Jim Meadows
Herff Jones closing its cap-and-gown facility in Champaign, consolidating in Arcola
Herff Jones employs 170-200 workers in Champaign, depending on the time of year, and a similar number in Arcola.
Danville says goodbye to Bresee Tower
With the demolition of Bresee Tower, the city is losing a symbol of its past prosperity, while gaining a site that could be a part of its future growth.
Private donation allows U of I Soybean Innovation Lab to resume its work
The program previously had its funding cut by the Trump administration. An anonymous $1 million donation will help keep the lab running.
More states are moving to scrap sales tax at the grocery store
With high prices at the grocery store, legislators across the middle of the country have moved away from sales taxes on food purchases.
Outgoing Urbana Mayor Diane Marlin reflects on city finances, public safety
Marlin said she hopes the city’s next mayor will “make decisions based on what is best for the community as a whole.”
Media Matters host and journalism scholar Robert McChesney has died at 72
From 2002 to 2012, McChesney hosted the radio program Media Matters on Sunday afternoons on WILL-AM.
Gov. Pritzker visits Urbana as part of statewide tour focused on Trump administration’s impact in Illinois
Governor Pritzker urged Illinoisans to participate in “mass activism” and let Congress know they oppose the Trump administration’s cuts to food and agriculture programs.
Trump administration makes cancellation of Innovation Lab funding permanent, ending the Soybean Innovation Lab at the U of I
The Trump administration has terminated the Soybean Innovation Lab at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, nearly two months after its funding was paused pending a review. The lab’s funding is set to officially end on April 15.
Closing Market Report turns 40 years old
The Closing Market Report turned 40 years old this year.
Midwest farmers worry about the impacts of tariffs on exported crops and imported fertilizer
The Trump administration’s tariff announcements this week are bringing uncertainty to farmers going into planting season. Farm groups warn that retaliatory tariffs will add an additional “burden” to U.S. producers.
Updated special census boosts Urbana’s official population
City officials say the updated numbers should trigger $600,000 a year in additional revenue from the state.
Activists pressure Budzinski to be a ‘full-throated supporter’, push back against Trump’s cuts to federal agencies
Those rallying said that the congresswoman should expand her efforts to combat cuts made by DOGE, or the Department of Governmental Efficiency.
At a candidate forum, Urbana mayoral and Ward 6 hopefuls express differing views on policing technology
Ahead of Urbana’s Feb. 25 primary election, candidates for mayor and City Council presented to a full house at a forum held in the Urbana City Council chambers.
Danville Election Commission repeats meeting to retain city council candidate on April 1 ballot
The Danville Election Commission voted to keep city council candidate Jaleel Jones on the April 1st ballot, in a repeat of the group’s decision in December.
Foreign ownership of U.S. farmland is still small but has increased, analysis shows
The amount of American cropland, pastureland and forestland owned by foreign investors continued to increase in 2023, according to a recent analysis by the American Farm Bureau Federation.
Champaign County GOP leader hails Trump’s return
The chair of the Champaign County Republican Party was in Washington D.C. Monday to watch President Donald Trump’s second inauguration.
The soybean is poised to become Illinois’ official state bean
Lawmakers have put the soybean on track to become Illinois’s official state bean. The Prarie State is the top producer of soybeans in the U.S., with about a quarter of its land used for growing the crop.
How Donald Trump’s tariffs have — and could — affect Illinois agriculture
For his second term, Trump proposed various tariffs on the campaign trail and after his election, including a 60% tariff increase on Chinese imports and an additional 25% tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico.
Farm groups say producers need a new farm bill, but many expect another extension as time runs out
The clock is ticking for Congress to address the expired farm bill. Several groups are urging lawmakers to get an updated bill to the finish line before the end of the year.
Champaign on track to get its first African-American city manager
CHAMPAIGN– Officials in Champaign will decide at a meeting Tuesday whether to promote Deputy City Manager Joan Walls to serve as the city’s chief executive.
On the eve of a Trump administration, Sen. Durbin says he will work to protect Social Security & Medicare
Speaking on Friday at Willard Airport near Champaign, the Springfield Democrat said he accepted “the verdict of democracy” with former President Donald Trump’s victory.
