217 Today: Friday May 21, 2021

Friday, May 21, 2021

Today’s headlines:

  • A police processional escorted the body of a slain Champaign police officer Thursday from Urbana to Decatur.

  • Sex education teaching standards would be updated in Illinois under a bill that passed the State Senate Thursday.

  • A bipartisan group of state lawmakers is urging Gov. JB Pritzker to reopen the state’s unemployment offices to the public after they’ve been closed for over a year due to the pandemic.

  • The Champaign County Board voted 14 to 7 along party lines Thursday night to approve a new county board district map to be used for the next decade.

In today’s deep dive, the increase of vaccinations has led to the re-emergence of live theater performances in Champaign-Urbana. 

217 Today is produced by Carolina Garibay. Reporting today contributed by Jim Meadows, Christine Hatfield, Derek Cantù, and Owen Henderson. 

Carolina Garibay

Carolina Garibay is a senior journalism student at the University of Illinois. She’s a senior producer for the Illinois Student Newsroom and regularly covers arts and culture, education, and social justice issues affecting local communities. Along with her work for WILL, she was also the buzz Editor at The Daily Illini and hosts an arts and culture radio talkshow on WPGU 107.1 F.M.