Tag: Danville

Plans for a new cannabis dispensary in Danville go up in smoke

CHAMPAIGN – Danville has no plans to welcome a third cannabis dispensary anytime soon.   The Danville City Council on Tuesday denied a special-use zoning permit to open a new dispensary in the Lynch Road corridor.   That vote came after the decision to amend the city’s zoning ordinance to allow one or more cannabis

Mountain lion captured in Springfield settling in at new home

A young male mountain lion that traveled from Nebraska to Springfield is now a resident of the Exotic Feline Rescue Center in Center Point, Indiana. “From our point of view, he’s doing surprisingly well,” said Joe Taft, the center’s founder and director. “When he came, he was pretty upset. He had been sedated and then, had to

Danville election officials adapt to new laws, report a smooth day of voting

DANVILLE – Election officials in Danville said they had to adapt to new voting laws during this year’s midterms on Tuesday. In June, Illinois Senate Bill 825 allowed for several changes to state voting laws. One allows voters to get absentee ballots every year if they sign up just one time. Vermillion County Supervisor of

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2 Dead, 3 Injured After Weekend Gun Violence in Champaign and Danville

URBANA – Multiple reports of gun violence kept Central Illinois police busy over the weekend. Friday 11:00 p.m. It started late Friday night in the 2000 block of Cynthia Drive. Champaign police say a 23-year-old man was taken to the hospital after being shot in the arm during a large fight. The victim was transported to

Police laud actions of man who killed Indiana mall attacker

GREENWOOD, Ind. — Authorities say a gunman who shot five people at a suburban Indianapolis shopping mall, killing three of them before a shopper shot and killed him, was a 20-year-old local man who was apparently facing eviction. Greenwood Police Chief James Ison said at a news conference Monday that Jonathan Sapirman, of Greenwood, began

Some in Illinois still waiting for redress from cannabis industry

PEORIA – When Illinois legalized recreational cannabis, state legislators sought to cut those disproportionately affected by marijuana arrests into the new industry’s profits. The path to entering the industry, though, has not been easy. “If anything, it’s been increased hardships, trying to pursue it legally,” says Lisa Palmgren. There’s a heavy, grassy smell in Palmgren’s

Danville breaks ground on new casino hoping to boost local economy

DANVILLE, Ill. – Residents cheered Tuesday as Danville city officials wearing hard hats shoveled dirt on a patch of land in an industrial park off of Interstate 74.  By next spring, that land is expected to be the home of Danville’s Golden Nugget Casino.  Former State Representative Lou Lang, who advised Danville officials on the

Danville pastor urges those ‘on the fence’ to get vaccinated

DANVILLE – As we march toward the two-year point in the COVID-19 pandemic the headlines have become real life for many in Illinois. One Vermilion County family, dealing with loss has now teamed up with the state in hopes of saving more lives. Pastor Ken McCray and his wife Rene have led a church in

Illinois State grad student Jelani Day celebrated at hometown service

DANVILLE – Hundreds filled Danville High School’s auditorium on Saturday, October 9, to celebrate the life of Jelani Day. The 25-year-old was reported missing in late August. At the time, he was pursuing a graduate degree in speech pathology at Illinois State University. Speakers celebrated Day’s dream of becoming a doctor. And how he pursued

Danville VA Accepting Non-Veterans To Help Relieve Strain On Nearby Hospitals

DANVILLE – The VA hospital in Danville, Ill., has begun accepting non-Veteran patients who need inpatient care. The goal is to relieve some of the strain on other hospitals in the state — in particular, those in southern Illinois that have been stretched thin for weeks due to the latest COVID surge.  Dr. Staci Williams,

Danville V.A. Fights To Fill 200 Jobs Amid National Staffing Shortage

DANVILLE –  More than 200 jobs sit vacant at the Danville Veterans Affairs facility, mirroring a major staffing shortage at veterans facilities across the nation. Despite recent recruitment efforts at the Veterans Affairs Illiana Health Care System in Danville, vacancy numbers have remained the same for years. Tom Hossfeld, the head of human relations, says

Danville Tears Down Buildings In Hopes Of One Day Building Anew

DANVILLE – The house on South Buchanan Street had been a familiar site in Danville’s Rabbittown neighborhood for decades. But in recent years, it had been empty, its windows boarded up. Early one morning in April, a city employee operating a Caterpillar excavator knocked it down in a matter of minutes, while a second employee

Final Election Tallies Include Some Close Votes

URBANA – All around Illinois on Tuesday, local authorities certified results from the April 6 local elections. Provisional and late-arriving mail-in ballots had an impact on some close races, but not others. For instance, no additional ballots were added when the Danville Election Commission finalized the results of the Ward 7 Danville City Council race.