The Illinois State Board of Education is leaving it up to districts to decide how to reopen schools this fall. Some have chosen to continue remote learning, while others are bringing students back into classrooms amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. ISBE has strongly recommended that schools provide as much in-person instruction as possible. But state
DECATUR – Workers cut down a large tree at Rock Springs Conservation Area in southwest Decatur. They’re clearing invasive tree species to make way for re-seeding something that is now rare in Illinois—native tallgrass prairie. Less than one-tenth of 1% of Illinois’ native prairie still exists. According to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Illinois
Charges: Galesburg Man Went To Minneapolis To Riot MINNEAPOLIS — An Illinois man who allegedly said he was traveling to Minneapolis to “riot” after the death of George Floyd has been charged with federal counts. Twenty-eight-year-old Matthew Lee Rupert of Galesville is charged with civil disorder, rioting and possession of unregistered destructive devices. An FBI
Number of Virus Deaths Climbs To Nearly 2,000 In Illinois CHICAGO – The death toll of the coronavirus crisis inched closer to the 2,000 mark in Illinois, as state officials say that the virus had taken 59 more lives. Sunday’s announcement puts the number of people in Illinois killed by the virus at 1,933 and
Illinois Reports Highest Number Of New COVID-19 Cases In One Day CHICAGO — The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) reported 2,049 new cases of COVID-19 Wednesday. That’s the highest number of positive cases of COVID-19 the state has seen in one day. Gov. J.B. Pritzker says the high case numbers could be a result of
Both Champaign and Macon counties received a less-than-perfect grade for air pollution in a new report from the American Lung Association. The group released its 2020 State of the Air report Tuesday, which ranks cities and counties based on their levels of air pollution. The report found that between 2016 and 2018, more U.S. cities
Coronavirus Cases Top 30,000 CHICAGO – On Sunday, the Illinois Department of Public Health reported the number of COVID-19 cases has grown to 30,357. The death toll stands at 1,290. – Reginald Hardwick, Illinois Newsroom Nine Residents Dead From COVID-19 At Fair Havens In Decatur DECATUR — Nine residents at the Fair Havens Senior Living
DECATUR – Nine residents at the Fair Havens Senior Living facility in Decatur have died after contracting COVID-19. So far, all COVID-19 related deaths in Macon county have been residents at the long-term care facility. The latest casualties from the virus are a woman in her 90s and another woman in her 70s, according to
COVID-19 Cases Top 24,000; Deaths Top 900 In Illinois CHICAGO – The Illinois Department of Public Health reported 1,346 newly confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state Wednesday, for a total of 24,593 cases. The number of deaths from COVID-19 in Illinois now stands at 948. At his daily news conference, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said
IL House GOP Slams Governor On Handling Of Unemployment Claims CHICAGO – Illinois House Republicans in a press conference Monday said Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s administration has not done enough to address the tsunami of unemployment insurance claims from recent weeks. “I believe the state of Illinois has failed those Illinoisans who have been left out,
Illinois COVID-19 Cases Top 15,000 URBANA – The Illinois Department of Public Health reported 1,529 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 across the state Wednesday, including 82 additional deaths. Those deaths included Macon County’s first fatality: the resident of a Decatur long-term care facility. Stark County reported its first confirmed COVID-19 case, becoming the 78th of
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
URBANA – Here’s a roundup of some of the more contested races from the 2020 Illinois Primary. US SENATE CHICAGO — A former Chicago-area sheriff has emerged from a crowded Illinois Republican primary field to mount a long-shot challenge to U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin. Mark Curran, Lake County’s former sheriff who had perhaps the most
Decatur Schools And Union Meet With Mediator DECATUR – Negotiators for Decatur Public Schools and their teaching assistants union met with a federal mediator for about three hours on Wednesday. But talks ended without a settlement, and no date for another session has been set. A District 61 news release called the meeting “productive” and
Union Vows To Fill Decatur School Board Meeting DECATUR – The teaching assistants union at Decatur Public Schools is calling on members show their solidarity by packing Tuesday night’s school board meeting. The meeting comes one day before the union and school district hold a bargaining session with a federal mediator. Teaching assistants have been without a