williamson Realty and she joined the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show to discuss the precautions they’re taking in regards to COVID-19 when it comes to showing homes and what the housing market currently looks like in Moultrie County.

Jesse started out by talking about the precautions that they’re taking before they even show a house to a potential buyer.

Jesse went on to discuss the precautions that they’re taking when they’re actually showing a house.

Finally, Jesse talked a little bit about the housing market in Moultrie County and the success that they’ve had selling homes in Sullivan.

For more information on Glenda Williamson Realty please visit glendawilliamson.com. Megan Jesse was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show.

Glenda Plunkett is the Public Health Services Coordinator with the Moultrie County Health Department and she joined the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show to discuss why the Governor’s “Stay at Home” order is so important in our fight against COVID-19 and the fact that COVID-19 is dangerous for everyone, but especially for those with underlying health issues.

Plunkett started out by discussing why the Governor’s stay at home order is so important in our fight against COVID-19.

Plunkett went on to discuss that COVID-19 is dangerous for everyone, but especially for those with underlying health issues.
 

For more information on COVID-19 visit Taylorvilledailynews.com or coronavirus.illinois.gov. For more information on the Moultrie County Health Department visit moultriehealth.org. Glenda Plunkett was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show.

A detainee in the Montgomery County Jail collapsed on Tuesday and was pronounced deceased by Coroner Randy Leetham. The inmate was 28-year-old Dustin Olson who collapsed at approximately 8:30 on Tuesday morning due to what is thought to be a heart issue. The Illinois State Police are aiding in the investigation into Olson’s death, and have made it clear that this incident has no obvious connection to COVID-19. They are still waiting on autopsy results.
 

The National Weather Service in Lincoln has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Watch for the entire Regional Radio listening area until 9 o'clock tonight.

The Weather Service says the strongest storms are expected to produce very large hail – golf ball sized or larger – and damaging wind gusts of at least 60-70 miles an hour.

A brief tornado can not be ruled out, particularly in east central and southeast Illinois later this evening. 

The Weather Service suggests you be ready to seek shelter in a sturdy building if warnings are issued for your location.

Stay tuned to Regional Radio and taylorvilledailynews.com for the latest weather information.

Ashley Earnest is the Public Relations Manager at the Central Illinois Food Bank and she joined the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show to discuss the desperate need that they have for monetary donations.

Earnest went on to discuss how you can make a donation to the Central Illinois Food Bank.

For more information or to make a donation please visit centralilfoodbank.org.

In what has been a busy day in central Illinois for COVID-19, more cases sprung up in Shelby and Moultrie Counties. Shelby County is reporting three cases now, with a 31-year-old female testing positive for the virus. In Moultrie County, the health department announced its second confirmed case of COVID-19. This patient is a male, also in his 30’s. He is currently quarantined at home and public health officials are working on contacting and verifying close contacts on both cases. 

The Christian Montgomery County Emergency Management Agency is reporting the same numbers: Montgomery County has 3 positive tests(1 death) with 25 pending tests, while Christian County has 23 positive tests (3 deaths) with 4 pending tests.

As for the Park Glen apartments in Taylorville, their quarantine goes through April 19th and EMA Director Greg Nimmo says that their essential needs are being met. The Rolling Meadows Senior Living quarantine is set to end on April 10th (Friday). The health department still has to decide whether that quarantine will actually end or continue. 

For more information on the coronavirus and its effects on Central Illinois please visit taylorvilledailynews.com. 

In the push to test 10,000 people daily for the coronavirus in Illinois, Governor JB Pritzker, says simply, we’re just not there yet. Automated laboratory machines would have helped the state labs to do 200 tests per hour. However, these machines haven’t been working the way that the state wants.

The Governor says that he is putting his faith in his scientists to be able to produce ways to test here. We are also producing our own raw materials here so that the state doesn’t have to rely on the Federal Government, or anybody else.

Dr. Ngozi Ezike, Illinois Director of Public Health, says that a new blood test has been authorized by the FDA to detect antibodies in people that have already been infected. This test can go a long way towards the fight of COVID-19.

The test can also be used to see who can donate plasma, something that is strongly needed right now to help people fight the virus.  The numbers for today are 1,529 new cases with 82 deaths. This brings the total to 15,078 cases including 462 deaths in 78 counties. There is hope as the rate of growth in these cases does seem to be slowing. 

Governor Pritzker also says that he has thought about opening up different parts of the state at different times but is hesitant, due to models suggesting that Chicago will get its peak long before the rest of the state will. He is continuing to look at models and adjust as they become available. For more on the coronavirus visit www.taylorvilledailynews.com and listen for Governor JB Pritzker’s press conferences every afternoon at 2:30 on NEWSTALK WTIM and its many platforms.

Taylorville Police Chief Dwayne Wheeler wants to remind Taylorville residents that April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month. The Taylorville Police Department is partnering with the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) and over 150 other local law enforcement agencies across Illinois to increase enforcement of distracted driving. From 2012 – 2018, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, nearly 23,000 people died as a result of distracted driving.

This campaign is being funded with federal traffic safety funds and being administered by the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC).

Chief Wheeler went on to say that the Taylorville Police Department is working to keep everyone safe during this crisis and to please “Drop it and Drive.”

