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((AARON))DEMOLITION HAS BEGUN
FOR A BUSINESS DESTROYED BY
FIRE.((CHRISTIE))THIS COMES
JUST DAYS AFTER THE OWNER OF
SHORES JEWELRY IN MATTOON
ANNOUNCED PLANS FOR A NEW
BEGINNING.WCIA THREE'S EMILY
BRAUN IS LIVE IN MATTOON NOW.
EMILY, WHEN DID THIS START?
((EMILY))IT STARTED YESTERDAY.
AND JUST LAST WEEK--THE STORE
SAID THEY WOULD RE-OPEN AT A
NEW LOCATION.THAT WILL BE AT
1821 BROADWAY IN MATTOON--A
FEW BLOCKS FROM WHERE THEY
WERE BEFORE.THEY'VE BEEN
CLOSED SINCE THE FIRE IN
MARCH. THE BUILDING ALSO HAD
APARTMENTS AND BUSINESSES---
MANY WERE DISPLACED.BUT A LOT
OF THE BUSINESES AND PEOPLE
HAVE SINCE BEEN RELOCATED.FOR
NOW--OUR NEWS PARTNERS AT THE
JOURNAL GAZETTE TIMES COURIER
REPORT SO FAR--DEMOLITION
CREWS REMOVED THE THREE LAYERS
OF THE FRONT FACADE OF THE
BUILDING.THOSE LAYERS
REPRESENT THE HISTORY OF THE
BUILDING, WHICH WAS
CONSTRUCTED IN 1895---AND THE
HISTORY OF SHORES JEWELRY,
WHICH WAS HERE SINCE 1985.
((EMILY))WE'LL KEEP YOU
UPDATED AS DEMOLITION MOVES
FORWARD---AND AS SHORES' PLANS
TO START OVER NEW MOVE FORWARD
AS WELL.LIVE IN MATTOON, EMILY
BRAUN WCIA THREE, YOUR LOCAL
NEWS LEADER.
(SKYCAM)HERE IS A LIVE LOOK
OUTSIDE USING OUR ROOFING DOG
EYENET.(RADAR)HERE IS A LOOK
AT OUT LOCAL RADAR LOOP.
(TEMPERATURES)HERE IS A LOOK
AT OUR TEMPERATURES THIS
MORNING.(WINDS)HERE IS A LOOK
AT OUR WINDS THIS MORNING.
(FUTURETRACK)HERE IS YOUR
PREDICTION FOR RAIN AND
TEMPERATURES TODAY.(TODAY)HERE
IS YOUR HIGH TEMPERATURE,
WIND, AND SKY CONDITIONS FOR
TODAY.(TONIGHT)HERE IS YOUR
LOW TEMPERATURE, WIND, AND SKY
CONDITIONS FOR TONIGHT.
((AARON))DANVILLE MAYOR RICKEY
WILLIAMS MADE SOME ANNOUNCEMENT
S AFTER BEING SWORN IN LAST
NIGHT .((CHRISTIE))HEa
ALREADY DECLARED TODAY A DAY
OF PRAYER AND FASTING FOR THE
CITY.THAT STIRRED UP SOME
CONTROVERSY ON SOCIAL MEDIA
ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT HE WAS
OUT OF LINE IN DOING SO.LAST
NIGHT , WILLIAMS ANNOUNCED A
NEW INITIATIVE TO FIGHT
VIOLENCE.POLICE ARE TAKING ON
MORE PATROLS.THE CITY GOT
ALMOST 26 THOUSAND DOLLARS
FROM MCDONALD'S TO HELP PAY
FOR THAT.THE MONEY WILL ALLOW
FOR 160 MORE HOURS OF POLICE
WORK FOR THE NEXT THREE MONTHS.
THEY WILL ALSO HIRE SIX TO
SEVEN NEW OFFICERS.
((AARON))THE FUNERAL FOR THE
PIZZA DELIVERY DRIVER KILLED
LAST WEEK IS SET FOR TOMORROW .
THE SERVICE FOR TERRY GAINES
WILL BE AT NOON.IT WILL BE AT
THE NEW LIFE CHURCH OF FAITH
IN DANVILLE. THAT'S ON BOWMAN
AVENUE OFF OF VOORHEES STREET.
THE VISITATION IS AT 11.
((CHRISTIE))NEW THIS MORNING---
A 70-YEAR-OLD DECATUR MAN WAS
FOUND GUILTY OF SEXUALLY
ASSAULTING A BOY YOUNGER THAN
15.YESTERDAY JOHN MCKOWN WAS
FOUND GUILTY OF OF SEVERAL
ASSAULT AND ABUSE CHARGES.OUR
PARTNERS AT THE HERALD AND
REVIEW REPORT A BOY TESTIFIED
AGAINST HIM.HE SAID WHEN HE
WAS BETWEEN SIX AND 11 YEARS
OLD, HE WAS ASSAULTED IN THE
BATHROOM WHEN HE VISITED
MCKOWN'S HOME.MCKOWN WILL BE
SENTENCED IN JUNE.
((AARON))FIREFIGHTERS IN
DECATUR SPENT HOURS TRYING TO
SAVE ANOTHER VACANT HOME FROM
A FIRE.IT HAPPENED YESTERDAY
NEAR PRAIRIE AND ILLINOIS
STREETS.NEIGHBORS SAY ... AT
TIMES -- SOMEONE MAY HAVE BEEN
SLEEPING IN THE HOME.IT'S TOO
SOON TO TELL IF THE FIRE IS
SUSPICIOUS.FIREFIGHTERS SAY
... THE HOME IS A TOTAL LOSS.
