Tag: COVID-19

217 Today: April 30, 2021

Friday, April 30, 2021 Today’s Headlines: Gov. JB Pritzker has made public a long-awaited investigation into a COVID outbreak at the LaSalle Veterans’ Home last fall that killed 36 residents.  A new report from the Illinois Department of Public Health finds Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white

217 Today: April 23, 2021

Friday, April 23, 2021 Today’s headlines: Illinoisans who want to own guns would have to be fingerprinted before getting or renewing their concealed carry license under a measure advancing in the Illinois House. The Illinois House Thursday night voted unanimously to pass a measure ending the use of isolation time out rooms in schools and

Muslims Observing Ramadan In Champaign-Urbana Adapt To COVID-19

URBANA – For the second year in a row, Muslims in the Champaign-Urbana community are observing Ramadan in the middle of a pandemic. During Ramadan 2020, it was difficult to adjust the usual Ramadan traditions to the new norms set forth due to the pandemic, such as social distancing, says Waleed Jassim, president of the

217 Today: April 16, 2021

Friday, April 16, 2021 Today’s headlines: Video of the fatal Chicago police shooting of Adam Toledo shows the 13-year-old raising his arms above his head the moment he is shot. COVID-19 is seeing a new resurgence in Region 2 of Illinois. The president of OSF St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria says his hospital is currently at

217 Today: April 6, 2021

Tuesday, April 6, 2021 Today’s headlines: Voters are choosing candidates Tuesday for local offices from mayor to school board. Polls are open until 7 p.m. Gov. JB Pritzker stopped in Champaign on Monday to discuss money coming to schools from the American Rescue Plan Act. Republican Congressman Rodney Davis is calling for the governor to live up

217 Today: Friday April 2, 2021

Friday, April 2, 2021 Today’s headlines: One state lawmaker wants to make submitting standardized test scores to colleges and universities permanently optional. Republican Congressman Rodney Davis is telling his fellow Republicans to trust the science and get vaccinated for COVID-19. Rantoul village officials say the first commercial development near the new Family Sports Complex is in the

217 Today — March 31, 2021

Wednesday, March 31, 2021 https://will.illinois.edu/nfs/217Today3-31-21.mp3 Today’s headlines: Illinois Republicans are again calling for an independent commission to draw Illinois’ new legislative maps. A bill introduced in the Illinois House earlier this year would require the state to tackle gun violence as a public health issue. Dozens of people gathered outside the Champaign City Building Tuesday

217 Today — March 30, 2021

Tuesday, March 30, 2021 https://will.illinois.edu/nfs/217Today3-30-21.mp3 Today’s headlines: U.S. Senator Dick Durbin says he hopes Democrats and Republicans can come to an accord which avoids the elimination of the filibuster. Public colleges and universities in Illinois are asking the Governor and Illinois Department of Public Health to force college students to get coronavirus vaccines or not attend classes

217 Today — March 26, 2021

Friday, March 26, 2021 Today’s headlines: More than two-thirds of staff at Illinois prisons rejected their chance at getting the COVID-19 vaccine. A bill state legislators say would expand voting rights is on its way to the governor after passing the Senate. It would increase vote by mail options and allow curbside voting. Larger cities in Illinois

Ask The Newsroom: Long-Term Care Facilities, Prisons, Nursing School, Eviction Moratorium

The Illinois Newsroom team is answering questions to help Illinois residents navigate this unprecedented time. Have a question you want answered? Ask here. Below you’ll find answers to questions about COVID-19 vaccines, schools and their response to the pandemic and business and government aid.  Please note: This information is accurate as of March 23, 2021.

With Illini Fans In Celebration Mode, Champaign County Health Officials Urge Caution

CHAMPAIGN – Champaign County health officials are urging caution ahead of the upcoming NCAA tournament, where the University of Illinois men’s basketball team will compete for the first time in eight years. With fans fired up from a series of recent wins, officials are worried that packed sports bars and watch parties could contribute to

COVID-19 Came To Champaign County One Year Ago

URBANA – Champaign County has been living with COVID-19 for one year. Sunday, March 15, 2020, was the day when the first COVID-19 case was announced in Champaign County. The news turned the coronavirus from a headline for county residents, to an eminent danger that has yet to let up. An effort was made to

‘Happy To Be Alive’ After Surviving COVID And A Double-Lung Transplant

BRIDGEVIEW – In the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, Mayra Ramirez contracted the virus and ended up in the ICU on life support. She was 28 years old. The virus had severely damaged her lungs that her doctors concluded she would not survive the illness unless she got a double-lung transplant. In June, Mayra