Illinois State Senator Andy Manar and State Representative Avery Bourne talked about the desperate need for volunteers to deliver meals to senior citizens across Central Illinois.

Senator Manar talked about the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the Area Agency and the desperate need that they have for volunteers.

State Representative Avery Bourne talked about the importance of the program.

State Representative Bourne went on to say that this call for volunteers is temporary.
 

If you’re interested in volunteering, please email Jennifer Hopper, the Volunteer Coordinator at the Area Agency on Aging for Lincolnland at jhopper@agelinc.org.

Health Care workers are working hard to protect us from COVID-19 and Invenergy wanted to do something to help, so Greater Taylorville Chamber of Commerce CEO Patty Hornbuckle suggested that they buy them lunch.

Hornbuckle talked with Regional Radio News about how this all happened.
 

Kim Bourne is the CEO of Taylorville Memorial Hospital and she wanted to thank Invenergy for purchasing lunch and dinner from Angelo’s for all of the employees at Taylorville Memorial Hospital on April 6th.

If you’re looking to help, Bourne doesn’t want you to forget about the local nursing homes and the Christian County Public Health Department.
 

For more information on Invenergy please visit invenergyllc.com.

(Pictures Courtesy of Taylorville Memorial Hospital)

In the midst of the coronavirus outbreak, many hospitals are seeing a shortage of equipment they need to protect themselves from getting the virus and spreading it even further. All hospitals in Illinois are still looking for personal protective equipment or PPE, and while some hospitals are in better shape than others, the need is still there regardless. Central Illinois is no different as Pana Community Hospital continues to request homemade masks and PPE donations. Greg Hager, Nurse Manager of Outpatient Services, says with the CDC requesting everyone to wear homemade masks now the need for masks is very important.

If you do have equipment that you are willing to donate, Hager says there are plenty of different ways to get that equipment to the people that need it.

People have been very supportive so far, and Hager says that the community already has been giving supplies.

The hospital is always looking for N-95 respirators, homemade masks, goggles, and gloves among other things. For more information or if you have questions, please call 562-6379.

The National Weather Service has put Central Illinois in an enhanced risk for severe weather this afternoon into this evening.

The Weather Service says ahead of a strong cold front, they’re expecting thunderstorms to begin developing in west central Illinois around mid afternoon, before they merge into a squall line and track southeast.  

These storms will be capable of producing hail larger than golf balls, along with damaging winds and possible tornadoes.  The Regional Radio listening area is in an enhanced risk for severe weather between 3pm and 9pm today as a result. 

Once these storms exit the region, the severe weather threat will be over for the next several days.

Stay tuned to Regional Radio and taylorvilledailynews.com for the latest weather information.

Illinois Congressman Rodney Davis joined the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show to discuss Illinois Governor JB Pritzker’s constant attacks on the Trump Administration’s handling of the COVID-19 crisis and what he thinks the reopening of the US economy will look like.

Congressman Davis started out by talking about how now is not the time for Governor Pritzker to pick a fight with the Trump Administration.
 

Congressman Davis went on to discuss how there is plenty of blame to go around at both the federal level and at the state level.

Finally, Congressman Davis discussed what he thinks the reopening of the US economy will look like.
 

Congressman Rodney Davis represents the 13th Congressional District of Illinois. For more information please visit rodneydavis.house.gov.

The fight against COVID-19 continues, as Illinois saw its largest death increase with 73 Illinoisans dying yesterday and over 1200 new cases in the State. The Governor announced information on what the capacity was at right now for hospital beds stating that in all of Illinois totals 35% of all ICU beds available and 57% of ventilators are still available.

Testing was brought up as well. Governor Pritzker stated that while the South Korea model is fantastic, no state would be able to do the testing right now the way they do there but the hope is that eventually, Illinois can.

Dr. Ngozi Ezike announced that there are 13,549 total cases including 380 deaths in 77 counties. Dr. Ezike says the state is doing a good job preparing for the peak of this virus and there is a little glimmer of good news: Out of those who returned the survey, 43% are recovering only a week after being diagnosed.

Dr. Ezike says the more people are infected, the more the virus can be spread too.

For more information on the coronavirus visit taylorvilledailynews.com and listen for Governor JB Pritzker’s press conference every afternoon on NEWSTALK WTIM and its many platforms.

The Christian Montgomery County Emergency Management Agency released a report announcing new numbers for the counties and a few county updates. Montgomery County is reporting 24 pending tests and 3 positive tests (1 death). Christian County is reporting 5 pending tests and 23 positive tests (3 deaths). 

Chris-Mont EMA Director Greg Nimmo says Christian County has two locations in Taylorville under building quarantine.

If you are exposed to COVID-19, the Health Department will contact you. If you are contacted please respond. There is always a chance that you could meet someone who is contagious without showing symptoms. This is why it’s so important to follow the stay at home order. 

The CDC (Center for Disease Control) recommends that everyone wear a cloth mask in public settings now.

For more information on the coronavirus and the effect on Illinois visit www.taylorvilledailynews.com and click on our COVID-19 link at the top of the page.

