Can the WPBL be a long-term success? Yes – if people are patient, experts say
Since Aug.1, the Women’s Pro Baseball League has been playing its inaugural season in Springfield. It’s the fifth league of its kind in U.S. history. Its players hope there is no need for a sixth.
Data center energy consumption raises concerns about long-term costs and reliability
Illinois is home to more than 240 data centers.
New Champaign Unit 4 Superintendent on the decision to become an educator, how to support students and families
Geovanny Ponce arrived as Unit 4 superintendent in July. He grew up in Honduras and specializes in turning around low-performing schools.
Former Sangamon County deputy convicted of murder dies while in custody
State parole board denied a medical release for Sean Grayson just three weeks ago.
This large Chicago high school rarely suspends its students
Schools in Illinois suspend Black students at much higher rates than white students. Kenwood Academy High School on Chicago’s South Side stands out for bucking that trend.
Teen arrested for robbery in Campustown
Four teenagers are accused of committing aggravated robbery in Champaign’s Campustown Tuesday.
Pritzker signs disaster proclamation to aid Illinois communities in storm cleanup efforts
The relief will be available to 15 counties after recent severe and record-breaking storms.
This Springfield high school has one of the highest rates of suspensions for Black students in Illinois
There were fewer than 500 Black students at Lanphier High School in the 2024-2025 school year, but they received almost four times that number of in-school and out-of-school suspensions.
Champaign Unit 4 School District would like to build a fourth middle school. It needs approval from voters
The school board is putting the question to voters in a ballot referendum – do they support the school district selling bonds to build and rebuild its middle schools?
Flood Watch issued for Central Illinois
The Flood Watch begins at 1 p.m. Wednesday and will continue until 1 a.m. Thursday.
Can purple corn replace some synthetic food dyes? Midwest scientists see potential
Shades of red extracted from an ancient corn variety held up to heat and other conditions typical of food processing and storage. Researchers are exploring whether this natural dye alternative could open new markets for Midwest farmers.
WILL Call: What’s Happening in Central Illinois August 20 – 23
Dance lessons for people with Parkinson’s, live music, a sale for dumpster-reclaimed items and more are happening in Central Illinois this weekend.
Rantoul teen found dead after flooding accident in rural Champaign County
The county coroner’s office said the body of Elias A. Smith, 17 was found Monday in a flooded drainage ditch in Condit Township, west of Rantoul.
As Urbana District 116 students return to school, parents reflect on outgoing superintendent
Monday was the first day of school in Urbana District 116. It also marked the beginning of Superintendent Jennifer Ivory-Tatum’s last year in charge.
Bipartisan group of Champaign County Board members thwart vote on home rule, blocking a plan to ban data centers
Several Champaign County Board members left the special meeting early, causing it to end after only three minutes and before any member of the public could speak on the home rule issue.
This Rockford middle school disciplines Black students more than any school in Illinois
Schools in Illinois discipline Black students at much higher rates than white students.
A Rockford middle school is an outlier for handing out the most discipline violations per Black student of any school in the state.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey on SAFE-T Act, budget, and Illinois schools
Republican candidate for Illinois governor, Darren Bailey discussed why he decided on a second run for governor last week on the 21st Show.
Pesticides can drift for miles, injuring plants. That can hurt farmers’ bottom-line
Dicamba, a potent herbicide, can drift miles away from where it’s originally sprayed. There’s little recourse for farmers whose plants are damaged by the pesticide.
