Severe storms are in the forecast for the weekend.

On the WHOW Morning Show Tuesday, Ed Shimon at the National Weather Service in Lincoln told Regional Radio storms are going to dominate the lower midwest into the weekend when storms become likely in Illinois.

As severe weather rolls in, Shimon reminds to be aware of the terminology when notices and warnings are issued. 

This week is trending to end up a little cooler. Shimon notes though, April is still a degree above normal for its average temperature.

Looking to May, temperatures and precipitation are looking to be above normal. We'll hear more from Shimon on that in the days ahead on Regional Radio. 

DeWitt County Sheriff Mike Walker and his department are turning to digital communication and it will limit how much the public can consume on the scanner.

Sheriff Walker explains going digital allows them to establish a secure channel to communicate. He explains it is a safety measure for responding officers to scenes.

According to Sheriff Walker, the phenomenon of the public listening to scanners has taken on a different level of challenge in 2024. He explains people will listen to the scanners and not only draw conclusions about a situation with incomplete information but then share that on social media - creating a bigger issue.

Sheriff Walker says the social media component of speculation during incidents is particularly detrimental to law enforcement and its efforts. He indicates what is happening on the police communication lines is often only part of what is being shared among first responders.

The Sheriff's office is currently in the midst of an upgrade of its communication equipment. Sheriff Walker says they have a few hurdles to clear but believes it will be an overall positive for communications among DeWitt County first responders. 

Next Tuesday, Illinois 4-H members are invited to a statewide webinar that will promote the benefits of the Illinois Soybean Association.

Terri Miller-Casey is the Extension Director for the U of I Extension in Logan, Menard, and Sangamon Counties. She explains this is geared toward older youth but it will provide a look into the role with the Illinois Soybean Association and others like it.

Miller-Casey indicates a lot of young people may not be aware of the important role a group like the Illinois Soybean Association has on agriculture and further - the professional opportunities they offer.

That webinar is from 6 pm to 7 pm on Tuesday, April 30. Register through your local University of Illinois Extension office. 

The state’s two-tiered pension system might be accruing retirement benefits that break federal law.

14 years ago, the state changed pension benefits that new employees would earn, but those benefits must be as generous as Social Security. That might not be the case and a fix for Tier 2 employees might be needed. That won’t come without additional state dollars being spent to make sure benefits fit federal safe harbor requirements. Governor JB Pritzker says he understands that the current system might need a fix.

There hasn't been an official cost connected to any possible fix for Tier 2 pensions.

A frost concern for Illinois specialty growers this past weekend. Jenna Spychal (spy-chul) is with Jonamac Orchard in Malta in DeKalb County. She spoke with RFD Radio on Monday.

Spychal also serves as chairman of the Illinois Specialty Growers Association.

The Better Business Bureau says it received hundreds of complaints from consumers in Illinois and Missouri last year about automatic car washes. 

Some report damage that is usually not covered by the businesses, as they state, “not responsible for damage.” In other cases. BBB Investigator Don O’Brien says subscription packages have come under fire.

Other tips include researching any business and its owners carefully before paying any money. Visit the business website to see if it has a list of vehicle restrictions. 

Many car washes will only accept vehicles of a certain size in their automatic bays. Make sure to understand any subscription plans. And pay by credit card in case you need to challenge the purchase.

City of Clinton leadership will soon begin forming a new strategic plan.

City Administrator Taylor Baxter tells Regional Radio this is something that needs to be done for the community to start to move forward. He feels it is exciting to think about the future of the community.

According to Baxter, this will be an extensive process where they take time to hear from a lot of people. 

Baxter hopes to have a good mix of individuals with varying perspectives on the community. He hopes to have parents with kids in the schools, teachers, school leaders, and many more from the community at the table.

Clinton's last strategic plan was so long ago Baxter is unable to find a document attributed to it. He notes while he couldn't find a document for it, there have been some other efforts with universities to outline a roadmap but no official strategic planning effort. 

Piatt County Sheriff Mark Vogelzang is celebrating a grant his department recently received from the NRA.

Sheriff Vogelzang explains they were able to secure around $900 for ammunition to train with.

According to Sheriff Vogelzang, an annual qualification is required. He notes while that is not a high bar to reach to attain that qualification, they do a lot to train.

Sheriff Vogelzang indicates their range time has to be coordinated with the Monticello police department - which has its own range. 

These grants were the first time the Sheriff's office has taken advantage of funding from the NRA but Sheriff Vogelzang indicates the NRA is very active in a lot of firearm educational opportunities for youth. 

A Logan County school district is the latest to introduce heart testing for its students.

Fred Lamkey is the Superintendent of Mt. Pulaski Schools and on the WHOW Morning Show Monday told Regional Radio this is something that has been happening in Logan County schools and Olympia.

According to Lamkey, this is a volunteer test done on youth in the district and provides them with a quick screening for any irregularities.

The initiative is titled 'Who Do You Play For' and he looks forward to it being an ongoing effort in Mt. Pulaski. 

State Representative Amy Elik has been working on legislation designed to crack down on sexual abuse by educators and authority figures in schools. 

