Three elected offices in Champaign County government would be changed to appointed ones — and a fourth office would be scaled back — under a proposal unveiled Thursday by a group of Champaign County Republicans. Champaign County’s elected recorder would become an appointed post, and the elected treasurer and auditor would be merged, along with…
Follow live updates and analysis of Day 4 of the Republican National Convention. Coverage of the Republican speakers beginning at 8 p.m. CST. They will include President Donald Trump, businesswoman Ivanka Trump, an adviser to and daughter of the president, and Rudy Giuliani, former Mayor of New York City and one of the president’s lawyers….
GREENVILLE – A private college in southern Illinois is working with the University of Illinois to evaluate the effectiveness of the U of I’s COVID-19 Shield program on containing the spread of the virus at a small, rural campus. The program relies on a rapid, saliva-based test developed by U of I researchers, as well…
A group of Black farmers says the ag giant’s nearly $11 billion settlement of Roundup-related lawsuits earlier this summer wasn’t enough — they want the corporation to stop selling it.
Women Gets 6 Years For Driving Off Unfinished Highway Bridge URBANA, Ill. (AP) — A central Illinois woman who admitted being drunk when she drove off an unfinished bridge onto a highway, seriously injuring a man, has been sentenced to six years in prison. Ashia Marshall, 30, wept in court Wednesday as she expressed remorse…
Illinois Expands Rules On Wearing Masks During Indoor Dining CHICAGO (AP) — Illinois officials have expanded rules requiring masks while dining indoors, saying Tuesday that customers must wear face coverings during each interaction with servers and other restaurant workers. State officials said the requirements — including while servers are an taking order or bringing a…
CHAMPAIGN – Some Illinois school officials are upset that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has not extended waivers that would allow districts to continue serving free meals to all students under 18 years of age. In a typical school year, students must meet specific criteria to qualify for the USDA-operated National School Lunch Program. Families…
IDOT Accused by Former Employees Of Racial Discrimination BELLEVILLE, Ill. (AP) — A group of current and former employees of the Illinois Department of Transportation are accusing the agency of a history of systemic racism, particularly in its operations in southern Illinois. Lee Coleman, a former Transportation Department Equal Employment Opportunity officer, told the Belleville…
CHAMPAIGN – Republican Rodney Davis is running for a fifth term as the congressman from Illinois’ 13th District. In an interview with Illinois Newsroom’s Jim Meadows, Davis says the top problem on the minds of voters in his district is the COVID-19 pandemic. Hear Rep. Davis’ interview via Zoom with Illinois Newsroom’s Jim Meadows here:…
URBANA – The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign launched a public database Monday, which reports how many saliva-based COVID-19 tests are being performed on the campus each day — and how many positive cases have been identified. Out of 50,945 tests run on students, faculty and staff from Aug. 17 through Aug. 23, 311 positive…
URBANA – The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign begins its fall semester today, with tens of thousands of students back on campus for a mix of in-person and online classes. Things look different around campus, with students, faculty and staff expected to wear masks, practice social distancing and get tested for COVID-19 twice a week….
Illinois Low Census Response Puts Federal Dollars At Risk CARBONDALE, Ill. (AP) — A low census response rate in southern Illinois is putting millions of federal dollars for infrastructure improvements, education and social service programs at risk. As of Monday, only about 46% of Carbondale households had responded to the 2020 census survey, The Southern Illinoisan…
EDITOR’S NOTE, Sept. 29: This story is no longer up-to-date, as University of Illinois officials claimed the campus’ saliva-based test had received FDA emergency use authorization on Aug. 19, but an FDA spokesperson tells Illinois Newsroom the test has never operated under an EUA. For more information on the newly learned details, click here. URBANA –…
The Illinois State Board of Education is leaving it up to districts to decide how to reopen schools this fall. Some have chosen to continue remote learning, while others are bringing students back into classrooms amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. ISBE has strongly recommended that schools provide as much in-person instruction as possible. But state…
GIBSON CITY – The COVID-19 pandemic has closed movie theaters, but many drive-ins remain open. So an independent filmmaker is making sure his movie can be seen on the big screen, with a eight-day tour of drive-in theaters, including a stop on Friday, August 20, at the Harvest Moon Drive-In, in Gibson City, north of…