December is always a special time for the Taylorville Park District, and the Board met to discuss some of the things they want to do in December at their monthly board meeting at the Manners Park District on Monday evening. 

The District approved their Christmas plan and announced there wouldn’t be a party but they would do something else special for the employees. Bills were also approved and the board tabled the pool project—for now. Recreational Director Bailey Hancock says with Christmas in the Park there is just too much going on right now.

Hancock says COVID has caused her calendar to change a lot which has changed the way they do things from normal.

Hancock also encourages people to call the Park District before you go to make sure reservations are in place and they can prepare better for you.

The meeting was broadcast live on New Country 104.1 FM. Click here for the entire meeting.

A Waverly man is in custody charged with aggravated battery after stabbing a woman in Owaneco on Saturday. On November 28th, at 3:51 PM, Christian County Sheriff’s Office received a 9-1-1 call of a stabbing.  The stabbing occurred at the intersection of Church Street and IL Route 29. 

According to the Christian County Sheriff’s Office and the Taylorville Police Department, 41-year old Shane A. Mosley stabbed 65-year-old Brenda S. Whisler in the back of her neck with a knife. 

After an investigation, it was discovered that Velma Mosley, who is Shane A. Mosley’s mother, was driving from Pana to Jacksonville. Velma Mosley was driving Shane Mosley’s vehicle and Shane was in the passenger seat. Velma Mosley says that her son had smoked synthetic marijuana in the vehicle as they were leaving Pana and he became upset so she pulled over at Church Street and IL Route 29. 

While there, Brenda Whisler, who is Velma’s domestic companion, was following their vehicle to Jacksonville pulled behind her in Owaneco. Shane Mosley got out of the vehicle and broke out the driver’s side window of the vehicle Velma was in. At that point, investigators say Velma and Brenda got out of their vehicles. As Whisler was walking away from Shane, he stabbed her in the back of the neck. 

Witnesses say that they saw Shane walk across IL Route 29 waving a knife. Witnesses pulled over after passing him and observed him walking toward the Owaneco Elevator. Witnesses then followed Shane as he walked around the elevator a couple of times. After Shane stopped walking the male witness got out of his vehicle and detained Shane until deputies arrived and took him into custody.

Whisler was taken by ambulance to Taylorville Memorial Hospital and was transported by helicopter to Springfield Memorial Hospital with life-threatening injuries.

Shane Mosley was taken to the Christian County Jail and has been charged with aggravated battery with the victim being 60 years of age or older. This is a Class 2 felony. Mosley could face two to ten years in the Department of Corrections. Bond was set at $100,000.

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

The Taylorville Park District will meet on Monday evening at 7 PM remotely. Due to COVID-19 and Social Distancing guidelines, the meeting will be conducted by live broadcast on New Country 104.1 FM. If any person wishes to address the board, they may do so by emailing Taylorvilleparkdistrict@gmail.com or calling 565-0389.

The board will discuss employee Christmas bonuses and parties, the board will also review pool engineers for the upcoming city pool project, and get reports from the Maintenance Superintendent, Gary Brown, a report from the Office Administrator/Secretary Lisa Morillo, and an update from Recreational Director Bailey Hancock. 

There is also a treasurer’s report, payment of bills, and a possible executive session. For more on this meeting, stay tuned to Regional Radio News. To see the full agenda, click here. 
 

Despite COVID grabbing national headlines, one thing Doctors are still looking at is smoking. Smoking accounts for nearly about 1 in 5 deaths globally with more than 16 million Americans living with a smoking-related disease. According to the American Cancer Society, more than 32 million American adults smoke cigarettes. 

On November 19th, the American Cancer Society had the Great American Smokeout, a day designed to provide an opportunity for people to stop smoking. Dr. Timir Baman, who is an OSF HealthCare Cardiovascular Institute cardiologist says that statistics can always change.

With the world in a pandemic, Smoking poses an even greater risk to our health than ever before. There is still research being conducted, but many smokers already have lung problems from smoking that can be vulnerable to the flu, pneumonia, or bronchitis.

Dr. Baman knows that for a lot of people it’s not easy to just quit “cold turkey” and realizes that for some it takes many tries to kick the habit.

While rates of cigarette smoking have decreased in the last 30 years, cardiovascular doctors have seen a rise in the increase of e-cigarettes and vaping. Dr. Baman says this is NOT a safe alternative to cigarettes.

For more information on getting help for quitting smoking, visit with your primary care physician.

After an apartment fire left residents without supplies in Taylorville, The Taylorville Police Department along with the Red Cross rushed in to help the victims recover. At this time, the Taylorville Police Department is not looking for clothes for the fire victims, but are asking for gift cards or cash to buy gift cards to local restaurants and establishments for the victims so they can buy necessary items to help with things such as food, toiletries, or anything else they may need moving forward. 

If you would like to donate, please send or drop off the gift cards/money to the Taylorville Police Department and put either Officer Kirsten Bolinger or Chief Dwayne Wheeler’s name on the outside of the envelope. 

The Taylorville Police Department is thanking everyone for the support and donations and is proud of the community for coming together in a time like this. 

Central A&M Superintendent Dr. DeAnn Heck says that she really didn’t know what to expect coming into the school year.   
 

Dr. Heck says that it has been a great semester under the worst possible circumstances and that the parents and teachers have really stepped up to make it so.

There are numerous challenges that face the Central A&M School District, but the biggest one, according to Dr. Heck, is the unknown.

Another challenge that they face, according to Dr. Heck, is exhaustion.

Dr. DeAnn Heck was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show.
 

The tier 3 mitigations are having a huge impact on the Christian County small business community and Christian County Sheriff Bruce Kettelkamp urged everyone to support small businesses through this difficult time, but to also do everything possible to stay safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.    

The enforcement of the tier 3 mitigations has to come from the health department, according to Christian County Sheriff Bruce Kettelkamp.

If the Sheriff’s Office does receive a complaint, Sheriff Kettelkamp says that there is a long process that they will go

through.

If the violations continue, Sheriff Kettelkamp says that the State’s Attorney could issue a notice to appear and charge the violator with a misdemeanor under the health department statute.

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

With many people driving for thanksgiving and returning from trips, the Illinois Department of Public Health is encouraging people to wait a week before getting tested for COVID-19. Dr. Ngozi Ezike, Director of Public Health, says that if you got together with people outside of your home for Thanksgiving and think you were infected you should wait at least seven days before getting tested.

According to the CDC it can take up to 14 days to show symptoms after exposure, but Dr. Ezike says that most people who are infected will end up with a positive test after the seven-day mark.

The Illinois Department of Public Health is concerned about a spike and says that the numbers to watch will be around December 7th. 

The real reason that the Illinois legislature isn’t in session right now, according to State Senator Chapin Rose, is because Michael Madigan doesn’t have the votes to be re-elected as Speaker.    

You should never count Speaker Madigan out, according to Senator Rose.

There’s been a lot of talk recently about taxing retirement income. Senator Rose says that it’s the Democrats and not the Republicans who want to tax it and that keeping the flat tax makes taxing retirement income a whole lot more difficult.

The retirement tax isn't just for state worker pensions, according to Senator Rose, but for all retirement income.

Illinois State Senator Chapin Rose was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show. 
 

The Taylorville Fire Department has decorated for the holidays and has put up a large holiday wreath in the front of the department.  The Fire Department is encouraging residents to “Keep the Wreath Red” by following tips such as unplugging holiday lights before leaving home or sleeping, not overloading extension cords, being careful with candles and open flames, and using flame-retardant decorations.  

You can also protect your home by ensuring lights are in good condition and keep natural trees watered. The Taylorville Fire Department says not to rely on chemical sprays for your tree and as always, make sure you have working smoke/carbon monoxide alarms. 

The Taylorville Fire Department will change a bulb in the wreath from red to blue for every fire that is caused due to holiday decorations or lights.

A Bethany man is dead as a result of a two-vehicle crash on Illinois Route 121 near McDonald Road in Macon County on Thursday evening.  

Dead is 48-year-old Christopher D. Ripple.  Macon County Coroner Michael Day tells Regional Radio News that Ripple was pronounced dead at the scene following the accident at 6:27 Thursday evening.  

Routine toxicology tests and an inquest both are pending.

Illinois State Senator Chapin Rose outlined the State of Illinois’ critical budget situation and the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on things.    

Senator Rose went on to say that because of the failure of fair tax vote and the unlikelihood of a federal bailout from the Biden Administration, the Democratic leadership is back to borrowing money to balance the budget hole.

The cancelled veto session is making the budget situation significantly worse, according to Senator Rose.

The longer you wait to make budget cuts, according to Senator Rose, the more difficult the cuts will be to implement. 

Illinois State Senator Chapin Rose was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show. 

Greater Taylorville Chamber of Commerce CEO Patty Hornbuckle is having a blast on the Small Town Taylorville Committee, but she says that there’s a whole lot of work ahead.    

The personnel has been hired, the funding has been received, and now Hornbuckle said that they’re trying to figure out what’s next.

Hornbuckle is thrilled to be a part of the Small Town Taylorville Committee and she went on to say that there will be information released over the next several months before the launch of the new website. 

Patty Hornbuckle was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show. 

Hunters in Illinois got fewer deer this opening weekend of Illinois Firearm Season than in previous years past. Illinois hunters harvested a preliminary total of 47,147 deer during the first weekend of Deer Season compared with 50,713 from last year. The seven-day Firearm Deer Season will conclude December 3-6.  IDNR Spokesperson Rachel Tolbert says that things are lower but there are many factors that lead to that.

In Christian County, there were 419 deer harvested in 2020 as opposed to only 372 last year. In Montgomery County, there were 520 deer harvested in 2020 as opposed to 540 last year. 

Tolbert says there will be other deer hunting opportunities in the near future with muzzleloader-only deer season, late-winter antlerless-only, CWD, and archery season’s coming up. 

For more information click here.

Holiday shopping is in full swing and Taylorville Police Department Sergeant Alan Mills warned Taylorville residents that there have been some reports of packages being taken off of porches and if you see something suspicious to say something.   

Things at the Taylorville Police Department after an outbreak of COVID-19, according to Sergeant Mills, have started to go back to normal.

Sergeant Mills went on to say that TPD Officers wear face masks whenever they interact with the public and the Police Department is being cleaned on a regular basis. 

TPD Officers try to meet with people outside of homes, but with the temperature dropping that will be difficult. 

Sergeant Alan Mills was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show. 

The Taylorville Food Pantry is in desperate need of volunteers, according to co-coordinator Amy Hagen.   

All you have to do is show up to the Food Pantry willing to volunteer. There is no application process and you don’t need to have any specific skill set, according to Hagen.

The regular Food Pantry volunteers, according to Hagen, are exhausted.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic started in March, the Food Pantry has been operating using a drive-thru model. 

Amy Hagen was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show. 

The importance of the Taylorville Police Department being involved in the community cannot be understated, according to TPD Sergeant Alan Mills.   

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Sergeant Mills says that they have seen a slight increase in drug use in the community.

Sergeant Mills went on to say that overall he thinks the drug issue has been getting better within the community.

The Safe Passage Program, according to Sergeant Mills, has had a positive impact in Taylorville. 

Sergeant Alan Mills was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show. 

A Taylorville man was arrested on Wednesday morning for his involvement in a string of Springfield armed robberies on Tuesday. 20-year-old Koty J. Caraker of Taylorville was arrested on Wednesday for aggravated robbery, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon by a felon, and theft and 34-year-old Lamarcus C. Jones of Springfield was arrested for aggravated unlawful use of a weapon by a felon and aggravated discharge of a firearm. 

The three stations that were robbed were the BP Amoco, Circle K, and the Qik-N-EZ early Tuesday morning from 12:09 AM until 2:29 AM.  Police say that the suspect description was the same at all three places and several officers recognized the description as someone they have been in contact with before. 

Both men are in custody in the Sangamon County Jail and if you have any information, please call the Springfield Police at 788-8311 or the Sangamon/Menard County Crime Stoppers at 788-8427. 

Every conversation nowadays always seems to start out about COVID-19, and Sullivan Mayor Richard Glazebrook says that the Sullivan residents have been great about social distancing and wearing face masks.   

Mayor Glazebrook says that the city of Sullivan has been doing everything they can to keep nursing home staff and residents safe by giving PPE to the Sullivan area nursing homes.

The Holiday season is different for everyone this year, especially for residents of long term care facilities. So the Sullivan Chamber, according to Mayor Glazebrook, will be offering each long term care facility resident a live plant. 

Sullivan Mayor Richard Glazebrook was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show. 

Taylorville Fire Department responded to apartment fire on Wednesday evening. The Taylorville Fire Department was called out to 2100 Grand Boulevard. Upon arrival, crews noticed heavy fire showing from the second floor of the complex. According to a Facebook post from the Department, Crews were able to contain the majority of the fire to the original apartment.

Due to the size of the building, the fire was upgraded to a 1 Alarm fire. Owaneco, Stonington, Edinburg, Midland, Morrisonville-Palmer, and Assumption all responded to help the TFD. Dunn's Ambulance and Taylorville Police were on hand to assist the many residents. All residents were displaced from their homes, but thanks to the help of many including the Red Cross, they have someplace safe to sleep and stay for Thanksgiving. 

There were no injuries to residents or firefighters, but the building has extensive damage and an investigation is being conducted. 

Photos courtesy: Taylorville Fire Department Facebook Page

Small business restaurant and bar owners reached out to the Christian County Health Department in a meeting on Wednesday evening. Almost everyone expressed their support to the Health Department for the tough role they have had in the COVID-19 pandemic, but a lot of owners questioned how the decisions were being made and why bars and restaurants seemed to be targeted. 

Larry Ceishrokski of the Spring Garden Restaurant in Taylorville says that it has been very rough for him during this time. 

Jean Vanderberg says that she doesn’t understand why bars and restaurants are being targeted.

Vanessa Wiseman who owns Y-Zoes asked the board to look at things on a case by case basis. 

Thomas Snyder Jr. addressed the board and urged them to follow Governor JB Pritzker’s mitigations. 

To listen to the entire meeting see below.

