CHAMPAIGN — As the number of COVID-19 cases set a new state record Wednesday, Champaign County also reported a big increase in the number of people testing positive for the virus. The 305 new cases actually occurred over a couple of days. And administrator Julie Pryde with the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District said there were…
URBANA – The Champaign County Clerk’s office added another 1,917 ballots to its total Friday, as election workers continued to process vote by mail ballots, provisional ballots and mail ballots that had been challenged. (Find a link to the latest election totals here) Chief Deputy Clerk Angie Patton said the number of additional ballots arriving…
SPRINGFIELD – Democrat Betsy Dirksen Londrigan thanked her supporters, volunteers and campaign staff Wednesday, after losing to Congressman Rodney Davis for a second time. And she urged voters to stay active in the political process. Two years ago, Davis defeated Dirksen Londrigan by less than one percentage point, or 2,058 votes, giving her hope for…
CHAMPAIGN — On Election Day 2020, there is lots of speculation on whether voters will know who they have chosen for president by Election Night, or if a final count will take longer. But for right now, let’s look at the possibility for delays in the results of other election contests, just in Illinois. Election…
Democratic Illinois Senate candidate Cynthia Given says her Republican opponent spends too much time on divisive politics, and not enough time helping the voters of the 55th District. Hear an interview with Given: (Given’s campaign Facebook page is here. Her Instagram page is here. Given’s campaign website is here.) Given, who operates a massage therapy…
URBANA – East-central Illinois restaurants and bars will have to operate under increased limitations, starting Monday, Nov. 2. That’s the starting date for COVID-19 resurgence mitigations announced for Region 6 by Governor J.B. Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Public Health. The 21-county region includes Champaign, Macon and Vermilion Counties. Other counties in Region 6…
UPDATE: Nov. 3 2020 – Beginning Monday, November 2, the Champaign County Clerk will provide names and addresses of who has received vote-by-mail ballots in the county, and who has sent them back. A judge on Friday ordered County Clerk Aaron Ammons to provide the information in a public, accessible place, since his office has…
This article is about candidate debates — or, to be precise, candidate debates that don’t happen. Not every candidate wants the risk of confronting their opponent with all eyes upon them. 15th District congressional candidate Mary Miller has not responded to invitations to appear with her Democratic opponent, Erika Weaver, at candidate debates and forums….
State Rep. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia) says he will continue his court battle against Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s use of emergency powers during the COVID-19 pandemic. A transcript of an interview with Bailey is at the end of this article. Audio of the interview is here. Last week, a Sangamon County judge denied the governor’s request to…
URBANA — Champaign County investigators say they have identified the woman whose remains were found near Thomasboro in 1995, and known only as “Jane Doe” for a quarter of a century. Now, they have identified “Jane Doe” as Keri Lyn Wyant. And they’re asking people who knew her to come forward with any information they…
Illinois’ 15th congressional district is one of two in the state where no incumbent is running. But this article is about the district itself, not candidates. All congressional districts are required to have roughly the same population, but there are no limits on territory. Illinois’ 15th District covers 14,696 square miles, or more land than…
Additional sites for early voting are opening in Champaign County on Monday, October 19. Each of the eleven early voting site is open to voters from any part of Champaign County. The Champaign County Clerk’s office will operate the sites seven days a week, and will also keep them open on Election Day, November 3rd,…
MAHOMET — The Champaign County ballot includes another tax referendum this November. If voters approve, it will mean more money for the county’s system of forest preserves, just as they are experiencing an increase in visitors. Lake of the Woods is one of those forest preserves. Located on the Sangamon River, the site includes almost…
CARBONDALE — Drop, Cover and Hold On. Those are the directions for everyone taking part in the annual Great Shakeout Earthquake Drill next Thursday. Harvey Henson is a professor of geology and seismology at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, in a part of the state where three seismic zones overlap — the New Madrid, Wabash…
CHAMPAIGN — Republican Congressman Rodney Davis and his Democratic challenger, Betsy Dirksen Londrigan, talked about healthcare, the COVID-19 pandemic, racial justice and a lot more, in a one-hour debate broadcast live Monday night at 7 p.m., on WILL Radio and TV, and WCIA’s X -49 channel. The debate can be viewed at illinois newsroom.org and…