Carol Ann Alford, 77, Pontiac, died at 10:02 pm Friday, December 26, 2025 at Accolade Healthcare of Pontiac. Her funeral will be held at 10:00 am Friday, January 2, 2026 at Duffy-Pils Memorial Home, Fairbury with Fr. Bill Keebler officiating.  Burial will follow at St. John’s Catholic Cemetery, Fairbury. Visitation will be 4:00 to 7:00 pm on Thursday, January 1, 2026 at Duffy-Pils Memorial Home, Fairbury.  Memorials can be made to the Pontiac Alano Club, St. Mary’s Catholic C

Another arrest has been made by the “predator team” within the Woodford County Pro-Active Unit.   Woodford County Chief Deputy Dennis Tipsword has announced the arrest of Rodney K. Harrod of Tiskilwa, Illinois who was taken into custody Saturday after reportedly traveling to the county to meet a minor he met online and believed to be a 15-year-old female.   Harrod was being held on four felonies, including two counts of indecent solicitation of a child, one count of traveling

A Pontiac Correctional Center inmate was found dead in his cell Sunday evening and authorities are investigating. Pontiac Fire and Ambulance were dispatched to the prison shortly before 5:30 p.m. for an inmate who was unresponsive in the north cell house. “Upon arrival, medical aid was attempted but the inmate did not survive and the time of death was pronounced at 6:07 p.m.,” stated a news release from Livingston County Coroner Michael E. Renner. The deceased inmate was Patr

Tucked among the holiday week hustle and bustle this year was a wild weather system that impacted the state Sunday. An unusually warm morning led to a stormy day for many as severe weather swept across the region. A radar-indicated tornado hit Pontiac and Clifton with damage reports from the west side of Pontiac near Caterpillar. Shed doors were blown off in Kankakee County and a roof was blown off of the Dairyland Seed facility in Gibson City following strong winds or a poss

The Illinois Department of Transportation continued to revitalize and modernize transportation and mobility across the state in 2025. Made possible by the Rebuild Illinois capital program, projects transformed highways, transit, railroads, airports, waterways and active transportation everywhere Illinois residents call home, creating safer and more reliable travel options while boosting economic opportunity for generations to come. Passed in 2019, Rebuild Illinois is investi

House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence NSA and Cyber Subcommittee Chairman Darin LaHood (IL-16) joined House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast (FL-21) and several other House colleagues to introduce the  AI  OVERWATCH Act . This bill ensures congressional oversight keeps pace with advancing technology, blocks adversary militaries from accessing weapon-enabling AI, and ensures the U.S. remains the leader in advanced technology by accelerating American AI

Authorities in Woodford County have announced the arrest of Daniel Campbell from Peoria Heights after he allegedly traveled to meet a minor he met online and believed to be a 15-year-old female. Campbell was charged with four felonies, including two counts of indecent solicitation of a child Class 3, one count of traveling to meet a minor Class 3 and one count of grooming Class 4. The arrest and investigation was conducted by members of the Predator Team within the Woodford C

Many local churches have shared information on upcoming holiday services with Route 24 Radio.   The following churches have planned Christmas Eve services on Dec. 24: Christ Community in Chenoa 7 p.m. Livingston Global Methodist 5 p.m. (in the Edelman warehouse in Fairbury) Pontiac First Lutheran 4 and 7 p.m. Christ Community in Gridley 7 p.m. Lexington First United Methodist 4 p.m. Downs United Methodist 5 p.m. Pontiac Bible Church 3 and 4:30 p.m. Trinity Lutheran of Fairbur

This holiday season, the Illinois Department of Transportation, Illinois State Police and more than 200 law enforcement agencies are joining forces for the national “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign. The effort reminds the public that law enforcement will adopt a zero-tolerance approach, focusing not only impaired drivers but also seat belt violations, speeding, distracted driving and other traffic offenses. From rural routes and small-town streets to suburban neighbo

James “Jim” Dukich, 75, of Arrowsmith, passed away on Thursday, December 18, 2025, at Carle Foundation Hospital, Urbana. His funeral will be held at 1 pm, Saturday, December 27, 2025, at Duffy-Pils Memorial Home, Colfax. Burial will follow in Oak Grove Cemetery, LeRoy. Visitation will be 12 to 1:00 pm, Saturday, prior to the funeral also at the funeral home in Colfax. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the family. Mr. Dukich was born June 4, 1950, in Morgantown,

