URBANA — State Representative Chris Miller of Illinois’ 110th district won re-election in last week’s midterms. He ran unopposed and will soon serve his third term in office. Miller, the Coles County Republican, attended the “Save America” rally in Washington D.C. on January 6, 2021, which preceded the attack on the U.S. Capitol Building. A…
URBANA – El Dia De Los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, originated in Mexico to remember those who have passed away. The holiday takes place on November 1st and 2nd. Although the holiday originated in Mexico, it has started to be developed in other countries. La Casa Cultural Latina was able to share a…
When immigrants arrive in Urbana-Champaign, local organizations ensure those without resources receive beds, baby clothes and diapers. The Hermandad de Sigma Iota Alpha, Inc. and I-CAUSE, a student organization that supports DACA students, hosted an event on November 2nd to educate peers about the immigrant community outside of campus. Visitors at the event were able…
DES MOINES, Ia. — Last spring, two pregnant women who had recently arrived from Myanmar showed up at Abigail Sui’s home in Des Moines, Iowa. They needed help finding prenatal care. Sui, a program director for EMBARC, an Iowa-based nonprofit that supports immigrants, figured she could help these women navigate the health care system. “Because…
SAVOY — The Savoy Village Board voted unanimously on Tuesday to recommend the Champaign Unit 4 School District reinstate neighborhood schools. The Savoy Board of Trustees said they were reflecting concerns Savoy parents had brought to them. “I believe what you’re all saying is that you want to promote neighborhood schools with a goal of…
ARCOLA – Drive a half-hour south of I-57 from Champaign and you’ll arrive in Arcola. The small town is in a part of the state known for its Old Order Amish community, centered around the nearby town of Arthur. Now, Latinos in Arcola are increasing in population and power. It’s close to lunchtime, and doors…
MATTOON — Black and Hispanic students are learning more quickly in the Mattoon school district than in any other school district in east central Illinois. The Illinois State Board of Education published information on student growth Thursday alongside its 2022 Illinois Report Card. The state calculated growth for local schools and districts by measuring student…
SPRINGFIELD — In Illinois’ newly redrawn 15th congressional district, Congresswoman Mary Miller is up for re-election. Miller topped fellow incumbent Rodney Davis in the Republican primary in June. Miller will face Democratic challenger Paul Lange, a former precinct committeeman and commodities broker from Quincy, Illinois, in the November midterm election. Lange spoke to Illinois Newsroom’s…
CHAMPAIGN — As the Champaign Unit 4 School District debates further desegregating its schools, many parents have asked — what else is the district is doing to advance racial equity? Unit 4 Superintendent Shelia Boozer answered that question at Monday’s Board of Education meeting. “Unit 4 does an amazing job. No matter which building you’re…
CHAMPAIGN — Champaign restauranteur Thad Morrow’s first industry job was at Le Petit Café in Bloomington, Indiana. He was an undergraduate at Indiana University and told the owners that he’d work for free for two weeks. They agreed. “I learned how to cook a few French things, and then, off to the races,” remembered Morrow,…
Updated October 23, 2022 at 10:54 AM ET José Albornoz has only been in the U.S. for a few weeks, but things have been happening fast. He’s already traveled across the country twice, landing in Montana, where a friend got him a job in construction. And he’s learned a few things about the immigration system…
One 27-year-old Guatemalan woman said she had no other option but to give birth while holding a garbage can at a Southern California Border Patrol station. A Nicaraguan mother said agents denied her 6-month-old son medical care while he suffered from respiratory problems that caused pneumonia. These are two cases that the American Civil Liberties…
Both congressional candidates in Illinois’ 13th district — Republican Regan Deering and Democrat Nikki Budzinski — say they support lowering prescription prices and capping the cost of insulin. But they disagree on a new federal law meant to achieve those goals. Deering opposes the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which President Biden signed in August. Budzinski…
CHAMPAIGN — Two open houses at Champaign Unit 4 schools this week yielded the same response – parents don’t want their children to change elementary schools next fall. Parents and grandparents assembled in the Garden Hills Academy gym on Tuesday to discuss the proposal to reassign students to help desegregate the district. Like the first…
URBANA — Congresswoman Robin Kelly is up for re-election in Illinois’ 2nd congressional district. She’s running against Republican challenger Thomas Lynch. Illinois Newsroom’s Harrison Malkin spoke with Kelly about ways to curb gun violence, the Green New Deal, and a range of other policy issues. Malkin: First, I wanted to ask you a little bit…