MONTICELLO — Students and employees of school districts in Piatt County now have access to free, rapid COVID-19 testing through Kirby Medical Center — a rural hospital based in Monticello. Monticello school officials hope access to rapid COVID-19 testing will decrease the number of student and teacher absences in the district. Illinois Department of Public
On the outskirts of Rantoul, in east-central Illinois, about 100 migrant farmworkers are living at an old hotel in a sleepy part of town. Every day at…
URBANA – Most Urbana District 116 students will continue to learn remotely — at least until January when the third quarter of the school year is scheduled to begin. The district initially recommended elementary school students move toward a hybrid schedule, which included in-person instruction in the morning hours four days per week, and remote
In the midst of what has otherwise been a heavy, unrelenting year, many Midwesterners have found solace in the dirt. So-called “COVID gardens” have…
Champaign Unit 4 school officials outlined a plan for a mix of in-person and distance learning for elementary students in the Second Quarter, at Tuesday night’s school board meeting. Since school began in August, Champaign Unit 4 Schools have been operating on an entirely distance learning basis. However, challenges remain, despite efforts to provide students
Apple Podcasts Spotify Podcasts Google Podcasts RSS Link 217 Today — Friday, Oct. 2, 2020 Today’s headlines: Pressure on Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan is ramping up as one of his fellow Democrats announced a challenge to his speakership yesterday. Champaign County reported its 2nd COVID-19 death in as many days yesterday, for a total of 22
URBANA – When choosing a mask or face covering to wear during the pandemic, research from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign suggests that a well-fitted mask made of two layers of a breathable material can be nearly as effective as a surgical mask at blocking respiratory droplets, which are released when people cough, sneeze
URBANA — The 2020 Champaign County Pride Fest joins a long list of events that have had to move online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. What used to consist of parades, drag shows, film screenings, and other live events, has now become virtual workshops, Zoom sessions and online discussion panels. The slogan for this year’s
URBANA – Graduate student workers, facilities and maintenance employees, professors and students at the University of Illinois’ Urbana campus criticized the institution’s response to COVID-19 during a virtual town hall Tuesday afternoon. The forum was hosted by the Campus Labor Coalition, a group of unions representing workers on campus. Those who spoke expressed a wide
URBANA – Marisa Hardwick isn’t surprised there are now more than twice as many cases of COVID-19 on the University of Illinois’ Urbana campus than previously predicted by university researchers. Hardwick is a senior at the U of I studying kinesiology. She’s also a resident advisor in a campus dormitory. “The type of school this
TOP STORY — Friday, September 25 Teen Charged In Kenosha Shootings Fights Extradition The 17-year-old charged in the shooting deaths of two protesters in Wisconsin is fighting his extradition from Illinois, but his attorneys didn’t outline their strategy during a brief hearing on Friday and legal experts say there isn’t much the teen can do
URBANA – Administrators at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign want to expand their testing program to the broader Champaign-Urbana community. U of I System President Tim Killeen said earlier this week that the university system was working with Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker to expand its saliva-based COVID-19 test to other communities and public institutions
URBANA — The Big Ten Conference announced Wednesday that it will resume its football season with an eight-game conference-only schedule beginning the weekend of October 23-24. The news came just over a month after league officials said the season would be postponed until at least next spring. But University of Illinois chancellor Robert Jones says
TOP STORY — Friday, September 18 Parties Dispute How Far Feds Will Let Madigan Probe Go The U.S. attorney investigating House Speaker Mike Madigan OK’d a separate probe by a House committee, but Democrats and Republicans do not agree on how far it should go, Associated Press’s John O’Connor reports. John Lausch, U.S. attorney for
Illinois Files Lawsuit Against E-Cigarette Maker Juice Man CHICAGO (AP) — The Illinois attorney general sued e-cigarette maker Juice Man on Thursday, alleging deceptive marketing practices aimed at enticing youth. The move follows a similar Illinois complaint filed in December against Juul, the nation’s biggest e-cigarette maker. Juice Man, based in Dana Point, California, focused