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Lastest Headlines from the WJEZ Newsroom

Latest Headlines Archive

Heritage Days this weekend in Pontiac
Thursday, July 31, 2008 (166 reads)

It’s a flashback to yesteryear in downtown Pontiac this weekend, during PROUD’s Heritage Days celebration...

Skull found in Vermillion River
Thursday, July 31, 2008 (185 reads)

Livingston County Coroner Mike Burke and Pontiac Police are trying to figure out how the remains of what appears to be a human skull ended up in the Vermillion River...

Woman to camp out on nursing home roof
Thursday, July 31, 2008 (190 reads)

An area woman will carry on a summer tradition, this weekend...

Threshermen's Parade Marshal named
Thursday, July 31, 2008 (162 reads)

The Pontiac Area Chamber of Commerce has named the 2008 grand marshal for the Threshermen’s Parade...

Pontiac Fire Lt. has fond memories of time on department
Wednesday, July 30, 2008 (151 reads)

“A lot of good memories with a lot of good people.” That pretty much sums up the career of Pontiac Fire Lieutenant Darrel Shoop...

Economic development group to seat new board next week
Wednesday, July 30, 2008 (112 reads)

A local economic development group is making a final push prior to its re-organization...

Some have still not applied for economic stimulus payment
Wednesday, July 30, 2008 (146 reads)

The IRS says over 200,000 Illinoisans have not applied for their federal economic stimulus payment...

Lincoln attractions planned for Pontiac
Tuesday, July 29, 2008 (123 reads)

In the next year, Pontiac will be full of Abraham Lincoln exhibits...

Cross-country cyclists stop in Cornell
Tuesday, July 29, 2008 (117 reads)

Bicyclists from across the world stopped in Cornell last night...

Lexington police officers to be disciplined
Tuesday, July 29, 2008 (148 reads)

The Lexington Police Chief still has a job, despite an incident last week that prompted his suspension from the force...

Fairbury man dies after farm accident
Monday, July 28, 2008 (219 reads)

Funeral arrangements are pending for a Fairbury man that died from injuries suffered in a farm accident...

Chamber seeks nominations for Threshermen's Parade
Monday, July 28, 2008 (111 reads)

The Pontiac Area Chamber of Commerce is still seeking nominations for Grand Marshall of the 2008 Threshermen’s Parade...

State: Cause of house fire 'undetermined'
Friday, July 25, 2008 (135 reads)

Some unanswered questions remain, after a house fire earlier this week that turned deadly for one area firefighter...

One dead after Dwight crash
Friday, July 25, 2008 (221 reads)

An accident near the Dwight prison Thursday night left one person dead and another with serious injuries...

Visually-impaired athletes to play baseball in Odell
Friday, July 25, 2008 (119 reads)

An exhibition baseball game will be held in Odell Saturday, but it’s not your ordinary kind of baseball game...

Area unemployment on the rise
Friday, July 25, 2008 (106 reads)

Over-the-year unemployment has once again increased in the Pontiac area...

Odell prepares for eventful weekend
Thursday, July 24, 2008 (146 reads)

The annual Odell Days celebration gets underway today...

Fallen fireman remembered in Fairbury
Thursday, July 24, 2008 (156 reads)

A flag at the Fairbury City Hall flies at half-staff, as the city’s fire department is draped in black to remember a fallen firefighter...

24-year-old Fireman dies after house fire
Wednesday, July 23, 2008 (217 reads)

Fairbury residents are mourning the loss of a firefighter...

Rutherford hopes for large turnout at prison hearing
Wednesday, July 23, 2008 (112 reads)

City, county and state officials are hoping for a large turnout at the upcoming hearing on the possible closure of the Pontiac Correctional Center...

Man enters plea in shooting case
Wednesday, July 23, 2008 (135 reads)

A Chicago man has admitted to firing gunshots toward a group of people outside the Pontiac County Market store earlier this month...

Fairbury firefighter dies after battling fire
Wednesday, July 23, 2008 (251 reads)

A Fairbury firefighter is dead after battling a house fire in Forrest last night...

Tentative Prairie Central budget has shortfall
Tuesday, July 22, 2008 (155 reads)

The Prairie Central Board of Education has approved a tentative budget for Fiscal Year ’09...

Bloomington man dies in Livingston County wreck
Tuesday, July 22, 2008 (165 reads)

Authorities have released the name of the person found dead after an accident near Strawn, over the weekend...

Police beef up patrols after shooting incident
Tuesday, July 22, 2008 (151 reads)

A week and a half after shots were fired outside the Pontiac County Market Store, police have stepped-up patrols in the area...

Prison marks 30th anniversary of riot
Tuesday, July 22, 2008 (123 reads)

Employees of the Pontiac Correctional Center will lay flowers and observe a moment of silence today, to remember those killed in the 1978 prison riot.