The Christian County Public Health Department met on Wednesday evening for an emergency board meeting. Public comments were moved to the end of the meeting to allow for things to be explained beforehand.

Tier 3 mitigations were discussed. Christian County Board member Vicki McMahon explained why she called for the meeting expressing concern for some of the closed businesses.

Dr. Terry Cunnington of the Christian County Health Board said that some of the concerns for the Board were the deaths and extent of the spread of the virus in the area along with hospital bed availability.

Christian County State’s Attorney Mike Havera addressed a lot of the concerns that people have about what his department will and won’t enforce. Havera said that by law during a disaster declaration, the IDPH is in charge of the local health departments and has supervisory authority. 

Havera continued by saying that the health department would have to prove that contact tracing came from the offending establishment. Of course, that brings up the big discussion of liquor and food licenses.  Around the state, everyone is doing it a little differently, but Havera says that the County Board or local municipalities have the power to pass and amend the orders to issue licenses so they could put in more restrictive rules if necessary. 

Public Health Director Greg Seiders explained some of the processes and how the order would go for taking a license. The Health Board will always try to find a way to seek compliance before punishments. 

The general consensus from the meeting was that if stronger mitigations were wanted, it would have to be approved at a county, city, or municipality level. However, the IDPH has control over rules during an emergency which has caused all kinds of head-scratching among local officials. Many small business owners were on hand in support of small businesses.
 

Listen to the entire meeting here:

While traveling is strongly discouraged for the holidays, many people will still be going away from home for the Thanksgiving holiday. HSHS Hospital wants you to know the risks of travel if you do go out and some tips to keep yourself safe when you are traveling. Any type of traveling puts you at risk of the disease but there are ways to keep yourself safer. 

Find out how active COVID-19 is at for your destination. The more cases there are the higher your chance of getting the infection. If you or someone you live with is thinking of visiting people that are more prone to get the virus such as older people, smokers, pregnant women, and others with underlying conditions, you should consider them before traveling.

You should also check into local regulations as well. Some states require you to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival. The CDC has a full list of websites with information on each state/country. HSHS along with the CDC has released information on risk from levels being lowest to highest. 

Lowest risk is short trips by car with no stops along the way. More risk is longer trips with one or more stops, higher risk is trips with people not in your household or direct flights, and highest risk is flights with layovers and trips on a cruise ship or a riverboat.

Before you leave for your trip make sure you bring extra masks, a sealable plastic bag to store wet or dirty masks, hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol, and sanitizing wipes. Finally, always wear a mask in public, stay at least 6 feet from others, wash your hands often, avoid touching your mouth, nose, and eyes, and bring your own road food as much as you can. 

For more information visit the CDC website which you can find by clicking here.

With the holiday’s around the corner and Black Friday sales coming up this week, HSHS Good Shepherd Hospital says that you should always do a little research and checking before you buy those toys for your young ones. According to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), in 2018, there were an estimated 166,200 toy-related injuries treated in US hospital emergency rooms. 

Toys are getting better, however, with only 12 recalls in 2019 with one of those toys containing lead, whereas in 2008, there were 172 toy recalls, 19 of which were due to lead. The CPSC along with the US Public Interest Research Group has some tips to make sure a child is safe when playing with toys.

Make sure toys are age-appropriate and look for quality design and construction in toys. You should also make sure all directions or instructions are clear and to read all labels. Throw away the packaging and gift openings including plastic bags, peanut-style packaging, and ribbons.

You should also try to avoid choking hazards by never giving balloons or small balls to young children. The general rule of thumb is to not give toys with parts smaller than the opening of a toilet paper roll. Avoid magnet toys and if it sounds too loud, it probably is. You should listen to toys before purchasing them being careful of toys with sirens or horns. TO learn more visit the CPSC website at https://www.cpsc.gov/safety-education/safety-guides/toys#resources. 

The Central A&M School District will be remote the week after Thanksgiving. Superintendent Dr. DeAnn Heck says that they decided to do that to give time for COVID-19 symptoms to arise and hopefully keep it out of the school district.   

Dr. Heck says that the Central A&M School District has had a great semester, all things considered.

What’s right for one school district may not be right for every school district, according to Dr. Heck.

The Central A&M teachers and staff have done an outstanding job, but are tired. The best thing we can do as a society to help them out, according to Dr. Heck, is to make sure that we maintain socially distanced and wear a face mask. 

Dr. DeAnn Heck was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show. 
 

The Inspector General for the US Department of Labor is warning against fraud alerts and phishing attempts with the Illinois Department of Employment Security. Attorney General Kwame Raoul says that since July, there have been nearly 5,000 complaints about fraud and it is usually in the form of a fake debit card. It got so bad, that even the Attorney General received a card in the mail.

Raoul encourages everyone to check your credit reports regularly.

The State Department of Employment Security is still trying to figure out how much of the 17 billion dollars in unemployment benefits have been given out in fraudulent claims. As always be vigilant and if you detect any wrongdoing please call IDES at (800) 814-0513.

The Taylorville Food Pantry has been given a number of different grants, according to co-coordinator Amy Hagen, that have had a huge impact on what the Food Pantry has been able to offer.   

The lease on those temporary units ended and the Food Pantry was given a grant for a new freezer and refrigeration unit that is being used to store whatever they have a need for, according to Hagen.

The Taylorville Food Pantry, like food pantries across the United States, have been extremely busy recently and Hagen went on to say that they were blessed with a large donation from Bob Ridings of 200 turkeys that they were able to pass out to the individuals and families that they serve.

The Taylorville Food Pantry set a new record last week, according to Hagen, feeding over 140 families in a single night. 

Amy Hagen was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show.
 

Memorial Behavior Health has launched a Mental Health Crisis Clinic to assist those who need help with mental health issues such as anxiety or depression. The clinic is open to the public from 8:30 until 4:30 Monday through Friday for walk-ins or phone calls. Local health care providers can also call to refer their patients. 

Memorial Behavioral Health has a mental health crisis intervention team which is stationed in the Emergency Department at Memorial Medical Center. The intervention team helps individuals in an outpatient setting, which reduced the number of people showing up to the Emergency Room with a non-medical emergency. 

Diane Knaebe who is the system administrator for Memorial Behavioral Health says that the new clinic is like an ExpressCare for your mind.

By having a mental health clinic, Memorial Behavioral Health is trying to limit the number of people that are coming into the emergency room to help stop the spread of not only COVID but also the flu. Other services that are provided include an emotional support hotline at 217-588-5509. Those hours are from 8 AM until 8 PM Monday through Friday. 

If you know of anyone who may be considering suicide or if you yourself are thinking of harming yourself, please call the suicide prevention hotline around the clock at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) to reach a trained professional. 

Illinois State Senator Andy Manar says that the state’s budget issue was serious before the Fair Tax vote, but now the state’s set of challenges are significantly worse.   

Senator Manar went on to say that Democrats and Republicans need to work together despite the fact that Democrats have super majorities in both the State House and State Senate.

Senator Manar doesn’t think a tax increase is in the cards right now, but he did say that there are some other things they can look at to increase revenue.

There are also various sales tax exemptions and service tax exemptions that could be looked at as well, according to Senator Manar. 

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

The Christian County Public Health Department will be holding an emergency public meeting on Wednesday, November 25th at 6:30 PM virtually in accordance with Governor JB Pritzker’s executive order on public meetings. To join the meeting you can either call 701-802-5367 and enter the access code at 7943957# or view it online at https://join.freeconferencecall.com/christiancounty.

Among open issues that will be discussed will be the Tier 3 mitigations and the trends in Christian County. The struggles with contact tracing will be discussed, along with what the processes are for food and liquor licenses and what constitutes violating them. There will also be a discussion on the role and support of the health department. 

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

Chris-Mont EMA has informed Regional Radio News of two COVID-19 positives at Advanced Eye Care which is located at 900 W Springfield Road #B in Taylorville. Upon notification of the positive cases, they were in direct contact with the local health department. The facility closed yesterday to allow for cleaning and contact tracing to be completed.

If you were recently at Advanced Eye Care, your exposure time and distance especially if you were wearing a mask would not meet the exposure guidelines of less than six feet for more than 15 minutes. Continue to monitor your health and if you feel ill or have a concern, contact your physician for further guidance. 

Chris-Mont EMA continues to encourage social distancing, wearing of masks, frequent hand washing, and the cleaning of common touch areas often.

For more information, please contact Kevin Schott for the EMA at 217-971-8196.

The Taylorville Police Department is hosting their annual Kids, Cops, and Christmas program to help needy kids in the Taylorville community have a brighter Christmas. TPD Sergeant Alan Mills says that this is also a way to have a positive interaction with children and their parents.   

The event is scheduled for the 2nd week of December and will be held a little differently this year, according to Sergeant Mills. It will be held over two nights instead of one night because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

If you’d like to make a donation or nomination you can do so by calling the Taylorville Police Department at 824-2211. 

Taylorville Police Department Sergeant Alan Mills was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show. 
 

COVID-19 has changed nearly every aspect of our life including the birth of a child. For first time mothers, pregnancy is already scary enough without COVID being a constant threat. During this time OSF Healthcare has shifted from in-person classes to develop other ways to reach would-be mothers. Director of the Family Birthing Center, Carolyn Tomeo says that it was important to come up with a new way of reaching parents who have a new baby on the way.

Coleen Martinson, who is a registered nurse and Patient Educator says that parents need to get mentally and physically prepared for having a child. Without the education provided, parenting can be extremely stressful. And that classes cover the important topic of birth plans.

The three-part PowerPoint series is sent to future parents so that viewers can focus on what they want to know. Media has been added such as virtual tours and video and audio clips from experts.

Parents are advised to talk to their health care provider about birthing class options in their community. 
 

Illinois State Senator Andy Manar says that it’s time for House Speaker Mike Madigan to step down as Chairman of the Democratic Party of Illinois.   

Speaker Madigan has a tough fight ahead to keep his job, according to Senator Manar, especially with more House Democrats saying that they will not support Madigan for Speaker.

Senator Manar went on to discuss the recent approval of a low interest loan for over $870,000 from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to improve the city of Assumption’s water system. 

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

The Illinois Department of Human Services announced the launnch of a year-long study of gambling and gambling addiction along with support service needs in Illinois. Results will be uused by the IDHS for future ways to prevent problem gambling. The study is a half a million dollar program that is funded from revenue by the state’s gambling tax and allocated funds from the 2021 budget.

IDHS Spokesperson Patrick Laughlin says that the program will study the results carefully.

Laughlin says they will also look for what areas they can address with gambling addiction.

The Division of Substance Use Prevention and Recovery at IDHS launched the study after legislation asked for expanded access to gaming across the state. With gambling being easier to access, IDHS wants solutions to prevent gambling addiction. 

A team of researchers from IDHS and Health Resources in Action will look at the extent of problem gambling across the state and will explore risk factors for what develops into a gambling problem.  Researchers will also look at barriers residents may face in getting treatment.

If you or someone you know is experiencing problems with gambling, please visit www.weknowthefeeling.org or call 1-800-GAMBLER. You can also text “ILGamb” to 53342.

The Taylorville Food Pantry has been severely impacted by COVID-19, according to co-coordinator Amy Hagen.   

The Taylorville Food Pantry with the exception of one month early on in the COVID-19 pandemic has been serving about the same number of people they did beforehand.

The partnership that the Taylorville Food Pantry has with the Central Illinois Food Bank is a crucial one, says Hagen. 

Hagen likes to think that the Taylorville Illinois Food Pantry is among the best food pantries that the Central Illinois Food Bank serves. 

Amy Hagen was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show. 
 

HSHS Illinois hospital mothers are launching a campaign known as #maskedmoms in an effort to help slow the spread of COVID-19. Health officials are encouraging residents to stay home if they can and to adjust thanksgiving plans to slow the spread. You are also encouraged to wear a mask when you are with people that do not live in your house.

Moms that work for HSHS are inviting their local communities to join the #maskedmoms movement on social media. All moms (or mom supporters) need to do to join the #maskedmoms movement is share a masked selfie or video on social media that shows their favorite “mom-ism” about why everyone needs to wear their masks and follow COVID-19 safety guidelines.

All are welcome to join and to get as many moms as possible to join the movement and remind everyone to wear their masks. 

For more information visit HSHS Hospital’s website or their Facebook page. 

Schryll Bernsen is the owner of Simply Yours Boutique and the founder of Old Fashioned Christmas in Shelbyville. The 8th Annual Old Fashioned Christmas will take place on Saturday, December 5th. Santa Claus along with Mickey and Minnie Mouse will be downtown to meet you and your kids and take pictures.   

There will also be free wagon rides available as well, according to Bernsen.

The free wagon rides are being offered by Yoder’s Carriage Rides and Bernsen says that they begin at the mini park. 

Bernsen is also inviting any business downtown to set up a table to give information away. 

Schryll Bernsen was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show. 
 

With Thanksgiving around the corner, the State Fire Marshal is encouraging safe cooking practices during the Holiday. According to the National Fire Protection Association, cooking is the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries. In the US, there is an average of 166,100 home fires every year involving cooking equipment. This means that there are 455 fire calls for cooking fires across the US every day on average. Thanksgiving is the leading day for those fires with four times the average number occurring. Stoves and Ranges account for almost three out of every five home fires with ovens accounting for 13% of those. 

With family gatherings being smaller, more kitchens are expected to be used than normal which means there are more chances for fire and injury. Fire Marshal Matt Perez says that you should make sure your home has both working smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. 

Never leave food that you are frying, boiling, or grilling unattended. If you leave the kitchen, make sure you shut off your stove. If you fry your turkey, make sure not to overfill oil in the fryer and fill the pot you plan to use to fry the turkey with water and place the turkey in it. This will help determine just how much oil is actually needed. Use the turkey fryer outdoors only. Make sure the turkey is completely thawed before frying.

Other tips include creating a kids-free zone of at least three feet around the stove. Keep the area around the stove clear of things that are flammable including towels, papers, and potholders. If there is a fire in the oven keep the door shut and turn off the heat. Smother small flames in a pan by sliding a lid over the pan. Turn off the burner and leave the lid over the pan while it cools and if you have any questions about whether you can fight a small fire, get out and call 9-1-1. 