The Christian County Sheriff’s Office reported that one of their part-time employees through Consolidated Correctional Food Service tested positive for COVID-19 and is receiving care. The food service is contracted to provide food services for the jail by the Christian County Sheriff’s Office.

The personnel and anyone else affected have been self-isolating at home. All food handlers are trained and certified in safe food handling procedures and have limited access to other employees of the Sheriff’s Office. The kitchen has been resanitized along with all serving and food preparation areas.

As always, the Christian County Sheriff’s Office continues to work to maintain the safety of inmates, staff, and contracted personnel.

Illinois' Fourth Judicial Circuit this morning announced a continuance of all civil and criminal jury trials until at least June 15th. 

This affects these Circuit Court cases being heard in courthouses in Christian, Effingham, Fayette, Montgomery and Shelby Counties in the Regional Radio listening area.

The order was issued by Chief Judge Kimberly Koester.

The Shelby County Health Department reported their first confirmed case of COVID-19 on Monday evening. A 67-year-old female is currently self-isolating at her secondary residence in Sangamon County. The Shelby County Health Department is working on identifying all contacts with the individual, but feel that the risk is low.

If you are feeling ill, have a fever, cough, or shortness of breath please contact your primary care physician before visiting. Monitor your symptoms and seek medical care if it gets worse. Clean all high touch surfaces and stay home except to receive medical care. 

COVID-19 testing supplies are limited and screenings are being performed on only the high-risk patients. For more COVID related stories visit www.taylorvilledailynews.com.
 

The Social Security Administration wants to remind the public that Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) will still be paid on time during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Social Security Administration is also warning of potential scammers who are using the coronavirus as a way to trick people into giving away their money. 

As far as stimulus checks and economic payments go, the Treasury Department, NOT the Social Security Administration, will be making those payments. Social Security has plenty of online self-service options and the agency continues to make those improvements. 

The agency would ask that you to use their online services because of long waits on the 800 number. You can always visit www.socialsecurity.gov or call your local office for your questions during this time.

As always, continue to visit Taylorvilledailynews.com for more information on the COVID-19 outbreak.

The Taylorville City Council met on Monday evening to discuss ordinances affecting the community during the COVID-19 outbreak. All members were present via remote. Located at City Council was Aldermen Kathy Driskell and Larry Budd. Mayor Bruce Barry was present as well.  All other aldermen including Attorney Rocki Romano were present via Facetime. 

One of the main topics of discussion was an ordinance pertaining to a local state of emergency for the City of Taylorville. This motion would give Mayor Barry exclusive authority to approve certain actions quickly without having to get full approval of the Aldermen. Attorney Romano said it would only be in effect for a certain number of days.

During the discussion that followed there was quite a bit of concern over just how much power the Mayor should have. Discussion especially focused on certain parts of the declaration including elements related to a potential curfew, selling of ammunition or weapons, and alcohol sales. All of these things the Mayor promised he wouldn’t stop unless the Governor said so.  Aldermen Shawn Burtle expressed frustration over not enough information being released at all levels. He said that it was hurting people. After quite a lengthy discussion the motion did finally pass with changes to the final ordinance. In favor of it was Shawn Burtle, Jim Olive, Chris Skultetty, Megan Bryant, and Larry Budd. Opposed to it was Ernie Dorchinecz, Kathy Driskell, and Lee Lanzotti. The motion passed 5-3.

Another ordinance that saw quite a bit of discussion was an ordinance allowing dual tenants to have the same lake lot lease. That motion passed 5-4 with Dorchinecz, Burtle, Budd, and Skultetty voting yes and Driskell, Lanzotti, Olive, and Bryant voting no. Mayor Barry voted yes passing the motion.

The ordinance prohibiting the burning of leaves during the pandemic also passed 7-2. Aldermen Burtle and Aldermen Driskell said they would vote NO against extending it but felt it was right for the time being.

Mayor Bruce Barry spoke during comments stressing that he takes full responsibility for any actions that happen during the coronavirus outbreak. 

Mayor Barry thanked the Aldermen and Greg Nimmo, Director of Christian County Emergency Management Agency for their hard work so far during the pandemic. Mayor Barry also said he would make an announcement on Friday concerning the opening of the Lake lots and campground. Mayor Barry also thanked some of the food places for stepping up and helping those that need it during this time.

The next city council meeting is tentatively set for April 20th. 
 

Ed Lacheta is the Director of Mental Health at SCCS and Natalie Inman is the Program Coordinator of the Substance Abuse facility at Shelby County Community Services and they joined the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show to explain what Shelby County Community Services is, what the Substance Abuse facility does, and how things have changed, but they’re still available if you need help during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lacheta started out by discussing what Shelby County Community Services is.

Inman went on to discuss what the Substance Abuse facility does.

Finally, Inman discussed how things have changed, but they’re still available if you need help during the COVID-19 pandemic.

For more information on Shelby County Community Services please visit sccsil.org. Ed Lacheta and Natalie Inman were guests on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show.

Patty Hornbuckle is the CEO of the Greater Taylorville Chamber of Commerce and she joined the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show to discuss the different programs that are available to small business owners to help them through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hornbuckle started out by discussing the Paycheck Protection Program.