Laurie Brauer elected to serve as Champaign County Coroner, shifting all county statewide positions to Democratic control
Brauer said she hopes to make changes in the coroner’s office to support the needs of grieving families.
In an effort to reduce deadly grain bin accidents, OSHA expands safety emphasis program
There are dozens of grain handling accidents that occur each year in the U.S. That’s why OSHA has placed several states under regional emphasis programs over the years to promote worker safety at grain handling facilities.
It tastes like chicken, but ‘cultivated’ meat sees growing opposition from U.S. lawmakers
Cultivated meat – meat grown from animal cells – is touted as a way to meet growing global demand with far fewer climate impacts. Yet
Jay Pearce, longtime public broadcaster, dies at age 69
Jay Pearce, a member of the WILL Radio staff from 1998 to 2009, has died at the age of 69.
A rediscovered soil archive – more than a century old – could show how years of farming alters soil
Soil science is a relatively new field and becoming more critical in the work to keep soil healthy and productive. The discovery of century-old soil samples at a land-grant university could offer big clues into how soil has changed over time.
$51 million awarded to Champaign-Piatt-Macon biomanufacturing tech hub project
A year-long campaign to promote biomanufacturing in central Illinois has paid off for the University of Illinois and its partners. The U-S Commerce Department’s Economic Development Administration has awarded an approximately $51 million grant to a consortium led by the University of Illinois, to establish the Illinois Fermentation and Agriculture Biomanufacturing (or iFAB) tech hub in Champaign, Piatt and Macon Counties.
Eating cicadas became a thing after the massive emergence. Will trying other insects follow?
Researchers and bug enthusiasts are cooking up cicadas as sweet snacks or pizza toppings this summer. Some hope cicadas will help entomophagy – the practice of eating insects – catch on.
Proposed Urbana City Council ward maps are available for review
The Urbana City Council is expected to review three proposed ward boundary maps at its June 3rd Committee of the Whole meeting. Meanwhile, the proposed maps are posted at the city’s website for public review and comment. A link on the website’s front page takes users to information on ward redistricting. The map that wins council approval will replace Urbana’s current ward map.
Urbana Mayor Marlin confirms she won’t seek third term
Democrat Diane Marlin is confirming what she has been talking about for more than a year: she’ll step down as Urbana mayor when her current term ends next spring.
“After 8 years on City Council and 8 years as mayor, 16 in city government, is a good long run,” Marlin said in an interview with Illinois Public Media.
State Senator Rose says the U of I favors its Chicago campus over Urbana when allocating state funds
State Senator Chapin Rose says the University of Illinois is not being fair to its flagship campus when it distributes state funds. Rose, who is a U of I Urbana alum, says his calculations show that the university is giving its Chicago campus more state money on a per-undergraduate basis than it gives to its Chicago campus: $10,073 per student at Chicago versus $7,483 per student at Urbana, for a difference of $2,590 per student in the Chicago campus’ favor.
NASA is helping farmers — how researchers are using satellite images to address big ag issues
It’s been a year since NASA kicked off an effort to provide farmers with useful information garnered from satellite images of Earth. The program includes
Flash Index shows Illinois economy’s growth rate is up for the third month in a row.
The University of Illinois Flash Index to the state’s economy rose for the third time in as many months, reaching 103.0 in April. The index based on state tax receipts had dropped to 102.5 in January, but has been rising steadily since then. Any Flash Index reading above 100 indicates growth in the Illinois economy.
Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation will work with consulting firm to determine future of northern Illinois land
For the first time since the 19th century, a Native American tribe has sovereign authority over land in the state of Illinois. Now, the tribal government
New facility in Decatur makes animal feed ingredients from insects
A new facility that raises fly larvae for animal feed has opened in Decatur.
Governor J-B Pritzker helped cut the ribbon Thursday for the North American Insect Innovation Center, built by the French biotech company Innovafeed SAS.