For more information visit the NFPA website or the State Fire Marshal’s website.

Regina Hilbert is the owner of The Wood Shop in Shelbyville and they have a variety of different home decor items and furniture available. 

The Wood Shop held a soft opening in October and a Grand Opening earlier this month and according to Hilbert, it couldn’t have gone any better.

Hilbert and her husband also flip houses and they fell in love with the upstairs apartment and that’s in part what led to them deciding to open up the store. 

Regina Hilbert was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show. 
 

Taylorville Memorial Hospital is restricting visitors effective on Monday, November 23rd, to help stop and slow the spread of COVID-19. Most inpatients will not be allowed to have visitors. Information will be provided to patients and families on how to use telephones or video methods when possible. 

Restrictions have already been implemented at certain locations including Memorial Medical Center in Springfield and Decatur Hospital, but this will also take effect at Passavant Area Hospital in Jacksonville and Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital in Lincoln.

The hospital will allow exceptions with approval for the Emergency Department where one visitor will be allowed but must remain in the patient's room, inpatient end of life where two visitors will be allowed, and pediatrics which will allow two parents/guardians. For surgery patients, one visitor in the waiting room only will be allowed for the duration of the surgical procedure. If you are having outpatient services you are encouraged to come alone or have your visitor wait outside until services are complete.

If you do enter the hospital you must wear a face-covering that covers the nose and mouth and visitors will be screened upon entry. Children younger than 16 are not permitted unless they are receiving care. For more information visit the Taylorville Memorial Hospital website.

COVID-19 has had an impact on businesses and organizations of all shapes and sizes. Joel Fletcher who is the Director of the HSHS Good Shepherd Hospital Foundation is trying to bring a little normalcy to the holiday season with a tree lighting ceremony on December 1st at 5:30. The event is not open to the public, but will be streamed on the HSHS Good Shepherd Hospital Facebook Page.

Fletcher says that if you would like to honor a loved one on the tree, you can do so by making a tribute to the HSHS Good Shepherd Hospital Foundation.

There are a few ways you can make a donation to the HSHS Good Shepherd Foundation, according to Fletcher. You can do so online or by calling 464-2520. 

Joel Fletcher was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show.
 

Taylorville Police Department will be hosting a turkey drive on Tuesday. The department says that last year was a success and they will be giving 15 turkeys away this year. A lot of people need help around the Holidays, and TPD Officer Kirsten Bolinger says it will be a first come first serve turkey giveaway.

Officer Bolinger says if you need one to ask, but please consider other families during this time.

Bolinger says the support from the community has been great.

There will also be a coat and bike drive on Tuesday night as well. You can drop off food at the Taylorville Police Department at any time.  The main event will be taking place on Tuesday from 4-7 at the Gagne Building in Taylorville, however, donations will be accepted all winter. For more information contact the Taylorville Police Department. 

With Thanksgiving just a few days away, it’s likely time for you to start thawing your turkey, according to Lisa Peterson who is the Nutrition Educator at the University of Illinois Extension Office.

If you need to thaw your turkey in a hurry, you can also thaw it in cold water in your sink, according to Peterson.

You can check out go.illinois.edu/turkey for some turkey tips from the University of Illinois Extension Office. One of the most important tips that Peterson has is to make sure that you cook the entire turkey to 165 degrees. 

Another tip that Peterson has is to not cook your turkey below 325 degrees. 

Lisa Peterson was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show. 
 

Taylorville Police Department will be hosting a coat drive, bike drive, and turkey drive on Tuesday. The department is looking for all kinds of clothing and not just coats.  A lot of people need help around the Holidays, and TPD Officer Kirsten Bolinger says the department is helping fill a need.

Donations can be brought to the TPD and Bolinger says everyone needs a little help not just kids. 

Bolinger says that they are also holding a bike drive as well to get new life to bikes and give them to kids who need it.

Food donations are also being asked for. You can drop off food at the Taylorville Police Department at any time.  The main event will be taking place on Tuesday from 4-7 at the Gagne Building in Taylorville, however donations will be accepted all winter. For more information contact the Taylorville Police Department. 

Taylorville Police Department has issued a missing person notice for a Kentucky man who may be on his way to Taylorville to meet a girl. According to a Facebook message from the Department, Brian Ramsey, a 31-year-old from Frankfort, Kentucky was last seen on November 15th and was seen wearing a thin black jacket. Ramsey is a 5’10” 145-pound male. He has tattoos on both forearms of swirling patterns including tattoos on his left breast, and right ribcage. 

If you see this man, please contact local police at 9-1-1 or the Frankfort Police Department at 502-875-8523.

The Taylorville Memorial Hospital Foundation had to cancel their annual foundation signature event, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but Executive Director Raedena Ryan is trying to focus on the positives.

Raising money during the COVID-19 pandemic has been tough, but Ryan says that they’re a lot more than just a fundraising organization.

Foundation President Billy Williams has been on the Board for 5 years and he says that his experience has been extremely rewarding. 

There are nursing shortages all over the country right now because of COVID-19, but Ryan says that the Foundation and hospital administration has been focused on it as long as she’s been the Executive Director. 

If you would like to make a donation to the Taylorville Memorial Hospital Foundation, please visit taylorvillememorial.org/Foundation. Raedena Ryan and Billy Williams were both guests on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show. 

The Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) yesterday announced a year-long study of gambling and gambling addiction. 

IDHS Secretary Grace Hou said, "This gambling prevalence study is unprecedented in Illinois and will give us a clearer understanding of the prevalence of gambling disorder in the state.  Understanding the pervasiveness of gambling disorder will allow us to target communities that may be disproportionality impacted by the expansion of gambling in the state. The study will also help us to understand where we can make further investments in Illinois communities to support treatment and recovery as well as education for responsible gambling."

Researchers from IDHS and Health Resources in Action will determine the extent of problem gambling across Illinois. The report will be used by IDHS and others to improve access to public health services related to problem gambling among Illinois residents.

If you or someone you know is experiencing problems with gambling, go to weknowthefeeling.org, call 1-800-GAMBLER, or text "ILGamb" to 53342.
 

The Small Town Taylorville Committee came about, according to Steve Craggs, through a collaborative effort of ideas.

Craggs went on to say that the committee is not for any one organization , but for the city of Taylorville.

The Small Town Taylorville Committee is a fairly new idea and Craggs says that they want input from everyone because we all come from different backgrounds. 

Craggs says that this is the perfect time for this type of committee. 

Patty Hornbuckle and Steve Craggs were both guests on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show. 
 

The Illinois Community College Board has awarded $1.2 million to Lincoln Land Community College to continue their Open Door Workforce Equity Initiative. The initiative allows low income students to enroll in a variety of different short-term training programs that can lead to immediate employment opportunities at no cost.

There are various training programs available including truck driver training, automotive technology, welding and various health care programs such as Certified Nurses Assistant, clinical medical assistant, dental assistant and a variety of others.

Vice President of student services Dr. Lesley Frederick said, “LLCC is committed to equity and ensuring all individuals have access to opportunities for career success.. This grant will allow us to expand this life-changing program aimed at improving equity in the workforce and addressing identified workforce gaps in our community.”
 
Anyone who is interested in applying for the free training programs should visit www.llcc.edu/open-door-wei or contact Candace Silas at candace.silas@llcc.edu or Brandon Lewis at brandon.lewis@llcc.edu.

The Moultrie County Health Department is reporting its 10th COVID-19 death. A Moultrie County male in his 70’s has died. To date, 737 Moultrie County residents have tested positive for the virus and the Moultrie County Health Department encourages all residents to watch physical distance and keep six feet from each other, wear a mask when in public, wash hands routinely, and above all else stay home if you are feeling sick.

Moultrie County Health Department Administrator Angela Hogan released the following statement, "We send our deepest sympathies to his friends and family. We ask for privacy for his loved ones as they mourn during this difficult time. The MCHD will not release any additional information." 

For more information on news from the Moultrie County Health Department and any events and services that they have visit www.moultriehealth.org or follow them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/moultriecountyhealth.

Pana Mayor Don Kroski announced that the City of Pana will be enforcing Tier 3 mitigations that go into effect starting today. The city is asking for voluntary compliance from all city, county, and other municipalities throughout Christian County.

The Tire 3 mitigations include no indoor dining at restaurants, no indoor gaming, health and fitness centers and retail shops can operate at 25% capacity, grocery stores and pharmacies can operate at 50% capacity. The mitigations also close museums, theaters, and casinos along with any indoor recreational activities.  

If you have any questions or concerns please contact Mayor Kroski at 562-2323.
 

The US Attorney’s Office recently announced charges against four of House Speaker Mike Madigan’s allies in a 50-page indictment released on Wednesday night.

State Representative Avery Bourne hopes House Democrats stand up to Speaker Madigan.
 

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker in his daily press conference called on Speaker Madigan to stand up and answer questions or step down as Speaker. 

Speaker Madigan has continued to maintain his innocence and has yet to be charged with any wrongdoing. 
 

The American Heart Association has designated November as No Soda November and is designed to encourage people to cut back on the number of sugary drinks they consume. The AHA conducted a large scale and found that drinking two or more sugary drinks in a day resulted in a 30% increase in the risk of cardiovascular death. Rebecca Baumann, an OSF Cardiologist says that you can become dependent on sugar.

One 20 oz. soda has the same amount of sugar as six donuts or 18 cookies and Baumann says that many people don’t even realize how much sugar they are consuming.

The daily recommended sugar limit from the AHA is nine teaspoons of added sugar per day for men and six for women. Dr. Baumann suggests that you read food and drink labels but knows that it can be an uphill battle for some people.

Baumann says that one way to get off of sugary drinks is to replace regular soda with artificially sweetened beverages, diet soda, or flavored powders with sweetener added to water. If you need that carbonation, drink seltzer with fruit juice. For more information on nutrition and recommendations on how to beat sugar, talk to your doctor or visit osfhealthcare.org. 

House Republicans again gathered to encourage Governor JB Pritzker to reconvene the Legislature. Republicans are pushing hard for the Governor to use his authority to bring the lawmakers to Springfield to work on the State’s plan for battling COVID. Representative Avery Bourne says that the Governor can’t continue to rule unilaterally.

Representative Bourne expressed concern that Illinoisans are being excluded and that the Executive Branch should be checked.

People deserve the truth, according to Representative Bourne, and now is the time to regroup and present a transparent plan. 

State Representatives Avery Bourne, Dan Caulkins, and Dave Severin held a press conference via Zoom on Tuesday afternoon.

There has been a serious uptick in cases of COVID-19 in Christian County, according to Chris-Mont Emergency Management Agency Deputy Director Kevin Schott.

Schott says that Chris-Mont EMA is prepared to receive and distribute any potential COVID-19 vaccine.

Schott is encouraging restaurants to close down indoor dining and obey the new COVID-19 mitigations and that they don’t have the ability to proactively go to the businesses that aren’t obeying them, but any complaint that gets filed does get investigated. 

If a complaint does get filed with the Public Health Department, Schott says that they will give the business every possible opportunity to obey the Tier 3 guidelines. 

Kevin Schott was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show.
 

Taylorville Community Credit Union has named its new branch manager for TCCU in Hillsboro. Will Perkins made the announcement last week naming long time employee Glenda Fenton to Branch Manager. Fenton began her career at TCCU-Hillsboro in 2013 as a full-time teller and Perkins says that she has grown and blossomed into a reliable person at the Credit Union.

Perkins says that the chemistry level and knowledge of all facets of the Credit Union is what helped Perkins make the decision to promote Fenton.

Fenton is a lifelong resident of Hillsboro. TCCU has locations in Taylorville, Hillsboro, Litchfield, and Pana. You can find out more by visiting www.taylorvillecommunitycreditunion.com. 

The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum will close once again to help stop the spread of COVID-19. They will close for at least a month starting on Friday, November 20th. The annual display of the Gettysburg Address will be postponed until sometime in 2021. 

Members of the public will not be able to visit, but the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum staff will continue working to protect Lincoln documents and artifacts, and maintain the exhibits.

Melissa Coultas is the Acting Director of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum and she said, “As coronavirus surges again, public health has to be the top priority. We look forward to the day when we can safely welcome guests again.”

Anyone who has bought tickets to the museum or to upcoming events will receive a refund. For more information please visit PresidentLincoln.Illinois.gov.
 

The Illinois 4th Judicial Circuit has announced the election of At-Large Circuit Judge Douglas L. Jarman as its new Chief Judge for the Circuit. Jarman was elected to complete the term of Kimberly G. Koester, who is retiring at the end of the year. 

Judge Jarman was appointed At Large Circuit Judge by the Illinois Supreme Court at the recommendation of Justice Karmeier in 2009 and was elected to that position in 2010 by voters and was retained in 2016 and he released the following statement following his election as Chief Judge:

"It has been a privilege to serve the people of the Fourth Judicial Circuit for the past 11 years, and I am honored to have been given this opportunity by my colleagues. I believe that my background and experience in making judgments and handling administrative issues makes me well qualified to handle this position and I look forward to serving as Chief Judge. I have great respect for the judicial system  and my colleagues, both current and retired, who are some of the finest Judges in the State of Illinois. I also want to thank Judge Koester for all her guidance and support." 

Jarman resides in Montgomery County with his wife, Cheryl. They have three children and three grandchildren. 

Current Chief Judge Kimberly G. Koester released the following statement about the election of Judge Jarman as the new Chief Judge for the Illinois 4th Judicial Circuit. “Judge Jarman is a proven and respected leader, who will continue to  guide the Fourth Judicial Circuit’s criminal and civil justice system with excellence.”
 

Taylorville Mayor Bruce Barry announced that the City of Taylorville will be enforcing Tier 3 mitigations that go into effect starting on Friday, November 20th. The city is asking for voluntary compliance from all city, county, and other municipalities throughout Christian County.

The Tire 3 mitigations include no indoor dining at restaurants, no indoor gaming, health and fitness centers and retail shops can operate at 25% capacity, grocery stores and pharmacies can operate at 50% capacity. The mitigations also close museums, theaters, and casinos along with any indoor recreational activities.  

If you have any questions or concerns please contact Mayor Barry at 287-7946.
 

