Central Illinois Headlines – April 22, 2024

Central Illinois Headlines – April 22, 2024

Illinois is now home to a federally-recognized tribal nation DEKALB – Illinois is, once again, home to a federally recognized tribal nation. 175 years ago, Potawatomi Chief Shab-eh-nay left his home in DeKalb County to visit family in Kansas. He returned home to find the U.S. government had illegally sold 1,280 acres of his northern…

Central Illinois Headlines – April 19, 2024

Central Illinois Headlines – April 19, 2024

Storms cause damage in central Illinois Clean-up is underway after severe storms caused damage in parts of Central Illinois on Thursday night. The National Weather Service in Central Illinois issued Tornado Warnings in Lawrence, Effingham, Jasper, and Macon Counties. The Illinois State Police reported property damage along I-72 in Macon County. WCIA-TV reports it was farm…

Central Illinois Headlines – April 18, 2024

Central Illinois Headlines – April 18, 2024

Budzinski files measure to stop post office consolidation in Central Illinois URBANA – Rep. Nikki Budzinski (D-IL13) said she’s introducing legislation to stop the U.S. Postal Service from moving processing and distribution out of post offices in Champaign and Springfield.  The Postal Service is considering moving regional mail-sorting operations out of those post offices and…

Central Illinois Headlines – April 17, 2024

Central Illinois Headlines – April 17, 2024

University of Illinois police investigate sexual assault URBANA – The University of Illinois police department reports it is investigating a sexual assault and an attempted assault. In a campus safety alert, the department said a person was sexually assaulted in the early morning hours Tuesday at an on-campus apartment. In a separate safety alert, UIPD says there…

Central Illinois Headlines – April 16, 2024

Central Illinois Headlines – April 16, 2024

Urbana Schools to vote on which elementary school will become fully multilingual URBANA – Urbana School District 116 is set to vote Tuesday on which elementary school will become fully dual language.    After two years of debate, Urbana administrators and dual language teachers won approval in January to combine their bilingual programs under one…

Newspapers in rural areas are folding, leaving vast news deserts. But there are bright spots

Newspapers in rural areas are folding, leaving vast news deserts. But there are bright spots

https://play.podtrac.com/npr-1244411030/cpa.ds.npr.org/s60/audio/2024/04/newspapersweb.mp3 The U.S. has lost more than 2,800 newspapers since 2005, many of them in rural areas. Now some journalists are redoubling their efforts to provide local news and trying new models in a difficult industry. First Street in downtown Mount Vernon, Iowa, has the quintessential “Main Street” feel. It’s got a café , bank…

Central Illinois Headlines – April 15, 2024

Central Illinois Headlines – April 15, 2024

Service honors William Patterson URBANA – A memorial service for STEM educator William Patterson had sorrowful moments, but also dancing, laughing and singing. Hundreds attended the ‘celebration of life’ at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts on Sunday. The 58-year-old passed away earlier this month. Patterson grew up in Urbana, earned a Ph-D and brought STEM…

A.I.M dances to “If I Were A Love Song"
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A.I.M by Kyle Abraham visits Krannert Center for the Performing Arts

Kyle Abraham is an internationally renowned choreographer. His dance company, A.I.M by Kyle Abraham, is one of the most active touring companies in the United States. A.I.M be performed on Friday, April 12 at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. IPM’s Kennedy Vincent talked with Abraham. Abraham established his company A.I.M by Kyle Abraham in…

Food prices jumped 25% since 2020. A financial educator in Illinois has these tips for cutting costs

Food prices jumped 25% since 2020. A financial educator in Illinois has these tips for cutting costs

CHAMPAIGN — Grocery prices across the U.S. have risen more than 25% since 2020, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Food prices are currently the third highest consumer expense. USDA data shows the cost of food at home increased by 3.5% in 2020, 3.9% in 2021, 11.4% in 2022, and 5% last year. “While the USDA predicts…

Student journalists at UIUC and Fourah Bay College team up to cover period poverty in Sierra Leone
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Student journalists at UIUC and Fourah Bay College team up to cover period poverty in Sierra Leone

A team of journalists from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign recently traveled to Sierra Leone to report on the global phenomenon of period poverty. Women and girls around the world often lack access to the products or the education they need to manage their periods properly. This can lead to shame surrounding menstruation and…

Still have your eclipse glasses? Don’t throw them away — recycle them at Parkland College

Still have your eclipse glasses? Don’t throw them away — recycle them at Parkland College

If you still have your eclipse glasses from Monday’s event, don’t throw them away. Local efforts are underway to collect and redistribute eclipse glasses.  Parkland College in Champaign has collection boxes set up at the William M. Staerkel Planetarium and inside the Parkland College Learning Commons, according to a post on Facebook.  The glasses will be donated to Astronomers…

Residents of southern Illinois’ McLeansboro  are excited to welcome an influx of eclipse tourists

Residents of southern Illinois’ McLeansboro are excited to welcome an influx of eclipse tourists

The town of McLeansboro, Illinois, has a population of less than 3,000 people. But it’s expecting hundreds of visitors for the solar eclipse, as the town is directly in the line of totality.  To celebrate this historical event, the McLeansboro Kiwanis Club hosted a two-day festival with live music, food trucks and special guests, including…

Mentee reflects on life purpose discovered following UIUC professor’s death
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Mentee reflects on life purpose discovered following UIUC professor’s death

CHAMPAIGN-Prior to his death, University of Illinois professor, Dr. William Patterson, inspired Champaign residents to build new things. For some, it was a new life. Miquel Smoot told IPM Reporter, David Pierce, that he was living in Champaign and was unsure of what he wanted to do with his life. Then one day in 2020,…