CHAMPAIGN – Park district walking paths and trails have remained open through Illinois’ stay-at-home order, and some have reopened pavilions for rentals and outdoor tennis courts since the state entered Phase Three of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s Restore Illinois plan. But for the time being, playgrounds will remain closed. Julie Pryde, administrator of the Champaign-Urbana Public…
Public Officials Announce 60 New COVID-19 Deaths in Illinois CHICAGO — Public health officials say there have been 1,343 new cases of COVID-19 and 60 additional deaths in Illinois. The state’s Department of Public Health announced the latest details on the coronavirus pandemic Sunday. Overall, there have been 120,260 cases, including 5,390 deaths. More than…
CHAMPAIGN – Citywide curfews were imposed in the central Illinois cities of Champaign, Urbana and Savoy after reports of looting and property damage at the Marketplace Mall in Champaign on Sunday. In Champaign, the curfew started Sunday at 8:30 p.m. The Urbana curfew started at 9:00 p.m. Both expire Monday at 6:00 a.m. Protests and…
CHICAGO – During his daily COVID-19 briefing, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker responded to protests in Minnesota over the killing of a black man by a white police officer. Pritzker also reiterated his belief that President Donald Trump is a racist. Pritzker expressed condolences to all African-Americans and in particular to the family of George Floyd….
As the state of Illinois begins allowing outdoor dining at restaurants Friday, cities are issuing guidance on how restaurants can expand their available outdoor seating. Rob Kowalski, Assistant Planning and Development Director for the City of Champaign, says officials had just a few days to write their guidelines, after Governor J.B. Pritzker announced late last…
CHAMPAIGN – As certain businesses reopen and people begin socializing in small groups during Phase Three of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s Restore Illinois plan, local public health officials say they’re expecting to see additional COVID-19 outbreaks occur. “We are definitely going to see more cases,” says C-U Public Health Administrator Julie Pryde. “That is the nature…
Pritzker: All Illinois Regions Have Met Conditions To Reopen CHICAGO — The governor of Illinois has announced the end of a 10-week stay-at-home order meant to stem the spread of the deadly coronavirus. Gov. J.B. Pritzker said on Friday, the state will move to the third phase of his five-stage recovery plan, meaning manufacturing and…
Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to clarify the Campus Faculty Association’s role at the University of Illinois. A previous version of this article described the group as a labor union. It is not. The CFA is an advocacy group. URBANA – As University of Illinois officials deliberate over how to reopen the Urbana…
The Illinois Newsroom team is answering questions from listeners to navigate this unprecedented time. Have a question you want answered? Ask here. In today’s edition of “Ask the Newsroom,” we’ve answered related to the reopening of Illinois, following Gov. J.B. Pritkzer’s “Restore Illinois” plan. The entire state is set to move into Phase 3 this…
Illinois Driver Services Centers Reopen For Some Next Week CHICAGO — The Illinois Secretary of State’s office has announced driver services centers will reopen with limited services next week. They will open Monday and Tuesday for new drivers, people with expired licenses and IDs and people making vehicle transactions. They will be open with expanded…
Illinois’ COVID-19 Hospitalizations, Infection Rates Drop CHICAGO — Gov. J.B. Pritzker says metrics used to measure the spread of the coronavirus are trending downward as Illinois prepares to further open businesses. Illinois’ rate of positive COVID-19 tests, which hit a high of 23% in April, is roughly 9%. The number of COVID-19 hospitalizations is at…
Tony Martin and his wife moved back to their hometown of Teutopolis, Illinois, about a year ago to start a small solar company just as the industry was taking off in the state. “My wife and I had always envisioned moving back to Illinois,” Martin says. “Now that solar came to Illinois, I felt like,…
Editor’s note: This story was updated at 7:54 p.m. on May 26 to include comments from the Illinois Department of Corrections. An amended lawsuit filed against Rob Jeffreys, director of the Illinois Department of Corrections, and Gov. J.B. Pritzker last week claims that the state’s prison system has failed to protect medically vulnerable prisoners from…
Last year, Illinois saw record-breaking flooding across most of the state, and this spring’s recent heavy precipitation is causing communities near the Illinois River to prepare for further rises in water levels in the coming days. Floods in Chicago last week and flood risk along the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers are another sign of growing…
Pritzker Issues Rules as Illinois Prepares For Reopening CHICAGO — The Illinois Department of Public Health has reported 1,713 new cases of COVID-19, including 31 additional deaths. The new numbers bring the statewide total to 112,017 cases, including 4,884 deaths, as of Monday. With much of the state on track to reopen many businesses later…