URBANA – After two months of slight declines in the rate of growth, the Flash Index to the Illinois economy rose in September to 106.0. The latest reading shows a sixth straight month of economic growth in the state. Illinois and the U.S. as a whole went through a recession induced by the COVID-19 shutdown…
Thursday, Oct. 7, 2021 Today’s headlines: Illinois’ violent crime rate is about 7 percent above the national average, according to new FBI data released last week. Advocates for the homeless say they’re working to close a critical gap in services in Champaign County—and they’re looking for the public’s help. Officials at the University of Illinois…
Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2021 Today’s Headlines: A new report is calling for more robust health and housing support for LGBT Illinoisans as they age. Plans for the world’s first carbon-neutral industrial park are gaining momentum in Putnam County. A group of public commenters chastised the Normal Town Council during its regular meeting Monday night about…
Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2021 Today’s Headlines: Governor JB Pritzker signed an executive order Monday banning employers with state contracts from paying sub-minimum wage to workers with developmental disabilities. Northern Illinois University administrators say they’ve avoided COVID-19 outbreaks so far, even with the rise of the Delta variant. After two months of slight declines, the Flash Index…
DANVILLE — Protestors from the group Vermilion County Health Advocates stood outside the Vermilion County Courthouse on Friday afternoon holding signs and wearing t-shirts saying “Unmask our Children” while cars honked in support. Meanwhile — inside the courthouse — Judge Karen Wall ruled against both Danville District 118 teachers and parents from Hoopeston Area School…
Monday, Oct. 4, 2021 Today’s headlines: Women’s rights activists took to the streets of Champaign-Urbana on Saturday to march for abortion rights. A Vermilion County judge ruled last week against calls from some teachers and parents to remove state mandates for COVID-19 vaccines, testing and masking in schools. After merely steady increases, the price of…
Friday Oct. 1, 2021 Today’s headlines: After more than 18 months, Illinois’ eviction moratorium will finally expire on Sunday. Flu season is coming, and it’s expected to be more severe than the relatively mild influenza outbreak seen last year. A Champaign Unit 4 high school student is dead after a fatal shooting near an elementary…
STILLWATER, Okla. — The medical marijuana industry in many areas is booming, but some utility providers struggle to keep up with the growing need for water and electricity. Since Oklahomans legalized medical marijuana in 2018, nearly 10% of the population has obtained cards to buy cannabis. Meanwhile, 8,630 growers have opened shop in the state….
CHAMPAIGN – Police in Champaign are still searching for the person who shot and killed a Centennial High School student. On Friday, the city identified the victim as 17-year-old Jonathon McPhearson. Officers said McPhearson was sitting along West Kirby Avenue on Thursday afternoon when multiple people in masks walked up and opened fire on him. So…
When Northwestern University professor and video journalist Craig Duff heard that the 150-year-old Youngstown Vindicator was closing, he resolved to go back to the area where he grew up in northeast Ohio and document how the community was coping with the loss of its newspaper. What the veteran of CNN, Time.com and The New York…
CHAMPAIGN — Champaign-area residents who received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and qualify for a booster have many options for getting the shot locally. Awais Vaid, deputy administrator and epidemiologist with the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District, says all local pharmacies and other providers are offering boosters — as well as first and second doses — to anyone…
URBANA – Fraternities and campus organizations at the University of Illinois are hoping to educate the public about Hispanic history and culture during Hispanic Heritage Month. Phi Iota Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and La Unidad Latina, Lambda Upsilon Lambda Fraternity, Inc. are two Latino fraternities that have been working on events this month. Jorge Vasquez is…
LINCOLN, Neb. — For years, consumers have been eating more and more dry peas, chickpeas, lentils and beans. Bags of lentils or canned chickpeas aren’t a surprising sight in a grocery store, but a closer eye may reveal some surprising bean and pea products on the shelves. There’s PeaTos, which are similar to Cheetos but…
Thursday, Sept. 30, 2021 Today’s headlines: An audit of the Illinois State Police’s firearm owner identification and concealed carry license program shows an increase in wait times even before the pandemic. More than 750 University of Illinois students have requested a religious exemption from the university’s COVID-19 vaccine requirement. The parent organization of WBEZ has…
Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2021 Today’s headlines: An Illinois man died of rabies this month —the first case of human rabies in the state since 1954. Fraternities and campus organizations at the University of Illinois are hoping to educate the public about Hispanic history and culture during Hispanic Heritage Month. School board members in Champaign met…