Hornbuckle went on to discuss the Economic Injury Disaster Loan.

If you are a business owner and need help applying for any of the loans that are available you should call and talk to Mary Renner at 638-5032 or call Congressman Rodney Davis’s office in Taylorville at 824-5117.

For more information on the Greater Taylorville Chamber of Commerce please visit taylorvillechamber.com. Patty Hornbuckle was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show.

Ashley Florey is the Natural Resource Specialist with the US Army Corps of Engineers at Lake Shelbyville and she joined the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show to explain what the lake level is, what the lake level means, and why she’s feeling good about the lake level headed into the summer.

Florey started out by explaining what the lake level is.

Florey went on to discuss what the lake level means.

Finally, Florey talked about why she’s feeling good about the lake level headed into the summer.

Natural Resource Specialist Ashley Florey was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show.

Governor JB Pritzker continues to push for more PPE for the state during. Citing a lack of help from the Federal government, Governor Pritzker has been working to secure more for Illinois that can help as we get closer to what many people feel will be the peak of the coronavirus outbreak.  Governor Pritzker says that we have made quite a bit of progress on the PPE front.

Dr. Ngozi Ezike, Director of Public Health in Illinois gave new numbers stating that there are 1,006 new cases and 33 additional deaths.  This brings the total of cases in the state up to 12,262 with 307 deaths in 73 counties.  Dr. Ezike warned residents that tomorrow is supposed to be the hottest day since last fall, but that doesn’t change the fact that you should be staying at home.

Dr. Ezike says that 70% of the people that have died from coronavirus have had a comorbid condition, which means that they had more than one disorder. 

For more information on the coronavirus and its effects on Illinois visit taylorvilledailynews.com. As always, you can hear every Governor JB Pritzker press conference every afternoon at 2:30 on NEWSTALK WTIM and its many platforms. 
 

Life doesn’t stop for COVID-19, but it can become necessary to adapt everything. Many businesses are having to find new ways to carry on, even through social distancing. The funeral home industry is no different.

Scott McClure Owner of McClure Funeral Homes says they are only allowing intimate family at services to abide by CDC guidelines.

The restrictions won’t last forever. McClure says that some families might opt for the smaller ceremony now, but a larger gathering once it is allowed. 

McClure says that they would still be able to do everything they normally do, even if COVID-19 is the cause of death.

For more information, visit https://www.mcclurefuneralhome.com/ 
 

The Christian-Montgomery County Emergency Management Agency announced new positive COVID-19 cases in Taylorville.  Sunday afternoon, Christian County Public Health Administrator Denise Larson, was notified of 3 COVID-19 tests from residents that were showing symptoms in the Park Glen Apartment Complex located in Taylorville. 

The Illinois Department of Public Health has recommended that the complex be placed on Quarantine. Residents will be allowed to leave the facility with masks to medical appointments and of course emergency services if need be. Pacific Management Inc. who owns the building, has been in complete cooperation with the Christian County Public Health Department. 

Sunday evening, quarantine letters and masks were delivered to every resident of the facility. The quarantine will be in effect for 14 days. No visitors will be allowed in the building. Stay tuned to www.Taylorvilledailynews.com for all the latest on numbers and updates. 

The Taylorville City Council will meet remotely on Monday evening. The meeting will be held with respect to social distancing guidelines and will be conducted remotely in whole or in part, by video and/or audio conferencing and recording and/or teleconference. Members of the general public are prohibited from attending this meeting in person, but city officials, officers, employees and members of the press are invited. 

If any person wishes to address city council email the mayor at mayorbarry@taylorville.net.  There will be ordinances discussed at the meeting. Some of the ordinances include an ordinance to approve the declaration of a local state of emergency, an ordinance discussing boat docks, and an ordinance to discuss allowing dual tenants of the same lake lot lease.

The board will also discuss the burn ban, along with a business district agreement and business development agreement. The board will also talk about approving the purchase of a 2020 Garden Tractor at a cost not to exceed $10,500 to be paid from the Cemetery Perpetual Care Fund and a motion to advertise for bids for concrete, curb and gutter, sidewalks, fuel, and mowing for the period of May 2020- April 2021. 

The meeting will finish with public comments and city and attorney updates. 

Tara Nickerson is the Program Director at Physician’s Choice Wellness and she joined the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show to discuss how they’re keeping everyone safe while still helping clients lose weight, how they’ve moved classes online, and what they’re doing for those clients that have to come and pick up food.

Nickerson started out by discussing how they’re trying to keep everyone safe while still helping clients lose weight.

Nickerson went on to discuss how they’ve moved classes online. 

Finally, Nickerson discussed what they’re doing for those clients that have to come and pick up food.
 

For more information on Physician’s Choice Wellness please visit healthylifestyleweightloss.com. Tara Nickerson with Physician’s Choice Wellness was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show.

The Christian/Montgomery County Emergency Management Agency released the following information on their Facebook page as of Sunday evening concerning COVID-19 numbers for the counties. Christian County: 19 positive and 3 deaths, Montgomery County: 3 positive and 1 death, Sangamon County: 29 positive 2 deaths, Macon: 6 positive tests, Macoupin: 5 positive tests, Moultrie: 1 positive test, and Fayette: 2 positive tests. 

