217 Today: New community news outlets fill the void of local news coverage in the Midwest

217 Today: New community news outlets fill the void of local news coverage in the Midwest

Monday, Jan. 24, 2022 Today’s headlines: Two abortion clinics in the St. Louis Metro East have launched a regional logistics center to increase access and will offer travel and financial assistance to any patient that needs it. Illinois Secretary of State offices, including driver services facilities, will resume in-person services this week. Billions of dollars…

217 Today: Monoclonal antibodies can help treat COVID-19 but don’t replace vaccines, according to medical expert

217 Today: Monoclonal antibodies can help treat COVID-19 but don’t replace vaccines, according to medical expert

Friday, Jan. 21, 2022 Today’s headlines: Some Illinois sheriffs are struggling as the state’s Department of Corrections continues its pause on inmate intakes from county jails due to the latest COVID surge. A Republican is entering the race for the newly drawn 13th Congressional District in Illinois. Attorney Jesse Reising announced his candidacy with a YouTube…

217 Today: Reduced contact tracing leaves people who test positive confused about what to do next

217 Today: Reduced contact tracing leaves people who test positive confused about what to do next

Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022 Today’s headlines: Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker’s campaign is taking in more money than the entire Republican field of candidates combined. Both hospitalizations and the number of people requiring intensive care after being infected with COVID-19 have fallen daily over the last week. Now, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker is cautiously optimistic the…

217 Today: Definitions of ‘rural’ stop many small towns from getting grant money

217 Today: Definitions of ‘rural’ stop many small towns from getting grant money

Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2022 Today’s headlines: Most school districts in Illinois say they don’t have enough teachers, according to a new survey. A Department of Children and Family Services supervisor said employees need more training on how to deal with difficult situations after a case worker was killed last month during a home visit near Springfield. Environmental…

217 Today: Danville pastor encourages people to get vaccinated after losing his wife to COVID-19

217 Today: Danville pastor encourages people to get vaccinated after losing his wife to COVID-19

Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2022 Today’s headlines: The COVID-19 death rate is 22 times higher for the unvaccinated across Illinois, according to a WBEZ analysis.  A group of moderate GOP candidates running as a slate hope to make 2022 a Republican wave year in Illinois. Catalytic converters keep disappearing from Champaign-Urbana cars, but because many scrap metal…

Local event honors activists for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day and hopes to inspire continued social justice work
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Local event honors activists for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day and hopes to inspire continued social justice work

URBANA — Janice Walker is no stranger to gun violence.  Walker said she knew many friends and neighbors who were shot and killed when she lived in both Chicago and Champaign. The most painful was when she found out that her brother had been shot and killed after breaking up a fight outside of his…

217 Today: Local Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Award winner advocates for formerly incarcerated people

217 Today: Local Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Award winner advocates for formerly incarcerated people

Friday, Jan. 14, 2022 Today’s headlines: Candidates for county and state offices and judge seats in Illinois can start collecting signatures for the June primary. The state shortened the time to circulate petitions from 90 to 60 days because of the delay in approving new legislative maps. Tens of thousands of Illinoisans are eligible for…

217 Today: Additional federal money is coming for abandoned mine sites

217 Today: Additional federal money is coming for abandoned mine sites

Thursday, Jan. 13, 2022 Today’s headlines: Illinois’ record-breaking COVID-19 surge is showing no signs of easing. The University of Illinois is expecting another surge of COVID-19 cases as students return to Champaign-Urbana. Police in Urbana say two teenagers are under arrest in the killing of a ride-share driver. In today’s deep dive, we’ll learn more about…

217 Today: Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2022

217 Today: Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2022

Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2022 Today’s headlines: A judge in Cook County Juvenile Court has found Illinois Department of Children and Family Services Director Marc Smith in contempt for delays in placing two children in new homes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s new quarantine recommendations make sense, according to a University of Illinois virologist….

217 Today: Thursday, Jan. 6, 2022

217 Today: Thursday, Jan. 6, 2022

Thursday, Jan. 6, 2022 Today’s headlines: Illinois lawmakers won’t be coming back to Springfield next week because of spiking COVID-19 cases amid the spread of the Omicron variant. People should look into swapping their cloth masks for surgical masks or N95 masks, according to Illinois State Medical Society President-Elect Clarence Brown.  Illinois likely just experienced its…

217 Today: Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2022

217 Today: Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2022

Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2022 Today’s headlines: Illinois lawmakers are scheduled to return to Springfield Wednesday for an abbreviated start to the session. Leaders canceled two days of session this week because of concerns over rising COVID-19 cases. A northern Illinois health expert says most individuals forget about their mental health when making resolutions for the new…

217 Today: Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2021

217 Today: Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2021

Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2021 Today’s headlines: Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker said he’s deeply concerned by the record number of COVID-19 patients in the state’s hospitals at a COVID-19 news conference in Chicago Monday. State officials say there now are more people hospitalized by the coronavirus than at any stage in the pandemic. Those walking around Urbana are more…