For One Food Insecure Family, The Pandemic Leaves Them With ‘No Wiggle Room’
Ja Nelle Pleasure never used to think twice about putting food on the table for her family. In fact, the Pleasure family revolved around food. One of…
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1 Of 3 Champaign County Residents Still Haven’t Participated In The 2020 Census, Officials Say
CHAMPAIGN – The 2020 census will determine how much funding and political representation communities across the U.S. receive. But so far, about a third of Champaign County residents have not participated. At this point in 2010, when the last constitutionally mandated nationwide count was conducted, about 70% of residents had participated, says State Sen. Scott…
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News Around Illinois – Sept. 11, 2020
Illinois Files Lawsuit Against E-Cigarette Maker Juice Man CHICAGO (AP) — The Illinois attorney general sued e-cigarette maker Juice Man on Thursday, alleging deceptive marketing practices aimed at enticing youth. The move follows a similar Illinois complaint filed in December against Juul, the nation’s biggest e-cigarette maker. Juice Man, based in Dana Point, California, focused…
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Working Parents And Closed Schools: The Childcare Struggle During COVID-19
Sierra is in a bind. She and her husband have two children — ages three and nine years old — and they live in Urbana. Sierra’s 9-year-old son is attending school remotely this fall, because the local school district has deemed it unsafe to reopen for in-person instruction. While she and her husband placed their…
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A Law To Improve Mental Health Services At Illinois Universities Has No Funding
At a time when experts say help is needed more than ever, an Illinois law meant to boost mental health services on campus remains unfunded.
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News Around Illinois — Sept. 10, 2020
2 Applicants Rejected For Marijuana Licenses Sues Illinois CHICAGO (AP) — Two companies that were rejected for Illinois marijuana licenses have filed a lawsuit to delay the state from awarding licenses to the winning applicants. The state announced that only 21 of 700 applicants would proceed to a lottery for 75 licenses. Southshore Restore and…
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U Of I System Enrollment Surpasses 90K Students
Enrollment at the University of Illinois system this year exceeded 90,000 students for the first time. University officials say the increase marks the eighth year in a row of record breaking enrollment numbers. This year’s enrollment gains come in spite of the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic downturn. Combined enrollment at the Urbana, Chicago and…
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News Around Illinois — Sept. 9, 2020
U of Illinois Sues To Stop Nurses Strike This Weekend CHICAGO (AP) — The University of Illinois Board of Trustees are suing to try to stop nurses at the University of Illinois Hospital from striking this weekend. The lawsuit filed Tuesday in Cook County Circuit Court names the Illinois Nurses Association as a defendant and…
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Champaign City Council Backs Voluntary Staff Cuts To Address Revenue Losses
CHAMPAIGN — With city revenues down due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Champaign City Council Tuesday night endorsed the idea of cutting spending by cutting city staff. They want to do this by offering buyouts to an estimated 15 to 25 employees who agree to leave voluntarily. During the Great Recession, the city of Champaign…
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News Around Illinois — Sept. 8
A Chicago Group Uses Billboards To Highlight That Abortion Is Covered By Medicaid In Illinois The Chicago Abortion Fund is funding billboards in Champaign, Peoria and the Chicago suburbs to remind the public that abortion is covered under Medicaid in Illinois. Two years ago, former Gov. Bruce Rauner overturned the Hyde Amendment, which bans most…
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Democrat Erika Weaver Wants To Be Advocate For 15th Congressional District
Erika Weaver is a Democrat running for Congress in Illinois’ Republican-leaning 15th Congressional District. Weaver is an attorney with the Coles County Public Defender’s office and a member of her school board in Mattoon. And she says she wants to be her district’s advocate in Congress. “I entered this race because I really want us…
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News Around Illinois – Sept. 7, 2020
9 Children Among New COVID Cases; Testing Positivity Rate Falls McLean County health officials on Monday reported 46 new cases, including two babies (under age 1) and seven children 17 and under. The health department on Monday provided age-specific information about new cases for the first time in over a week. The department had stopped…
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Mental Health Providers Take Steps To Meet Growing Need During The Pandemic
PAXTON, IL – Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, more people are reporting symptoms of depression, according to a recent study in the journal JAMA Network Open. The study finds those with lower incomes and high exposure to coronavirus stressors are at greatest risk. In rural Ford County, more people have reached out for help…
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Outside Review: Aleyah Lewis Arrest Followed Urbana Police Policy
URBANA – The Urbana City Council will hear a presentation Tuesday night on a report from an outside firm which concludes the police officers who arrested Aleyah Lewis followed the Urbana Police Department’s use of force policy. But the study by the firm Hillard Heintze suggested possible revisions to the policy and how the department…
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News Around Illinois – Sept. 4, 2020
Man Charged In Student’s Death Was Also Charged As Juvenile CHICAGO (AP) — A man charged in the July killing of a University of Illinois student was one of five Chicago youths accused of murder after another teen was shot to death during an attempted car theft last year, authorities said Thursday. Cook County prosecutors…
