WILL CALL: What’s Happening in Central Illinois Feb. 5 – Feb. 8
An art reception, the CU Folk & Roots Winter Weekend Festival, Illinois Soul’s second anniversary celebration and more are all happening in central Illinois this week.
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Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Awisi Bustos on her government experience, ‘militarization’ of ICE and AI policy
Illinois Public Media’s The 21st Show is interviewing the candidates and asking them about their views. This week, Brian Mackey sat down with Awisi Quartey Bustos, a Democrat with experience in nonprofits, the private sector and as a state of Illinois employee.
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A tick bite made this rancher allergic to her own cattle. It’s a worsening issue for farmers
Alpha-gal syndrome, a tickborne allergy to red meat and dairy, has become more common in the last few years.
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217 Today: A tick bite made this rancher allergic to her own cattle. It’s a worsening issue for farmers
In today’s deep dive, An allergy to red meat spread by tick bites affects nearly half a million Americans.
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Nonprofits sign letter asking Illinois government to resist Trump’s policies
Over 100 organizations across Illinois signed the letter, including LGBTQ+ advocacy group Peoria Proud and JOLT.
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Election ’26: 4 Democrats seeking to replace Mendoza as Illinois comptroller
Democrats Margaret Croke, Karina Villa, Stephanie Kifowit and Holly Kim are competing in the primary to succeed outgoing Comptroller Susana Mendoza.
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Pritzker gives $5 million to boost Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton’s Senate bid
The haul is much needed for Stratton to get her message out in TV ads, especially since her campaign took in about $1.1 million and spent $912,000 between October and December.
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What to know about the partial government shutdown and its impact
The government funding process had been going smoothly, with key lawmakers in the House and Senate finding bipartisan agreement. But the shooting deaths this month of two U.S. citizens, Alex Pretti and Renée Good, by federal agents in Minneapolis, changed the dynamic.
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217 Today: Illinois Soul celebrates two years of amplifying Black voices
In today’s deep dive, A celebration of Illinois Soul’s second year on air.
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‘Voices for Change: Youth Action Expo’ centers Danville youth’s ideas for gun violence prevention
Danville residents gathered to discuss gun violence in their community and initiatives to reduce it. It featured presentations from middle school through college-aged students.
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Illinois basketball starts February with a win
Keaton Wagler scores 28, leading No. 9 Illinois to its 11th straight win, 78-69 over No. 5 Nebraska.
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Hundreds of University of Illinois and Urbana High School students protest ICE, federal immigration operations
Students and community members across Champaign-Urbana stood in solidarity to protest the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement campaign.
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Lutheran Church leader arrested for producing child pornography
In a news release, U.S. Attorney Thomas Albus said a search of Mohr’s Springfield home uncovered storage devices containing videos of three juveniles in the bathroom.
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Freshmen lead Illinois to victory against Washington
The Illini’s 10-game winning streak is the longest in Brad Underwood’s nine years as coach, and the longest for Illinois since it won 10 in a row to open the 2012-13 season.
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217 Today: Maysa brings her dulcet voice to Champaign-Urbana to help Illinois Soul celebrate its anniversary
Friday, January 30, 2026 Today’s headlines: A former sheriff’s deputy in Sangamon County has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for fatally shooting Sonya Massey. As the 2026 session of the Illinois General Assembly takes shape, State Senator Paul Faraci says HIS focus is on shielding students and educators from budget cuts. A Republican…
