Environment
Starved Rock State Park will undergo an $18 million improvement project over the next year
The improvements will include repairs to retaining walls, bridges, stairways and boardwalks.
Decatur begins first phase of water rationing due to the ongoing drought
Officials said Lake Decatur’s water level continues to drop and drought conditions persist in the Lake Decatur watershed as much of central Illinois has received below average rainfall since mid-August 2025.
IPM’s 2025 State of Change special broadcast explores Illinois’ prairies and bison
State of Change 2025 airs Thursday, November 13 at 7:00 p.m. on WILL-TV.
Conservation land trust in Coles County to expand
This project adds another stretch of the Embarras River to the existing 14 river-miles under Grand Prairie Friends’ protection across Champaign, Douglas and Coles Counites.
Lawmakers OK sweeping energy reform package that governor pledges to sign
SPRINGFIELD — A closely-watched and long-debated piece of energy legislation is set to become law after passing through both legislative chambers with the governor’s endorsement.
Drought is shrinking Mississippi River levels — again. That’s a big problem for farmers
Farmers rely on the Mississippi River to ship grain and bring them imported fertilizer and other critical inputs. But another year of low river levels means barge travel will be more expensive.
Senator Durbin touts value of federal research funding in visit to University of Illinois bee facility
Sen. Dick Durbin brought $8 million to UIUC over five years for research on bee DNA. He came to campus on Thursday to see the results.
As tick-borne illnesses rise, Illinois is taking steps to increase surveillance
Tick-borne diseases have been on the rise in Illinois for many years. And new research from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign finds ticks are migrating to different parts of the state.
Midwest cities will receive millions to clean up ‘forever chemicals.’ But some say it’s not enough
Settlement payments from chemical companies are helping cities pay for expensive PFAS removal technology. But local leaders say the dollars often fall short of covering the full costs to clean up drinking water.
A trio of space weather satellites blast off together to study the sun’s violent side
NASA’s smaller Carruthers Geocorona Observatory was deployed. The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign designed satellite is named after the late scientist George Carruthers, who invented the ultraviolet telescope left on the moon by the Apollo 16 astronauts in 1972.
Mississippi River mayors want FEMA reform to include wetlands to fight floods
Along with calls for better disaster mitigation programs, the mayors announced a new federal data tool that will compile information on drought, flooding and river levels.
The University of Illinois planned to divest from fossil fuels by this summer. Students want to see action
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign said in 2020 that it would aim to stop investing in fossil fuel companies by this summer, but it hasn’t happened yet.