Chris-Mont EMA has confirmed with Regional Radio News that there are four Litchfield businesses that have experienced cases of COVID-19. Jubelt’s Bakery, located at 303 N. Old Rte 66 S. Taco Bell located at 1201 W. Weir St. Nancy’s Pizza located at 13 Thunderbird Cr. And Long John Silvers located at 1 Ohren Dr. 
 
Contact tracing has been completed by the Montgomery County Health Department and additional deep cleaning has been completed as well. 
 
If you were recently a customer at any of those businesses, your exposure time and distance would not likely meet the IDPH guidelines of less than six feet for more than fifteen minutes, especially if you were following IDPH guidelines. Chris-Mont EMA does encourage you to continue to monitor your health and if you feel ill or have a concern please contact your physician for further guidance or contact your local health department.
 
Chris-Mont EMA encourages social distancing, wearing masks, and wash your hands frequently. As of Tuesday evening, there were 67 new COVID-19 cases in Christian County and 15 in Montgomery County. For more information contact Chris-Mont EMA at 971-8196.
 

Taylorville Superintendent Dr. Chris Dougherty was happy to get students into the classroom even though it was only for a very short amount of time.

Dr. Dougherty gives credit to her staff and building leaders for making the necessary improvements to the remote learning plan.

Dr. Dougherty also wanted to remind families that parent teacher conferences are scheduled for Monday and Tuesday of next week and to reach out to your child's teacher if you don’t have a time scheduled yet. 

Remote learning does have its challenges and so Dr. Dougherty says that it is going to be important for families to set a daily routine. 

Dr. Chris Dougherty was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show.
 

Illinois Congressman Rodney Davis says that COVID-19 cases are going to happen even if you take all the proper precautions, but we have to do everything we possibly can to keep things under control.

There is good news in regards to a potential COVID-19 vaccine, according to Congressman Davis.

Congressman Davis urged Illinois Governor JB Pritzker to share any and all data that he’s using to make his decisions to shut down indoor dining at restaurants. 

Speaker Pelosi, according to Congressman Davis, is entirely focused on getting reelected as Speaker instead of helping small businesses survive the COVID-19 pandemic. 

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

The Taylorville Police Department will be increasing patrols during the Thanksgiving Holiday in an effort to keep people safe.  In the United States in 2018, there were 385 deaths in 2018 around the Thanksgiving Holiday. The Police Department was approved for a grant from the Illinois Department of Transportation and will be increasing patrols from November 20th to November 30th. 

The traffic enforcement detail will be focused on occupant protection and you will see more officers during this time. The police will be looking for speeding violations, people not wearing seat belts, texting and driving, Scott’s Law violations, and are alerting the public to let them know they will be out during those times. For more information, contact the Taylorville Police Department.

Tom Culberson is the Director of Quad County Home Health. They’re owned by Pana Community Hospital and they offer a variety of different home health services, hospice care, and home medical supplies.

The impact that COVID-19 has had on Quad County Home Health, according to Culberson, has been significant.

The staff of Quad County Home Health has to treat each and every patient like they have COVID-19, says Culberson. 

There are some positives that have come out of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Culberson, including the increased use of technology. 

Tom Culberson was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show.
 

The Christian County Board met on Tuesday evening for their regular board meeting and talked about many issues including COVID, the budget, and a good-bye to all the outgoing Board members. Chris-Mont EMA Director Greg Nimmo was on hand to give a COVID-19 update. 

The board approved the Comprehensive Economic Development for the County. The motion carried 9-6. This has been an ongoing issue for a while and there was quite a bit of discussion on this one but it was approved and will go into effect for the county in December.

The board adopted the FY2021 final budget and the tax levy ordinance unanimously. The board also extended the emergency declaration proclamation and recognized outgoing County Board members Charles DeClerck, Becky Edwards, Brian Wilbur, Phil Schneider, and Molly Alaria.

Charles DeClerck has been a County Board Member since 1988. Prior to being on the board, he was on the County Board of Appeals. Chairwoman Becky Edwards praised Charles DeClerck for his time on the Board.

Chairwoman Becky Edwards, who held her last board meeting this month, also gave a statement saying that she was proud of her time on the board.

Edwards also had a message for the incoming Board President and the members of the County Board.

The next County Board meeting is set for December 7th for the re-organizational meeting.

Illinois will be getting more restrictions as Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Health work on combatting COVID-19 increases that seem to be going up every day with no sign of slowing. The Governor announced that Illinois was moving back to Phase 3 but it wasn’t a complete stay at home order.

The Governor pushed for mitigations now to avoid a future stay at home order. He explained some of the details of the new orders.

The mitigations also close museums, theaters, and casinos along with indoor recreational activities. All workplaces that have remote capabilities should have their employees work remotely. 

There were 82 reported COVID cases in Christian and Montgomery County with over 12,601 new cases of COVID-19 in Illinois over the last 24 hours. For more on the restrictions, click here. 
 

The Taylorville Kiwanis Club heard from the C-E-O of the Greater Taylorville Chamber of Commerce about the many positive things happening in the community, during their weekly meeting at the Taylorville Moose Lodge.

Patty Hornbuckle (right) reviewed all that's going on with the Christian County CEO Program, the Taylorville Development Association, the Christian County Economic Development Corporation, and the newly-formed Small Town Taylorville Committee.

That last committee is comprised of civic leaders and businesspeople from several Taylorville organizations that recently received the green light from the Taylorville Business Development District Board and the City, for a 3-year commitment to fund a long-term promotional campaign to attract new businesses and residences to the Christian County seat.

Hornbuckle told Kiwanis members the committee members, the B-D-D Board and the City, all have the same goal.

In other Kiwanis news, Kiwanis Park Pavilion roofing project co-chair Will Perkins reported that the materials are in for the new roof, with prep work prior to installation taking place this week.  The original roof, installed when the pavilion was built in 1995, was recently removed, and a new metal roof is set to be installed.

Adam Jeffrey (left) presided over Tuesday's Kiwanis Club meeting.

The local Kiwanis Club meets Tuesdays at noon at the Taylorville Moose Lodge.  For information on the club, go to taylorvillekiwanis.com.

Taylorville Memorial Hospital President and CEO Kim Bourne says that they’re treating more COVID-19 patients than they ever have during this pandemic.

Bourne went on to say that this is not a political issue, but a public health issue.

This may not be the year, according to Bourne, to have a big extended family Thanksgiving. 

Kim Bourne was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show.
 

Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Human Services announced that the State of Illinois will join the Governor’s Challenge to a Multistate initiative called “Prevent Suicide”, a national effort that champions mental health support and preventative services for Veterans. The state is dedicating $2 million to the initiative and is working with the Mental Health Services Administration and the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs. 

In 2019, suicide was the 12th leading cause of death among Illinois residents of all ages, but 3rd leading cause of death among those aged 1-24. Governor JB Pritzker says Veterans deserve more.  Illinois joins 26 other states who are part of the effort. The State of Illinois continues to prioritize mental health and continuing its efforts to implement best practices using public health research and data. 

For more information please visit the Illinois Department of Human Services website or their Facebook page. IDHS Secretary Grace Hou says “There is a tremendous opportunity to aggressively prevent suicide and save lives.”

After an outbreak of COVID-19, the Taylorville Municipal Building is again open to the public, but Taylorville Mayor Bruce Barry reminded residents that masks are required to enter the Municipal Building.

Mayor Barry went on to say that the COVID-19 numbers are worse than they’ve ever been and that’s very concerning to him.

Mayor Barry says that we need to stay at home as much as possible, but still support our local restaurants by ordering delivery or carryout. 

Because of the increased cases of COVID-19, Mayor Barry wants to encourage everyone to celebrate Thanksgiving at home instead of having a big family get together this year. 

Taylorville Mayor Bruce Barry was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show. 

The Shelbyville Public Library recently held their 3rd Annual No Carve Pumpkin Decorating Contest, and according to Director Monica Cameron, it was great to be able to give families something to work on together.
 

People were able to drop off their decorated pumpkins at the library and Cameron said that they made a lot of people extremely happy.

Cameron was excited to get to see a lot of kids' talented work. 

Monica Cameron was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show.
 

Even with the COVID-19 precautions, Shelby County Office of Tourism Director Freddie Fry says that there will still be Christmas and Holiday events happening, they’ll just be done differently than you may be used to.

If you don’t see your event at LakeShelbyville.com, Fry says it’s because they aren’t aware of it.

The Shelby County Office Of Tourism is about ready to get started working on the 2021 Visitor’s Guide, according to Fry. 

Freddie Fry was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show. 
 

The City of Taylorville held their bi-monthly City Council Meeting on Monday evening. During the meeting, the main topic of discussion was COVID and what the City could do to help stop the spread. City Attorney Rocci Romano said that according to the Illinois Municipality League, the city had some options. 

Romano said that the city could enforce a mask mandate and the Mayor can pull a liquor license from any large gatherings. The City Attorney said that you can put out ordinances, but you put the city at risk for lawsuits if you do. Romano continued by stressing that the State’s Attorney is protected if he wants to shut down a business, but Taylorville is not. Alderman Shawn Burtle asked what happens if the city does nothing, and Attorney Romano said that the city is not the enforcer of the department of public health.

Alderman Shawn Burtle encouraged Mayor Bruce Barry not to do anything.

Alderman Larry Budd said the city can not idly stand by and do nothing. With the increases of COVID-19 throughout the community, Budd felt that the City Aldermen owed the city to at least do something. After much discussion, a motion was put on the table to encourage everyone to wear masks when among the public. The motion passed 5-3 with Aldermen Kathy Driskell, Megan Bryant, and Lee Lanzotti voting “No.”  Alderman Driskell explained why she voted "No" on the motion saying that the City already tells people to wear a mask.

According to IDPH Guidelines and an executive order from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, all indoor dining in Region 3 which includes the city of Taylorville is closed with the exception of takeout, eating outdoors, and delivery.

In other news from the City Council meeting:

• The Council voted to give $10,000 towards the new Veteran’s park at Lake Taylorville.
• Alderman Shawn Burtle announced he will not be running for another term in Ward 4.
• Mayor Bruce Barry applauded Taylorville School District for going back to remote learning
• The next Street and Sewer meeting is moved to Tuesday, November 24th.
• The next city council meeting will also discuss whether or not the city needs a leaf burning ban.

The next City Council Meeting is set for December 7th.

Moultrie County Health Department is reporting its 9th COVID-19 death on Monday. A Moultrie County male in his 70’s has died. To date, 703 Moultrie County residents have tested positive for the virus and the Moultrie County Health Department encourages all residents to watch physical distance and keep six feet from each other, wear a mask when in public, wash hands routinely, and above all else stay home if you are feeling sick.

Administrator for the Moultrie County Health Department, Angela Hogan, via a press release issued the following statement. "We send our deepest condolences to his friends and family and ask for their privacy during this difficult time. The MCHD will release no additional information.”

For more information on news from the Moultrie County Health Department and any events and services that they have visit www.moultriehealth.org or follow them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/moultriecountyhealth. 
 

Representative Avery Bourne is very frustrated that they are not going to have a veto session. Bourne says that she was hopeful that this veto session since Governor JB Pritzker did NOT veto a lot of bills that they would be able to get some other stuff pushed through.

Bourne says that she knows the Legislature still has a lot of work to do but COVID still remains a big topic of discussion.

The budget is still something that will need to be addressed in the future, especially without a veto session.

Representative Bourne appeared as a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

The Taylorville City Council will meet via teleconference on Monday evening at 7 PM for their regular city council meeting. The meeting is closed to the public, but city officials, officers, and employees, and members of the press are permitted. If you wish to address the city council during this meeting, send an email to Mayor Bruce Barry at mayorbarry@taylorville.net.

Among heavy topics will be a discussion of potential COVID mitigations for the city of Taylorville, a $10,000 contribution to the Veteran’s Memorial at Lake Taylorville from the Hotel/Motel fund, and discussion of a motion regarding the downtown Taylorville Promotional Advertising from the Finance Committee meeting.

To view the entire agenda, please click here. 
 

The COVID-19 numbers are on the rise in Christian County and so the University of Illinois Extension Office, according to 4-H Youth Development Educator Sara Marten, have cut back on in-person events.

Some 4-H Clubs did meet in-person to start the school year, but according to Marten, they’re currently meeting virtually and adapting what they would typically be doing this time of year to a virtual format.

As a unit, Marten says that they recently collected various items for those that were impacted by the recent wildfires in Montgomery County. 

Sara Marten was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show.
 

Due to an increase in COVID-19, Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White announced on Friday that all Driver Services facilities will be shut down to the public for in-person transactions starting on Tuesday, November 17th. The facilities are set to reopen on Monday, December 7th but that date is still tentative. White is encouraging the public to take advantage of online services. Secretary of State spokesperson Henry Haupt says that the growing COVID numbers have left them no choice.

Haupt says that they will see how things go before they reopen.

You can visit www.cyberdriveillinois.com to obtain many of the things you can get in public including renewing a license plate sticker, a valid driver’s license, a valid ID card, a driver record abstract, business services documents, and any customers with issues involving administrative hearings. 

If you are eligible for an online driver’s license renewal, you will receive a letter with a pin necessary for online renewal. The Springfield driver’s facility on S. Dirksen Parkway will be open for drive-through services for license plate sticker transactions only. 

For more information, please visit www.cyberdriveillinois.com. 

The recent defeat of the Fair Tax Amendment means that there’s a lot of uncertainity in regards to state funding for the Shelbyville School District, according to Superintendent Shane Schuricht. 

The Shelbyville School District is in a good position financially, according to Superintendent Schuricht.

It’s not just the budget cuts to education that are concerning to Superintendent Schuricht, but the cuts to the various state agencies that help people with mental health are also concerning. 

Shane Schuricht was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show. 

The weather has been all over the place recently, according to National Weather Service Warning Coordination Meteorologist Chris Miller.

The warm weather that we had recently is extremely out of the ordinary for this time of year, says Miller.

When the weather warms up like it did recently, Miller says that something is bound to give. 

There is a second severe weather season, according to Miller, and we’re in the middle of it right now. 

Chris Miller was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show. 
 