We do not have any information at this point on the new death in Christian County from COVID-19. As always visit www.Taylorvilledailynews.com for the latest on COVID-19 and for open businesses and restaurants and much more. 

For many parents who are considered essential, not having child care can be extremely hard on families. Governor JB Pritzker announced in Sunday’s press conference that there will be an expansion for eligibility to support child care needs and financial support as well. Governor Pritzker announced that all essential workers, effective April 1st, qualify for the state’s Child Care Assistance Program.

The Governor announced that for emergency child care centers and homes, the state will be paying enhanced reimbursement rates effective April 1st.  The enhanced reimbursement rate is 30 percent above the usual pay rate. The governor says that none of this would be possible without help from the office of early child development. 

Dr. Ngozi Ezike, Director of Public Health, announced 899 new cases of COVID-19 including 31 deaths. This bring the total to 11,256 cases including 274 cases in 71 counties. New counties that are reporting the disease include Boone, Calhoun, and Gallatin. 

You can always visit www.taylorvilledailynews.com or visit www.coronavirus.illinois.gov for more information. Listen to every press conference by Governor Pritzker by tuning into NEWSTALK WTIM and its many platforms at 2:30 every afternoon.

A Montgomery County Resident has died of COVID-19. Christian County Coroner Amy Calvert Winans released the news in a statement in conjunction with the Chris-Mont County Office of Emergency Management. A male in his 50’s from Montgomery County died on Saturday of COVID-19. The name is being held pending the notification of all family members.

The Christian County Coroner is reporting the death because the place of death occurred in Christian County. This is the first death of a Montgomery County resident from the coronavirus. Christian County has had two deaths from COVID-19. 

As always, please respect the family's privacy at this time. As of Saturday evening at 5 PM Christian County has 17 positive tests and 2 deaths. Montgomery County has 2 positive tests including the 1 death. Stay tuned to Regional Radio News for all COVID-19 news and information. 

Governor JB Pritzker gave his daily press conference on COVID-19 and there are 1,453 new cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) including 33 deaths. The Governor urges everyone to remember that April is National Child Abuse Awareness month and with more people staying at home due to the virus there is a heightened risk for child abuse.

New counties reporting COVID-19 cases include Jasper, Lee, Mason, and Pike.  There are now a total of 10,357 cases, including 243 deaths in 68 counties. Dr. Ngozi Ezike, Director of Public Health is worried about too many people not staying at home.

Governor Pritzker says he’s not sure when the state will reach it’s apex as far as peak point but it will probably be the end of April.

You can always visit www.taylorvilledailynews.com or visit coronavirus.illinois.gov.  You can listen to every press conference by Governor Pritzker by tuning into NEWSTALK WTIM and its many platforms at 2:30 every afternoon.

The Miller Media Group has announced that its mainstream country station WMKR Genuine Country 94.3 will partnership with Regional Media, one of Illinois’ largest locally owned and operated media companies, the Illinois Broadcasters Association and Feeding Illinois, to air what's being called the "Media Concert for Hunger" event to assist food banks statewide.

This concert will be heard on WMKR 94.3 on Good Friday, which is this Friday, April 10th, from noon to 5pm.

The "Media Concert for Hunger" will feature performances by many Illinois local and regional artists, and a few artists that will be released in the days to come. Most will broadcast from their own homes, filmed with their personal cell phones, cameras and audio equipment, to ensure the health and safety of all involved.

Corporations and individuals looking for a way to make a difference in the lives of neighbors experiencing food hardship can contribute at: www.ConcertForHunger.com  

Taylorville's new Industrial Park took a huge step forward this week, when the Taylorville Development Association, a group of local and civic leaders that own the property on Taylorville's northwest side, awarded bids for infrastructure totaling some one-million dollars.

Mary Renner is Executive Director of the Christian County Economic Development Corporation, which has assisted the T-D-A in obtaining a 537-thousand dollar matching grant from the Economic Development Administration in Chicago.

Renner gave a lot of credit for getting T-D-A to this point, to its chairperson and long-time Taylorville banker Ken Hart.

And Renner also told Regional Radio News that nothing will be as satisfying for her, than the announcement the Economic Development Administration had approved the 537-thousand dollar matching grant for the new park.

Construction is expected to begin this spring with completion by the fall.

The Governor announced the opening of McCormick Place in Chicago for mild cases of coronavirus. There will be 500 beds available for those that need it. Governor JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot thanked the workers who had worked so hard to transform the convention center into an alternative care center to help those that may need help in the future.

The Illinois Department of Public Health today announced 1,209 cases of coronavirus disease in Illinois including 53 additional deaths in Christian, Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kankakee Lake, and Will County.  

DeWitt, Effingham, and Jersey counties are reporting their first COVID-19 cases. The IDPH is reporting a total of 8,904 cases with 210 deaths in 64 counties out of 102 in Illinois. 

The age of cases of people with COVID-19 range in age from younger than 1 to older than 100. If you have any PPE that you would like to donate email ppe.donations@illinois.gov. You can always call the COVID-19 hotline at 1-800-889-3931 or email dph.sick@illinois.gov.