The 10,000 square foot facility, with a staff of ten, is the company’s first facility in the Americas. And it is a precursor to a much larger growing and manufacturing plant, with 100 to 300 employees, that Innovafeed plans to build adjacent to the current facility over the next two years.
Newspapers in rural areas are folding, leaving vast news deserts. But there are bright spots
https://play.podtrac.com/npr-1244411030/cpa.ds.npr.org/s60/audio/2024/04/newspapersweb.mp3 The U.S. has lost more than 2,800 newspapers since 2005, many of them in rural areas. Now some journalists are redoubling their efforts to
Quaker Oats is closing its Danville plant, sending pink slips to more than 500 workers
One of Vermilion County’s largest employers is closing down and laying off its workforce. Production has ceased at the Quaker Oats plant in Danville, leaving
A UIUC researcher wants to compare new farmland soil samples to old ones. Objective: learn how farming affects soil over time.
A soil scientist at the University of Illinois Urbana campus is reaching out to landowners and farmers, as he prepares to take soil samples at locations where samples were taken years ago across the state.
New USDA ‘climate-friendly’ farming and ranching practices have yet to be proven, report says
An environmental activist group charges that many “climate smart” farming practices recently added to a list for U.S. Department of Agriculture funding are not yet proven. The Environmental Working Group says funding from the Inflation Reduction Act should not be used to pay farmers for using the practices, until there is more evidence that they work.
Wanted: an airline to fly a leisure route out of Willard Airport
Willard Airport is in the process of raising money to attract an airline that will provide leisure-class passenger service between Champaign-Urbana and tourist destination spots such as Florida.
Downtown Champaign bar manager dies nine days after shooting
Champaign Police are reclassifying the shooting of a downtown bar manager as a homicide, following the death of Brandon L. Hardway. The Champaign County Coroner’s office says the 45-year-old Hardway, of Champaign, died early Saturday at Carle Hospital, due to injuries he received in a shooting on the afternoon of February 8. Police say the shooting happened outside Hardway’s bar, Pour Brothers Craft Taproom, 40 E. University Avenue in downtown Champaign. Police say Hardway had come outside for a cigarette break, and was shot in the back.
Some Midwest states take power to ban wind and solar projects away from local communities
As the number of wind and solar farms increases, so does opposition in the rural areas where they’re being built. While more counties and townships
Kickapoo Rail Trail on track for two-year completion with $11.2 million state grant.
After seven years of construction, less than half of the 24-mile Kickapoo Rail Trail in east-central Illinois has been completed. But now, the project could be finished in the next two years, thanks to a state grant. An $11.2 million grant, awarded through the state’s Rebuild Illinois Capital plan will pay for the completion of the walking and bike path.
A new rail trail planned for rural Piatt County could be part of something bigger.
Plans are in the works to construct a 2.3-mile rail trail in a rural area of Piatt County. As initially reported by columnist Tom Kacich
With a ceremony, the U.S. Air Force marks the transfer of the last of its Chanute Air Force Base land to civilian hands.
From 1917 to its closure 30 years ago, the base hosted military aircraft from World War One to the Vietnam War, and training programs for more than one million airmen, including the Tuskegee Airmen, the nation’s first African American Air Force pilots.
Service techs will be trained for AGCO dealerships at new Parkland facility
A new facility at Parkland College in Champaign will train students to become service technicians for farm equipment made by AGCO. A groundbreaking ceremony was held Thursday for the AGCO Training Center.
The Piatt County Board, with reluctance, approves the county’s first wind farm
The Piatt County Board voted 4-2 on Friday to approve a special use permit for a wind farm in the county. But several members made it clear they were approving the Prosperity Wind project reluctantly, as a new Illinois law gave them no real choice in the matter.
During building renovations, a new recording lets the Altgeld Chimes ring on
Altgeld Hall, completed in 1897, is undergoing a multi-year restoration, forcing its chimes to go temporarily silent. But there will soon be another way to hear them.
One firefighter hurt in fire at U of I’s Memorial Stadium; damaged believed minmal.
Fire crews were expected to remain at the University of Illinois’ Memorial Stadium Tuesday night, after extinguishing a fire at the stadium in Champaign.