One dead after wreck near Strawn
Monday, July 21, 2008 (211 reads)

State Police are investigating a fatal accident that occurred over the weekend, just south of Strawn...

Man released from hospital after car crashes into restaurant
Monday, July 21, 2008 (202 reads)

A Forrest man has been released from the hospital following a crash Sunday in Forrest...

Fairbury residents raise a 'stink' at council meeting
Monday, July 21, 2008 (169 reads)

Complaints of noise and smells dominated last week’s meeting of the Fairbury City Council...

Pontiac City Council meets tonight
Monday, July 21, 2008 (140 reads)

The Pontiac City Council meets at 7 p.m. at the Pontiac City Hall...

Some damage reported after morning storms
Monday, July 21, 2008 (139 reads)

It’s been a busy weather morning in Livingston County and Central Illinois, as thunderstorms brought heavy rainfall, high winds and in some places, small hail...

Fair livestock results announced
Friday, July 18, 2008 (157 reads)

The champion livestock results are in from the Livingston County 4-H Fair...

State issues report on prison
Friday, July 18, 2008 (176 reads)

The state’s Department of Corrections has issued a report, explaining why it wants to close the Pontiac Correctional Center and move inmates to a newer facility...

Livingston County approves wind farm
Friday, July 18, 2008 (183 reads)

A new wind is about to blow through northern Livingston County...

4-H talent show winners announced
Thursday, July 17, 2008 (187 reads)

The Livingston County 4-H Fair was full of talent Wednesday night...

Livingston County Fair concludes today
Thursday, July 17, 2008 (122 reads)

The Livingston County 4-H Fair wraps up today at 4-H Park near Pontiac...

Historic plane moved from Pontiac to Cullom
Wednesday, July 16, 2008 (189 reads)

If the grassy area near the Billet Road on the south edge of Pontiac, seems like it’s missing something, it is...

County board to have final say on windfarm
Wednesday, July 16, 2008 (122 reads)

The Livingston County Board’s Ag and Zoning Committee has voted to forward a wind farm application to the entire county board for its consideration...

Boy facing charges after shooting incident
Wednesday, July 16, 2008 (155 reads)

A Pontiac boy is facing a number of charges, stemming from last weekend’s shooting incident outside the County Market store...

4-H Royalty announced
Tuesday, July 15, 2008 (183 reads)

The 2008 Livingston County 4-H Fair King and Queen were announced last night...

Electrical box blamed for fire
Tuesday, July 15, 2008 (135 reads)

Officials say an electrical box caused a weekend fire in Cayuga...

Authorities release name of man killed by train
Tuesday, July 15, 2008 (181 reads)

The McLean County Coroner's office has released the name of the man who was hit and killed by a northbound Amtrak train Sunday night...

Police investigate gunfire incident near County Market
Monday, July 14, 2008 (194 reads)

Two people have been arrested after reports of gunshots near the Pontiac County Market store over the weekend...

House fire under investigation
Monday, July 14, 2008 (164 reads)

The state fire marshal is investigating the cause of a weekend fire in Cayuga...

PTHS Board to meet
Monday, July 14, 2008 (118 reads)

The Pontiac Township High School Board meets at 7 p.m. tonight..

Livingston County 4-H Fair underway
Monday, July 14, 2008 (143 reads)

The 2008 Livingston County 4-H Fair opens today at 4-H Park north of Pontiac...

Three face drug charges after I-55 traffic stop
Friday, July 11, 2008 (198 reads)

Three men could face several years behind bars, following some drug arrests in Livingston County...

County welcomes a Circuit Judge and says goodbye to another
Friday, July 11, 2008 (145 reads)

The Livingston County Courthouse is saying goodbye to one judge and welcoming another.

Public gets first-hand look at Livingston Landfill
Friday, July 11, 2008 (111 reads)

The Livingston Landfill had quite a few visitors Friday...

Washington Street work to begin Monday
Friday, July 11, 2008 (129 reads)

The Pontiac Street Department is reminding the public that construction will take place on Washington Street between Vermillion and Chicago Streets, starting Monday...

Recovery Fair in downtown Pontiac
Friday, July 11, 2008 (159 reads)

In conjunction with the downtown block parties taking place at area businesses this weekend, several agencies are teaming up to conduct a “recovery fair” in downtown Pontiac today...

County to explore other options on school security
Thursday, July 10, 2008 (121 reads)

The county has put plans to improve emergency radio reception on hold...

Rutherford comments on governor's vetoes
Thursday, July 10, 2008 (124 reads)

An area lawmaker is commenting on the governor’s vetoes of the state budget and the impact on the Pontiac Correctional Center...

