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((COLE)) EARLY VOTING IS NOW
UNDERWAY IN ILLINOIS. WHERE
PEOPLE LINED UP TO CAST THEIR
BALLOTS BEFORE THE DOORS EVEN
OPENED.
"IT WAS SHOCKING AND WHEN I
HAD TO GO OVER AND SEE THEM IT
DESTROYED ME." A FAMILY WOKE
UP TO FIND THEIR TWO DOGS DEAD
IN THEIR YARD. WHY THE OWNER
BELIEVES THEY WERE POISONED. A
FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN
FIGHTING FOR THE RETURN OF ITS
AMBULANCE SERVICE. WHY THE
CITY IS APPEALING A DECISION
TO BRING IT BACK.
YOU'RE WATCHING YOUR LOCAL
NEWS LEADER... THIS IS WCIA
THREE NEWS AT FIVE.
"THAT'S EXCITING. PEOPLE ARE
EXCITED TO CAST THEIR BALLOTS."
EARLY VOTING STARTED TODAY IN
ILLINOIS... AND IN SANGAMON
COUNTY... THERE WAS A-LINE FOR
THE BALLOT BOX. ((PAUL)) GOOD
EVENING ... I'M PAUL CICCHINI.
BOTH VOTERS AND ELECTION
OFFICIALS SAID IT WAS
SOMETHING THEY HAD NEVER SEEN
BEFORE. W-C-I-A THREE'S COLE
HENKE IS LIVE AT THE COUNTY
ELECTION OFFICE. COLE... JUST
HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE THERE?
((COLE)) PAUL I GOT TO THE
SANGAMON COUNTY BUILDING 15
MINUTES BEFORE THE DOORS
OPENED... AND THERE WERE
ALREADY 20 PEOPLE IN LINE.
THOSE PEOPLE WERE THE FIRST TO
OFFICIALLY CAST THEIR BALLOTS
IN THE COUNTY. MAIL IN BALLOTS
ARE ALSO BEING SENT IN NOW.
THE STATE STARTED TO SEND OVER
1. POINT 8 MILLION BALLOTS TO
VOTERS TODAY. SANGAMON COUNTY
SENT OUT 31,000 MAIL IN
BALLOTS, WHICH TRIPLED THE
PREVIOUS HIGH SENT OUT FOR THE
COUNTY. THE PRESIDENT IS
CONSISTENTLY ATTACKING THE
LEGITIMACY OF THE MAIL IN
VOTING SYSTEM. SANGAMON COUNTY
CLERK DON GRAY SAID THE
NUMBERS WILL MEAN MORE WORK
FOR HIS OFFICE.
"CERTAINLY ITS A LOT MORE FOR
US TO PROCESS, BUT ITS UNDER
THE SAME GUIDELINES FOR HOW WE
ALWAYS PROCESSED OUR VOTE BY
MAIL. SO I HAVE GREAT
CONFIDENCE THAT IT WILL BE
ACCURATE. IT WILL BE SECURE,
IT WILL BE ACCOUNTABLE AND
TRANSPARENT." GRAY BELIEVES
THE UNSUALLY BIG TURNOUT FOR
DAY ONE VOTING, IS JUST A TELL
FOR HOW HIGH TURNOUT COULD BE
FOR THE ELECTION ONCE ALL
TYPES OF BALLOTS ARE COUNTED.
((COLE)) COMING UP AT SIX... WE
WILL HAVE MORE FROM SOME OF
THOSE PEOPLE IN LINE,
INCLUDING A COUPLE VOTERS WHO
WAITED FOR 2 HOURS, BEFORE
FINALLY GETTING IN TO CAST
THEIR BALLOTS. ((PAUL)) COLE,
THANKS.
((PAUL)) CONGRESSIONAL
CANDIDATE BETSY DIRKSEN-
LONDRIGAN WAS ONE OF THE
PEOPLE IN THAT LINE THIS
MORNING. SHE SAID SHE WAS
SURPRISED BY THE TURNOUT --
BUT HAD NEVER BEEN HAPPIER TO
WAIT IN LINE. HER OPPONENT
CONGRESSMAN RODNEY DAVIS
STARTED RUNNING A NEW AD THAT
CLAIMS DIRKSEN- LONDRIGAN'S
MEDICARE X PLAN WOULD CLOSE
HOSPITALS IN RURAL AREAS. SHE
SAID THAT IS UNTRUE.
"THE ENTIRE REASON I GOT INTO
THIS RACE WAS TO PROTECT
HEALTHCARE AGAINST SOMEONE WHO
VOTED TO REPEAL THE AFFORDABLE
CARE ACT. TO GUT PROTECTIONS
FOR PEOPLE WITH PREXISTING
CONDITIONS AND VOTED AGAINST
LOWERING THE PRICE OF
PRESCRIPTION DRUGS." DAVIS IS
IN WASHINGTON D.C. TODAY... SO
HE WAS NOT BACK IN THE
DISTRICT TO CAST HIS BALLOT.
