CHAMPAIGN – Champaign Unit 4 school officials plan to distribute Chromebooks to students whose families do not have a device at home. In a message sent to families last week, Unit 4 Superintendent Susan Zola says the initial distribution of Chromebooks will be to families who do not have any additional devices in their home.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has ordered the closing of every school in the state until March 30 amid concerns over the spread of coronavirus. Statewide, nearly 2 million students will not be returning to the classroom for two weeks. Here is an updated blog on what Illinois districts are doing to keep education and school
Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced this week that Illinois prisons would be closed to new inmates in response to growing concern about the COVID-19 pandemic spreading within Illinois’ correctional facilities. As of Sunday, at least eight incarcerated men at Stateville Correctional Center have tested positive for the virus, along with multiple staff members at the prison.
The Broadway Diner is empty. The ‘50s style restaurant has been a fixture of downtown Columbia, for decades and gets a lot of customers from the…
Emergency physicians across Illinois are bracing for an onslaught of patients sick with the coronavirus disease COVID-19. Dr. Ernest Wang, president of the Illinois College of Emergency Physicians, says hospitals across the state are preparing, and right now feels like the calm before the storm: “The way I describe this to my friends and family:
The coronavirus is wreaking havoc on nearly every aspect of life. And people who lack stable housing or food supplies are among the most vulnerable.
One of the first things Rogards did in response to the coronavirus outbreak was to suspend its trial chair program. Rogards president and CEO Tonya Horn says the program is popular among customers of the Champaign office supply business, which traces its beginnings to 1906. Customers could take an office chair back to their own
The University of Illinois Board of Trustees voted earlier this month to increase health insurance premiums by more than 30 percent for students at its Urbana-Champaign campus. Beginning in the fall, undergraduate premiums will increase by almost $200 per semester, while premiums for graduate students will go up by about $230 per semester. The Graduate
UPDATE on Wednesday, March 25, 2020: Carle says it can now provide sewing materials thanks to a generous donation. Email makeamask@carle.com with questions, or to arrange pickup of masks. CHAMPAIGN – Champaign county now has four confirmed cases of COVID-19, with the latest case announced today. Local health officials are saying everyone should consider themselves at
With states such as Indiana and Michigan adding “stay-at-home” orders on Monday, millions of Americans are significantly restricting their lifestyles to…
The governors of llinois and Ohio ordered residents to stay home to halt the spread of coronavirus. It remains to be seen if other Midwest states will…
With testing kits in short supply, Champaign County health officials are limiting who meets the criteria to get tested for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. Now, the priority will be given to hospitalized patients with severe acute lower respiratory illness, such as pneumonia, as well as people in vulnerable populations who live in
Illinois Officials: 3 More Dead, 422 Now Positive For Virus CHICAGO — Illinois public health officials say three more people have died after contracting the coronavirus and 422 people statewide have now tested positive for the disease caused by the virus. A total of four people have died in the state as a result of
Dawnal Mahan is an essential employee. She manages the cafeteria inside Chatham Elementary School, a kindergarten through fourth grade school in the small town located south of Springfield. While most teachers aren’t in the building, Mahan is still going to work each school day to prepare pre-packaged meals for students — including breakfast and lunch.
Coronavirus cases continue to climb throughout the Midwest, and American’s routines have been significantly disrupted amid the pandemic. President Trump…