Local group keeping people cool this summer
Thursday, July 10, 2008 (124 reads)

A local agency is helping people stay cool this summer...

County distributes RFP's to area nursing homes
Thursday, July 10, 2008 (104 reads)

The Livingston County Board’s nursing home committee learned yesterday that Request for Proposals have been mailed out to area nursing homes and will be reviewed next month...

Fairbury amends liquor ordinance
Wednesday, July 09, 2008 (129 reads)

The Fairbury City Council has passed a liquor ordinance amendment...

Pontiac 'Yard of the Month' announced
Wednesday, July 09, 2008 (158 reads)

The Beautification Committee of the Pontiac Area Chamber of Commerce has announced the July Yard of the Month recipients...

Lawmakers seek opinion on closing Pontiac prison
Wednesday, July 09, 2008 (115 reads)

Three Illinois State Senators are asking Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan to issue an opinion on the Department of Corrections' failure to file an official closure recommendation about Pontiac Correctional Center...

County committee addresses security issues
Tuesday, July 08, 2008 (118 reads)

Security at the county-owned building complex on the south edge of Pontiac was discussed at the county’s Public Property Committee meeting Monday night...

Some counts dismissed from lawsuit stemming from teen's death
Tuesday, July 08, 2008 (156 reads)

Some parties have been dismissed from a Livingston County lawsuit, stemming from the February 2007 death of 16-year-old Travis Steidinger of Fairbury...

European visitors stop in Pontiac
Tuesday, July 08, 2008 (113 reads)

A group of visitors from across the globe visited Pontiac Monday...

House fire only causes minor damage
Monday, July 07, 2008 (158 reads)

Pontiac Firefighters were called to 11 Dixie Lane Monday evening for a fire at a single-story home...

Pontiac city leaders review noise ordinances
Monday, July 07, 2008 (160 reads)

Members of the Pontiac City Council discussed noise ordinances Monday night...

Organizers preparing for 4-H Fair
Monday, July 07, 2008 (132 reads)

It may be hard to believe but one week from today, the Livingston County 4-H Fair opens at 4-H Park, north of Pontiac...

Crash near Dwight sends three to hospital
Monday, July 07, 2008 (155 reads)

Three people have been released from the hospital after a single-vehicle accident on I-55 near Dwight Sunday...

Pontiac City Council to meet
Monday, July 07, 2008 (114 reads)

The Pontiac City Council meets at 7 p.m. in the Pontiac City Council Chambers...

Helicopter crashes into river
Saturday, July 05, 2008 (189 reads)

A helicopter crash in LaSalle County Friday night only resulted in minor injuries...

Two hospitalized after Route 24 crash
Saturday, July 05, 2008 (167 reads)

Two men have been released from the hospital after an accident near Chatsworth on Thursday, involving a semi truck and construction crane...

Forrest man charged with identity theft
Thursday, July 03, 2008 (221 reads)

A Forrest man has been charged with identity theft and theft in excess of $300 in Livingston County Court...

Police release details of rollover crash
Thursday, July 03, 2008 (216 reads)

Livingston County Sheriff’s Police have released more information on a single-vehicle rollover accident that occurred south of Pontiac Wednesday...

"Knee-high" corn a possibility this year
Thursday, July 03, 2008 (157 reads)

The old saying goes that corn should be “knee high by the Fourth of July” and that hopefully applies to many cornfields throughout the area...

Department of Corrections misses deadline
Thursday, July 03, 2008 (162 reads)

The State’s Corrections Department has missed a deadline regarding the closure of the Pontiac Correctional Center...

Ag and Zoning Committee reviews special use wind farm conditions
Thursday, July 03, 2008 (137 reads)

The Livingston County Board’s Ag and Zoning Committee last night reviewed the special use conditions for a proposed wind farm in the northern part of the county...

Candle blamed for causing house fire
Wednesday, July 02, 2008 (189 reads)

A candle is being blamed for an early morning house fire in Pontiac...

Small plane lands on Interstate 55
Wednesday, July 02, 2008 (177 reads)

Luckily, no one was injured when a single-engine plane made an emergency landing on I-55 near Dwight Tuesday night...

Ag & Zoning Committee to consider wind farm application
Wednesday, July 02, 2008 (141 reads)

The Livingston County Board’s Ag and Zoning Committee meets at 6 p.m. at the county Public Safety Complex on West Lincoln Street...

Cullom house damaged by fire
Wednesday, July 02, 2008 (160 reads)

A single-story house in Cullom was heavily damaged by fire Tuesday, but no one was injured...

Zoning Board recommends wind farm application
Tuesday, July 01, 2008 (155 reads)

A 155-turbine Livingston County wind farm is closer to reality...