U of I hopes a new greenhouse will be an incubator for bioenergy crops.
University of Illinois officials held ceremonial shovels Wednesday morning, for a groundbreaking ceremony marking the start of construction on a new greenhouse. It will open next summer in the Urbana-Champaign campus’ Research Park and be used for research into bioenergy crops.
Fish in Illinois lakes & streams will no longer be tested for DDT
Illinois is joining a growing list of states that will no longer test fish in lakes and rivers for DDT and other related pesticides. Illinois
A ship’s bell rings to remember those lost in the 9/11 attacks.
A bell from the U.S.S. Illinois was used twice in Champaign on Monday, at ceremonies remembering those lost in the September 11, 2001 attacks.
Once again, Piatt County considers an application for a wind farm
Zoning hearings are underway in Piatt County on a new wind farm proposal, six months after the Piatt County Board rejected a similar proposal from the same company.
Pritzker promotes higher ed funding, calls for nuclear plant bill to be amended
Governor J-B Pritzker hopes lawmakers will come up with an amended version of SB76, a bill he vetoed on August 11 that would have ended Illinois’ moratorium on building nuclear power plants.
A state program helps farmers donate the food they raise to food banks.
Now, farmers in Illinois can contribute some of the food they produce to food banks though a centralized donation program. This month, Governor J-B Pritzker signed HB2879, which turns a two-year, USDA-funded Farm to Food Bank pilot program into a permanent, state-funded operation.
Piatt County to start wind farm zoning hearings on August 28.
The Piatt County Zoning Board has scheduled its first hearing on a new wind farm proposal from Apex Clean Energy for Monday, August 28 at the Monticello Community Center.
A survey of farm households finds that the stress of farm life is felt by teens as well as adults.
When farm life causes stress, young people feel it along with the adults. That correlation was noted in a survey of farm families, conducted by researchers at the University of Illinois and the Marshfield Clinic in Wisconsin.
Young people and their horses opened the Champaign County Fair
URBANA – Cattle, sheep and swine are being shown off in agricultural competitions this week at the Champaign County Fair in Urbana. But this past
Recent shootings in the C-U area are a prime topic at a Community Coalition meeting.
Meetings of the Champaign Community Coalition include regular reports from local police departments. And at Wednesday’s meeting, those reports were dominated by reports of shootings.
Urbana’s Canaan Baptist Church is designated a local historic landmark.
Canaan Baptist Church in downtown Urbana is now a local Historic Landmark. The city’s Historic Preservation Commission recently granted the designation at the church’s request.
Defenders of AM radio speak up in DC for its preservation in your vehicle dashboard
The measure, introduced in May with bipartisan support in both the House and Senate, would require automakers to include AM radios in their vehicles.
Gov. Pritzker stopped in Champaign to promote his budget, especially its spending for early childhood programs
Governor J-B Pritzker and other state officials visited Champaign’s International Prep Academy Wednesday, part of the governor’s tour of the state to promote education spending in the new state budget.
Urbana city and school officials hope to redevelop the site of a downtown school district building.
With Urbana School District 116 administrative headquarters moving elsewhere, the district wants to sell the property to the city, which would then tear it down and seek a commercial developer for the site.
Hospitals have a fast-acting drug to help stroke victims — if they seek treatment in time
More hospitals are turning to a drug called TNKase — a brand name for tenecteplase — to break up the blood clots that threaten stroke victims. It’s a less expensive and much faster acting drug than previous treatments. But patients get the benefit only if they seek treatment quickly, within the first hours after a stroke occurs.
After years of planning, a casino opens in Danville
Nearly a year after a groundbreaking ceremony, a new casino opened to the public for the first time on Saturday in Danville’s Eastgate area. Initially, the casino will be open eight hours a day, closed on Tuesdays.
Memorial services Friday remembered police officers killed on duty in Champaign, Champaign County
At the Police and Fire Memorial in Champaign’s West Side Park, a ceremony remembered the three Champaign police officers — Christopher Oberheim, Robert Tatman and Thomas Dodsworth — who were killed on duty over the years.
