217 Today: From a Monopoly Board to a Railroad Hall of Fame, Western Illinois is trying to attract tourists

The community plans to honor the Macomb-born creator of Monopoly by developing the world’s largest Monopoly board on its courthouse square.

Wednesday, April 19, 2023

Today’s headlines: 

  • A former Commonwealth Edison CEO faced intense grilling Tuesday on the witness stand in a political corruption trial.
  • Doctors in Missouri who offer hormones and other gender-affirming care are trying to see as many transgender patients as they can before temporary restrictions on that care start on April 27.
  • In 2019, the federal government began reducing funding for the Victims of Crime Act. In Illinois, this critical reduction will hit crisis centers in July of this year. Leaders of three survivor service centers came together to ask the community for help.
  • The Board of Education of Urbana School District 116 announced a new leadership team at Urbana High School.

In today’s deep dive, we’ll learn more about two communities in Western Illinois that are trying to attract tourists.

Reporting today contributed by Dave McKinney, Sarah Fentem, Piper Pascarella, Reginald Hardwick, Jane Carlson, and Rich Eggers.

 

Farrah Anderson

Farrah Anderson is a 2024 graduate of the University of Illinois. At Illinois Public Media, Anderson works as a general assignment reporter focusing on police and investigative stories.