Wednesday, April 20, 2022 Today’s headlines: Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has signed next year’s state spending plan into law. The city of Danville is making way for a new casino near Interstate 74 on the city’s east side after breaking ground Tuesday afternoon. About 50 University of Illinois students marched in support of the Students…
DANVILLE, Ill. – Residents cheered Tuesday as Danville city officials wearing hard hats shoveled dirt on a patch of land in an industrial park off of Interstate 74. By next spring, that land is expected to be the home of Danville’s Golden Nugget Casino. Former State Representative Lou Lang, who advised Danville officials on the…
CHAMPAIGN – Wednesday kicks off the first day of the return of Ebertfest, Champaign’s annual film festival named in honor of late University of Illinois alumnus and film critic Roger Ebert. The festival will feature films from Wednesday to Saturday including “The Phantom of the Open,” “Ghost World,” and “Nightmare Alley.” Movies shown at Ebertfest…
The nearly 4 million square feet of space at Rivian’s Normal plant is lined with some of the most advanced manufacturing equipment in the world. It has some of the biggest robots in the automotive manufacturing world too – capable of moving something as humongous as the side panel of a soon-to-be Amazon delivery van….
The Peoria metropolitan area is shrinking in population, with the combination of deaths outnumbering births and more people moving away, resulting in a decline of nearly 3,000 people between 2020 and 2021. “Obviously, it’s disappointing information; we always are hoping to grow our region,” said Chris Setti, CEO of the Greater Peoria Economic Development Council….
OSF HealthCare acquired multiple parcels of real estate from Galesburg’s Cottage Hospital for $4 million. The sale was recorded April 12, according to the Knox County Assessor’s Office. According to parcel numbers and property tax records, the sale includes the following properties in Galesburg: 695 N. Kellogg St., Cottage Hospital 765 N. Kellogg St., Cottage…
Tuesday, April 19, 2022 Today’s headlines: Former Ukrainian ambassador Marie Yovanovitch is this year’s winner of the Paul H. Douglas Award for Ethics in Government. Champaign County is investing in interpretation services for immigrants who speak indigenous languages. Champaign city council members will talk Tuesday about an agreement to give University of Illinois police authority…
CHAMPAIGN — Champaign-Urbana nonprofits are using COVID-19 relief to help victims of labor and sex trafficking free themselves. To become free and independent, victims need a legal status via a trafficking – or “T” — visa. Lisa Wilson is the executive director of The Refugee Center in Champaign. She says T visa applicants need a…
The U.S. Department of Agriculture says the top 10 importers of U.S. poultry have put some restrictions in place — largely banning chicken and turkey products from specific counties or regions in the U.S. Seven years ago, several countries banned poultry from the entire U.S. because of a bird flu outbreak. More than 80 countries…
CHAMPAIGN – Instead of practicing their swings, the baseball players were designing a remote-control car. The First String Little League coaches had decided to give the players a break that rainy afternoon. A handful still showed up to the Don Moyer Boys and Girls Club in Champaign to build a small, Jackie Robinson-themed car. “They’re…
Monday, April 18, 2022 Today’s headlines: Testimony is expected to continue Monday in the trial of two Illinois guards charged with beating a prisoner. The ratification process has begun for a tentative agreement between The American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees Local 3700 and the University of Illinois regarding retroactive pay. Little League…
URBANA — The University of Illinois’s Krannert Center for the Performing Arts is showing “The Neverland” through Saturday. It’s an adaptation of the original “Peter Pan” play that’s more inclusive to minority groups. Although there are some changes from the original version of “Peter Pan,” “The Neverland” includes some of the original characters, such as…
Friday, April 15, 2022 Today’s headlines: Illinois labor leaders want structural changes to the state’s unemployment benefits system. Champaign County Crime Stoppers has raised its cash reward for tips involving guns and homicides. A University of Illinois spokesperson says the university has reached a tentative agreement to provide clerical workers with retroactive pay starting from…
Thursday, April 14, 2022 Today’s headlines: State lawmakers recently approved a measure waiving school fees for students experiencing homelessness and it’s waiting for the governor’s signature. A proposal headed to Governor J.B. Pritzker’s desk would allow Illinoisans 18 and older to get credentialed for a school paraprofessional job. Tenured and non-tenured faculty at Northern Illinois University…
For some Midwesterners, farmers markets are a quintessential summertime tradition touting local, healthy food and laid-back community gathering spaces. But people of color say many markets aren’t designed with them in mind, and in fact, systematically exclude them from participating. That’s why the Farmers Market Coalition gathered a group of experts to design an anti-racist…