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Illinois farm family featured in regional Super Bowl commercial

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Illinois farm family featured in regional Super Bowl commercial


A farming family from the Peoria area will be featured in a commercial to air during Super Bowl 58, scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Sunday on WMBD-TV.

The Leman family of Eureka, Illinois, is set to appear in the regional commercial along with at least five other farming families throughout the state. Produced by Illinois Farm Families, the 30-second spot — part of the IFF’s “We are the 96%” campaign — is designed to highlight that nearly all of the state’s farms are family-owned.

“I hope people can see that the same families who have been responsible for growing their food in the past are still responsible for growing it today,” Chad Leman told agweb.com. “But, we’ve had to grow a little in the meantime so the next generation has room to move in.”

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Who is the Leman family?

Vernon Leman began farming the main Woodford County farmstead in 1949, according to IFF. The farm has expanded with each new generation, starting with crops and then moving on to pigs in the 1970s and then onto selling seed to fellow farmers in the 1990s. Three generations of Lemans work the farm now, including Chad and Staci Leman’s daughter, Tessa Leman, a former two-time Journal Star small-school girls basketball player of the year and recent graduate of Illinois State University.

“The next gens don’t have to come back to the farm, but the values and work ethic they learned growing up on the farm will benefit them in whatever path they pursue,” Chad Leman told agweb.com. “No matter what our daughters pursue in life, we hope they carry with them a fondness of the time they spent on our family farm.”

The Lemans will appear in the commercial alongside four other Illinois farming families: the Boucher family of Livingston County; the DeSutter family of Knox County; Bunting family of Livingston County; and the Marr family of Morgan County.

How can you see the Illinois farmers commercial?

The commercial will air in television markets in Peoria, Bloomington-Normal, Champaign, Quad Cities, Quincy, Rockford, Springfield, St. Louis and southern Illinois markets, including the Evansville, Indiana, and Cape Girardeau, Missouri, markets. Following the on-air debut, the full commercial can be viewed on Illinois Farm Families’ Facebook page and Wearethe96.org.

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The IL Corn Marketing Board helped spearhead the commercial for the second year because “consumer education is important to IL Corn,” said Lindsay Mitchell, director of communications and marketing for IL Corn and IFF Coalition member.

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“Closing out the ‘We are the 96%’ campaign with a second Super Bowl ad felt like the exact right way to conclude such a fantastic campaign,” she said.

Tammie Sloup of FarmWeek contributed to this story. Information in it was distributed through a cooperative project between Illinois Farm Bureau and the Illinois Press Association. For more food and farming news, visit FarmWeekNow.com.



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Cash App parent company agrees to $45 million settlement with Illinois, 44 other states

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Cash App parent company agrees to  million settlement with Illinois, 44 other states


Illinois will get $1.1 million of a $45 million, 45-state settlement with money transfer app Cash App’s parent company, which was accused of misleading customers about the app’s security.

Block Inc. will face $55 million in civil penalties and also have to pay customers nationwide somewhere from $75 million to $120 million as part of the settlement, which includes the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

In a statement, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul said the settlement holds the company accountable and requires it to “change its harmful practices.”

“Block told Cash App users their money was safe and falsely implied that the app worked like a bank, with the same protections,” Raoul said. “Block was aware that fraud on its platform was rising sharply and failed to warn users, strengthen protections or provide real help to users when things went wrong.”

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A company spokesperson confirmed the settlement and said the company has made “significant investments in consumer protection, customer service, and compliance.”

“We share the commitment of the attorneys general to addressing industry challenges and continue to invest in operations and technology to promote a safe and healthy financial ecosystem,” the spokesperson said in a statement provided to the Sun-Times Wednesday night.

The lawsuit accused the company of not preventing fraud, and even of having systems that made it easier to commit that fraud. Minimal identity verification allowed someone to create fake or multiple accounts, and the company had no phone support line. Instead, customers who had been defrauded often were provided by those fraudsters with fake online customer support phone numbers, the suit alleged.

