State COVID-19 Cases Top 110,000 SPRINGFIELD – On Sunday, the state reported 2,508 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total to 110,304. Illinois Department of Public Health also reported an additional 67 deaths, making the statewide total 4,856. The Coles County health department says two more residents of Charleston Rehab and Healthcare died of COVID-19. The…
John Paul Coonrod usually recognizes most of his customers. Lately, though, he says there have been a lot of unfamiliar faces at Great Scott! Community…
Illinois school districts will receive more than half a billion dollars in federal stimulus funds as a result of the CARES Act. School districts across the state are now applying for about $512 million dollars that the Illinois State Board of Education will distribute based on how many low-income students districts serve. The money is…
CHAMPAIGN – When pressed by reporters during a news briefing earlier this month, Governor J.B. Pritzker said he thinks local public health departments should inform the public when outbreaks occur at area businesses. In Champaign County, which is dealing with 22 outbreaks of COVID-19 as of Thursday, local officials aren’t providing information about where those…
Pritzker Says No Decision Yet On Holding State Fairs This Summer SPRINGFIELD – Governor J.B. Pritzker says no decision has been made yet on whether Illinois’ two state fairs can be held safely this summer. Illinois’ two fairs are scheduled for later in the summer: August 13-23 for the Illinois State Fair in Springfield and…
CHAMPAIGN – A group of local organizations and municipalities has launched a new online resource — www.ChampaignCountySafe.org — to help Champaign County businesses as they prepare to re-open per state guidelines. The site provides a list of resources, including information about protective equipment and cleaning procedures, and best practices to keep employees and customers safe….
Joseph Horton is overwhelmed and stressed because he’s struggling to keep himself and his cell clean. Horton is incarcerated at Menard Correctional Center in southern Illinois. He says safety measures have improved in the prisons since the pandemic began, but he says more could be done to protect inmates. “I’m in a cell with another…
SPRINGFIELD – Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced new modifications to Phase 3 of the Restore Illinois plan Wednesday that will allow more activity and businesses to re-open. He says all regions in Illinois are on track to reach Phase 3 by the end of May. The Phase 3 modifications will allow outdoor seating for bars and…
URBANA – Dennis Austin is frustrated. Austin, 26, transferred to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign earlier this year. He has kidney disease and high blood pressure, and is quarantining at home with his immunocompromised mother in Chicago. He says he felt like he put himself and his family at risk when he traveled from…
State Lawmakers To Convene In Springfield On Wednesday SPRINGFIELD – Illinois state legislators will meet for session in Springfield Wednesday for the first time in more than two months. It’s all subject to change, of course, but a few key items are scheduled to come up according to House documents: the state budget, a measure…
This story was originally published in English and was translated by Marcela Renna through a partnership with America Amplified. If you have any questions or concerns about the translation, please email Jennifer@americaamplified.org. Traducido por Marcela Renna en colaboración con America Amplified. Si tiene alguna pregunta o inquietud sobre la traducción, favor de comunicarse por correo electrónico con Jennifer@americaamplified.org. WILL…
We hear countless stories about COVID-19 and the health workers fighting the disease on the front lines every day, but very few of those stories are geared toward children. That inspired a University of Illinois medical student to write a children’s book, “Heroes of a Pandemic.” Illinois Newsroom’s Brian Moline speaks with U of I…
A Spanish translation of this story is available here. WILL and Illinois Newsroom hosted a “COVID-19 Q&A” Facebook Live discussion on Thursday, May 14, which gave people the opportunity to ask questions of our panel of local public health officials and medical experts. Topics included: Status updates from local public health administrators and medical doctors …
The public hasn’t been allowed in Illinois’ public libraries for about two months, due to fears of spreading the coronavirus. Contact with public libraries has been limited to online services. But eventually, libraries will reopen to the public. And the staff at the Champaign and Urbana libraries are making plans for welcoming their patrons, while…
Illinois Supreme Court Disbars Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich CHICAGO — Disgraced former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich has been officially disbarred. The Illinois Supreme Court announced on Monday that it revoked Blagojevich’s law license. The announcement was not a surprise, as Blagojevich didn’t even attend a March hearing in which the matter was discussed and indicated…