You can always visit www.taylorvilledailynews.com or visit https://coronavirus.illinois.gov. You can listen to every press conference by Governor JB Pritzker by tuning into NEWSTALK WTIM and its many platforms at 2:30 every afternoon.
 

The Christian Montgomery County EMA released some new numbers as Christian County announced two new COVID-19 cases. Christian County is reporting 4 pending tests, 17 positive tests including two deaths, and 38 negative tests.  For Montgomery County, there are 27 pending tests, 2 previous positive tests, and 49 negative tests.  Sangamon County is reporting 91 pending tests, 23 positive tests including 2 deaths and 405 negative tests. Macon and Fayette Counties are reporting 2 cases, and Moultrie is reporting 1 case.

There isn’t a whole lot of information in regards to identifiable information due to HIPAA and federal law however, the Health Department does go through and call individuals that may have been exposed.  If the Department of Public Health calls you, please answer.  It is imperative for your safety.  If you do not get a call, you do not need to concern yourself with a positive patient report. As always stay vigilant and practice social distancing.

For more information on COVID-19 visit www.taylorvilledailynews.com or visit the Chris-Mont EMA Facebook page.

Melissa Rybolt is the Marketing Manager at Pana Community Hospital and she joined the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show to discuss PCH’s Incident Command Team.

Rybolt started out by explaining what the Incident Command Team is and who is on the team.

Rybolt went on to explain what it is that the Incident Command Team usually does.

Finally, Rybolt talked about what the Incident Command Team is currently doing now that they’ve been activated by Governor Pritzker.
 

For more information on Pana Community Hospital please visit their website which is panahospital.com. Melissa Rybolt with Pana Community Hospital was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show.

Jeff Durbin is the IT Operations Manager at Computer Techniques also known as CTI and he talked with Regional Radio News about COVID-19 related scams and phishing attacks.

Durbin started out by discussing what type of scams and phishing attacks that they’re seeing right now.
 

Durbin went on to explain how it is that you can keep yourself safe from these types of attacks.
 

For more information on CTI please visit their website which is ctitech.com. Jeff Durbin with CTI was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show.

The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation has announced early numbers for adult cannabis use in March. Statewide totals indicate sales of $35,902,543.22. Dispensaries across the state sold over 812,203 items over the 31 day period. In-state totals to residents came out to $27,096,931.23. Out-of-state residents bought $8,805,611.99 as well. These figures do not include taxes that were collected. A portion of sales is invested back into communities that were hurt by the war on drugs.

Senior Advisor for Cannabis Control to Governor Pritzker, Toi Hutchinson, said, “Three straight months of consistent adult use cannabis sales show there is – and will continue to be – strong support and demand from consumers. To Ensure medical users are able to access the product they need during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, curbside pickup will remain an option for medical patients through April 30th.”

Katie Wilson is the Director of the Montgomery County Farm Bureau and she talked with several Ag retailers in the county and she wanted to let farmers know that these businesses are still operating and still caring for the needs of farmers, but may just be operating a little different than normal.

The doors are locked to the public at all M&M Service Company locations, but they are still offering all of their services and they encourage you to call or email them.

Wilson went on to discuss what Sloan Implement, Farmers Grain, and Miller Brothers Fertilizer are doing to keep their employees and farmers safe.

Finally, Wilson discussed what Sorrells Farm Supply and Sievers Equipment are doing to both serve their employees and keep everyone safe.
 

For more information on the Montgomery County Farm Bureau, please visit montcofb.com.

Pana Community Hospital has announced some changes that will be taking place in addition to the operational changes from earlier. From now on, no visitors are permitted to enter the facility. All persons who are seeking to enter the hospital will be screened outside the emergency entrance and all other entrances will be closed.  All direct patient care providers are now required to wear a mask, goggles, and gloves during their shifts.

If you do not have a primary care physician and are experiencing symptoms of fever, cough, sore throat, or shortness of breath contact the Christian County Health Department at 824-4113 or the Illinois Department of Public health COVID-19 hotline at 1-800-889-3931. 

As always visit taylorvilledailynews.com for more information on COVID-19 or visit the Pana Community Hospital Facebook page. 

The City of Taylorville is banning leaf burning for the month of April.  Taylorville Mayor Bruce Barry announced in a press release, that all leaf burning is banned due to the effects on the respiratory system from COVID-19. The virus attacks those with weakened immune systems and the mayor is asking everyone to cooperate accordingly. 

Residents are encouraged to take leaves to the street department free of charge or if you bag them up and place them on your boulevard, Mayor Barry says he will see that they are picked up. 

For any questions, please contact Mayor Barry at 287-7946.
 

After 2 requests for a phone interview with Regional Radio News regarding how Illinois prisons are handling the coronavirus outbreak, Illinois Department of Corrections Public Information Officer Lindsey Hess e-mail'ed us late yesterday afternoon, saying she could not grant our request.  Hess did release a written statement which said the following:

"Our response to COVID-19 continues to be deliberate and aggressive. We are taking vigorous steps to protect our staff and men and women in custody from this disease, including thoroughly reviewing those who are eligible for early release, appropriately quarantining or isolating men and women in custody, and equipping staff with personal protective equipment. Our top medical and security personnel are stationed at our statewide command post resolutely working to prevent the spread of COVID-19 within our facilities. We continue to work closely with the Illinois Department of Public Health and Illinois Emergency Management Agency to ensure we are following all guidelines put forth by the Centers for Disease Control. 
 