One area that has really been a focus of Legislators is to provide more options for transportation and to improve on the construction of new bus shelters, stations, and maintenance facilities. State Representative Sue Scherer announced a Rebuild Illinois Funding grant to expand and improve services in the community as well as provide good jobs to grow the economy and improve the quality of life. IDOT Spokesperson Paul Wappel says that these grants are a great investment.

The city of Decatur will receive $1.14 million dollars to support bus shelters, maintain facilities, snowplows, and salt spreaders, and will replace nearly 20-year-old equipment. In Sangamon County, Sangamon Mass Transit District will receive $3.6 million dollars to replace fleet vehicles, purchase maintenance equipment, and update maintenance work areas and facility surfaces.

Jill Williams is a Nutrition Educator and Registered Dietitian with the St. Louis District Dairy Council and she discussed how with the cold weather coming a lot of people will be turning to comfort food.

Williams went on to discuss some of the top comfort foods of 2020.

There are a variety of reasons that people turn to comfort foods, according to Williams. 

You don’t need to avoid comfort foods, according to Williams, but just place a limit on how much you eat them. 

Jill Williams was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show.
 

Contact tracing is a huge part of testing for the coronavirus and it is imperative that health departments are able to complete these actions. The concern of course is that if you test positive for COVID-19, you may pass the virus to others without knowing about it. This in turn will cause others to spread it and so on. 

Christian County currently has five trained contact tracers and has brought two additional tracers on staff that is currently training to equal 7 contact tracers. With positive cases on the rise in Christian County, contact tracers are being overwhelmed. Additional staffing is currently being brought on board to handle the expounding number of cases. 

It is up to the public to take additional precautions and steps during this time to help slow the spread of this virus and to keep contact tracers from being overwhelmed. If you receive a positive case, you will be notified before the local health department is aware of your positive test.  The health department receives your test results through an electronic data system. It can take two or more days after you are notified directly before your results are posted to that system. If you are tested and receive a positive diagnosis, do not wait for a call from a tracer, immediately self-isolate.

If you test positive, Chris-Mont EMA asks that you share with your close contacts—that is anyone who you spent 15 minutes or more with over a 24 hour period and were within 6 feet of while you were infectious which is a 2 day period before onset. This will help everyone especially higher-risk populations.

Quarantine requires a 14-day quarantine from the last day of exposure. It may take 2-14 days for someone to present with the virus and if you don’t quarantine you may expose others by being asymptomatic.  Contact tracers will get to you as soon as possible, please answer if they call or immediately call them back.

For more information, please contact Kevin Schott at the Chris-Mont EMA at 217-971-8196. 

Taylorville School District has informed Regional Radio News of two more positive COVID-19 cases and exposures on Friday. One teacher has tested positive at Taylorville High School and was on campus today. That teacher potentially exposed three students who have been placed on quarantine as a result of contact tracing as directed by the Christian County Health Department.  

At the Junior High School, one student tested positive who was on campus today. No exposures have been traced to this case at school, but the student did ride a shuttle bus with other students to the YMCA possibly exposing them. All students and staff that have been involved are being given directives to quarantine. 

Deep cleaning and sanitation of the classrooms, school spaces, and buses utilized by the above have been and are being cleaned thoroughly. The School District also announced on Friday that they will be returning to full remote learning on Monday. For more information please contact Taylorville School District at 824-4951.
 

Due to the increased rise in COVID-19 cases and quarantines in the area, Taylorville School District will return to remote learning beginning on Monday, November 16th. The school district issued a press release late on Friday. In the press release, the school thanked the teachers, staff, students, and families for all of the hard work and dedication during remote learning, but the high percentage of staff that has been placed into quarantine and surging positive COVID-19 cases forced the School District to reverse course.

The school district is concerned about returning to remote learning and asks that parents help make remote learning a priority for students including setting up a daily schedule, establishing bedtimes, daily self-care, scheduling physical exercise, getting fresh air, participating in the school meal program, limiting the use of gaming, and encouraging daily reading. 

For a full look at the press release issued by Superintendent Dr. Chris Dougherty click here.

The Taylorville Fire Department reported to Regional Radio News that they have a member who has tested positive for COVID-19. In a press release, Fire Chief Matt Adermann says that the member tested positive on Thursday. All members who were in contact with the infected member have tested negative for the virus. 

All members will continue to monitor their health in the next few weeks to make sure they are still negative and to ensure they will not carry the virus into the community. If you have had contact with the member who has tested positive, the Christian County Health Department will contact you. 

The positive result will not affect the response to emergency calls and there is a plan in place should there be more positive results. Continue to practice social distancing, washing hands, wearing masks in public, clean often, and practice good hygiene.  For more information, please contact the fire department at 824-2295. For a full look at the press release, click here.

On Wednesday, the Illinois Department of Public Health released recommendations for Illinoisans to keep themselves safe. IDPH is asking all people to stay home as much as possible for the next three weeks leaving only for necessary and essential activities, such as work if working from home is not an option, buying groceries, and visiting the pharmacy.

The Chris-Mont EMA says that this isn’t a mandate but the Department of Public Health is encouraging everyone to help stop the spread. Currently in Christian and Montgomery County, there are 2,614 positive COVID-19 cases to date, with 462 currently isolated. 2,310 are currently isolated, and 52 people have died from the virus. 14 people are currently hospitalized and Region 3 is currently sitting at 16.4%. 

Director of Public Health Dr. Ngozi Ezike says that cutting down on these activities will help stop the spread and if you can work from home, please do so.

The IDPH is also asking people to limit travel, especially over the holidays.

Governor Pritzker again pushed for local governments and citizens to push harder for restrictions.

For more information contact the Christian County Health Department at 824-4113 or Kevin Schott with the Chris-Mont EMA at 971-8196.
 

November is National Family Caregivers Month, and the Illinois Department on Aging is recognizing almost 600,000 Illinois family caregivers who provide over 670 million hours of unpaid care during any given year but especially now because of COVID-19. There are over 53 million Americans throughout the US who care for loved ones with illnesses, disabilities and other physical, cognitive, and mental health conditions.

These hard working caregivers provide a critical resource for older Illinoisans facing the toll of social isolation that is caused by the pandemic. IDOA has 13 agencies on aging and they are ready to help and provide the caregiver support services that your family needs. 

The IDOA encourages you to reach out to someone who is providing care for someone else, reach out to them and say thank you, provide a meal, give them an evening off, and offer support or even an encouraging note or gift to brighten their day. For more information, please visit www.illinois.gov/aging.

COVID-19 has had a huge impact on the Taylorville Ministerial Association, according to Pastor Bill Kerns. 

The Taylorville Ministerial Association, according to Kerns, partners with a variety of different organizations and offers help to those in need with different types of emergency assistance.

Pastor Kerns is also involved with the Salvation Army Red Kettle Campaign and they had to make the difficult decision to not do the traditional campaign this year, but they are still seeking donations. 

You will also be able to donate in the checkout line at Walmart, according to Pastor Kerns. 

Pastor Bill Kerns was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show. 

The Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office is warning of travel risks during the holidays and especially driving to and from Thanksgiving. Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell says that law enforcement sees too many people either driving impaired or not wearing a seatbelt. The Sheriff’s Office is asking you to please remember to wear your seatbelt and make a plan to find a sober ride home. 

The Sheriff’s Office says that more than 30% of motor vehicle crash fatalities in Illinois involve an alcohol-impaired driver, and data shows drug-involved driving is currently on the rise as well. The Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office along with the Illinois Department of Transportation, the Illinois State Police, and local law enforcement agencies are working together in a statewide attempt to save lives by stepping up enforcement of seat belt and impaired driving from November 20th through the morning hours of November 30th.

For more information, contact 753-6855. 
 

The Christian County CEO Program tomorrow is hosting a Drive-Thru Movie Night at the Christian County Fair Grounds. Tickets cost $10 and must be purchased in advance. The gate will open at 6pm and Taylorville Chamber CEO Patty Hornbuckle says that the event is about as safe as it could possibly be. 

Hornbuckle went on to discuss the “Small Town Taylorville” marketing program and what the longterm goal of the program is.

There will be a lot more information coming out in regards to the “Small Town Taylorville” marketing program soon, according to Hornbuckle.

If you’re still looking for that special Holiday gift for that special someone and you also want to support Taylorville small businesses, Hornbuckle says that you should consider purchasing a Greater Taylorville Chamber Gift Certificate. 

Patty Hornbuckle was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show.

Taylorville School District has informed Regional Radio News of a teacher at Taylorville High School that has tested positive for COVID-19. The teacher was on campus on Thursday but followed safety guidelines including wearing a mask and maintaining 6 feet of distance. 

The Christian County Health Department has determined no students need to be quarantined due to the teachers safety precautions, however, they did come into sustained contact with other staff members who have been directed to quarantine due to exposure. Deep cleaning and sanitation is being completed overnight and it is safe for students to be in the building on Friday.

In a press release issued from Superintendent Dr. Chris Dougherty, Dougherty says that this is a perfect case that demonstrates why is it is important that individuals do not congregate with staff members and that each person take responsibility for their own health and safety. Continue to wear masks, wash hands, practice social distancing, clean common areas, and above all else stay home if you are feeling ill.
 

Winter does not officially start for another couple of weeks, but as most know in Illinois, when it hits, it hits without warning. Therefore, it is important to be getting yourself “winterized” now rather than waiting for the first snowflakes to fall. The Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) along with the National Weather Service has put out guidance to help get you ready for all the obstacles you may face when winter smacks you in the face.

A study published in 2020 by the University of Illinois-Chicago showed that 95% of temperature related deaths in Illinois were due to cold weather. The NWS, says that the coldest temperature on record occurred on January 31st, 2019 when the temperature dropped to -38 degrees near Mt. Carroll in Carroll County. The previous record low was -36 degrees in 1999.

IEMA says to do three things: take precautions when working outdoors, recognize home heating dangers, and take it slow on ice and snow. When working outside, it is important to wear proper clothing but to also make sure body is ready for the stress of being outdoors in drastic temperatures. Know the signs of hypothermia and frostbite and schedule a physical exam before winter work begins to see whether or not your heart can stand up to working outdoors.

Every year more than 400 people die in the US from accidental carbon monoxide poisoning. Make sure you have a licensed professional examine your furnace, wood-burning stove, fireplaces, and chimneys. Test all smoke and CO alarms in the homes and replace expired or broken alarms. This can go a long way towards preventing fires.

As the snow comes, adjust your driving habits. This means slowing down and turning on your headlights when driving on snowy or ice-coated roads and reduced visibility due to fog. Traffic studies have shown that minor snow can be just as dangerous for motorists as major snowstorms. Always pack an emergency kit to store in your vehicle and add extra time in your schedule to get to where you need to go. 

For more information on what to do to prepare for winter driving visit www.gettingaroundillinois.com or visit www.ready.illinois.gov. 

The Taylorville Police Department has been doing well despite a rough few weeks due to COVID-19, says Chief Dwayne Wheeler.

Usually during the holiday season TPD sees a spike in burglaries and thefts, but crime is down across Taylorville this year, according to Chief Wheeler.

Chief Wheeler says that the citizens of Taylorville have been wonderful to work with.

Chief Wheeler went on to say that the Taylorville Police Department will help the Public Health Department as much as they can, but they will not become the COVID police. 

Dwayne Wheeler was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show.
 

The Safe Passage Program in Taylorville is completely reliant on donations to be able to function and so the success of the recent fundraiser, according to Coordinator Denise Evans, is a pretty big deal. 

The Safe Passage Program has had helped addicts like Josh get sober and get their life back on track.

Josh was scared to go to rehab, but knew that he made the right decision. 

Josh went on to say that if it wasn’t for his family standing by his side he doesn’t know where he would be today. 

Denise Evans and Josh were both guests on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show. 

Chris-Mont EMA has confirmed with Regional Radio News, that there is an outbreak of COVID-19 at two separate long term care facilities in Montgomery County. Nokomis Rehabilitation and Health Care Center which is located at 505 Stevens Street in Nokomis and Montgomery Nursing and Rehabilitation located at 9086 IL-127 in Hillsboro both have COVID-19 outbreaks.

Nokomis Rehabililitation and Health Care Center has six residents and two staff members who have tested positive and Montgomery Nursing and Rehabilitation currently has six residents and one staff member who has tested positive. 

The facilities, public health, and EMA are working together to contain the outbreak within the facilities. Please continue to wear a mask in public, wash hands, and routinely clean common areas. For more information, please contact the Montgomery County Health Department at 532-2001 or Kevin Schott with the Chris-Mont EMA at 971-8196.

The Taylorville Kiwanis Club heard about the "Small Town Taylorville" marketing program, during their weekly meeting at the Taylorville Moose Lodge.

Steve Craggs (right) is spearheading the effort, that involves a host of local organizations and local business people.   The promotion is a culmination of many months of work by the group, and proposes to help attract businesses and residents to do business in Taylorville, locate a business or move their residence to the community.

The "Small Town Taylorville" committee is seeking funding from a variety of sources, to implement their plan to attract people to the Christian County seat.

Kiwanis president Adam Jeffrey (left) presided over the weekly meeting.

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

The Taylorville Kiwanis Club again this year funded their annual "Coats for Kids" program, to provide coats to Taylorville Head Start children.

Recently, teachers of the Head Start program selected the coats at the Wal-Mart Super Center in Taylorville, and presented them to the children.  Those involved in implementing the program this year included Jessica Parrish (right), the Taylorville II Head Start teacher; and Shannon Martin (left) who is theTaylorville I Head Start teacher. 

Funds that the Taylorville Kiwanis Club raise locally each year, go into the Club's Foundation account, which in turn provides monies for programs like the Head Start "Coats for Kids" program, as well as maintaining Kiwanis Park, providing scholarships for high school students and the Christian County YMCA, and supporting the Christian County C-E-O program, and many others.

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

A new Veterans Park is being constructed at Lake Taylorville. The Veteran’s Point Memorial currently has a stone, but Dr. Ron Mizer says that the end goal is a little more developed. The idea started 3 years ago and Pyramid Marble & Granite is putting together the plan.  Dr. Mizer says that among the features include an artillery cannon and an 18 foot granite obelisk.