The House passed the measure last Friday that will do just that. The Illinois General Assembly has previously created stronger protections for school children 17 years and younger, but Elik said it is currently not illegal for an educator or staff member to have sexual contact with an 18-year-old student.

Elik believes school staff who sexually abuse 18-year-old students should be charged with a Class A misdemeanor for their first offense and a Class 4 felony for any repeat offenses. House Bill 4241 passed unanimously on a 107-0 vote and now heads to the Senate for consideration

The Illinois Ag Leadership Foundation Class of 25 is making progress. Brad Suhling of Carlinville is with Prairie Farms Dairy. He’s participating in the program.

To learn about the participating in the Illinois Ag Leadership Foundation Class of 27, visit agleadership.org.

Chicago seems poised to contribute $70 million to the care of migrants living in the city. The overall cost is expected to be over $300 million this year. The state and Cook County have already contributed tens of millions for going care. Governor JB Pritzker says migrants are legally in the United States and deserve proper care.

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Pritzker says the chaos in the system was and is being caused by bus loads full of people being sent to Chicago by state’s like Texas who have little regard for them.

It’s shaping up to be a possible franchise-defining week for the Chicago Bears. The team has the first overall pick in the draft, and they are prepared to deliver a plan for a new lakefront stadium on Wednesday. Governor JB Pritzker continues to say he remains largely against funneling public dollars to help sports teams build new stadiums.

The Bears hold the first and ninth overall picks in the draft – that happens on Thursday night.

Last month, the DeWitt County Board surprised many by approving the sale of the Clinton Lake Marina to an outfit out of Sullivan.

Many viewed the Department of Natural Resources as the favorite to be the next owner of the marina but Board Chair Dan Matthews says DNR did not provide a very comprehensive proposal and he felt there were better proposals from others in the process.

According to Matthews, the Board last month set conditions for the sale of the marina.

Among those conditions is the first right of refusal should the new owner sell the marina in the first five years. Some have questioned that condition because it leaves open the possibility after five years, the owner could sell the property off and the marina would be shut down.

According to Matthews, the sale is going to take some time and there are still some things to iron out before it becomes official. He notes in the meantime, there is going to still be activity out at the marina as the upcoming boating season soon kicks into high gear.

For Matthews, having someone own the Marina is going to mean that group will have more skin in the game and he believes having the County out of the Marina business will allow more timely improvements and quicker decision-making. He felt the way the government operates slowed down progress at the marina. 

Tax day may be in the rearview mirror but Social Security has some things for business leaders to keep an eye out for already for next year.

Employer wage reports were due to Social Security at the end of January and IRS regulations reduced the electronic filing threshold from 250 W-2s to 10 informational returns. Jack Myers with Social Security says more employers now need to take advantage of Social Security’s Business Services Online. Some companies/organizations handle the wage reporting themselves, others hire accountants or payroll services to handle it. 

Once that connection is made, you will then request services you would like to perform for your employer in BSO. Myers adds some of the options include, W-2/W2c Online, Wage file upload, the AccuWage Online, and Social Security Number Verification Service.

Additionally, Myers notes to use Business Services Online, we now require authentication through your mySocialSecurity account. Therefore, you’ll need to establish or link your mySocialSecurity account to Business Services Online.

Myers encourages employers to look ahead to next year and get your BSO access squared away now, before you need it next January. It can take some time to get everything set up. Especially if you wait until the peak time, so visit www.ssa.gov/bso today to get started.

There are helpful resources available via the “Customer support for wage reporting”  link on the BSO page. 

As a result of listening sessions held with the agritourism industry, Illinois Farm Bureau and the Illinois Specialty Growers Association have developed three webinars with industry insiders to engage farmers in a variety of topics. The agritourism miniseries will be held this spring says IFB Associate Director of Food Systems Development Raghela Scavuzzo.

More information at ilfb.org under the "Get Involved" tab.

The DeWitt County Board Chair has continued frustration with Enel Green Power over the curtailment of the Alta Farms II wind farm during severe weather.

The topic came up at Thursday night's DeWitt County Board Chair Dan Matthews told Regional Radio on the WHOW Morning Show Friday it is frustrating because Enel has only provided a written response to questions they have.

For Matthews, having the conversation face-to-face would be much better and would demonstrate a strong partnership. Having a face-to-face conversation is something he's wanted for some time.

At the Thursday night County Board meeting, Board member Joe Witte brought the topic up wanting to hear from Enel about how it curtails the turbines during weather events. 

A nutrition educator at the University of Illinois Extension is offering some tips for spring cleaning and including your kitchen in your efforts.

Caitlin Mellendorf is a nutrition educator at the U of I Extension in DeWitt, Macon, and Piatt Counties and says deep cleaning your kitchen might include pulling out appliances and cleaning the area around them as well as doing a thorough evaluation of your refrigerator or freezer and its contents.

Mellendorf encourages getting that grill out giving it a good cleaning before you throw food on it. 

Sidewalks in downtown Clinton will be addressed as part of an upcoming series of projects that is anticipated to be approved by the Clinton City Council in May. 

City Administrator Taylor Baxter says this is something that has been needed and now is the time to take care of these.