As part of the agreement, the company must offer at least 13.5 hours of human-staffed phone lines per day as part of 24-hour support, as well as reimburse customers for fraudulent transactions, stop marketing the app as safe and educate users about the dangers of fraud.



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Illinois girl, 8, dies after being struck by lightning

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Illinois girl, 8, dies after being struck by lightning


An 8-year-old girl has died after she was struck by lightning while outside in the backyard of her home in LaSalle County over the Fourth of July weekend.

Girl killed by lightning strike

What we know:

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The LaSalle County Coroner’s office said it was called to emergency department at OSF St. Elizabeth Hospital in Ottawa on the evening of July 3 after the child was brought in following the lightning strike.

A forensic autopsy was conducted on Sunday. Preliminary findings determined the girl died from injuries caused by the lightning strike.

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What we don’t know:

Officials have not yet released the child’s identity.

The incident remains under investigation by the LaSalle County Coroner’s Office and the LaSalle County Sheriff’s Office.

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The Source: The information in this report came from the LaSalle County Coroner’s Office.

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Lake Geneva boat accident, 3 kids drowned; Illinois school district responds

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Lake Geneva boat accident, 3 kids drowned; Illinois school district responds


We’re learning more about the victims in Friday’s tragedy on Geneva Lake.

Three kids, ages 10, seven, and six, were killed after they were trapped in the sinking boat during the severe storms.

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Officials won’t comment on their identities, but FOX6 learned at least two of them were students at the Community Unit School District 200 (CUSD 200) in Wheaton, Illinois.

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The district released a statement, saying:

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“On behalf of Community Unit School District 200, our deepest condolences are with the family and friends of the children who died in a tragic boating incident in Lake Geneva on July 3. We ask that you join us in supporting these families during this difficult time, and keep them in your thoughts as we all cope with this incredible loss.”

Lake Geneva Police Chief statement

What we know:

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The City of Lake Geneva Police Department is opening up on the incident and the property destruction caused by the storms.

The police chief says, in part:

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“In moments of tragedy, we often see the very best in people, and that has certainly been true here. While there is still healing ahead, I hope everyone knows how grateful we are for the outpouring of support shown over these past several days. It has been humbling to witness and a reminder that no one faces hardship alone when a community stands together.”

Chief Ed Gritzner, City of Lake Geneva Police Department

The backstory:

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Walworth County experienced what law enforcement described as a “sudden and severe” storm on July 3. The National Weather Service said it created a downburst with peak winds estimated at 90–100 mph.

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The storm downed hundreds of trees and power lines, damaged several buildings and created hazardous boating conditions on Geneva Lake. One boat with 10 people on board overturned and ultimately sank. 

Six adults and one child were rescued from the water, while three of the kids were missing when emergency responders got there. Those three children were found and later died despite life-saving attempts. 

Emergency response on Geneva Lake after storms lead to calls for water rescue on July 3, 2026.

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Who was on the boat?

The latest:

The three children who died have been identified as a 10-year-old girl, a 7-year-old girl and a 6-year-old boy. 

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The boat operator was a 47-year-old man. The other passengers were a 75-year-old man, a 73-year-old woman, a 49-year-old woman, a 46-year-old man, a 44-year-old woman and a 12-year-old boy.

The group included residents of Fontana, as well as residents of Batavia and Wheaton, Illinois. All four kids were wearing properly fitted life jackets, according to law enforcement.

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What happened on Geneva Lake?

Dig deeper:

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Law enforcement said the boat operator had “extensive boating experience” and was unable to find safe harbor when the storm hit. At least two large waves broke over the bow, causing it to take on water. Another wave hit the side of the boat, causing it to roll, capsize and sink. 

The sunken vessel was found in 32 feet of water, and three children were found inside the boat. Divers were able to get them out and bring them to the surface, and they were pronounced dead despite life-saving attempts. Investigators determined they had no external injuries and drowned.

What’s next:

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The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and Geneva Lake Law Enforcement Agency are still conducting a joint investigation into the accident. Eleven other agencies assisted with the immediate needs.

The Source: Information in this post comes from the City of Lake Geneva Police Department and Community Unit School District 200 (CUSD 200), along with prior 

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