CHICAGO — The U.S. Senate is considering the latest COVID-19 relief bill, which has already passed in the House. One of the larger portions of the package is $350 billion that would be allocated to state and local governments. Most congressional Republicans argue this money is unnecessary — that it’s a bailout for states and…
Leaders of Illinois’ hospitality sector are asking the state to work with them on a plan to help them recover from 2020’s pandemic shutdown. Representatives of Illinois’ hotel, restaurant and convention industry testified Thursday at a hearing before the state Senate Tourism and Hospitality Committee, asking for relief from state coronavirus restrictions. “We need to…
URBANA – The Illinois economy continued its slow recovery in January, according to the University of Illinois Flash Index. Listen to this story here. The Flash Index measured the state’s economy at 96.3 for the first month of 2021. That’s up from 95.9 the month before. Any Flash Index reading below 100 indicates economic contraction….
CHAMPAIGN – Sales of existing homes in Illinois were up in December and for 2020 as a whole, and the COVID-19 pandemic may have played a part. The trade group Illinois Realtors reports 14,835 homes sold statewide in December, up 28.7% from December 2019. 172,394 homes were sold in Illinois during all of 2020, up…
DANVILLE – Danville officials and casino developers hope that 2021 is the year their long-pursued project gets started. A revamped lineup of investors and developers is awaiting Illinois Gaming Board approval for their new license application, after a 2019 application was deemed incomplete and was withdrawn. Casino resort chain Golden Nugget is loaning money and…
URBANA – The Illinois economy continued its slow recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic in December, according to the University of Illinois Flash Index. The monthly report measured the state’s economy at 95.9 in December, up from 95.6 in October and November. The number shows an improvement in the state economy since the Flash Index dropped…
CHAMPAIGN – Small businesses have had to deal with an added expense this year, paying for supplies and equipment to prevent the coronavirus from spreading at their stores, offices and factories. Champaign, Urbana and Rantoul are offering state-funded grants to help with those new expenses. The grants can be used by small businesses in the…
SPRINGFIELD — Hundreds of Illinois cities are eligible to apply for federal relief from the coronavirus pandemic, Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s administration says. Local government officials have until Dec. 1 to to submit applications. Local CURE funds were approved in the congressional relief package last spring. Public health and public safety spending, COVID-19 testing and contact…
CHAMPAIGN – The COVID-19 pandemic has been tough on in-person shopping, especially at small, local businesses. Those are just the type of businesses hoping to grab shoppers’ attention during the holiday shopping season, with the Hometown Holiday Shop & Stroll, a promotional event that starts on Tuesday, December 1st, and continues through the 20th. This…
CHAMPAIGN – From schools to restaurants to hospitals, restrictions are once again underway around Champaign County as COVID-19 cases rise. Friday will be the last day for in-person classes at Champaign Unit 4 Schools and Urbana School District 116. Both districts are switching to remote instruction only, starting Monday. At a Thursday news conference, Champaign-Urbana…
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…
The economist who prepares the University of Illinois’ Flash Index to the Illinois economy says if things continue on their present course, Illinois could return to economic growth in about half a year. The Flash Index, released this week by the university’s Institute of Government and Public Affairs, measured the Illinois economy at 95.1 for…
Illinois is starting to award grants to renters to help them catch up on late payments. But the need far outpaces the funding available and more than 50…
CHAMPAIGN — With city revenues down due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Champaign City Council Tuesday night endorsed the idea of cutting spending by cutting city staff. They want to do this by offering buyouts to an estimated 15 to 25 employees who agree to leave voluntarily. During the Great Recession, the city of Champaign…
Aaron Kleidon kneels to stoke a campfire under a massive copper kettle, as hundreds of gallons of molasses-colored brew churn and bubble inside. He shakes a few handfuls of dried sweet clover into a cotton sack, which will steep in the beer and infuse it with a subtle vanilla flavor. Like all of the beers…