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…
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…
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…
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….
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….
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…
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….
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…
Thursday, March 31, 2022 Today’s headlines: Illinois Democrats are floating Chicago as a potential host city for their party’s 2024 national convention. The Illinois State Board of Education plans to award $4 million in grants to increase the number of bilingual educators in the state. Unit 4 reached a tentative agreement Tuesday night on a…
Wednesday, March 30, 2022 Today’s headlines: Champaign Unit 4 teachers have a tentative contract agreement with the district. Incarcerated people in Illinois who are up for a possible early release will have to wait another month to get their cases heard because the board that deals with those requests no longer has enough members to…
Tuesday, March 29, 2022 Today’s headlines: As Champaign teachers prepare for a possible strike, a Unit 4 Board of Education member explained the district’s side of contract negotiations at Monday’s school board meeting. This year the annual debate over daylight saving time has lingered longer than usual after the U.S. Senate passed a bill recently…
Monday, March 28, 2022 Today’s headlines: Residents of rural Champaign County have a new chance to pay for home repairs too expensive for their incomes. A new recreational space is coming to Champaign’s Garden Hills community this summer. A building boom is underway in Danville as residents prepare for a new casino and other projects….
Friday, March 25, 2022 Today’s headlines: Illinois lawmakers Thursday gave final approval to spending $2.7 billion in leftover federal COVID aid to pay the deficit in the state’s unemployment insurance fund. It’s looking to be a volatile season for farmers and consumers alike with inflation and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine creating more uncertainty in global…
Thursday, March 22, 2022 Today’s headlines: Farmers around the world are encouraged to plant more wheat this year to offset expected losses from Russia and Ukraine. But, that won’t be easy for farmers in the Midwest. The Illinois House approved a measure to send $2.7 billion to the state’s unemployment trust fund from COVID relief…
Wednesday, March 23, 2022 Today’s headlines: Illinois Senator Dick Durbin kicked off day two of Ketanji Brown Jackson’s Supreme Court confirmation hearings Tuesday. Illinois state superintendent Dr. Carmen Ayala made the trip up to Oregon High School to hand out the state’s top honor for an educator: Illinois teacher of the year. The Illinois women’s…