((CHRISTIE))A TEN YEAR OLD WAS
AIRLIFTED TO THE HOSPITAL
AFTER POLICE SAY HE WAS HIT BY
A CAR.IT HAPPENED NEAR THE
INTERSECTION OF 9TH AND MARION
IN MATTOON.OUR PARTNERS AT THE
JOURNAL GAZETTE SAY THE CHILD
WAS RIDING HIS BIKE INTO THE
ROAD AND WAS HIT BY A TEENAGE
DRIVER.NO WORD ON IF ANYONE
WAS TICKETED.
((AARON))AS WE FIRST REPORTED
ON THE W-C-I-A NEWS APP --
AFTER A LEGAL FIGHT LASTING
MORE THAN A YEAR AGAINST THE
STATE ... CHAMPAIGN-BASED
BUSINESS SUBURBAN EXPRESS IS
SHUT DOWN.DENNIS TOEPPEN FILED
COURT DOCUMENTS TO END THE
BUSINESS EARLIER THIS MONTH.HE
PREVIOUSLY REACHED A CONSENT
DECREE WITH THE STATE AFTER
FACING A LAWSUIT FOR
DISCRIMINATING AGAINST
CUSTOMERS.OPERATIONS CEASED AT
SUBURBAN EXPRESS ... ALLERTON
CHARTER COACH AND ILLINI
SHUTTLE.HE SAID THE REASON FOR
CLOSING THE COMPANY WAS
BECAUSE -- "I STOPPED ENJOYING
THIS BUSINESS AROUND 2001, AND
I THINK IT'S BEGINNING TO
SHOW."
((CHRISTIE))THERE'S A NEW PUSH
TO MAKE IT HARDER TO CHANGE
WHAT YOU PAY IN STATE INCOME
TAX.REPUBLICANS IN THE HOUSE
INTRODUCED A CONSTITUTIONAL
AMENDMENT THAT WOULD REQUIRE
BOTH CHAMBERS TO REACH A TWO
THIRDS MAJORITY VOTE TO RAISE
OR LOWER TAXES.A SENATOR
PITCHED THE SAME IDEA AND IT
DIDN'T GET CALLED FOR A VOTE
THERE.COMMERCIALS PROMOTING
GOVERNOR PRITZKER'S FAIR TAX
SAY THE MAJORITY OF YOU
WOULDN'T SEE A CHANGE IN YOUR
TAX RATE.REPUBLICANS BELIEVE
WHILE THAT MAY BE TRUE IN THE
BEGINNING... ONCE THE FAIR TAX
IS PASSED... DEMOCRATS WILL
CHANGE YOUR TAX RATES WHENEVER
THEY PLEASE.
REP. DEANNE MAZZOCHI(R)
WESTMONTIf they really want to
say that the bottom 97 percent
don't get a tax increase, why
aren't they saying let's
reduce that down to 3.25
percent. The reason they are
not doing that is because they
know that they need the money
of the working class and the
middle class to fund their
spending budget. IF THEIR
PROPOSAL PASSES BOTH THE HOUSE
AND THE SENATE, IT WOULD GO ON
THE BALLOT IN 20-20.RIGHT NOW
ILLINOIS ONLY REQUIRES A
SIMPLE MAJORITY TO ALTER TAX
RATES.
((AARON))NEW THIS MORNING---
THE SPRINGFIELD CITY COUNCIL
HAS APPROVED MEASURES TO START
THE NEXT PHASE OF THEIR RAIL
IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT.OUR
PARTNERS AT THE STATE JOURNAL
REGISTER REPORT FIVE ORDIANCES
REGARDING CONSTRUCTION WERE
APPROVED LAST NIGHT.THE
IMPROVEMENTS INVOLVED
REPLACING AND CONSTRUCTING NEW
BRIDGES AND UNDERPASSES TO
ELIMINATE CONGESTION.THE
COUNCIL HOPES TO PUT THE
PROJECT OUT TO BID BY JUNE 14.
((CHRISTIE))IT'S THE BIGGEST
FUNDRAISER THE CHAMPAIGN
COUNTY HUMANE SOCIETY HAS ALL
YEAR LONG...AND THIS YEAR,
IT'S MOVING.THE 35TH ANNUAL
GIANT GARAGE SALE IS GOING TO
BE HELD AT THE FORMER ROGARDS
BUILDING ON SOUTH WALNUT
STREET IN CHAMPAIGN.IT WILL BE
MAY 24TH THROUGH THE 26TH.LAST
YEAR THE EVENT BROUGHT IN MORE
THAN $67-THOUSAND.ALL PROCEEDS
SUPPORT THE HUMANE SOCIETY.
DONATION DROP OFFS WILL BE MAY
16TH, 17TH AND 18TH.
((AARON))THAT WILL WRAP UP THE
MORNING SHOW ON WCIA,BUT
COMING UP WHEN WE MAKE THE
SWITCH TO WCIX FOR THE 7 & 8
OCLOCK HOURS OF THE MORNING
SHOW.((CHRISTIE))WE'VE GOT A
FURRY FRIEND STOPPING BY TODAY.
FIND OUT HOW YOU CAN ADOPT
CHLOE COMING UP IN PET ON THE
SET.((AARON))AND LATER AT 8 --
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT STUDENT
LOANS WITH KATHY SWEEDLER...
IN YOUR MONEY.((CHRISTIE))BUT
BEFORE THAT -- LETS GET ONE
LAST CHECK OF THE FORECAST
WITH ADAM.
WEATHER UPDATES/SEVEN-