((PAUL)) ONE COUNTY HAS ALREADY
ENCOUNTERED AN ISSUE WITH
EARLY VOTING. AN EMPLOYEE WITH
THE CHRISTIAN COUNTY CLERK'S
OFFICE TESTED POSITIVE FOR
COVID-19. THAT ANNOUNCEMENT
CAME TODAY. THE CHRISTIAN
COUNTY COURTHOUSE WAS ONE OF
THE EARLY VOTE SITES. IT*WILL
REMAIN OPEN TO VOTERS.
OFFICIALS SAY THEY'RE UPPING
DISINFECTION EFFORTS. THEY'LL
BE WIPING DOWN BOOTHS AND
MATERIALS AFTER EACH USE.
((PAUL)) TAKING A LOOK AT THE
LATEST COVID NUMBERS NOW.
CASES ARE UP IN CHAMPAIGN
COUNTY. 65 NEW ONES WERE
REPORTED TODAY. THAT BRINGS
THE TOTAL TO MORE THAN
44-HUNDRED. STATEWIDE... THERE
ARE MORE THAN 22-HUNDRED NEW
CASES. THAT MAKES THE TOTAL
MORE THAN 281-THOUSAND. THE
7-DAY POSITIVITY RATE HAS BEEN
HOLDING STEADY AT THREE AND A
HALF PERCENT. 30 MORE PEOPLE
HAVE DIED. ILLINOIS HAS SEEN
MORE THAN 85- HUNDRED COVID-
RELATED DEATHS.
((PAUL)) A WOMAN FROM
GEORGETOWN SAYS HER DOGS WERE
POISONED...AND SHE DOESN'T
THINK IT WAS AN ACCIDENT.
WCIA3'S JAMIE MAYES IS WITH
US-- JAMIE--WHAT HAPPENED TO
HER DOGS?
((JAMIE)) BRANDI SHAFFER SAYS
HER HUSBAND FED THEM FRIDAY
NIGHT. THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO
BE SLEEPING OUTSIDE. BY
SATURDAY--- THEY WERE DEAD.
SHAFFER SAYS 5 YEAR OLD ROXY
AND 9 MONTH OLD DIESEL WERE
OUTSIDE OF THEIR KENNEL--NO
LONGER ALIVE. SHE SAYS THERE
WAS A YELLOW SUBSTANCE AROUND
THE HUSKY'S MOUTH AND THERE
WAS A LOT OF VOMIT IN THE
YARD. SHAFFER SAYS SHE THINKS
THEY WERE POISONED
INTENTIONALLY BECAUSE THE DOGS
NEVER LEAVE THE YARD.
BRANDI SHAFFER/GEORGETOWN "I
WAS SHOCKED. I'VE LIVED HERE
FOR 5 YEARS. NEVER HAD ANY
TROUBLE WITH ANYBODY AROUND
HERE. IT WA SHOCKING AND WHEN
I HAD TO GO OVER AND SEE THEM
IT DESTROYED ME." THEY HAVEN'T
FOUND ANY VIDEO FOOTAGE OF
WHAT HAPPENED. SHE PLANS TO
GET LAB TESTS DONE TO CONFIRM
THE DOGS WERE POISONED.
((JAMIE)) SHAFFER SAYS SHE
CONTACTED GEORGETOWN POLICE.
SHE'S HOPING ANYONE WITH
INFORMATION WILL COME FORWARD
TO POLICE WITH INFORMATION.
((PAUL)) THANK YOU, JAMIE.
((PAUL)) A POLICE DEPARTMENT
WILL BE REGULATING ABANDONED
OR INOPERABLE VEHICLES MORE
TIGHTLY. VILLAGE GROVE POLICE
SAY ... THE BIGGEST ISSUE IS
WITH VEHICLES ELEVATED ON
JACKS. OFFICERS SAY ...
THEY'RE A POTENTIAL SAFETY
HAZARD. THEY'LL START ISSUING
WARNINGS. IF THE PROBLEM ISN'T
FIXED -- THE OWNER WILL GET A
FORMAL VIOLATION. THEY'LL HAVE
A WEEK AFTER THAT TO CORRECT
THE PROBLEM. IF THEY DON'T --
THEY COULD BE FINED UP TO $750
DOLLARS.
((PAUL)) AFTER SERVING OUR TOWN
MAHOMET FOR HIS ENTIRE
CAREER... A PATROL OFFICER IS
CALLING IT QUITS. WHAT HE SAYS
HE'S LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT.
PLUS THIS. "WE BELIEVE IT
PROVIDES A GOOD SERVICE FOR
THE CITY OF MATTOON." A STATE
PANEL DECIDED THE FIRE
DEPARTMENT'S AMBULANCE SERVICE
SHOULD BE BROUGHT BACK. WHY
THE CITY IS NOW APPEALING THAT
DECISION.