"The Department has taken a number of steps to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, including, but not limited to:
 
• On March 20, all correctional facilities statewide were placed on Administrative Quarantine with restricted movement.
• On March 14, the Department suspended visitation at all correctional facilities. 
• Facilities with confirmed cases of COVID-19 are being placed on lockdown with only emergency medical movement. 
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is being provided to all staff statewide. 
•We are working with the Governor’s Office and Prisoner Review Board to thoroughly review individuals who are eligible for early release.
• The Department modified its Pandemic Influenza and Continuity of Operations plans.
• Hand sanitizer, antibacterial soap, and cleaning supplies are being made available to all staff and incarcerated individuals. We are closely monitoring our supply levels at each facility and are in close communication with our vendors to maintain adequate inventory.
• All staff are being screened and having their temperature checked at arrival to their correctional facility.
• All interagency transports have been suspended with the exception of medical and mental health appointments, and emergency transfers. 
• Per Governor Pritzker’s executive order, all county jail intakes have been suspended.
• All correctional facilities and transport vehicles are being routinely cleaned and disinfected.
• Staff and incarcerated individuals are being encouraged to practice good health habits, including hand-washing.
• We are communicating regularly with staff and people in custody to ensure they feel safe."
 
Hess added that IDOC will continue to monitor this fluid situation and adjust their procedures as necessary. 

Judy Prasun retired from banking on Tuesday, after 46 years in the banking business and 17 years at People's Bank and Trust as Assistant Vice President for Consumer Banking.

Prasun spoke with Regional Radio News on her last day on the job earlier this week, and she shared with us that she enjoyed the variety of jobs she had in her career.

Prasun says she's looking forward to the next chapter in her lift.

And, Prasun added "make every day a special day."

The Taylorville Development Association let over one-million dollars worth of bids, to begin construction on Taylorville's new Industrial Park on the northwest side.

At a special Board meeting earlier this week, officials approved awarding bids to 3 contractors who will build infrastructure at the site.  

Executive Director of the Christian County Economic Development Corporation, Mary Renner, is working closely with T-D-A to get the project completed, and told Regional Radio News that job creation has always been the goal for her, the local economic development group, and T-D-A.

Renner added that she, the C-C-E-D-C, and the T-D-A, were prepared to do whatever had to be done to find a suitable location for a new Industrial Park.

Construction is expected to start this spring with completion by fall.

Governor JB Pritzker announced new incentives for staying at home. The initiative is called “All in Illinois.” Governor Pritzker announced that there is a new website called Allin.Illinois.gov. There will be public service announcements from famous Illinois Natives, like Jane Lynch, Deon Cole, Jason Beghe, Jackie Joyner Kersee, and Matt Walsh.

The Governor announced that through the website you can get yard and window signs and much more. 

Dr. Ngozi Ezike, Director of Public Health in Illinois announced some new numbers for the state, as the amount of COVID-19 cases continues to rise.  Dr. Ezike says just because you get it doesn’t mean you’re going to die from it. 

For more information on COVID-19 visit Taylorvilledailynews.com or visit https://coronavirus.illinois.gov. You can listen to every press conference by Governor JB Prtizker by tuning into NEWSTALK WTIM and its many platforms at 2:30 every afternoon.

The Christian County/Montgomery County Emergency Management Agency released its most recent numbers of infections from COVID-19. As of 5 PM on April 1st, in Montgomery County, there are 25 pending tests, 2 previous positive tests, and 39 negative tests.  In Christian County, there are 4 pending tests, 15 positive tests which include 2 deaths, and 37 negative tests. Sangamon County is reporting there are 18 positive tests with 2 deaths. Macon County is reporting 2 cases, and Moultrie County is reporting 1 case.

The Chris-Mont EMA announced that the counties have received their first partial shipment of Personal Protective Equipment or PPE, from the state. The equipment is getting delivered to the public safety responders that need it. 

There is still a concern over too many kids hanging out with their friends during this time. The Chris-Mont EMA is strongly encouraging you to ensure that your kids are aware of the Stay at Home Order and to not let them run around without direct adult supervision and guidance.  

Together we can slow down and stop the spread of COVID-19. For more information visit Taylorvilledailynews.com or visit the Chris-Mont EMA Facebook page.

The Moultrie County Health Department has reported a positive case of COVID-19. Public Health Services Coordinator Glenda Plunkett said that that the patient is in her 30’s, is at home, and is following CDC protocols.
 

The Moultrie County Health Department also reported that 19 residents of Moultrie County have been tested for COVID-19 and as of Thursday afternoon 13 of those tests have come back negative and 5 are still pending.
 

Finally, Plunkett discussed what everyone should do to keep themselves as safe as possible.
 

For more information on COVID-19 visit Taylorvilledailynews.com or visit coronavirus.illinois.gov.

