BOONE COUNTY, Ill. (WTVO) — Boone County Board members budgeted an estimated 11 to 13 million dollars to renovate the Boone County Courthouse. Boone County Chairman Rodney Riley and the rest of the county board unanimously approved renovation plans for the county courthouse on April 18th. The money will come from the American Rescue Plan Fund. "The renovations that were done in the eighties can certainly be built upon," said Riley. "I think that it's going to make a nice historic building that will, you know, be preserved for years to come." The Saavedra Group Architechs presented those plans ..read more

DECATUR, Ill. (WTVO) — Innovafeed, a French Agriculture Technology firm, partnered with ADM to create the world's largest insect innovation center in Decatur. It will be devoted to breeding insects to provide protein for animal feeds and pet foods. Soon the center will be buzzing with flies surrounding agricultural by-products from ADM in indoor farms. The process will yield new insect ingredients which will provide protein for animals and plants. The CEO of Innovafeed said that Decatur was the perfect spot for the innovation center. “We chose Decatur for our first U.S. operation because of it ..read more

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WTVO) — Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias has launched a new electronic notary system that will no longer require Illinois residents to notarize a document in person or be in the state to remotely notarize. E-Notary allows both the customer and notary to sign with an electronic signature, and to electronically attach both a notarial certificate and notary seal to a document. “In keeping with our ongoing effort to modernize the Secretary of State’s office, E-Notary serves as a game-changer for Illinoisians by now providing a convenient way to notarize documents wi ..read more

BELVIDERE, Ill. (WTVO) — Career Education Associates of North Central Illinois (CEANCI) hosted the fourth high school regional T & E Ed Competition, at the Rock Valley College Advanced Technology Center in Belvidere on April 18th. Around 75 students competed in four divisional categories: automotive, cabinetry, engineering, and welding. "If we can expose students to career awareness and these types of opportunities and it ignites a passion in them, it might lead them to their pathway," said CEANCI Community Outreach Coordinator Bethany Mead. Harlem Senior Miranda Klenz is one student ..read more

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — This weekend, music fans will flock to local record shops as part of National Record Store Day. Taylor Swift will release her much-anticipated "The Tortured Poets Department" on Friday, one day before Record Store Day, which is celebrated on April 20th. Pearl Jam releases its 12th studio album, "Dark Matter," this weekend. "It's our biggest weekend of the year and it might be the biggest weekend of all time," said Nick Naruz, owner of Toad Hall Books and Records, at 2106 Broadway. "This year there are 387 releases," Naruz added. "[Pink Floyd's] 'The Dark Side of the Moo ..read more

DOWNER'S GROVE, Ill. (WTVO) — The Illinois Tollway is planning to lay off dozens of its employees and outsource those jobs to a non-profit company staffed by the visually impaired. The Service Employee's International Union held a rally on Thursday at the Tollway's headquarters in Downer's Grove. SEIU Local 73 secretary-treasurer Joesph Richert said, "The Tollway wants to lay off the over-performing employees and double down on the [Chicago] Lighthouse, and give the work to the state-approved, no-bid vendor. We're here to call on Gov. Pritzker an the Tollway Board to do the right thing." The S ..read more

GENEVA, Ill. (WTVO) — Three staff members at an Illinois home for people with severe developmental disabilities have been placed on leave after one resident became pregnant. The woman has since given birth at the Marklund Hyde Center. The overweight woman's pregnancy went unnoticed until April 9th, and the baby was born the next day. The suspended staffers were asked to provide DNA samples. "We have had the male staff members who were suspended, they've had DNA testing and, so, I know that will be part of the Sheriff's investigation, using the DNA," said CEO Gil Fonger. The newborn remains at ..read more

Dickie Betts, who died Thursday at age 80, really was born a ramblin’ man. He left home at 16 to join the circus and became a renowned guitarist touring the world with the Allman Brothers Band. He wrote the group’s biggest hit, “Ramblin’ Man,” and remained on the road until he reached the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Betts died at his home in Osprey, Florida, his manager of 20 years, David Spero, said by phone. He had been battling cancer for more than a year and had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Spero said. “He was surrounded by his whole family and he passed peacefully. They didn’t ..read more

NEW YORK (AP) — A jury of 12 people was seated Thursday in former President Donald Trump’s hush money trial in New York, and the court quickly turned to selecting alternate jurors. The rapid progress Thursday afternoon propelled the case closer to opening statements and weeks of testimony in a case charging the Republican ex-president with falsifying business records to suppress stories about his sex life in the final days of the 2016 election. The jury includes a sales professional, a software engineer, an English teacher and multiple lawyers. The case centers on $130,000 Trump’s lawyer and f ..read more

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — Lucha Cantina, located at North Alpine Road Suite 212, is ranked as the best Mexican restaurant in town, according to traveler reviews on TripAdvisor. Lucha Cantina is known for its chef's menu which changes every month and has options like chicken al pastor flatbread, torta en adobo, swordfish tacos and mijenta tequila dinner just to name a few. Mexico Clasico came in second, according to TripAdvisor. This restaurant is located at 3929 Broadway. Clasico boasts an appetizing menu, tableside guacamole and even a live mariachi band on the holidays. TripAdvisor reviews ran ..read more