After Governor JB Pritzker signed the $2.5 billion transit reform proposal into law this month, House Minority Leader Tony McCombie released the following statement:   “Downstate Illinois is being forced to bail out Chicago’s broken transit system. This law permanently diverts more than $1 billion every year from the Road Fund, money that was constitutionally promised to fix roads and bridges and sends it to prop up transit operations driven by years of mismanagement. This is

Congressman Darin LaHood (IL-16) introduced the  Retirement Simplification and Clarity Act,  alongside his Ways and Means colleague Congressman Jimmy Panetta (CA-19). This legislation works to remove barriers and provide individuals with clearer guidance and more flexibility while planning for retirement. "Hardworking Americans planning for retirement shouldn’t have to face extraneous complications that create uncertainty about their financial future,"   said Rep. LaHood.   "

Almost 400 full-time students and 573 part-time students have been named to the Heartland Community College Dean's List for the Fall 2025 semester.   At the end of each fall and spring semester students earning a 3.5 or higher GPA during the preceding semester are named to the Heartland Community College Dean's List.   To view the full list of students named to the Fall 2025 Dean’s List go to:   https://www.heartland.edu/news/2025/12.2025Fall2025DeansList12.18.25.html

The Livingston County Health Department (L.C.H.D.) will be changing building hours effective December 22, 2025. The health department will now be open longer hours each week Mondays through Thursdays and will be closed to the public on Fridays. The Board of Health approved the change at its December 15th meeting. Administrator Dr. Erin Fogarty explained that the new building hours will bring multiple benefits. Most importantly, the new hours will be more accommodating to the

The   Illinois State Police (ISP) Illinois Trafficking Enforcement Group (ITEG) arrested one person during a Human Trafficking Demand Suppression Operation near Galesburg in Knox County on December 18, 2025. The operation focused on identifying individuals seeking to engage in commercial sex acts.   As a result of the operation, ISP arrested 41-year-old John O’Leary of Chicago, IL for Promoting Commercial Sexual Exploitation of a Child (Class 1 Felony), Indecent Solicitation

Michele Schramm-Manzardo, 51, of Chatsworth, passed away at 12:35 am, December 17, 2025, at Carle Hospital, Champaign. Cremation has been accorded. A Memorial Service will be held at 12:00 pm, Saturday, January 3, 2026, at Duffy-Pils Memorial Home, Fairbury. Pastor Brian King will be officiating. Memorials may be made to the family. Michele was born October 6, 1974, in Hazel Crest, the daughter of Frank and Geraldine (Dalle) Manzardo. She married Allen Schramm on February 10,

A registered sex offender was arrested by Pontiac Police last week during a high school cheerleading event. Authorities received a complaint about an individual possibly taking inappropriate photos at the event last weekend at Pontiac Township High School, according to a press release provided by Pontiac Police. Officers arrived and learned a spectator had observed the man taking zoomed-in photos of cheerleaders. “It was determined the individual had no connection to any of t

One day shy of his 100th birthday, Richard Albert “Dick” Jacobs, of Chenoa, passed away peacefully at 7:20 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 8, 2025 at Fairview Haven in Fairbury, IL. He was born on Dec. 9, 1925 at St. James Hospital, Pontiac, the second son of Theodore Albert Frank “Ted” and Blanche Maybelle Elson Jacobs. He was raised on their family farm just west of Chenoa, on Route 24, with three siblings: Robert T.  “Bob,” Shirley Ann, and Mary Kathryn. Together, they worked hard an

The McLean County Corner has released the identity of a second fire victim from a fatal house fire in Bloomington late last month. Two deaths were reported at 1205 Eastholme Avenue on Nov. 26. A juvenile male has been identified as Hayden K. Stover, 17, of Bloomington. Officials say Stover died from carbon monoxide intoxication caused by the inhalation of smoke and soot from a house fire. Toxicology tests are pending. Circumstances surrounding the incident remain under invest

From Nov. 21 to Dec. 2, the Bloomington Police Department participated in the “Click it or Ticket” and “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” mobilization to reduce crashes and save lives. Enforcement focused on seat-belt use, speeding, distracted driving, alcohol and drug-impaired driving, including cannabis. During the campaign, police reported 24 speeding citations, 1 electronic device use citation, 29 other traffic citations and 1 traffic arrest. The Thanksgiving Enforcement ef