Dr. Mizer also says that their will be honor walls that can be used by veterans and the public.

Prices for getting your name on the honor wall are still being discussed and will be announced at a later date.

Dr. Mizer says that he is not trying to compete with the Veteran’s Memorial that is downtown but wants a place that has names of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice and a way that we can honor and recognize our Veteran’s as well. To hear the full interview with Dr. Mizer, you can listen here.

Mike Lees is the co-owner of Siegert-Lees Insurance Services in Pana and they have been in business for almost 100 years now. 

Siegert-Lees Insurance is a family oriented business and they are an independent agent and they shop around to various companies to find the best price and coverage for you.

People buy insurance for protection and Lees says that they’ll always be there for you. 

One of the benefits of Siegert-Lees Insurance Services, according to Lees, is that if your rates go up with one company, they can shop around to some of the other providers that they have available to find you a much lower rate. 

Mike Lees was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show. 

Illinois House Republicans are urging Democratic counterparts to stand up in the House and speak out against Speaker of the House Mike Madigan. Republicans have agreed with top Democrats that he should step down. Representative Avery Bourne along with Representative Mike Marron and Representative Mark Batinick held a Zoom meeting to speak out about their frustration. Representative Marron says that he feels this corruption is hurting Illinoisans.

Representative Avery Bourne is concerned that corruption is ruining the public trust in Government and she asks you to reach out to your own Representatives across Illinois to vote “No” on Speaker Madigan.

Representative Mark Batinick is frustrated that the House has not been involved in the process in Springfield. 

Multiple leaders in Illinois including Dick Durbin, Tammy Duckworth, and Governor JB Pritzker have called for Speaker Madigan to step down.

The Taylorville School District has returned to in-person learning, according to Superintendent Dr. Chris Dougherty. On the first day back on campus, Dr. Dougherty says that they learned a lot. 

Dr. Dougherty says that the thanks goes to the teachers and the nurses for making in-person learning possible.

Now is the time for us to take care of eachother, according to Dr. Dougherty. 

When it comes to a return of high school sports, Dr. Dougherty says that they will be following the Illinois Department of Public Health guidelines and that the safety of the student athletes must come first. 

Dr. Chris Dougherty was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show. 

Taylorville School District is reporting this evening on three separate COVID-19 positive staff cases. Two have been off campus quarantined for over a week and contact tracing reported no exposures. A third staff member worked today but was sent to the health department after learning she had been exposed over the weekend. A rapid test revealed a positive COVID-19 case on that last staff member. They are now quarantined.

After putting the contact tracing plan into action, it was revealed that 7 students along with 1 staff member will have to quarantine for 14 days. Every student who needs to quarantine was contacted by the School District and is advised to follow up with the Christian County Health Department for more information. The District is able to resume classes as planned. 

The school district encourages everyone to wear masks, wash hands, use hand sanitizer, and maintain social distancing. Any employee or student who is not feeling well is encouraged to stay home and contact their health care provider to determine if testing is needed. For more information contact the School District at 824-4951 or visit their website at www.tcusd3.org.

Moultrie County is reporting their 8th COVID-19 death on Monday. A Moultrie County female in her 90’s has died. To date, 586 Moultrie County residents have tested positive for the virus and the Moultrie County Health Department encourages all residents to watch physical distance and keep six feet from each other, wear a mask when in public, wash hands routinely, and above all else stay home if you are feeling sick.

For more information on news from the Moultrie County Health Department and any events and services that they have to visit www.moultriehealth.org or follow them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/moultriecountyhealth. 

As COVID-19 positivity rates continue to rise around the state, Governor JB Pritzker ‘s Restore Illinois Plan calls for stronger mitigations. When it comes down to it, Representative for 95th District Avery Bourne is still singing the same tune: Governor Pritzker needs to stop acting alone.

Representative Bourne does believe there are things that can be done on an individual level, but by politicizing the pandemic Governor Pritzker is undermining his own intentions.

Representative Bourne worries about the partisan approach that being taken by Governor Pritzker.

Representative Bourne appeared as a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

The Red Bean Company in Pana will be giving free food to Veteran’s on Wednesday for Veteran’s Day.  Chef Alvin Francois is a Veteran himself and feels it’s important to give back to the community.

The Red Bean Company is located at 215 South Locust Street and is open for carryout.

Chef Francois says everything is cooked right there fresh and prepared to order.

No reservations are needed.  For more information please visit the Red Bean Company on Facebook.
 

The weather over the last week has been abnormal for early November. Between the sun and the warm temperatures, Christian County Master Gardener Gwen Podeschi says there might be a little more time to do some gardening you didn’t have time for.

Even with the weather extension that Mother Nature is granting, Podeschi warns to not give into the temptation to plant certain things, such as grass seed.

As the temperatures do start to reflect the fall season, Podeschi reminds people of the importance of fall cleanup.

Podeschi also says don’t forget about those gardening tools.

Podeschi appeared as a guest on the Newstalk WTIM Morning Show.

The VFW will be hosting an event for the public on Veteran’s Day. Commander D.J. DeVore says the ceremony will kick off at 10 AM. Normally the event is held by the Legion but because of COVID, the VFW will be hosting this year. The special guest speaker will be Dwayne Wheeler.

Food will be catered in from 6th Street Market in Morrisonville and will feature chicken, cheesy potatoes, and green beans. DeVore says social distancing will be followed. 

For more information, you can visit the VFW’s Facebook page which has an events tab.

The VFW is located at 515 N West Ave in Taylorville. 

As we celebrate Veteran's Day tomorrow, Miller Media Group radio station WSVZ Cruisin' 98-point-3 will honor vets with a special 3-hour broadcast tomorrow noon til 3 in the afternoon.

The station will broadcast 3 hours of patriotic music as part of the Shelbyville Schools Drive-Thru Veteran's Day festivities at the Shelbyville Dam.

Part of the special broadcast will include recorded features from many Shelbyville School students about veterans, plus live reports from the event visiting with Shelbyville School District personnel on how they organized the Drive-Thru Veteran's Day as well as their work in creating some 13-hundred evergreen wreaths to put on veterans' graves at the local Glenwood Cemetery.

Tune in tomorrow afternoon from noon til 3 on Cruisin' 98-point-3 WSVZ, for this special 3-hour broadcast honoring our veterans.

The first day of hybrid learning, according to Superintendent Dr. Chris Dougherty was a success. The Superintendent visited all buildings and noted the hard work that the teachers had put in to make sure things were ready to go for the first day of school back in classes in nearly 8 months. 

Taylorville High School Principal Matt Hutchison says as of right now the number of students that are strictly remote learning is 28% of the students in the High School are learning remote and Hutchison says that number is growing but he’s happy to see students back in the classrooms. 

Principal of North Elementary Karen Kuntzman says it was a great day, and despite a small bus hiccup, things went well.

They have seen a slight remote increase as well over the last few days. Kuntzman says they have about 77 out of 400 that are staying remote and there are some parents that are waiting to see how the first few weeks play out before they make their decision one way or the other.

Dr. Dougherty says she is grateful for the staff, the custodial staff, and the nurses for all of their extraordinary work. 

In other news, the board reviewed the proposed 2020 Tax Levy. The Board also voted 7-0 to withdraw from the NPT Special Education Cooperative. Anita Brown reviewed the Illinois District Report Card, noting that numbers would be a little off due to the pandemic. 

Superintendent Dougherty noted that the Apollo Conference voted in unison to support the Governor’s actions on suspending basketball until COVID numbers went down. Dr. Dougherty says that attendance is still a concern and is asking for help from parents on the numbers. 

Stay tuned to Regional Radio News for more on the School Board and look for future interviews with Dr. Dougherty as Taylorville School District continues to navigate through this pandemic.

Governor JB Pritzker defended being out and about after having close contact to a COVID-19 case during his press conference on Monday. The Governor announced stricter mitigations for Regions 5,7, and 8. Dr Ngozi Ezike, Director of Public Health announced today that you cannot test out of quarantine. That in order to leave quarantine you have to wait the allotted amount of time. 

This prompted other questions as Governor Pritzker announced that he had been exposed to COVID-19 and was out and about. Dr. Ezike clarified guidelines.

When pressed further about it Dr. Ezike explained again saying that it’s important that everyone knows the guidelines.

Governor Pritzker says he has tested multiple times out of an abundance of caution.

You can find more information on what you should do if you are exposed to someone with COVID-19 by visiting the CDC website. You can listen to every Governor JB Pritzker press conference streamed live at www.taylorvilledailynews.com.

A new Department of Defense or DOD study says that you should feel better about traveling by air than what you may think. According to the results of a recent study done, the risk of catching a virus that causes COVID-19 through the air aboard a crowded commercial airplane from an infected passenger who is wearing a mask is quite low—as long as you wear a mask yourself.

Jolene Bowen, an infection preventionist for OSF HealthCare says the study used mannequins that don’t represent the way most people behave, however, Bowen believes the study was rigorous and backs up what airlines have been saying—airplanes are well-ventilated spaces.

Bowen says that filters like that eliminate 99% of virus particles. High-frequency air circulation systems helped dilute tracer particles on large Boeing planes that were used for the study.

All airlines now require masks on board and many airlines are doing back-to-front boarding now to minimize crowding the aisles and imposing capacity limits. Bowen says it’s important to avoid moving through the aircraft during the flight and pay attention to what your seatmate is doing.

Bowen says if you do travel to areas of higher risk, stay home if possible after returning and monitor your health for 14 days to protect yourself and others. Bowen went on to say that maybe scheduling a more unconventional day for your holiday celebrations so you aren’t traveling when everyone else does.

You can visit the CDC website for more holiday travel ideas and recommendations.

Shelbyville Festival of Lights will still be held this year and will be the 16th year by coordinator Bill Bly. The display will start on November 20th and run through January 1st. Bly says that normally they have a soup supper on opening night but they won’t be able to this year. They will have cookies though.

Bly says this year they’re going to LED lights and there is a glow from the LED lights that just seems warmer.

Bly continued by saying that they have been working on the Festival of Lights since August and they are still needing volunteers to help.

For more information visit www.lakeshelbyville.com. Bill Bly appeared as a guest on our WTIM Morning Show live from our studios in downtown Shelbyville.

The Taylorville School Board will meet virtually on Monday evening via Google Meets. You can contact the district secretary, Julie LeBeane at jlebeane@tcusd3.org by 5 PM to request a code to join. The meeting will have approval of minutes and claims, along with a treasurer’s report and consideration of personnel.

Under Old Business, there will be a recap of strategic planning, a COVID-19 update with a look at the return to school planning, and under new business, a review of the 2020 Illinois District Report Card, review of the Tax Levy, and a Superintendent Report.

For a full list of events and activities that will be taking place at the board meeting, please click here.

The US Army Corps of Engineers at Lake Shelbyville has announced campground opening dates and policy changes for the 2021 recreation season. Lake Shelbyville reported a successful year in 2020 with campsite utilization rates up almost 20% and Sara Haslett with the US Army Corps of Engineers say that 2021 is going to be another busy year for outdoor recreation and camping. 

Jeremy Logan also with the Corps says that they have the campground dates for 2021 and are open for reservations.

Haslett says that they’ve seen an influx of garbage at Lake Shelbyville and she’d like to see that cleaned up a little bit for next year.

Sarah Haslett and Jeremy Logan appeared as guests on our morning show on WTIM at our studios in downtown Shelbyville.

Substance abuse is still a huge topic but with COVID being rampant, substance abuse has been on the rise but there are programs that are still open and Natalie Inman is the program coordinator for substance abuse for Shelby County Community Services. Inman says that there are services in Taylorville and Shelbyville open Monday through Friday.  Inman focuses on substance abuse but they also work on case management.

Outpatient treatment can be a referral or a self referral.

Inman has seen an increase in substance abuse and believes that relapse rates are high due to the virus.

Natalie Inman appeared as a guest on our WTIM Morning Show live from our studios in downtown Shelbyville.
 

Chris-Mont EMA confirmed on Friday that there is a staff member who has tested positive of COVID-19 at Head Start in Pana which is located at 721 E. Washington Street. Head Start will be closed until November 16th. The facility has been working with the local health department and Chris-Mont EMA. 

Contract tracing is being completed and you should receive a voicemail from the health department if you have been affected by this. If you receive a voicemail, please call them back as soon as you can. All of the children’s parents and staff affected will be contacted and given detailed instructions as soon as possible to include a full two-week quarantine for all children and staff that were in attendance at the facility recently.

Chris-Mont EMA encourages everyone to continue to social distance, wear masks to protect others, wash your hands frequently, and clean common touch areas frequently. Above all else stay home if ill. For more information contact the Christian County Health Department at 824-4113 or call the Chris-Mont EMA at 532-9560. 
 

A train derailment in Panama on Sunday morning kept multiple emergency crews busy throughout the day. The Shoal Creek Fire Protection District was dispatched at 6:46 AM on Sunday to a Norfolk and Southern train loaded with coal at the southern end of Depot Street for the derailment. There were 24 cars in total that were derailed. No injuries were reported and no hazardous materials were involved.

Chris-Mont EMA provided relief for the Fire Department who worked with the SCFPD and Norfolk Southern/Hulcher Services to help clean up debris and material that had spilled.

The area is very congested with heavy equipment and limited roadway access, so the public is asked to avoid the area. For more information please contact Kevin Schott, Deputy EMA Director at 971-8196.

Miller Media Group radio station WSVZ Cruisin' 98.3 will present a special 3-hour broadcast on Veteran's Day next Wednesday, from noon til 3 in the afternoon.

During that time, the station will broadcast 3 hours of patriotic music as part of the Shelbyville Schools Drive-Thru Veteran's Day festivities at the Shelbyville Dam.

The broadcast will air recorded features from many Shelbyville School students about veterans, plus live reports from the event visiting with Shelbyville School District personnel on how they organized the Drive-Thru Veteran's Day as well as their work in creating some 1300 evergreen wreaths to put on veterans' graves at the local Glenwood Cemetery.

Again, this special 3-hour broadcast airs on Veteran's Day, next Wednesday from noon til 3, on Cruisin' 98.3 WSVZ.

Construction on what willl become Taylorville's New Industrial Park on the city's northwest side is making major progress.

