217 Today: University president discusses challenges facing small colleges after Lincoln College closure

217 Today: University president discusses challenges facing small colleges after Lincoln College closure

Thursday, April 21, 2022 Today’s headlines: Champaign’s new police chief begins work in six weeks. City officials announced Wednesday that state police officer Timothy Tyler will take over the job on June 6. University of Illinois campus police officers will take over patrols in the Campustown area of Champaign by October to help Champaign Police…

217 Today: McLean County electric vehicle manufacturer CEO discusses plans to grow

217 Today: McLean County electric vehicle manufacturer CEO discusses plans to grow

Wednesday, April 20, 2022 Today’s headlines: Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has signed next year’s state spending plan into law. The city of Danville is making way for a new casino near Interstate 74 on the city’s east side after breaking ground Tuesday afternoon. About 50 University of Illinois students marched in support of the Students…

217 Today: New book highlights the shady past of Wild West lawman Wyatt Earp in Peoria

217 Today: New book highlights the shady past of Wild West lawman Wyatt Earp in Peoria

Tuesday, April 19, 2022 Today’s headlines: Former Ukrainian ambassador Marie Yovanovitch is this year’s winner of the Paul H. Douglas Award for Ethics in Government. Champaign County is investing in interpretation services for immigrants who speak indigenous languages. Champaign city council members will talk Tuesday about an agreement to give University of Illinois police authority…

217 Today: Native American mascots remain in many high schools throughout Illinois

217 Today: Native American mascots remain in many high schools throughout Illinois

Monday, April 18, 2022 Today’s headlines: Testimony is expected to continue Monday in the trial of two Illinois guards charged with beating a prisoner. The ratification process has begun for a tentative agreement between The American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees Local 3700 and the University of Illinois regarding retroactive pay. Little League…

217 Today: Music director details Sinfonia da Camera’s season finale concert at Krannert

217 Today: Music director details Sinfonia da Camera’s season finale concert at Krannert

Friday, April 15, 2022 Today’s headlines: Illinois labor leaders want structural changes to the state’s unemployment benefits system. Champaign County Crime Stoppers has raised its cash reward for tips involving guns and homicides. A University of Illinois spokesperson says the university has reached a tentative agreement to provide clerical workers with retroactive pay starting from…

217 Today: New initiative aims to welcome more people of color to farmers markets

217 Today: New initiative aims to welcome more people of color to farmers markets

Thursday, April 14, 2022 Today’s headlines: State lawmakers recently approved a measure waiving school fees for students experiencing homelessness and it’s waiting for the governor’s signature. A proposal headed to Governor J.B. Pritzker’s desk would allow Illinoisans 18 and older to get credentialed for a school paraprofessional job. Tenured and non-tenured faculty at Northern Illinois University…

217 Today: Environmental advocates push back against campaign to expand Chicago-Rockford International Airport

217 Today: Environmental advocates push back against campaign to expand Chicago-Rockford International Airport

Wednesday, April 13, 2022 Today’s headlines: The National Weather Service says we could see severe weather Wednesday in the WILL severe weather coverage area.  A proposal to ban ghost guns in Illinois is headed to Governor J.B. Pritzker’s desk. An attorney for an Amazon delivery driver who was killed when a warehouse collapsed in a…

217 Today: Champaign Unit 4 board ratifies new contract after months of negotiations

217 Today: Champaign Unit 4 board ratifies new contract after months of negotiations

Tuesday, April 12, 2022 Today’s headlines: Illinois lawmakers have expanded the state’s Medicaid program to provide coverage for more undocumented residents. A group of tornado researchers at the University of Illinois recently returned from surveying tornado devastation in Louisiana and Mississippi. Senior officials in the Biden Administration say the President today will move to make…

217 Today: Ford’s new electric F-150 pickup truck could push old-school drivers to go electric

217 Today: Ford’s new electric F-150 pickup truck could push old-school drivers to go electric

Monday, April 11, 2022 Today’s headlines: Illinois lawmakers wrapped up their spring session a few weeks early this year to hit the campaign trail. A portion of Interstate 72 could be named after fallen Champaign police officer Chris Oberheim, who was shot and killed last May while responding to a domestic disturbance call. The Farmers…

217 Today: Backyard flock owners try to contain bird flu as infections sweep through the country

217 Today: Backyard flock owners try to contain bird flu as infections sweep through the country

Friday, April 8, 2022 Today’s headlines: Illinois Democrats say they’ve struck a budget deal and plan on passing it by the end of the day Friday. The Champaign City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to remove the city’s licensing fees for massage businesses. The Refugee Center continues to help its clients from Afghanistan to settle in…

217 Today: Focus 580, WILL-AM’s long-running local call-in show, connected station to community

217 Today: Focus 580, WILL-AM’s long-running local call-in show, connected station to community

Thursday, April 7, 2022 Today’s headlines: Illinois House Democrats are out with their budget proposal for the next fiscal year. It suggests putting more toward tax breaks and public safety than the governor wanted –nearly $1.4 billion instead of $1 billion. Illinois’ Prisoner Review Board is operating with only six of its 15 seats filled….

217 Today: WILL celebrates 100th anniversary with a look back at its first broadcasts

217 Today: WILL celebrates 100th anniversary with a look back at its first broadcasts

Wednesday, April 6, 2022 Today’s headlines: Illinois teachers and school staff who are vaccinated against COVID-19 are now eligible for paid sick leave for any virus-related days off. The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services is severely understaffed even as caseloads surge which means there are fewer investigators available to take on more cases….

217 Today: Listen to the voice of Langston Hughes recorded over 60 years ago

217 Today: Listen to the voice of Langston Hughes recorded over 60 years ago

Tuesday, April 5, 2022 Today’s headlines: Democrats in Springfield are floating new ways to help Illinois police as part of an anti-crime push. As Champaign Unit 4 teachers and board members negotiate a new contract, parents are waiting to hear how the school day might change. Health officials report that the number of active COVID-19…

217 Today: WILL-AM celebrates 100th anniversary of first broadcast this week

217 Today: WILL-AM celebrates 100th anniversary of first broadcast this week

Monday, April 4, 2022 Today’s headlines: Illinois Democratic lawmakers unveiled a multi-billion-dollar spending plan last Friday to combat increased crime throughout the state. Illinois Senate Democrats are proposing several measures to give people a collective $1.8 billion in tax breaks. Two big Midwestern organizations are teaming up to feed refugees fleeing the Ukrainian war zone….

217 Today: Inequities will worsen if Congress doesn’t restore COVID-19 funding, experts warn

217 Today: Inequities will worsen if Congress doesn’t restore COVID-19 funding, experts warn

Friday, April 1, 2022 Today’s headlines: The Illinois Senate approved a measure Thursday to pay vaccinated teachers and other public school workers for any time they took off related to COVID-19, such as a sick or exposed family member. People who physically attack Illinois Department of Children and Family Services workers would face stiffer charges…