Friday, June 10, 2022 Today’s headlines: On Wednesday, the House passed the Protect Our Kids Act, which would enact new gun control measures following the mass shootings in Buffalo and Uvalde, Texas. A hedge fund founder and noted art collector is spending millions of dollars on the race for Illinois governor. The Aurora Pride Parade…
URBANA – As the temperatures warm and people head out to local waterways, you are warned to avoid algal blooms. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and Illinois Department of Public Health say you, your family, and your pets should avoid touching, swimming, inhaling, or drinking water that looks like the following: looks like spilled, green…
Wednesday, June 9, 2022 Today’s headlines: Illinois State Senator Sara Feigenholtz said she’s optimistic about the future of the state’s child welfare system despite an investigation showing the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services routinely leaves kids wrongly incarcerated in the Cook County juvenile jail. Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker also defended DCFS after the…
If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, help is available. Contact the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 800-273-8255 or the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741. HOUSTON — Jennifer Battle is open to just about anything to find people to answer the phones at her Houston-area crisis line. “It’s…
Tuesday, June 8, 2022 Today’s headlines: As Illinois’ summer meals program gets underway, nonprofit groups and the Illinois Board of Education are hoping to extend a waiver that expires this month that’s made it easier for families to get food. A recent study from the University of Illinois and the Illinois Economic Policy Institute estimates…
URBANA – Last Thursday, four Republican candidates hoping to represent the newly drawn 13th Congressional district debated at the studios of Illinois Public Media. Three candidates are modeling their campaign after former President Trump, while one is choosing a more bipartisan track. Brian Mackey, host of the 21st talk show, started off the debate by…
Tuesday, June 7, 2022 Today’s headlines: Today, it costs more on average to fill up your car in Illinois than it would in Hawaii. This summer at select schools in Champaign-Urbana, anyone 18 or younger can get a free meal. Dolostone is a rock that was used in the construction of the State Capitol building…
URBANA – While schools across the country brace for the end of universal free lunches, Urbana public schools will continue to offer free meals to all students – at least until 2024. Breakfast and lunch have been free for all in Urbana public schools since 2015. “It really removes barriers,” says Urbana District 116 Chief…
CHAMPAIGN – As Champaign Cycle slowly returns to its normal inventory, it’s experiencing price increases in bikes and bike parts that are indicative of the ongoing national bicycle shortage, which began after the sudden increase in sales at the beginning of the pandemic. As of May 13, a report from Statista found that Americans spent…
Since 1985, the Greater Community AIDS Project – known as GCAP – has been a fixture in east-central Illinois thanks to its HIV education and support services geared toward people living with HIV in east-central Illinois. Now, GCAP is actively searching for an executive director, and three candidates are in the running. At the end…
Monday, June 6, 2022 Today’s headlines: A coal plant in the Chicago suburb of Waukegan is slated to close this month after operating for almost a century. But local activists and officials say the plant will stay with Waukegan residents until its owner removes two “ponds” of coal ash from the shores of Lake Michigan….
WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — Nancy’s ex-husband had been sober for almost a decade when the pandemic hit. Not long into lockdown, she said his behavior changed. Nancy quickly tied it to drinking. “He would basically sleep all day and be up all night,” she said. Side Effects Public Media is only using Nancy’s first…
URBANA – Four Republican candidates hoping to represent the 13th Congressional district faced off on Thursday night. They echoed similar concerns about the Biden presidency and reflected on an unrecognizable America, a “Twilight Zone,” as Terry Martin, a former political journalist, remarked. Illinois Public Media sponsored the debate ahead of the June 28th primary. Jesse…
CHAMPAIGN – Republican Congressman Rodney Davis made his first visit to the GROWMARK/FS facility outside Champaign on Wednesday. It’s the largest upright grain elevator in Illinois and stores millions of bushels of No. 2 Yellow Corn. A senior member of the House Agriculture Committee and House Transportation Committee, Davis says he’s working to promote job…
CHICAGO — Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin, the Republican with the most money and best polling position so far, served as a political pinata Thursday for his five GOP rivals for Illinois governor during their first public debate with him on the same televised stage. Topics during the hourlong WLS-TV/Illinois League of Women Voters/Univision debate ran…