https://cpa.ds.npr.org/s653/audio/2022/11/safe2help.mp3 Students who feel they have no place to turn can use a program that allows them to provide information confidentially. With Safe2Help, details will be relayed to local school officials and a 9-1-1 call center, depending on the nature of what’s shared. Samantha Kanish, Safe2Help’s School Safety and Policy Advisor, said the program encourages…
CORDOVA, Ill. – This fall, the towns and rural farmsteads along the Mississippi River received alarming news about their drinking water. Chemicals from a large 3M factory north of Cordova found a way into the river and their wells. Listen to this story here. The facility employs about 500 people and makes the adhesives used…
A young male mountain lion that traveled from Nebraska to Springfield is now a resident of the Exotic Feline Rescue Center in Center Point, Indiana. “From our point of view, he’s doing surprisingly well,” said Joe Taft, the center’s founder and director. “When he came, he was pretty upset. He had been sedated and then, had to…
NORMAL – A second shift of workers is now making electric vehicles at Rivian’s plant in Normal, even as global supply chain issues continue to be the “largest source of uncertainty” for the company. Rivian now has 6,680 workers in Normal. Adding a second shift increases the hours each day when vehicles are being produced…
For months, abortion providers in the Metro East have described a surge in patients since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that legalized abortion nationwide. A national report from the Society for Family Planning has documented that increase. It notes that Illinois clinics performed nearly 30% more abortions in August than…
MOLINE — Democrat Eric Sorensen has declared victory in the 17th Congressional District. His opponent, Republican Esther Joy King, called to concede Wednesday morning. “This morning, my opponent Esther Joy King called to concede. I thank her for running, and while we disagreed on the issues, we both have a passion for service,” Sorensen said…
Former Illinois Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias ran a well-funded campaign against veteran Illinois legislator Dan Brady, a Republican, to succeed the retiring Jesse White. CHICAGO –Alexi Giannoulias’ last run for office — in 2010, for President Barack Obama’s former U.S. Senate seat — ended in stinging defeat that halted his political career. Until Tuesday, at least,…
Rochford thanked her supporters about 10:30 p.m. after her Republican opponent, Mark Curran, called to concede in the newly drawn suburban 2nd District. WAUKEGAN — Democrats held on to their majority on the Illinois Supreme Court Tuesday night as Judge Elizabeth Rochford declared victory in one of two vacant seats up for grabs. Rochford thanked…
Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker declared victory in his reelection bid over Republican downstate state senator Darren Bailey — in an apparent victory that also clears a path to any future political aspirations. The Associated Press called the race at 7 p.m., based on exit polling. With 20% of precincts reporting, Pritzker led Bailey 60.6% to…
Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth on Tuesday coasted to a second term, fending off a challenge from Republican challenger Kathy Salvi to extend her historic Senate career another six years. A spokesperson for Salvi’s campaign said the challenger had called to concede less than an hour after the polls closed. Duckworth declared victory shortly before…
SPRINGFIELD — A valuable cache of 1,500-plus Lincoln artifacts that were part of a multimillion-dollar acquisition 15 years ago was trucked away this week from the Springfield Lincoln museum that had housed them — with no plans of bringing them back. It’s the latest by-product of an acrimonious relationship between the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library…
CHICAGO — Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker pledged to remove a barrier to abortion for people in prison after a WBEZ investigation found incarcerated people had to pay for the procedure and the wages of the correctional officer required to accompany them to appointments outside the prison. “Moving forward, abortion procedures and their associated expenses will…
DEKALB — Only one of every three 4th-graders in Illinois is a proficient reader, and that puts the state in the middle of the pack. Reading is not natural. That’s one thing David Paige says a lot of people don’t really understand. He’s a literacy professor and director of the Jerry Johns Literacy Clinic at…
SPRINGFIELD – Illinois has again offered money to help individuals purchase electric vehicles. “The Illinois EPA saw a great deal of interest in electric vehicle rebates in the first round, with more than 2,000 applications received and over $8.7 million issued in rebates,” said Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Director John Kim. “Electric vehicles represent the…
CHICAGO — Illinois students continue to perform far below pre-pandemic levels on state reading and math exams for a second year, test results released Thursday show, offering another sign of the ongoing toll of COVID-19 and remote learning. Students performed at roughly the same level as last year, which is well below the last round…