Fred White, who played drums for the era-defining and genre-defying band Earth, Wind & Fire, has died at the age of 67, his brother and the band announced on social media. “Our family is saddened today with the loss of an amazing and talented family member, our beloved brother Frederick Eugene ‘Freddie’ White,” wrote his…
The Vatican says that Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, the German theologian who will be remembered as first pope in 600 years to resign, has died. He was 95.
Walters made headlines in 1976 as the first female network news anchor, with an unprecedented $1 million annual salary.
SPRINGFIELD – The Satanic Temple of Illinois debuted a new display in the Illinois Capitol rotunda Tuesday, taking its place next to the annual Christmas and Hanukkah displays. For Christmas, that means the Springfield Nativity Committee has once again placed a manger scene featuring Mary, Joseph and Jesus. It was dedicated in a Nov. 30…
It was fitting that the weather was cold for a ceremony Wednesday, dedicating a plaque that commemorates former President Barack Obama’s key campaign moments at the Old State Capitol in Springfield. Obama launched his White House bid on Feb. 10, 2007. He spoke to thousands who braved freezing temperatures to see and hear the then-U.S….
SPRINGFIELD – People walking through downtown Springfield on Monday morning looked up to an unusual sight – a helicopter hovering over the Old State Capitol, dropping a rope and lifting away the flagpole that sat atop the bronze-colored dome. “We took off the flagpole of at the Old State Capitol today in preparation for a…
URBANA — The Baroque Artists of Champaign-Urbana, known as BACH for short, are in concert this Sunday at 7:30pm at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Urbana. The chamber choir is performing “Membra Jesu Nostri” by German composer Dietrich Buxtehude and “To the Hands” by modern American composer Caroline Shaw. Listen to this story here. BACH…
CHAMPAIGN — Champaign restauranteur Thad Morrow’s first industry job was at Le Petit Café in Bloomington, Indiana. He was an undergraduate at Indiana University and told the owners that he’d work for free for two weeks. They agreed. “I learned how to cook a few French things, and then, off to the races,” remembered Morrow,…
URBANA — The 14th annual C-U Folk and Roots Festival gets underway Thursday night at several different venues in Urbana. One of this year’s festival headliners is the multi-instrumentalist Dom Flemons, who has appeared at this event on several occasions, including 2021. Listen to this story here. Flemons, who calls himself “the American Songster,” is a…
URBANA – A Central Illinois native will launch a live call-in talk show nationwide on Wednesday night. Jeremy Hobson is a former host of Marketplace Morning Report and WBUR/NPR’s Here and Now. His new show “The Middle” is a limited talk show series. It will air weekly on WILL-AM 580 and FM 90.9 at 8:00…
A Champaign-based leasing company, Fairlawn Real Estate, is revitalizing their apartments with a new arts initiative. The initiative is called Fairlawn for the Arts, according to project manager for Fairlawn Real Estate Tom Hagensick. He says the initiative both supports the arts and brings a fresh look to apartments in the Champaign-Urbana area. “I think…
URBANA — The Jupiter String Quartet have been artists-in-residence at the University of Illinois for the last ten years. The quartet’s first performance this season is Saturday night at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts in Urbana. Illinois Newsroom’s Brian Moline spoke with Jupiter violinist Nelson Lee about Saturday night’s concert, which is in the…
WASHINGTON — Nuclear bombs. That’s the go-to answer for incoming space objects like asteroids and comets, as far as Hollywood is concerned. Movies like Deep Impact and Armageddon rely on nukes, delivered by stars like Bruce Willis, to save the world and deliver the drama. But planetary defense experts say in reality, if astronomers spotted…
Starting in the 1970s, WILL and other public broadcasters began turning to listeners and viewers for part of their operating funds. Debbie Day, WILL’s first development director, talks about how the Friends of WILL helped Illinois Public Media grow.
After three months of planning, two local groups have created a safe space for Latinos to celebrate Mexican Independence Day. University YMCA and Champaign-based restaurant Maize collaborated to commemorate El Grito. El Grito, or the “Cry for Dolores,” is the battle cry and the start of the liberation of Mexico from Spain on September 16,…