Friday, July 30, 2021 Today’s headlines: Illinois students with special needs will no longer have to immediately leave high school when they age out at 22. In Rockford, officials recently shut down a longtime homeless encampment near the city’s downtown. Health officials are sounding the alarm about counterfeit drugs, especially with large music festivals on…
UPDATED on Thursday, July 28, 2021 — Illinois Newsroom’s Christine Herman spoke with Champaign-Urbana Public Health Administrator Julie Pryde about what changes people can expect to see locally. Listen to that interview here: The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday reversed course on its mask guidance, once again suggesting all individuals wear…
Thursday, July 29, 2021 Today’s headlines: This week, the city of Champaign dedicated a portion of University Avenue to police officer Chris Oberheim. Illinois lawmakers are still mulling whether to get rid of, replace or contextualize statues and monuments on state property. At Illinois state parks, officials say balancing conservation and tourism is trickier with…
DANVILLE – Understaffing at state parks is concerning parks officials, who say park visitation is greater than usual and is a challenge for conservation. Ryan Prehn, chief of parks and recreation at the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, says like most of the state and country, the department could use more employees. Across the state,…
URBANA – Meteorologists are warning you to find a cool place and shelter from storms on Thursday. Heat indices (what the temperature will feel like) in Champaign-Urbana are predicted to top 107 degrees. After the high heat and humidity, there are chances of severe weather. The National Weather Service Central Illinois says potential severe weather…
CHAMPAIGN – This week, the city of Champaign dedicated a portion of University Avenue to police officer Chris Oberheim. Oberheim was shot and killed while responding to a domestic violence call on the morning of May 19. Officer Jeffrey Creel, who was shot and wounded, killed the suspect, Darion Lafayette of Champaign. On Tuesday, members…
Wednesday, July 28, 2021 Today’s headlines: Two-and-a-half weeks after the Centers for Disease Control said it was OK for people vaccinated against COVID-19 to go mask-less indoors — including schools — the agency reversed course Tuesday. Beginning January 1, certain employer-sponsored health insurance plans offered in Illinois will be required to cover infertility treatments for…
URBANA – Halfway through 2021, Urbana had already surpassed the total number of shootings that took place in 2020. Last month, the Urbana Police Department reported 55 shootings had occurred so far this year — more than the 53 that occurred in all of 2020. This follows a trend of heightened gun violence throughout the…
Tuesday, July 27, 2021 Today’s headlines: The so-called Delta variant of COVID-19 keeps making inroads in Illinois. The more contagious COVID-19 mutation has propelled positivity rates in some areas of the state to levels not seen since the first half of January. The St. Louis region this week became one of the first places in…
MAHOMET – Relief is in sight for some rural residents of Champaign County, whose well water was contaminated by a natural gas leak. They could eventually be hooked up to a nearby public water system. Jodi Eisenman is one of these residents. Jodi, her husband Derric and their children live on a farm located between…
CHICAGO – Medicaid is a critical part of the U.S. social safety net, with more than 75 million people enrolled nationwide. The federal-state program provides health coverage for people with limited income and resources — and researchers have been trying to identify issues that may prevent the program from operating as intended. A new study…
Monday, July 26, 2021 Today’s headlines: Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker said he will be taking his wife and some friends to Lollapalooza in Chicago this weekend. That comes as the number of COVID-19 cases continue to rise. A bill aimed at preventing maternal mortality by changing emergency department and insurance policies is awaiting Governor J.B….
Editor’s Note: A prior version of this story, Jones was identified using the incorrect pronouns. The story has been updated to reflect their gender identity. We regret the error. URBANA — This summer, Champaign-Urbana teens who identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) are getting free weekly training in all aspects of theater…
Friday, July 23, 2012 Today’s headlines: A new court filing contains previously unknown details about alleged sexual misconduct against a Chicago Blackhawks player by an assistant coach in 2010. Our global food supply is at risk due to the rise in infectious diseases, according to a new study from the University of Illinois, which focused on…
URBANA – Meterorologists in Central Illinois are urging people to take high temperatures and humidity levels seriously this weekend. The National Weather Service in Central Illinois says heat indices could rise as high as 105 degrees on Saturday and Sunday. Experts recommend that you avoid the outdoors and strenuous activities during the hottest part of…