URBANA – Tuesday was Election Day in Illinois, consolidating local elections for cities, village, townships and other governing bodies such as park, school and library boards. And on Tuesday evening, county clerks and other election authorities announced results of the voting. But those are unofficial results, and the Champaign County Clerk’s office that it’s more…
Champaign County results updated 10:30 pm on Friday 4/7; other results updated at 10:00am on Wednesday 4/7. Follow Illinois Newsroom’s live election coverage, including voting updates, race calls and analysis. Voting results are unofficial, and could change due to outstanding mail-in ballots received by election officials between Election Day and certification of election results on…
URBANA – Illinois Congressman Rodney Davis is appealing to bipartisanship, as he joins fellow Republicans in opposing the White House infrastructure plan. Davis made his comments Monday at Willard Airport, south of Champaign, where he toured runway and taxiway improvements. “Well this is awesome,” said Davis, as he was shown improvements paid for by federal…
URBANA – Champaign County voters can once again use election drop boxes to send in their mail-in ballots for Tuesday’s local elections. The seven drop boxes in Champaign and Urbana were used during the November election. But local election officials say there was no state law authorizing their use in other elections. That changed last…
The U.S. Department of Justice says former Congressman and U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood took undisclosed foreign money while serving in…
RANTOUL – There’s a three-way race for mayor in the village of Rantoul in northern Champaign County. But that’s not the only contest on the April 6 ballot for Rantoul voters. They will also be voting for candidates to fill every seat on the Rantoul Village Board. And for the first time, they will choose…
SAVOY – Larger towns in Illinois with more than 25,000 people have home rule powers automatically granted to them under the state constitution. Smaller towns have to ask voters for permission. And that’s what’s happening with the April 6 election in Savoy, just south of Champaign. Home rule powers allow a city or village…
URBANA – The fate of the Champaign County Recorder’s office is up to the voters. If they approve a referendum on the April 6 ballot, the work of the recorder of deeds will be merged into the county clerk’s office The referendum, which the county board voted in January to place on the ballot, asks:…
UPDATE: Champaign city officials say the Black Lives Matter honorary street signs were installed on Wednesday, Mary 13, eight days after their approval by the city council. The signs are on Chester Street, where it meets Neil Street and Walnut Street, on either side of the City Building. – Jim Meadows, March 24 2021. CHAMPAIGN…
CHAMPAIGN – Illinois Congressman Rodney Davis hasn’t said he’s running for governor. But the 13th District U.S. representative sounded like someone who might, during a meeting with farmers in Champaign on Monday. Listen to this story here. At a meeting of his Agriculture Advisory Coalition, Davis blamed Governor J.B. Pritzker for problems in the state’s…
NORMAL – Tracy Freeman heard from a former student earlier this year. Freeman, who teaches social studies at Normal West Community High School in central Illinois, says the student had traveled to Washington D.C. to participate in the Trump rally on January 6. The former student said they didn’t go into the U. S. Capitol…
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…
WASHINGTON — Illinois lawmakers voted along party lines Thursday, as the House of Representatives voted 224-206 to pass H.R. 5, titled the Equality Act, a bill to protect LGBTQ Americans from discrimination. Listen to this story here. An earlier version of the bill passed the House once before in 2019, with the support of eight…
URBANA – Urbana Mayor Diane Marlin easily defeated two challengers in Tuesday’s Democratic local election primary. Listen to this story here. Mayor Marlin won 1,845 votes, or 72.3% of the total, well ahead of Alderman Dennis Roberts, the 2nd-place finisher with 440 votes or 17.24%, and recent U of I graduate Andy Ma with 267…
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…