Springfield Restaurants Adapt, Anxiously Await Help
In the third week since Illinois’ governor banned going out to bars and dining out, restaurants are in limbo as they scramble to get by on takeout and…
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U Of I Team Designs Emergency Ventilator In Days
Hospitals treating patients with COVID-19 face a growing need for ventilators to help them breathe. Engineers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have come up with a design for a ventilator … and they’re offering it for free. The Illinois RapidVent, looking at first sight like a few pieces of plastic plus some screws,…
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News Around Illinois – April 1, 2020
Pritzker Extends Stay-At-Home Order To April 30 SPRINGFIELD — Illinois’ governor has extended his statewide stay-at-home order for three weeks as the nation struggles to contain the spread of the coronavirus. Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Tuesday set a new deadline of April 30 for keeping people inside except for essential needs and jobs. So far,…
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News Around Illinois – March 31, 2020
Illinois Confirmed COVID-19 Cases Top 5,000 CHAMPAIGN – On Monday, the Illinois Department of Public Health reported 461 new cases of the coronavirus disease, COVID-19, bringing the state’s total so far to 5,057. In addition, the death toll in Illinois stands at 75. For health questions about COVID-19, call the hotline at 1-800-889-3931 or email…
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‘It’s Extremely Frustrating’: More Illinois Hospitals Testing On Site, But Tests Still Limited
URBANA – Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana has joined a growing number of Illinois hospitals doing on-site testing for COVID-19. But testing at Carle, like many other hospitals, will remain limited to patients who qualify based on criteria set by state health officials. In mid-March, those criteria were broadened to include hospitalized patients with severe…
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Watch: Coronavirus Task Force Holds Briefing After Extending Distancing Guidelines
The White House coronavirus task force convened a news conference following a concession by the Trump administration that normalcy won’t be restored by Easter or maybe even this spring.
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COVID-19 Effects On Arts Community ‘Unprecedented’
The arts community has been hit particularly hard by the COVID-19 outbreak. Illinois Newsroom’s Brian Moline recently spoke with Kelly White, Executive Director of 40 North, the Champaign County Arts Council. Brian Moline discusses COVID-19’s impact on the Champaign County arts community with Kelly White. White described just how the arts community in Champaign County…
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Illinois School Closures Spotlight Opportunity Gap For Poor Students
About half of Gladys Marquez’s students can’t access the internet at home. Marquez teaches English language learners at Dwight Eisenhower High School in Blue Island on Chicago’s south side. The school serves predominantly students of color from low-income backgrounds. Marquez says her students are fortunate to attend a school district that provides an iPad to…
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Farmers Who Sell Directly To Consumers ‘Plan For The Worst’ Amid COVID-19
It’s become a common sight at grocery stores across the country: empty shelves , devoid of essential food and household items. Illinois, which is facing…
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YMCA, Other Child Care Providers Re-Open For Health Staff, ‘Essential Workers’
UPDATE on April 8, 2020: Child care at the Stephens Family YMCA will be expanded to all essential workers identified by the state. To register and for a complete list of occupations that qualify, contact Cody Flowers at cody@ccymca.net. Include your occupation and place of employment in your initial email to Cody. CHAMPAIGN – The Stephens…
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News Around Illinois – March 30, 2020
Governor Vows To Increase Testing As COVID-19 Cases Surge CHICAGO — Gov. J.B. Pritzker says Illinois will soon more than double the number of COVID-19 tests it can administer each day as the number of cases in the state surged. Public health officials announced 1,105 new cases, including 18 deaths on Sunday. Overall, Illinois has…
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Illinois State Board Of Education Orders Schools To Begin Remote Learning
The Illinois State Board of Education announced late last week that remote learning days will start for students across the state Tuesday, March 31 and will continue until in-person classes resume. These days are counted as school days and do not need to be made up at the end of year. Districts are instructed to…
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Champaign Unit 4 To Distribute Chromebooks To Families In Need
CHAMPAIGN – Champaign Unit 4 school officials plan to distribute Chromebooks to students whose families do not have a device at home. In a message sent to families last week, Unit 4 Superintendent Susan Zola says the initial distribution of Chromebooks will be to families who do not have any additional devices in their home….
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News Around Illinois – March 28/29, 2020
Updated: Sunday 3:20 p.m. Tornado Damages Homes, Uproots Trees In Northern Illinois OREGON — Weather officials have confirmed a tornado touched down in northern Illinois damaging homes and uprooting trees. The tornado touched down in Ogle County just outside Oregon around 9 p.m. on Saturday. National Weather Service meteorologist Gino Izzi says it was on…
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Schools Closed Because Of Virus; Here’s How They’re Feeding Students
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has ordered the closing of every school in the state until March 30 amid concerns over the spread of coronavirus. Statewide, nearly 2 million students will not be returning to the classroom for two weeks. Here is an updated blog on what Illinois districts are doing to keep education and school…
