The Illinois economy has been contracting since the onset of COVID-19. But the latest University of Illinois Flash Index shows economic activity is beginning to recover. The Flash Index rose from 93.1 in June to 93.9 in July, for its second month of improvement since the coronavirus sent it plummeting. The Flash Index is based…
Crews Rescue Ostrich Injured In Fall Into Illinois Ravine O’FALLON, Ill. (AP) — An ostrich that escaped from a southwestern Illinois farm was rescued after the 300-pound (136-kilogram) bird fell into a ravine and was injured, fire officials said. A veterinarian tranquilized the ostrich before four members of a fire rescue crew entered the ravine…
Julie Laut is to be sworn in Tuesday to fill the Ward Two seat on the Urbana City Council. The Urbana City Council voted Monday night to appoint Laut, who will serve out Eric Jakobsson’s term, which ends on May 3, 2021. The 81-year-old Jakobsson resigned last month. In her statement before the council last…
Illinois Plans A New Vision For Juvenile Justice System Critics have said the system has been too punitive and too ineffective. More than half of youth who are released end up getting in trouble again. Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton said change is needed. She added the state is shifting from a focus on punishment to…
The University of Illinois’ Krannert Center for the Performing Arts has announced the cancellation of all public, in-person performances this fall. Illinois Newsroom’s Brian Moline spoke with Krannert Center Director Mike Ross about the decision. Ross says they consulted with many different stakeholders before making the decision, and considered several factors. “As the understanding about…
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign students are calling on the institution to sever ties with the college town’s local police departments and dissolve the university’s own police force. Following the killing of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis and the protests that followed, students at both the U of I’s Urbana and Chicago campuses are…
URBANA – A moratorium on utility shutoffs in Illinois expired last Sunday. But with the COVID-19 pandemic continuing, several utilities have volunteered to extend the moratorium for another month. The Illinois Commerce Commission says utilities that agreed to the extension include Ameren Illinois, Illinois American Water and Aqua Illinois. All of those serve customers in…
Homeland Security Has Seized $200 Million From Travelers At O’Hare Airport Since 2000, Report Finds The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has seized more than $203 million in cash from travelers at O’Hare International Airport since 2000 – more than any other airport in the country, according to a report released Thursday. And more than…
As schools across Illinois finalize their plans to reopen this fall, the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District is urging students, teachers and school staff members to wear masks at all times and stay at least six feet apart. The C-UPHD recently released guidelines and recommendations for schools and families as they prepare to begin the next…
Senators Seek EPA Help To Fix Metro East Public Health Issue CENTREVILLE, Ill. (AP) — Residents in Illinois’ Metro East region are facing a major public health crisis because of persistent flooding and sewage problems, the state’s two U.S. senators said in a letter sent Wednesday to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Democrats Tammy Duckworth…
This summer, there’s been a lot of discussion about racism, anti-black violence and injustice. Now African-Americans on the faculty of the University of Illinois’ College of Fine and Applied Arts are sharing their perspectives in a 5-part online showcase called “We Got Next” that you’re invited to attend virtually. Prof. Taylor talked about “We Got…
URBANA – Matthew Sakiestewa Gilbert remembers watching a man dressed up in Native American regalia dance across a football field as “surreal” and “in many ways silly.” It was the fall of 2006, and the University of Illinois’ former mascot, Chief Illiniwek, sported a feather headdress and face paint, as he wove in and out…
CHAMPAIGN – Former University of Illinois men’s basketball coach Lou Henson died on Saturday. He was 88 years old. The U of I announced his death on Wednesday, shortly after a private funeral service. Henson coached at Illinois from 1975-1996, amassing a record of 423-224, the most wins in school history. His 1989 team, known…
Illinois Professors Disagree With School’s Fall Proposals CHICAGO (AP) — Illinois’ college and university professors are pushing back against their school’s proposals for reopening schools amid the pandemic, prompting officials to adopt new norms to accommodate faculty recommendations. Faculty concerns are becoming more urgent after reports say that students returning to college towns are spreading…
ATLANTA – A walk along the trails at Stone Mountain Park near Atlanta, Georgia can be peaceful. The sweeping views from the top of the mountain can be breathtaking, and a visit to a new dinosaur exhibit there can be educational. But looming over all of this natural beauty is a nearly 100 foot tall…