Wednesday June 9, 2021 Today’s headlines: Repeal of parental involvement in abortion laws was proposed in three states this legislative season, and advocates viewed Illinois as most likely to give approval, but it didn’t happen. Illinois drivers who tow items using a utility trailer will be able to pay considerably less for their trailer plates….
DANVILLE – More than 200 jobs sit vacant at the Danville Veterans Affairs facility, mirroring a major staffing shortage at veterans facilities across the nation. Despite recent recruitment efforts at the Veterans Affairs Illiana Health Care System in Danville, vacancy numbers have remained the same for years. Tom Hossfeld, the head of human relations, says…
URBANA – The Illinois economy has been in growth mode for two months in a row, according to the University of Illinois Flash Index. Any reading above 100 on the Flash Index means economic growth. The May reading was at 105.3. That’s up from April’s 101.5, and almost as high as the February 2020 reading…
Tuesday June 8, 2021 Today’s headlines On Monday, Joanne Geigner helped raise the rainbow flag above the Urbana City Building in honor of Pride Month. The Flash Index to the Illinois economy increased to 105.3 for May. That’s the second consecutive month above 100, which means economic expansion. A bipartisan group of downstate lawmakers is…
TOLONO — Lin Warfel puts farmland owners in central Illinois into two categories: Those with a deep connection and desire to preserve their land, and those obsessed with short-term money. The 80-year-old still owns the land that’s been in his family since his great-grandfather arrived in Champaign County in the 1800’s. After farming it…
URBANA – On Monday, Joanne Geigner helped raise the rainbow flag above the Urbana City Building. She is part of Uniting Pride, which advocates for Champaign County’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer communities. Geigner is also the mother of a transgender son. She says the flag’s visibility sends a message to community members who may…
CHAMPAIGN – A new study of 182 students in a biology course at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign last spring shows that marginalized students don’t necessarily become demotivated under pandemic-related stress. This is in contrast to concerns that arose suggesting underrepresented students would crack under pressure and drop out of college. Illinois Newsroom student journalist Carolina…
Monday June 7, 2021 Today’s headlines: Governor J.B. Pritzker signed into law legislative district maps to govern elections for the next 10 years. Champaign County is reporting a new death from COVID-19. The public health department says a man in his 80s is the 149th person to die from the illness. There are 122 active cases…
August 2023 Editor’s note: The information below was originally reported in June of 2021. Much of it is no longer relevant as the COVID-19 public health emergency was declared over by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on May 11, 2023. Updated June 6, 2021 at 12:30 p.m. This is an updated post on…
Friday June 4, 2021 Today’s headlines: In the wake of an ongoing federal investigation that’s nabbed political types from Chicago to Springfield, Democratic lawmakers earlier this week pushed through ethics legislation that Republicans say is weak, but they still voted for it. The state legislative maps approved by the Illinois General Assembly last week created…
Thursday June 3, 2021 Today’s headlines: Lawmakers left Springfield Tuesday without a final vote on a plan to both prevent the threatened closure of three nuclear power plants or lay down tough standards for clean energy in Illinois moving forward. But Governor JB Pritzker says he believes a deal is imminent. Central Illinois Congressman Darin LaHood says…
CHAMPAIGN — June is Pride Month, and LGBTQ+ folks and allies in Champaign are ready to kick off the month with a Drag Picnic taking place at West Side Park this Saturday. CJ Brown is the host and organizer of the picnic, as well as one of the drag performers taking the stage this weekend….
Wednesday June 2, 2021 Today’s headlines After weeks of negotiating with nuclear giant Exelon, there’s a tentative deal for state subsidies to keep power generators online, but another issue threatened to blow up bargaining over the holiday weekend. As of this morning, there’s a new place for medical helicopters to land in Champaign County. It will…
SPRINGFIELD – As racial disparities in maternal and child health outcomes persist in the U.S., a new statewide initiative aims to promote equity in maternal health and improve outcomes for all women and children. The latest report from the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) found that about 75 women in Illinois die from pregnancy-related…
Tuesday June 1, 2021 Today’s headlines: Six months ago, Illinois voters rejected Governor Pritzker’s signature graduated income tax plan. Since then, the governor has been warning of difficult budget choices, but that didn’t end up happening. Birthing hospitals in Illinois are invited to participate in a new effort to improve outcomes for moms and babies. Katie…