The latest readings of the Flash Index show the Illinois economy quickly shifting from growth to contraction during the coronavirus pandemic. The Flash Index has been above 100 for the past eight years, indicating economic growth in Illinois during that period. But University of Illinois economist Fred Giertz says that all changed as coronavirus stay-at-home…
DECATUR – The number of deaths from COVID-19 has risen to six at the Fair Havens Senior Living long-term care facility in Decatur. The Macon County Health Department announced Thursday morning that a woman in her 90s was the latest Fair Havens resident with COVID-19 to die. “Our team would like to extend our heartfelt…
Concerns about the coronavirus have kept the Illinois General Assembly from meeting in Springfield for a month. And it’s not clear when they’ll be back in session — or back in their offices. The suspension of the spring legislative session in mid-March sent State Senator Scott Bennett and State Representative Mike Marron back to their…
Fifteen people at a long-term care facility in Decatur have been confirmed to have COVID-19, Macon County officials announced Saturday. The cases occurred at Fair Havens Senior Living, and involved ten residents and five staff members. The death of a Fair Havens resident from COVID-19 had been announced on April 7, along with news that…
The Champaign and Urbana school districts are distributing Chromebooks to students who need the devices. Champaign schools have so far distributed about 1,000 Chromebooks to district families, according to Unit 4 spokesperson, John Lyday. Courtney Harmon, an Urbana District 116 parent, picked up a Chromebook for her six-year-old son last week. Her son attends Yankee…
Elementary and secondary school districts across Illinois are moving toward online or e-learning while students remain at home in an effort to contain the coronavirus. One district in southern Illinois has taken a unique approach to ensure every student has access to the internet. Belleville Township High School District 201, located outside St. Louis, is…
UPDATE: Champaign County Executive Darlene Kloeppel said on Thursday that in-person public attendance at Thursday evening’s county board meeting will not be allowed, and all public comment would occur via online video conferencing, due to new government guidelines discouraging meetings of more than ten people. She added that if in-person attendance by county board members…
After being rejected by voters in 2018, a referendum asking voters to approve a one-percent sales tax for public school facilities and other expenses is back on the ballot in the March 17th primary election in Vermilion County. But the proposal does not have the support of officials in Danville. Voters in several Illinois counties…
Alissa Xiao is confined to a bedroom in her parents home in the East Bay region of California. Xiao, 20, is a junior at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She was forced to return home last week from a study abroad program in Italy because of the coronavirus, also known as COVID-19. “It’s very…
Champaign County is moving three of its primary election polling places out of long-term care facilities to other locations, out of concern about the coronavirus. Angie Patton, chief deputy with the Champaign County Clerk’s office, says her office made the decision after conferring with officials at the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District. But she emphasized that…
CHAMPAIGN – As early voting continues for the March 17 Illinois Primary, Champaign County is opening seven additional early voting locations on Monday, March 8, in Champaign, Rantoul, Tolono, Mahomet and St. Joseph. Two other early voting locations opened a week earlier on the University of Illinois campus. Champaign County Clerk Aaron Ammons says he…
URBANA – As the Champaign County Board considers closing the older of its two county jails, progressive Democrats running for board seats argue for making any new jail facility a smaller one. It’s generally agreed that the Champaign County Jail in downtown Urbana is dangerously run down. County Board Chairman Giraldo Rosales, a Champaign Democrat…
The Champaign County Board Facilities Committee reviewed the latest version of a jail consolidation plan Wednesday night. The revised proposal from the Champaign architectural firm Reifsteck Reid & Co. made a few changes from the version viewed by county board members last fall. It would reduce total inmate capacity by about 20 beds and…
Last weekend, lawmakers elected Don Harmon to be president of the Illinois Senate. It’s been described as a bitter fight, but it has nothing on some of…
Television stations around the country are moving to different broadcast frequencies including multiple stations throughout Illinois. An important note: even though stations are changing how they send out broadcasts, the channels viewers use to reach them on their TVs will still be the same. For example, WCIA-TV, the CBS affiliate based in Champaign will remain…