The Taylorville Development Association, a local group that raised some $537,000 in order to get a matching grant from the Economic Development Administration, is the developer.

Construction began earlier this year. Curb and gutter have been poured, and it's hoped that the road can be paved before the asphalt season ends.

The Park will also have a right turn lane off of Illinois Route 29.

Lots are for sale.  Contact Christian County Economic Development Corporation executive director Mary Renner at (217) 638-5032 for more information.

Governor JB Pritzker urged Illinoisans to answer the call when being contacted by contact tracers. Out of the state’s 97 health departments, 57 are currently reaching out to 90% of those who have COVID, and 86 of 97 are reaching out to 75%. Governor Pritzker says the call from contact tracers is important to answer because it helps protect your family.

Governor Pritzker showed exposure data and says that the data shows schools, work, bars, and restaurants are the biggest culprits of COVID-19.

The Governor cautioned that he can’t tell you what will happen in the coming weeks as far as more mitigations if at all, but he was surprised at how quickly the new surge has spread throughout Illinois.

In Illinois, over the last 24 hours, there have been, 10,376 new confirmed COVID-19 cases with 49 additional deaths. You can stream every Governor Pritzker press conference by visiting www.taylorvilledailynews.com.

Chris-Mont EMA confirmed that there is an outbreak of COVID-19 at the Heritage Health Therapy and Senior Care Facility of Pana which is located at 1000 E Sixth Street. The facility has 56 residents and 26 staff members who have recently tested positive. The facility has been working with the local health department and Chris-Mont EMA.

Pana Heritage Health facility administration and staff expressed their thanks for community support during this time and they continue to work with the health department and EMA to ensure the safety of the residents and staff. 

Chris-Mont EMA encourages everyone to continue to social distance, wear masks to protect others, wash your hands frequently and clean common touch areas frequently. Above all else stay home if ill. For more information contact the Christian County Health Department at 824-4113 or call the Chris-Mont EMA at 532-9560. 

This is the best time to join Physician’s Choice Wellness, according to Program Director Tara Nickerson. 

Nickerson said that the medical tests are necessary to make sure that the individual starting PCW is healthy enough to do the program.

If you are thinking about starting Physician’s Choice Wellness after the 1st of the year, you really should consider having the screening process done before the end of the year, according to Nickerson. 

Nickerson said that sometimes people don’t realize that PCW isn’t just a liquid diet, but they offer a variety of different types of food. 

Tara Nickerson was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show. 

Rebecca Livingston is the Ag in the Classroom Coordinator for Christian and Montgomery County for the University of Illinois Extension Office and she likes that she can bring a little normalcy to an otherwise challenging year for educators. 

Coming up in the month of November, Livingston’s lesson will be on turkeys.

This has been a difficult year for Livingston who misses being around kids each and every day. 

Livingston also recently came up with a new game that she’s going to incorporate when she is able to return to the classroom. 

Rebecca Livingston was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show.

Boy Scouts Of America Troop 132 will be holding an event to bring awareness to veteran suicides. Matthew Sleboda, the committee chair, says that they were looking for events they could do for the upcoming year and thought this would be a good way to bring awareness to an important topic.

Sleboda says this is important because a lot of people don’t realize how much suicide impacts Veterans.

The event is set to take place on Sunday, November 8th at 8 AM at Manners Park in Taylorville.  Donations will be received throughout the day. 

Donations will in turn be donated to the Honor Flight and the VFW. The Veterans crisis line is 1-800-273-8255.

Business owners around Taylorville have teamed up to hold a Holiday Kick off Event today, tomorrow, and Monday at various shops across Taylorville, according to Taylorville Chamber CEO Patty Hornbuckle. For more information on the Holiday Kick off Event visit The Greater Taylorville Chamber of Commerce’s Facebook page. 

Hornbuckle went on to say that with everything going on right now in our country, it’s time to eat and shop local.

On Saturday, November 14th the Christian County CEO Program will be hosting a Drive-Thru Movie Night at the Christian County Fair Grounds. The cost is $10 per car and the gates open at 6pm and according to Hornbuckle you must purchase a ticket before hand. 

When you enter the fair grounds you’ll be given a program and information on what’s available at the concession stand and how to order food. 

Patty Hornbuckle was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show.

Governor JB Pritzker today warned Illinoisans that if things don’t change, restrictions will become stronger. Governor Pritzker said in Thursday’s press conference that you shouldn’t wait to get tested. The state is averaging more than 80,000 tests per day but the rate of growth of positivity is outgrowing the rate of testing. The Illinois Governor warned that further mitigation will come if things don’t change and blamed small governments for not enforcing the rules.
        

Director of Public Health, Dr. Ngozi Ezike says too many people don’t think it will happen to them so they don’t take precautions.

During the question/answer session of the press conference, Governor Pritzker warned that businesses that don’t comply with restrictions will face consequences and knows that some mitigations work better than others. 

In Illinois, on Thursday the state reported 9,935 new cases of COVID-19 with 97 deaths. You can listen to every Governor Pritzker press conference by streaming it on taylorvilledailynews.com. 
 

Shelby County is having a special board meeting on Friday at noon to vote on removing their Treasurer. County Board member LaVonne Chaney has put forward a motion to remove Erica Firnhaber as County Treasurer. The session will be held with the removal of the County Treasurer for Cause. 

According to 55 ILCS 5/3-10020, a County Treasurer can be removed if they refuse or neglect to service an account, make a settlement, or refuse to answer any questions regarding the operation of the County Treasurer’s Office asked by the Board itself.

The meeting will take place at the Lions Club in Forest Park in Shelbyville. 

Moultrie County Health Department is reporting its counties 7th COVID-19 death on Wednesday. To date, 538 Moultrie County residents have tested positive for the virus and the Moultrie County Health Department encourages all residents to watch physical distance and keep six feet from each other, wear a mask when in public, wash hands routinely, and above all else stay home if you are feeling sick.

For more information on news from the Moultrie County Health Department and any events and services that they have to visit www.moultriehealth.org or follow them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/moultriecountyhealth. 

Illinois State Police are investigating a fatal crash on Interstate 55 southbound at Milepost 65, west of Raymond in Montgomery County on Wednesday morning at 5:20. Preliminary investigation shows that a vehicle which was driven by 56-year-old John B. Barnes of Girard, IL was southbound on I-55 Barnes came upon 36-year-old Michael C. Hegger from Florissant, Missouri who was driving a semi-truck and was pulled over on the side of the road. 

As Hegger pulled back onto the interstate, Barnes rear-ended Hegger. Barnes was pronounced dead on the scene by the Montgomery County Coroner. Hegger refused medical attention.  The ISP Traffic Crash Reconstruction Unit (TCRU) responded and is continuing the investigation. No further information will be disseminated at this time. 

One of the major ballot issues that wasn’t overly talked about, but has brought about a lot of conversation is counties wanting Chicago separated from Illinois. Christian, Shelby, and Moultrie Counties voted yesterday in favor of pushing that forward. Downstate Counties have talked about making Chicago a separate state due to many counties feeling that they have not had their fair share of voice heard politically. 

Out of over 16,000 votes cast in Christian County, 63% voted in favor of wanting Chicago separated from Illinois. In Shelby County, they saw very similar results with 72% of the 12,100 ballots cast in favor of Chicago becoming the 51st state. Over in Moultrie County, out of 6,700 ballots cast, 70% asked for the change.

While still early, it is clear many counties are getting tired of the control of the state from Cook County and Chicago. 

Governor JB Pritzker blasted those who didn’t support the fair tax amendment change during his press conference on Wednesday afternoon. The Illinois Governor had the fair tax as one of his election promises. The amendment failed on Tuesday during the election with 98 percent of the vote in, "no" votes were leading with 55 percent of the vote compared with 45 percent of "yes" votes. Since the flat tax failed, Governor Pritzker says there are three options. The first is to make millions of dollars in cuts and raise property tax or as he called it, “The Republican Approach.”

Governor Pritzker says the second option is to raise the progressive tax or switch over to the fair tax. 

The Governor promised Illinoisans he would keep fighting for them.

The state is reporting 7,538 additional COVID cases with 55 deaths. You can listen to every Governor JB Pritzker Press Conference by streaming it on taylorvilledialynews.com.
 

The Christian County YMCA has been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Executive Director Chris Weittenhiller. 

Weittenhiller says that they took advantage of being closed by doing some work around the facility.

The Christian County YMCA is holding their 32nd annual auction online because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The auction opened on Wednesday, November 4th and will be open until Friday, November 13th at 8pm. 

Weittenhiller said that the auction should go smoothly and that the money raised will go towards upgrades so that the YMCA will be able to be open 24 hours a day. 

For more information on the auction please visit ccymca.org. Chris Weittenhiller was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show. 
 

Democrats in the Illinois General Assembly will likely try to pass a tax increase, according to Illinois State Senator Chapin Rose, if they don’t get a stimulus bailout from the federal government. 

Senator Rose does expect there to be a veto session because he doesn’t think that his democratic colleagues can help themselves from passing more rules and regulations.

When asked about the vote to make Chicago the 51st state, Senator Rose says that it’s easier said than done. 

Senator Rose went on to say that the first 5-10 years after the separation would be difficult, but that after that the amazing resources of downstate Illinois would take over. 

Illinois State Senator Chapin Rose was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show. 

Regional Radio News has learned of more COVID-19 cases in the Taylorville School District.  There have been two new COVID-19 cases: a Memorial staff member who was last on campus on October 30th and a Memorial staff member who was last on campus on October 27th. 

The School District is continuing to work with the Christian County Health Department to assist with contact tracing Students or staff that have been potentially exposed were contacted by the health department and are quarantining to minimize exposure to others. 

So far the School District remains on track to return to in-person learning on November 9th. There are currently 12 exposed/quarantined with 7 positives. The maintenance and custodial staffs continue to provide cleaning and sanitation of classrooms and school spaces. 

TSD encourages all employees and students to stay home and get tested if they are exhibiting any symptoms of the coronavirus. Continue to practice safe and healthy habits to ensure wellness and contact the School District if you have any questions. To view the full press release from the School District, click here. 

Illinois Congressman Rodney Davis has been reelected to the US House of Representatives. With 100% of precincts reporting, Congressman Davis has received over 54% of the vote.

Heading into the night, Congressman Davis said that he was very confident about his chances for reelection. 

Congressman Davis also feels good about President Trump’s chances at reelection.

Congressman Davis hopes now that the election is over that partisanship will get put aside and Republicans and Democrats will be able to work together, but he is concerned that Democrats could become hyperpartisan if President Trump is reelected. 

The Fair Tax vote, according to Congressman Davis was a disaster for Illinois Governor JB Pritzker. 

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

Illinois State Representative Avery Bourne has easily won re-election after receiving over 70% of the vote within the 95th State House District.

Representative Bourne has three major goals for the 102nd General Assembly. Getting thru the COVID-19 pandemic and reviving the Illinois economy, fiscal discipline, and real meaningful ethics reform.

Representative Bourne went on to say that the State Legislature should take the Fair Tax vote as a clear signal that voters are tired of their taxes being raised.

Illinois State Representative Avery Bourne was a guest during our NEWSTALK WTIM Election Night Coverage. 

Connie Young is the Sales Director at Life’s Journey Senior Living and she started out by discussing the recent Pumpkin Decorating contest that they were able to recently hold in Taylorville.

Young said that everyone had a blast and that they had a lot of participation.

Life’s Journey will be holding a Salute to the Veteran’s Car Parade on Veteran’s Day, November 11th in Pana and Taylorville. In Pana, you can meet at Pana Community Hospital at 9:30. 

Young went on to discuss the Salute to the Veteran’s Car Parade that they’ll be holding in Taylorville. Lineups will take place at the West Side Parking Lot by the Garden Center at 1:30.

Connie Young was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show. 

The Christian County CEO Program is holding a Drive-In Movie Night at the Christian County Fair Grounds on Saturday, November 14th. The gates will open at 6pm and tickets cost $10 per car. The movie that will be shown, according to CEO students Ben Thompson and Noah Bailey is Elf.

Thompson is a part of the concession stand committee and they will be taking orders for the concession stand via text message and delivering the order to your car to help maintain that 6 foot social distance.

Bailey is a part of the treasury committee and will be keeping track of all of the money from the event. 

People can get tickets in a variety of different ways, according to Thompson. You can get tickets from a CEO student or at the Greater Taylorville Chamber of Commerce.

Christian County CEO students Noah Bailey and Ben Thompson were both guests on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show. 

For many Americans, November is a time to renew health insurance and the state of Illinois is asking you to review your policies and shop for health insurance. Open enrollment began on Sunday, November 1st, and runs through December 15th, of 2020. The Illinois Department of Insurance is encouraging Illinoisans to begin their search for coverage by visiting getcoveredillinois.gov to find relevant information for them to help compare health plans, get enrollment help, and even in some cases financial assistance.

There are 179 plans offered by eight different carriers and the IDOI is hoping that consumers know if they need health insurance, help is available. Last year, 240,000 people in Illinois received premium tax credits to reduce their monthly premium payments. According to last year’s enrollment numbers, once the tax credit was applied, the average monthly premium payment for Illinois consumers with a plan was about 153 dollars. 

Consumers can choose on the ACA Marketplace from three different levels: Gold, Silver, and Bronze. Each one has a range of coverage and costs and anyone who was enrolled in a plan last year will be automatically enrolled into the same plan or a similar one offered by the same insurer for the 2021 plan year. 

Please visit https://getcovered.illinois.gov/en to view plans and have a certified application counselor to help you through the process. For more information visit https://insurance.illinois.gov/HealthInsurance/ConsumerHealth

While the main focus for Taylorville Park District Recreation Director, Bailey Hancock, is Christmas in the Park, she and the rest of the Park Board are hard at work on getting Taylorville a new pool.

Hancock would also like to be able to bring a Zero Depth Splash Pad to the Taylorville Park District.

There are numerous benefits to a Splash Pad, including that they can be open both before the pool is open and after it is closed. 

The current pool at the Taylorville Park District was built in 1962 and according to Hancock they just weren’t built to last as long as this one has.

Bailey Hancock was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show. 

