Thursday, March 3, 2022 Today’s headlines: Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan potentially faces decades in prison if he’s convicted of alleged racketeering. Illinois Democrats say they’re focused on the future following the indictment of former speaker of the House Michael Madigan. Elsewhere, a network of legal aid groups across Illinois is hoping to expand…
Wednesday, March 2, 2022 Today’s headlines: Illinois Department of Public Health Director Ngozi Ezike announced Tuesday she’s stepping down as director on March 14. Illinois schools are signing up for a new state tutoring initiative to help the students who struggled most in remote school. The Illinois House has passed a measure to give school…
Tuesday, March 1, 2022 Today’s headlines: To mark the end of mask mandates for many Illinois residents which ended Monday, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker stopped by Navy Pier mask free. A small group of University of Illinois students met with the state’s lieutenant governor Monday about the teacher shortage. The Champaign City Council approved a new…
Monday, Feb. 28, 2022 Today’s headlines: The Ukrainian Student Association at the University of Illinois held a rally Sunday for students to stand in solidarity with Ukraine after they were invaded by Russian forces. Illinois’ indoor mask mandate is over in most places. As of Monday, the state is no longer requiring masks for private…
Friday, Feb. 25, 2022 Today’s headlines: Senator Dick Durbin says he’d like to see the Biden administration go even further with sanctioning Russia — specifically President Vladimir Putin and his inner circle. Illinois House Republicans have introduced several measures designed to help Ukrainian refugees and punish Russia. An annual University of Illinois film festival will…
Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022 Today’s headlines: Some Champaign residents are calling on two of their city council members to resign after tensions at last week’s council meeting. Another round of wintry weather is moving through Central Illinois. But, meteorologist Andrew Pritchard is expecting less snow than the last 2 systems. The University of Illinois is…
Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2022 Today’s headlines: Illinois’ Democratic House Speaker is optimistic cooler heads will prevail after what he called a “productive” meeting with the House’s Republican leader. Decatur Public Schools has received $50 million in federal COVID-19 relief. As the community celebrates Lunar New Year, the Champaign Public Library has opened an art exhibit to…
Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2022 Today’s headlines: An Illinois state representative ejected from the floor last week for refusing to wear a mask has sued the House speaker. California unveiled its endemic strategy last week. The targeted plan shows how the state will approach living with COVID-19. Illinois could be headed for a similar plan. Schools…
Monday, Feb. 21, 2022 Today’s headlines: Rantoul High School is using federal COVID-19 relief to establish teacher office hours to help students who are struggling. Even though John Deere’s first-quarter earnings were down compared to a year ago, the Moline-based company still says they’re doing better than they expected despite a strike last year and higher…
Friday, Feb. 18, 2022 Today’s headlines: The National Weather Service says Thursday’s winter storm brought three to four inches of snow to the Champaign-Urbana area. Republicans in the Illinois House walked off the floor to protest mask rules. Judge Michael McCuskey has been appointed as Illinois’ new legislative inspector general – tasked with investigating complaints against lawmakers. As part…
Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022 Today’s headlines: Danville District 118, Monticello, Mahomet-Seymour and Decatur Public Schools have announced e-learning days because of the winter storm. Find the latest closings and cancellations here. Governor J.B. Pritzker is insisting that a statewide mask mandate he ordered is still in effect for most schools despite new developments in Springfield. Despite…
217 Today: Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022 Today’s headlines: A legislative state commission declined Tuesday to extend the school mask mandate rules. The process to appoint a new “watchdog” to keep tabs on Illinois lawmakers hit another snag Tuesday. A new bill would allow investigators at the Department of Children and Family Services to carry and use…
Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022 Today’s headlines: Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin has received a $20 million donation from billionaire Ken Griffin to fund Irvin’s attempt to unseat Illinois’ current governor. Rochelle Clark has become the new assistant superintendent in Decatur Public Schools. The Illinois attorney general’s office has asked the Illinois Supreme Court to impose a sentence…
Monday, Feb. 14, 2022 Today’s headlines: U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg praised Bloomington-Normal during a weekend visit for standing at the forefront of the emerging electric vehicle industry. Poultry producers across the Midwest are on high alert. That’s after avian influenza was detected in a commercial turkey flock in Indiana last week. The Illinois men’s…
Friday, Feb. 11, 2022 Today’s headlines: The case of missing Illinois State University Student Jelani Day may result in a new law that would require coroners and medical examiners to contact the FBI if a body remains unidentified for more than three days. The City of Champaign has been working on equity and engagement for a long…