A Christian County 4-H Student has won a prestigious state award. Caleb Grover was recognized as a winner in the personal growth category for the Emerald Level Leadership Award. Caleb can choose either a $1,000 scholarship or a trip to National 4-H Congress in Atlanta. Sara Marten, Extension Educator for 4-H Youth Development says that leadership has played a big part in Caleb winning the award.

Marten says that Caleb is involved with all kinds of levels of 4-H and has gone above and beyond and that has led to him being recognized.

Despite threats of COVID-19, Marten says that 4-H is still going strong and there are still plenty of opportunities for students to get involved.

For more information on 4-H, the benefits, and how to get involved, please contact your local 4-H department.  For Christian County 4-H call 287-7246.
 

Patty Hornbuckle is the CEO of the Greater Taylorville Chamber of Commerce and she joined the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show to discuss what she’s hearing when she talks to small business owners, what we can do to help them through this difficult time, and the Taylorville Development Association’s awarding of bids for the Industrial Park.

Hornbuckle started out by discussing the what she’s hearing when she talks to small business owners.
 

Hornbuckle went on to discuss what we can do to help them through this difficult time.
 

Finally, Hornbuckle discussed how important the new Industrial Park is for Taylorville.
 

For more information on the Greater Taylorville Chamber of Commerce, please visit taylorvillechamber.com. Patty Hornbuckle with the Greater Taylorville Chamber of Commerce was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show.

Taylorville Police responded to a smash and grab at the Mach 1 on Illinois Route 29 and Route 104. On April 2nd at 1:20 AM TPD responded to a “front counter motion” alarm at the gas station. Upon arrival, TPD noticed a front window was broken and entry was gained. The suspects entered the business and stole numerous items including liquor and cigarettes and left the business through the broken window. 

TPD has and is investigating video footage. 

Chief Wheeler says that he is concerned that there will be a spike in crime due to the pandemic. If you have any information about the incident you are encouraged to contact the Taylorville Police Department.

With students being out of school and with schools now implementing e-learning, students need to have reliable internet service. So, Consolidated Communications has decided to offer students 2 months of free internet service along with free installation.

To take advantage of this offer, call Consolidated Communications at 855-399-3084 and mention the offer code “two months free.” This offer is only available to those individuals who are not currently customers of Consolidated Communications and you do not have to sign a long-term contract to receive this offer.

The Taylorville Development Association Tuesday awarded bids for construction of the new Taylorville Industrial Park.  3 contractors were chosen for the one-millon-dollar project to build infrastructure at the site on North Route 29.

Executive Director of the Christian County Economic Development Corporation Mary Renner is working with the T-D-A on the project, and told Regional Radio News about the timeline for the project.

Renner added that T-D-A's consulting engineer Phil Martin is hopeful the project could be completed by this fall.

Tuesday was a bittersweet day for Judy Prasun.  It was her last day on the job before retiring, as Assistant Vice President for Consumer Banking at People's Bank and Trust in Taylorville.  It completes 17 years of service at People's, and 46 years in the banking industry.

Regional Radio News visited with Prasun on her last day on the job, asking for her career track.

Prasun said she's seen a lot of changes in banking in her 46 years.

Prasun looks forward to spending more time with her grandkids.

The Illinois Governor, JB Pritzker, is hoping everyone will participate in the census today as April 1st is named “US Census Day” in America. The Governor says the census goes a lot further than just counting people. 

Dr. Ngozi Ezike, Director of the Department of Public Health announced 986 new cases including 42 additional deaths. This brings the total of cases to 6,980 cases, including 141 deaths in 56 counties.  Dr. Ezike says that there are many people stepping up right now to keep everything running. Dr. Ezike says that despite COVID-19 being in the forefront of everyone’s mind, the Department of Health is still monitoring other situations that they need to be aware of on top of the COVID-19.

Governor Pritzker addressed concerns over places like Taylorville Memorial and other rural hospitals that may not have enough ICU beds.

For more information on COVID-19 visit Taylorvilledailynews.com or visit https://coronavirus.illinois.gov. You can listen to every press conference by Governor JB Pritzker by tuning into NEWSTALK WTIM and it’s many platforms at 2:30 every afternoon.

Tucker Kennedy is the Communications Director at Ameren Illinois and he talked with Regional Radio News about the recent decisions made by the Ameren Illinois leadership team to not only suspend disconnections, but also to donate $250,000 from the AmerenCares charitable trust to the Illinois COVID-19 Response Fund.
 

Kennedy went on to explain how Ameren is considered to be an essential service and that you will continue to see Ameren crews out working.

Finally, Kennedy talked about what precautions they’re taking to keep the employees of Ameren safe from COVID-19.
 

For more information on Ameren Illinois please visit ameren.com/illinois.

The Christian County Coroner’s Office is reporting two deaths from COVID-19. Amy Calvert Winans, Christian County Coroner, announced that in conjunction with the Christian County Emergency Management Agency and the Christian County Public Health Department that an unrelated male and female both in their 80’s have died.  The names are being withheld at this time pending further notification of family members. 

Coroner Winans says this is a tough day for everyone involved. She urges everyone to do their part to stop the spread.

The Christian County Coroner along with the Chris-Mont EMA is asking everyone to please respect the privacy of these families at this time and allow them to grieve their loss.