According to Baxter, some areas of the square are in desperate need of attention so they will prioritize the square and do them a little bit at a time. 

Baxter calls the project a significant investment and will be paid with dollars from the downtown TIF fund. 

A busy spring season for the Clinton Chamber of Commerce wraps up in about another month with one of the biggest fundraisers of the year.

The annual May Days Festival is May 16-19 and Chamber Director Janice Peterson is busy getting final preparations together for one of Clinton's most popular events.

Last year, wristbands that were sold for the carnival sold out well in advance of the festival and some in the community could not purchase them at a discounted rate. Peterson says this year, they've doubled the number of wristbands they will sell.

The Chamber is seeking a non-profit to help with ticket sales inside the ticket booths at the carnival during the festival. In years past, Second Chance for Pets has volunteered but Peterson indicates they are unable to this year so they are looking for a non-profit to take their place.

Follow the Chamber of Commerce on Facebook for more on May Days as it approaches. Peterson is hoping to have some new offerings this year along with traditional entertainment and of course the carnival. 

The wristbands go on sale on Wednesday, May 1. 

A dock on Clinton Lake was removed by the State of Illinois.

Department of Natural Resources Conservation Police Captain John Williamson says the dock on the west side access ramp has been taken out. 

The State plans to rebuild the dock in that spot but it will not be complete until next year. Capt. Williamson says once it is done it will be nice but in the meantime, reminds boaters, to find another ramp if you need the dock.

The summer boating season has already begun. Capt. Williamson indicates they had a very busy weekend on Clinton Lake last weekend and anticipates the nicer days having more and more boats out as we ramp up towards the big Memorial Day weekend - one of the busiest if not the busiest on the lake. 

A brief meeting of the DeWitt County Board was highlighted by brief discussions on a variety of topics.

If you've noticed curtailment issues with the Alta Farms II wind farm during severe events - you're not alone. DeWitt County Board member Joe Witte called on the Board to bring Enel representatives to have a discussion about its protocols during severe weather.

DeWitt County State's Attorney Dan Markwell gave an update to the Board on the latest with the sale of the Marina. The Board approved the sale of the marina last month and Board Chair Dan Matthews says they will still need to have a special meeting soon to get the agreement approved.

Finally, the County is seeking to move off its agreement with its current IT provider and go with someone else. County Clerk Kari Harris told the Board they are not getting the service they once did.

In regards to the IT contract, County Administrator DeeDee Rentmeister told the Board they met with individuals from the City of Clinton and a few other local entities about the issue and they too agreed it was time to move off the IT company collectively.

Additionally, Harris and Rentmeister say they have been contacted by other Counties in Illinois about their experiences with this company and other places are reporting similar issues. 

The Clinton City Council approved the Fiscal Year 2025 budget Tuesday night.

City Administrator Taylor Baxter believes there are a lot of positive things to tout with this year's budget. On the WHOW Morning Show Wednesday, he told Regional Radio that among them is the fact revenues for the City are up.

While revenues are up, Baxter points out costs are also going up. Inflation has a lot to do with it. He explains they have to dip into reserves to cover some major projects that are on the books for this budget.

According to Baxter, you will not be happy to hear your water bills is increasing again. It was late last year, the DeWitt County Sanitation District announced they would be increasing their fees for a new plant and now the City of Clinton will increase its rates due to rising costs.

For many years now, the City's pensions for police and fire have been well funded and it has been something city officials have touted. Baxter applauds City Treasurer Clint Lichtenwalter for his diligence and foresight to make sure those funds are healthy.

Another driving for the rising costs for this upcoming budget is the latest increase in minimum wage which touches so many departments within the City.

Despite some of the tough things to hear, Baxter says the City of Clinton is in a very sound position financially and credits City departments for diligent budgeting and setting the City up for long-term success. 

Last month, the Clinton Board of Education approved the resignation of first-year Clinton Elementary School Principal Kelly Morrison.

Earlier this month, the Board of Education approved the hiring of Paul Ranstead. On the WHOW Morning Show Wednesday, Superintendent Curt Nettles told Regional Radio Ranstead stood out among the other candidates for the position.

While the applicant pool for the position was not a large number, Nettles believes they had quality candidates with several who would have made great principals at Clinton Elementary School.

Nettles had high praise for Ranstead saying they searched high and low and found no one that could say anything bad about him. Nettles believes Ranstead will be a great leader.

Many may question the longevity of Ranstead in the district as this will be the building's third principal in three years. While he recognizes that is accurate, he says you know when you've got a good administrator. 

Ranstead comes to Clinton from Decatur where he is an elementary principal. 

The Governor is still pushing for nearly a billion dollars to rebuild two prisons.

JB Pritzker wants Statesville and Logan to be torn down and replaced. Not everyone is on board with what they claim are many unknowns. Public input will be coming at hearings, but the Governor says both have long outlived their usefulness.

A press release from the Department of Corrections says Statesville in Joliet will be torn down and rebuilt. The release doesn’t specify if the Logan facility would be rebuilt on its existing footprint in Logan County, near Lincoln. It’s one of two prisons dedicated to female inmates.