In Christian County Board District 1 Timothy J. Carlson received just over 44% of the vote and Leon Craig Corzine received just over 39% of the vote both look to be reelected to the County Board.

Corzine said that he hopes there’s more transparency with the new county board.

In Christian County Board District 2 Vicki M. McMahon looks to be reelected to the County Board with just over 45% of the vote with all of the precincts reporting. It looks like Kenneth G. Franklin will be joining her on the County Board after he received 32% of the vote. For the unexpired 2-year term in District 2 with all of the precincts reporting Thomas Snyder Jr has a 64% - 36% advantage over incumbent Brian L. Wilber.

McMahon also hopes for more transparency with the new County Board and she would like to bring a little more financial stability to Christian County.

In Christian County Board District 3 with all of the precincts reporting it looks like James Mike McClure has narrowly won reelection after getting just over 26% of the vote and he will be joined by Bryan Sharp who will be a newcomer to the County Board. 

The State's constitutional amendment proposal has so far only received 16-percent support in Christian County. Vote totals are unofficial as absentee and mail-in ballots still have two weeks to be counted.

The Taylorville Kiwanis Club announced awards from the last Kiwanis year which ended September 30th, during their weekly meeting at the Taylorville Moose Lodge.

Bernie Gallion, (right) Governor of the Taylorville Moose Lodge, was given a plaque for the Moose Club's long-time support of the club's annual Pancake and Sausage breakfast as location host, as well as hosting the club's weekly meetings since October First of last year.  Kiwanis president Adam Jeffrey (left) made the presentation.

It was announced that a plaque will also be presented to the Davis Family McDonald's Restaurants, for their long-time contributions of packed silverware and orange drink, to the annual Pancake and Sausage Breakfast.

Norma Altman and Carmeline Skinner, were again made honorary members of the club at Tuesday's meeting.  Altman's husband Herman was a long-time member of the club, and Skinner served the club meals when meetings were held at the Taylorville Memorial Hospital auditorium.

In other Kiwanis news, Kiwanis Park roof committee co-chair Will Perkins announced that the materials for the new metal roof should arrive any day, with Kiwanis members scheduled to then install the roof in the coming days.

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

Taylorville City Hall is reporting another COVID-19 case. Taylorville Mayor Bruce Barry informed Regional Radio News on Tuesday morning of the COVID case.  City Hall has informed Chris-Mont EMA and the Christian County Health Department. Contact tracing is being conducted by the Health Department to identify any close contacts and if you are at risk, you will be contacted by the Health Department.

A company has come in to professionally deep clean the building and City Hall is closed until further notice. The City Clerk’s office along with the water department will remain open and available for questions. 

If you are experiencing any COVID-19 like symptoms you are encouraged to CALL your doctor first before going to the actual office. If you have any questions or concerns please call the Christian County Health Department at 824-4113 or the Statewide COVID-19 hotline at 1-800- 889-3931 or visit idph.illinois.gov. You can also call the Taylorville Urgent Clinic at 824-8244 or the Springfield Clinic at 287-8855 or HSHS at 321-9310.

The results from the election may not be known for at least a week. This is the message from the Illinois State Board of Elections following the report of nearly 587,000 mail-in ballots that had yet to be included in the count. As of November 2nd, 108 local election authorities reported the mail-in ballots and while some have been counted already, all ballots can be postmarked no later than Election Day to arrive and be counted for two weeks afterward, so totals could change through November 17th. Board of Elections spokesperson Matt Dietrich says results could take a while.

Statewide totals for mail ballots will be regularly updated on the Illinois State Board of Elections website but they do not report any election results until it certifies the vote on December 4th. Of course, unofficial results may be obtained from local election authorities. 

Dietrich warns that results, especially at the legislation level may change often.

Illinois election authorities have sent over 2.35 million ballots to voters, and nearly 1.76 million have already been returned. Nearly 3.6 million votes have already been cast for this election. In comparison, in 2016 only 1.8 million votes were cast before election day. The state of Illinois has more than 8.3 million registered voters for the election which is an all-time record. 43 percent of registered voters have already voted. 

Some important dates coming up include November 17th which is when local election authorities must complete counting of ballots, November 24th which is when local election authorities must transmit results to the State Board of Elections, and December 4th which is when the State Board of Elections certifies the vote and publishes results. 

Stay tuned to Regional Radio News for all the latest election results and information as it becomes available.

The South Fork School District, according to Superintendent Chris Clark, is going to remain in-person despite a few positive COVID-19 cases.

South Fork did utilize a remote learning day yesterday, but according to Clark students were getting live instruction just like they were in the classroom.

When asked about the concern that teachers and staff may have about potentially contracting COVID-19, Clark said that he continues to meet with his staff and that the fear of contracting COVID-19 is impacting everyone.

The fear is always going to be out there, according to Clark, which is why it’s so important to follow the guidelines. 

Chris Clark was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show. 

Adoption Awareness Month is a time to acknowledge the thousands of families across the state who help children in need and the thousands of families who are still longing for a child in their life. November is Adoption Awareness Month and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services is creating a statewide campaign to bring awareness to adoption. 

DCFS Acting Director Marc D. Smith says that the events have been scaled back this year due to COVID-19, but they are still working on smaller things they can do to bring awareness to the event. 

There are over 18,000 youth in care waiting for a family and a place to call home. 1,523 Illinois children were adopted into permanent homes last year. 

If you would like more information about becoming an adoptive parent visit www2.illinois.gov/dcfs and click on “loving homes” and “become a foster or adoptive parent.” You can also visit “What’s Your Connection” to get sign templates and logos to share on social media to support the campaign as well. 

Smith says “November is usually a month filled with hugs and laughter in courtrooms as adoptions are finalized and new families are created, and although those events can’t take place this year, we can still acknowledge and celebrate the connection each of us has to adoption.”

Bailey Hancock is the Recreation Director at the Taylorville Park District and her big project right now is Christmas in the Park, which will be happening this year, but it may be a little bit different due to COVID-19.

Sitting on Santa’s lap is probably not going to happen this year, but Hancock is working with Santa and Mrs. Claus to come up with a way for kids to still have that Santa visit.

Meals are also likely not to happen this year, according to Hancock.

One program that will not change, according to Hancock, is the Jingle Bell Walk. 

Bailey Hancock was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show.

Regional Radio News has been notified by the Taylorville School District of two separate COVID-19 positive cases  One is a staff member at the high school and the other is a worker for an agency that provides special education services at North, Memorial, and the Junior High School. Both individuals were last on campus on October 30th. 

Both employees are currently quarantined, and the School District is working with the Christian County Health Department along with the Regional Office of Education to keep them up to date on the positive test results. 

Contact tracing was conducted, and anyone else that may have been exposed has been notified. Deep cleaning and sanitation continue with areas that the staff members used, heavily focused on. 

The School District encourages everyone to maintain safe social distances, wear masks, and wash hands. Continue to incorporate healthy habits to ensure wellness. For more information, please contact the School District at 824-4951. 

To see a complete look at the letter that was sent out by the district, click here. 

Taylorville City Council met on Monday evening for their regular board meeting that saw many of the Alderman attending virtually. There were no committee reports in this session, but some ordinances were discussed. An ordinance discussing the liability of the property owner for building sewer repairs was tabled. UTV regulations were updated including changing operating times. 

Other ordinances that were discussed included a lottery system for leases for lake lots, campsites, and boat docks. Stay tuned to Regional Radio News for more on this lottery system and how this is going to change in the future.  Another ordinance that was updated is the part of the city code that allows liquor license holders to deliver online liquor sales to its customers outside its business building premises. So if a company has takeout, you can call in to order liquor and have them bring it outside to you. 

Taylorville Mayor Bruce Barry gave an update. He thanked everyone for their well wishes during his recent COVID-19 diagnosis. Mayor Barry also announced that due to some other positive COVID-19 cases, City Hall would be closed until further notice unless you had an appointment. The Mayor also thanked many of the area churches for their hard work on various trunk or treats throughout the area. 

The next City Council meeting is set for November 16th. 

Governor JB Pritzker says the state is protecting businesses that have had to shut down with with grants and other measures to keep restaurants and bars afloat as the State of Illinois continues to go back to stricter mitigations.  Governor Pritzker says that some of these areas have been hit hard long before COVID was around.

Governor Pritzker also urged residents to go vote if they haven’t done so already and to be patient for results this year.

Due to the length that some election results might take, Governor Pritzker is urging Illinoisans not to get their results from social media.

There were over 6,200 new COVID-19 cases in Illinois on Monday with 20 additional deaths. Catch every Governor JB Pritzker Press Conference on www.taylorvilledailynews.com.

Taylorville City Council will meet on Monday evening at 7 PM for their regular city council meeting. 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. 

The city is asking for only city officials, officers, employees, and members of the press are invited to attend. Any person who wishes to address the City Council during this meeting may send an email during this meeting to the Mayor at mayorbarry@taylorville.net. 

Under major topics of discussion, a motion to bid/and or advertise the working foreman position at the cemetary will be discussed. There will also be some ordinance discussions including UTV regulations, a lottery system for leases for lake lots, and a discussion on liquor license holders. 

There will also be City Attorney and Mayoral updates as well. For a complete look at the agenda see below. For more information on the City Council meeting, contact City Hall at 824-2101.

Click here to see the agenda.

Outgoing Shelby County Board Chairman Bruce Cannon says that the Shelby County Board has had a significant amount of organizational change over the past year.

Cannon went on to discuss how some members of the public have accused the Shelby County Board of misusing taxpayer dollars. Cannon explained how they go about setting the individual budgets each year.

Cannon says that over the past twelve years he’s been a member of the Budget Committee and that each budget has showed a negative budget at the time of passage.

Cannon contends that the county has been run fiscally sound and has been well managed over the past twelve years. 

Bruce Cannon was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Morning Show live from our studios in downtown Shelbyville.

Region 3 continues to be on the rise for COVID-19. The area which includes Sangamon, Christian, Montgomery, and Macoupin Counties has a 10% positivity rate for COVID-19 according to Chris-Mont EMA. Chris-Mont EMA released information over the weekend urging residents to please take all precautions necessary to keep themselves safe and healthy during this increase. Region 3 has increased nearly 3% in positivity since October 20th. 

Even as a whole Illinois has posted over 7,000 cases of COVID-19 every day for the last 4 days straight.  The concern of course being the vulnerable population of people who are either older, or who have health conditions which lead to higher exposure rates. A lot of comparisons have been made to the flu and COVID being similar, however, in Illinois nearly 3,500 people die annually of the flu, while so far this year 9,757 people have died from COVID-19. 

Chris-Mont EMA, encourages everyone to do our best to slow this virus by social distancing when outside the home, wearing a mask, washing hands frequently, avoiding large gatherings which include entertainment venues, weddings/receptions, and family or friend get-togethers (in smaller gatherings, wear a mask and social distance), and above all else stay home if you are sick. 

For more information, contact your local health departments, your local physician, and do what you need to do to keep you and your family safe.
 

Mitchell Esslinger is the candidate for the Illinois House of Representatives District 102 and when he’s not working in politics you’ll find him working at his families small business or on his families farm.

Esslinger has always been involved in politics, but he really decided to get involved after his father took his own life. 

If elected, Esslinger will make health care and mental health two of his top priorities.

One of Esslinger’s other health care priorities is to cap prescription drug prices. 

Mitchell Esslinger was a guest on the NEWSTALK WTIM Shelbyville Morning Show. 

Local area hospitals are suspending visitors for inpatient visitors as COVID cases continue to increase across central Illinois. Decatur Memorial Hospital and HSHS St. Mary’s Hospitals suspended visitors starting on Saturday to protect patients and ensure healthcare professionals can continue to safely care for their patients.

Macon County has the fifth-highest rate of COVID in the state and visitors for inpatients will also be suspended at HSHS St.

John’s Hospital and Memorial Medical Center starting on Monday. The hospitals will allow exceptions with approval in limited circumstances in areas such as the emergency departments, obstetrics, pediatrics, certain outpatient procedures, and surgeries. The hospital is also making exceptions for end-of-life care or to support a patient with an intellectual disability. More detailed information can be found on individual hospital websites.

If you are visiting the hospital, you will be asked to wear a face mask that covers both your nose and mouth at all times when you’re in the hospital and the hospitals are working on providing more pertinent information to patients and families using telephones or video methods when possible.  

Restrictions will continue to be evaluated as the COVID-19 situation evolves. 
 

Shelbyville High School Athletic Director Silas Pogue was shocked when the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) decided to defy Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and move ahead with the basketball season as scheduled.

The decision by the IHSA to move ahead with the basketball season doesn’t mean that it’s going to happen, but it does give these players a chance to actually have a season, according to Pogue. 

Pogue understands that the IHSA rule to not have any more than 50 people in a gym will not be a popular one, but he does expect schools to abide by it.

The Shelbyville High School coaches, according to Pogue, have done an outstanding job at keeping the Ram student athletes safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Shelbyville High School Athletic Director Silas Pogue was a guest on the Shelbyville Ram’s Player Spotlight on Crusin’ 98.3 WSVZ.

Shelby County is reporting 23 new COVID-19 cases on Friday. The County health department says that the cases range from a 9 year old female all the way to 96 years old. Shelby County’s 7 day positivity rate is currently sitting at 14.4%, and the Shelby County Health Department is very concerned about the alarming increase in COVID cases in their county. 

Shelby County has had a total of 756 residents test positive for COVID-19 with 16 deaths overall. Region 6 which includes Macon, Shelby, Effingham, and Moultrie Counties is currently sitting at 9.3% positivity rate, which is 1.3% higher than the State mandatory level of 8%. Region 6 is set to go on lockdown on Monday morning at 12:01 AM for closures of indoor dining for bars and restaurants and early closures for gaming and casinos. 

Governor JB Pritzker announced last week, he has no intention of increasing restrictions past the closures of bars and restaurants. Every region in Illinois is currently above the 8% threshold for positivity.

If you suspect that you have COVID-19, you are encouraged to call ahead before visiting your primary care physician, continue to monitor your symptoms, and seek prompt medical attention if your symptoms get worse. If you live in Shelby County and need more information, contact the health department at 774-1499.