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217 Today: A ‘silver tsunami’ is hitting rural America as small business owners retire without replacements

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League Builders Supply, a lumberyard and store in Stratton, Nebraska, closed at the end of 2023 after owner Denis League retired. “I’m not going to say Stratton’s going to shrivel up and die because I’m not here, but I don’t think it’s going to help anything and I feel bad about that,” he said.
  • Photo: Brian Beach / Nebraska Public Media

Wednesday, July 3rd, 2024

Today’s headlines:

  • Champaign’s annual Fourth of July Parade will have a new addition this year.
  • The Champaign County Regional Planning Commission was awarded $380,000 by the U.S. Department of Transportation to plan for the impacts of climate change on local transportation systems.
  • The University of Illinois has helped secure a $51 million federal grant to establish a bio-manufacturing tech hub in the region.
  • Governor J.B. Pritzker and other Democratic governors reportedly plan to talk with President Joe Biden today about the status of his presidential campaign after an abysmal debate performance.

In today’s deep dive, we’ll learn more about how small business owners in rural areas are struggling to find buyers to keep their businesses going.

217 Today is produced by Stephanie Mosqueda. Reporting today contributed by Anulika Ochuba, Mae Antar, Jim Meadows, Noah Jennings and Brian Beach. 

WILL and the Illinois Newsroom are committed to bringing you in-depth, relevant coverage that keeps you informed and engages you with our community and state. Join with thousands of others to keep this important public media-based resource available to all. Donate today >>

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Stephanie Mosqueda

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$51 million awarded to Champaign-Piatt-Macon biomanufacturing tech hub project

A year-long campaign to promote biomanufacturing in central Illinois has paid off for the University of Illinois and its partners.  The U-S Commerce Department’s Economic Development Administration has awarded an approximately $51 million grant to a consortium led by the University of Illinois, to establish the Illinois Fermentation and Agriculture Biomanufacturing (or iFAB) tech hub in Champaign, Piatt and Macon Counties.