DECATUR – Half all Illinois counties are now considered at a warning level for the coronavirus, according to the state’s public health department. Macon County, in central Illinois, is among them. In the county of just over 100,000 people, 52 residents have died from the virus, and there are now more than a thousand active…
URBANA – The University of Illinois published the latest version of its Illinois Climate Action Plan (iCAP) this week, and it’s officially been signed by Chancellor Robert Jones. The sustainability plan includes steps for the Urbana-Champaign campus to achieve carbon neutrality — reaching net zero carbon dioxide emissions — by 2050. iCAP outlines a to-do…
Friday, October 23, 2020 Today’s headlines: A national political watcher is now rating Illinois’ 13th Congressional District as a toss-up. Dave Wasserman, U.S. House Editor for the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, says incumbent Republican Rodney Davis was slightly favored, but the unpopularity of President Donald Trump in the district is giving Democrat Betsy Londrigan an…
URBANA – As a freshman member of the University of Illinois’ marching band, Matthew Kostbade was looking forward to performing on the field. “I can see Memorial Stadium from this window right now and it pains me to look at it especially on Saturday’s when I know we could be out there with my drum…
URBANA — Champaign County investigators say they have identified the woman whose remains were found near Thomasboro in 1995, and known only as “Jane Doe” for a quarter of a century. Now, they have identified “Jane Doe” as Keri Lyn Wyant. And they’re asking people who knew her to come forward with any information they…
Illinois’ 15th congressional district is one of two in the state where no incumbent is running. But this article is about the district itself, not candidates. All congressional districts are required to have roughly the same population, but there are no limits on territory. Illinois’ 15th District covers 14,696 square miles, or more land than…
URBANA — Nick Rudd was a stalwart on the Champaign-Urbana music scene for decades. He died earlier this year. Monday, on what would have been Nick’s 60th birthday, Nick’s wife Gina Manola announced three memorial funds for music in Champaign-Urbana in his honor. The Nick Rudd Music Fund will support annual concerts through the University…
Additional sites for early voting are opening in Champaign County on Monday, October 19. Each of the eleven early voting site is open to voters from any part of Champaign County. The Champaign County Clerk’s office will operate the sites seven days a week, and will also keep them open on Election Day, November 3rd,…
Carle Foundation Hospital is routinely treating people in beds in the hallways of the emergency room at its Urbana facility on University Avenue, although the practice has come under criticism by health experts. The experts said the practice raises issues about confidentiality and safety, and could expose those patients and others to other health problems…
CHAMPAIGN – On a day when Women’s Marches took place all across the country, hundreds of people gathered at West Side Park in Champaign on Saturday afternoon to participate in the movement. The C-U event was the only one registered in Illinois, outside of Chicago. The rally kicked off with a series of speakers, including…
CHAMPAIGN – Champaign Unit 4 elementary school students will have the option to return to some in-person instruction at the end of this month. Unit 4 officials unveiled plans this week to bring students back into classrooms for shortened school days. The first day of in-person instruction is scheduled for Oct. 27. Parents can still…
SPRINGFIELD – Opioid overdoses are on the rise in Illinois, according to state health officials. The year 2019 saw a 22% increase in opioid-related emergency room visits compared to the prior year — and a 3% increase in overdose deaths, from 2,167 in 2018 to 2,233 in 2019. Preliminary data for the first half of…
Friday October 16, 2020 Today’s headlines: The confirmation hearing of Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett wrapped up yesterday in the US Senate. We hear from an Illinois Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee. A team at Washington University in St. Louis is testing whether lab-made antibodies could be used as a treatment for COVID-19. The C-U…
MAHOMET — The Champaign County ballot includes another tax referendum this November. If voters approve, it will mean more money for the county’s system of forest preserves, just as they are experiencing an increase in visitors. Lake of the Woods is one of those forest preserves. Located on the Sangamon River, the site includes almost…
MONTICELLO — Students and employees of school districts in Piatt County now have access to free, rapid COVID-19 testing through Kirby Medical Center — a rural hospital based in Monticello. Monticello school officials hope access to rapid COVID-19 testing will decrease the number of student and teacher absences in the district. Illinois Department of Public…