Friday, August 5, 2022 Today’s headlines: The Illinois State Fair in Springfield is less than a week away, and fair organizers aim to make this year’s event bigger and better. A temporary sales tax reduction begins on August 5 in Illinois. Central Illinois is expected to see more heat and humidity this weekend. How will that…
The Small Community Air Service Development Program— a federal initiative designed to improve underserved airports — recently awarded nearly $17 million to 25 airports across the country. The University of Illinois-owned Willard Airport in Champaign County was the only one selected in the state. They took home $850,000 in grant money from the Department of…
NORMAL — A chemical and agricultural behemoth has bought a St. Louis-based startup company that works closely with Illinois State University, where researchers have worked to domesticate the weed pennycress into a cover crop and oil seed plant dubbed CoverCress. That plant is now producing a marketable crop. And Bayer has bought out venture capitalists…
EVANSVILLE, Ind. — Karen Warpenburg is fighting an almost invisible enemy that’s claiming the lives of a growing number of people in her southern Indiana community: the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl. Ingesting a tiny amount of the drug can be lethal. https://cpa.ds.npr.org/s4780019/audio/2022/08/fentanyl-feature-web.mp3 Listen to this story here. But it’s not that people are seeking it…
Six-year, $45 billion spending plan passed on bipartisan lines in 2019 SPRINGFIELD – When state lawmakers voted on bipartisan lines in 2019 to double Illinois’ motor fuel tax and raise several driving-related fees, it laid the groundwork for a $45 billion infrastructure plan, the largest in Illinois’ history and the first in nearly a decade….
Thursday, August 4, 2022 Today’s headlines: A federal measure that would expand healthcare benefits for veterans is now headed to the President’s desk. The amount of water in the Illinois and upper Mississippi rivers is increasing. University of Illinois-owned Willard Airport won a grant from the Department of Transportation. A biology professor at Illinois Wesleyan…
HELENA, Mon. — Republican Montana state Rep. Ed Buttrey was a key player in expanding the state’s Medicaid program under the Affordable Care Act. Now, he’s worried a policy change by the Biden administration could, within a few years, mean the end of an expansion that currently provides more than 100,000 low-income Montanans access to…
Wednesday, August 3, 2022 Today’s headlines: Parts of southern Illinois are recovering after a sudden storm dropped about ten inches of rain and hail in less than 24 hours. Meteorologists say we should expect dangerous heat and strong storms in Central Illinois on August 3. Comparisons between the Holocaust and abortion are putting Illinois Republican…
NEWTON — Parts of southern Illinois are recovering after a sudden storm dropped about ten inches of rain and hail in less than 24 hours. No one was injured in Jasper County, according to the sheriff’s department. The casualties in this flash flood were the crops. Farmer Richard Ochs says he expects the remaining flood…
URBANA – A Savoy resident is facing a Class X felony charge of “Making A Terrorist Threat” after he sent emails to the mayor of Champaign threatening to commit a mass shooting. Meanwhile, Mayor Feinen says she’s grateful to Champaign Police and the Champaign County’s State’s Attorney’s office for their actions in the case. Feinen…
Illinois Public Media News is monitoring flooding on Tuesday. The National Weather Service in Central Illinois says a complex of strong thunderstorms is tracking southeast across the region, producing strong wind gusts and dumping several inches of rainfall. We will update this post with the latest forecast information. Updated at 11:15 am: WAND-TV reports several…
Tuesday, August 2, 2022 Today’s headlines: Governor J-B Pritzker has declared monkeypox a public health emergency, and Illinois is a disaster area regarding the virus. Updated COVID booster shots will be available in early September around the start of cold and flu season. A group of therapists focused on healing those involved in gun violence…
SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker issued a public health emergency declaration and declared Illinois a disaster area in response to the monkeypox virus Monday, a move his office said would help mobilize resources. The governor’s office said the proclamation will aid in moving vaccines to the most impacted communities and will allow the Illinois Department…
One month after staging a primary upset, Republican Darren Bailey is laboring to reel in supporters of a top Republican primary rival and has yet to log a six- or seven-figure campaign contribution in his fall fight against billionaire Gov. JB Pritzker. Compounding Bailey’s struggles, hedge fund billionaire Kenneth Griffin, who put $50 million into…
MACOMB – A mural honoring civil rights pioneer the Rev. Dr. C.T. Vivian and his connections to Macomb was officially unveiled on Saturday in the 200 block of East Carroll Street. The mural, entitled “Life of a Servant,” is 75 feet long and 18 feet tall. On one end a profile of an older Vivian overlooks…