Our news
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Legislative Republicans seek measures allowing voters to recall lawmakers, overturn state law
By JERRY NOWICKICapitol News Illinoisjnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Republican lawmakers from both chambers of the General Assembly are promoting three legislative proposals to give voters greater authority to amend the state constitution, recall legislative leaders and other lawmakers, and repeal recently-passed state laws. The “Voter Empowerment Project” includes three amendments to the state constitution, meaning each…
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Lame Duck Look Back: Feasibility of body camera mandate
By RAYMON TRONCOSOCapitol News Illinoisrtroncoso@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – An omnibus criminal justice bill passed by the General Assembly last month would, if signed by the governor, mandate all Illinois law enforcement agencies to use body cameras. The legislation, contained in House Bill 3653, would amend the state’s 2015 Law Enforcement Officer-Worn Body Camera Act from affecting…
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First-time jobless claims drop sharply
By PETER HANCOCKCapitol News Illinoisphancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – First-time unemployment claims in Illinois dropped sharply in the last week of January as most regions in the state slowly began reopening following the latest wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Illinois Department of Employment Security reported Thursday that 40,008 workers filed initial claims for regular unemployment benefits during the…
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Business of the Year: Mahomet Car Connection
By FRED KRONER fred@mahometnews.com Getting oriented to a new community has been a step-by-step process for Greg Collins. The introductions started when Collins and his wife, Barbie, moved to Mahomet in 2007. It was closer to his job, but there was another motive as well, “for our third-grade daughter, Kelli, and kindergarten son, Brandon, to…
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10 Question Friday: Diana Onken
About Diana! I grew up in Illinois and earned a BA in English Studies at Illinois State University. I met my husband, Jason Blackman, at college and we moved to Washington, DC where we lived for more than a decade. While there I worked for a number of political and advocacy organizations and earned a…
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Mahomet Masonic Lodge to be renovated, looking for community help with pictures
One of the oldest buildings in Mahomet is getting a facelift. Members of the Mahomet Masonic Lodge #220 have been preparing for a $50,000 renovation project that will update the exterior of the building. Last summer they took care of the windows on the first floor. In the upcoming months, the Masons hope to replace…
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Mahomet Area Youth Club Auction March 6
The Mahomet Area Youth Club stepped up for families in Mahomet in the whirlwind of 2020. Now, the club needs the community’s support. In uncertain times, MAYC adapted and stepped up, providing summer care for children whose parents needed to work. Then, as schools re-opened, the club served junior high students who needed a place…
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Mahomet-Seymour girls basketball looks forward to improvement after Monday loss
By FRED KRONER fred@mahometnews.com Girls’ basketball was the first Mahomet-Seymour High School athletic team to return to action following the easing of restrictions from the 11-month-old coronavirus pandemic. The game also marked the debut as head coach of Garret Risley, who was hired in the off-season. His memories will focus on the uniqueness of the…
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Mahomet-Seymour JH tops Urbana volleyball in season opener
By FRED KRONER fred@mahometnews.com Mahomet-Seymour’s junior high volleyball teams opened their seasons at home on Wednesday (Feb. 3) and both the seventh- and eighth-grade teams posted two-set sweeps. The seventh-graders upended Urbana Middle School, 25-10, 25-3. The second-set win was highlighted by a 17-point service spree from libero Olivia DeWitt. The eighth-graders also had standouts…
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Mahomet-Seymour High School to go remote Feb. 4 and 5
Mahomet-Seymour High School will be fully remote Thursday and Friday due to staff members being quarantined. “The shortage of staff at the high school will not enable us to continue to clean and disinfect the school according to our cleaning protocols to support students being in the building,” Superintendent Lindsey Hall wrote to parents Wednesday night. “As…