217 Today: Illinois schools remain short on substitutes during the national teacher shortage

217 Today: Illinois schools remain short on substitutes during the national teacher shortage

Monday, Jan. 31, 2022 Today’s headlines: Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker intends to offer potential savings for voters in a new election-year budget. Illinois joined a growing number of states when it enacted a 2019 law to help military members and their spouses get professional licenses more quickly. The air in rural areas may be as…

217 Today: One nurse explains the toll of working through a pandemic for two years

217 Today: One nurse explains the toll of working through a pandemic for two years

Friday, Jan. 28, 2022 Today’s headlines: Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer is retiring after nearly 30 years. President Joe Biden pledged during his campaign that he intends to nominate a Black woman to the Supreme Court. A recent study finds that the teacher shortage in Illinois school districts has worsened. Illinois lawmakers will hold a…

217 Today: People who are incarcerated can face retaliation when they report staff sexual misconduct

217 Today: People who are incarcerated can face retaliation when they report staff sexual misconduct

Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022 Today’s headlines: Champaign teachers are willing to strike over Unit 4’s latest contract offer, which would extend the elementary school day by 50 minutes. Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker announced Wednesday $220 million for projects to improve transit systems and ports outside of the Chicago area. A new study suggests CBD, the non-psychoactive ingredient of…

217 Today: Demand for broadband increased during the pandemic, but many rural areas still lack it

217 Today: Demand for broadband increased during the pandemic, but many rural areas still lack it

Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2022 Today’s headlines: Senator Dick Durbin says the United States will not put up with a Russian attempt to invade Ukraine. Two Illinois companies have proposed pipelines that would store carbon deep underground in Illinois, which could help offset carbon emissions. Because of the forecasted wind chills and a lack of school…

217 Today: A nurse reflects on starting her career during the COVID-19 pandemic one year later

217 Today: A nurse reflects on starting her career during the COVID-19 pandemic one year later

Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2022 Today’s headlines: Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker vetoed a bill that would have required school districts to give paid time off for COVID-related absences. But, the governor has agreed with teachers unions to introduce similar legislation. More than 350 Champaign teachers rallied Monday over contract negotiations, and they’ll vote Wednesday about authorizing…

217 Today: New community news outlets fill the void of local news coverage in the Midwest

217 Today: New community news outlets fill the void of local news coverage in the Midwest

Monday, Jan. 24, 2022 Today’s headlines: Two abortion clinics in the St. Louis Metro East have launched a regional logistics center to increase access and will offer travel and financial assistance to any patient that needs it. Illinois Secretary of State offices, including driver services facilities, will resume in-person services this week. Billions of dollars…

217 Today: Monoclonal antibodies can help treat COVID-19 but don’t replace vaccines, according to medical expert

217 Today: Monoclonal antibodies can help treat COVID-19 but don’t replace vaccines, according to medical expert

Friday, Jan. 21, 2022 Today’s headlines: Some Illinois sheriffs are struggling as the state’s Department of Corrections continues its pause on inmate intakes from county jails due to the latest COVID surge. A Republican is entering the race for the newly drawn 13th Congressional District in Illinois. Attorney Jesse Reising announced his candidacy with a YouTube…

217 Today: Reduced contact tracing leaves people who test positive confused about what to do next

217 Today: Reduced contact tracing leaves people who test positive confused about what to do next

Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022 Today’s headlines: Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker’s campaign is taking in more money than the entire Republican field of candidates combined. Both hospitalizations and the number of people requiring intensive care after being infected with COVID-19 have fallen daily over the last week. Now, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker is cautiously optimistic the…

217 Today: Definitions of ‘rural’ stop many small towns from getting grant money

217 Today: Definitions of ‘rural’ stop many small towns from getting grant money

Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2022 Today’s headlines: Most school districts in Illinois say they don’t have enough teachers, according to a new survey. A Department of Children and Family Services supervisor said employees need more training on how to deal with difficult situations after a case worker was killed last month during a home visit near Springfield. Environmental…

217 Today: Danville pastor encourages people to get vaccinated after losing his wife to COVID-19

217 Today: Danville pastor encourages people to get vaccinated after losing his wife to COVID-19

Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2022 Today’s headlines: The COVID-19 death rate is 22 times higher for the unvaccinated across Illinois, according to a WBEZ analysis.  A group of moderate GOP candidates running as a slate hope to make 2022 a Republican wave year in Illinois. Catalytic converters keep disappearing from Champaign-Urbana cars, but because many scrap metal…

217 Today: Local Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Award winner advocates for formerly incarcerated people

217 Today: Local Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Award winner advocates for formerly incarcerated people

Friday, Jan. 14, 2022 Today’s headlines: Candidates for county and state offices and judge seats in Illinois can start collecting signatures for the June primary. The state shortened the time to circulate petitions from 90 to 60 days because of the delay in approving new legislative maps. Tens of thousands of Illinoisans are eligible for…

217 Today: Additional federal money is coming for abandoned mine sites

217 Today: Additional federal money is coming for abandoned mine sites

Thursday, Jan. 13, 2022 Today’s headlines: Illinois’ record-breaking COVID-19 surge is showing no signs of easing. The University of Illinois is expecting another surge of COVID-19 cases as students return to Champaign-Urbana. Police in Urbana say two teenagers are under arrest in the killing of a ride-share driver. In today’s deep dive, we’ll learn more about…

217 Today: Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2022

217 Today: Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2022

Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2022 Today’s headlines: A judge in Cook County Juvenile Court has found Illinois Department of Children and Family Services Director Marc Smith in contempt for delays in placing two children in new homes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s new quarantine recommendations make sense, according to a University of Illinois virologist….