OSF Healthcare will reopen the birthing center at its Danville Sacred Heart hospital, and close the one at Urbana Heart of Mary
Pending regulatory approval, OSF Healthcare will reopen the birthing unit at its Danville hospital — while the birthing center at its Urbana hospital will close.
The Rantoul Village Board once again rejects a proposed cannabis growing facility.
Once again, the Rantoul Village Board has voted against allowing a cannabis business to open in their town. The village board rejected a proposal Tuesday night to allow applications to open a cannabis growing facility in Rantoul, with Mayor Chuck Smith breaking a 3-3 tie vote.
Economic growth in Illinois continued to slow down in April, according to the Flash Index.
The latest University of Illinois Flash Index shows the state’s economic growth rate continuing its year-long, near-steady decline. The Index fell from 103.1 in March, to 102.9 in April. It had been as high as 106.1 in March 2022. Any Flash Index reading above 100 indicates a growing economy in Illinois.
Rantoul village trustees will vote on cannabis craft grower proposal
The Rantoul Village Board has agreed to vote next week on whether to allow a cannabis growing operation to open in the village. Rantoul trustees agreed to take the vote after hearing a new presentation Tuesday night from Blake Schilb.
Piatt County wind farm opponents face off against a new state law encouraging their construction.
Voters in the central Illinois county of about 16,000 rejected wind farms in general, in an advisory referendum that the county board had placed on the April 4 ballot.
After promising to run the former Champaign County Nursing Home for at least ten years, its owner has filed plans to close it after five.
The owner of the former Champaign County Nursing Home has filed plans with state regulators to close the facility in two months, despite an agreement with the county to operate it as a nursing home for at least another five years.
Freshman lawmaker Nikki Budzinski says she’s found ways to work across the aisle in her first 100 days
As she reaches her 100th day in office, Illinois Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski has been touring her congressional district, talking about her achievements so far.
The Springfield Democrat told Jim Meadows that one of her goals was to find ways to work constructively with members of the other party.
Striking faculty return to class Friday at EIU, will vote next week on a tentative contract
As of 8 AM Friday, class is back in session at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston. A week-long strike by the union representing faculty and support staff is on hold, while members consider the administration’s contract proposal. A ratification vote is expected sometime next week, although a date has not been set.
Flash Index: Illinois’ economic growth continues its slow decline in March.
After an increase to 103.4 in February, the Flash Index for March dropped back to its January level of 103.1. Except for that one-month increase, the Flash Index has been declining since a peak of 106.1 in March of 2022. (Any reading on the Flash Index above 100 indicates economic growth.)
Eastern Illinois University faculty go on strike
Negotiations continue Friday between Eastern Illinois University and its faculty union. But the bargaining session will take place off campus — because the union began its strike on Thursday, and doesn’t want its members to have to cross picket lines for the meeting.
Voters reelect Mayor Feinen in Champaign and Mayor Williams in Danville
Voters in Champaign and Danville re-elected their mayors Tuesday, but by widely different margins.
Champaign County puts out the call for election judges for April 4
Tuesday, March 28 is the deadline for formal announcement of polling locations for the April 4 consolidated local elections in Illinois. In Champaign County, the county clerk’s office says the number of polling places will depend on how many election judges they can recruit. County Clerk Aaron Ammons says as of right now, Champaign County is well short of the number of judges he would like to have.
Mayoral candidate Jackie Vinson outlines her vision for Danville
The April 4th ballot in Danville features two candidates for mayor: the current mayor, Rickey Williams Junior, and Jackie Vinson, the executive director of the Vermilion Housing Authority.
Danville Mayor Rickey Williams Jr. cites “strong stewardship” as he seeks election to a second term.
Voters in Danville will decide if Rickey Williams Junior gets to serve a second full term as mayor, or if the job goes to Vermilion Housing Authority executive director Jackie Vinson.
EIU faculty union contract talks continue, now with a potential strike approved by rank & file
Federally mediated contract talks between Eastern Illinois University and its faculty and support staff union are scheduled to resume Monday, April 3. When they resume, officials with the EIU-University Professionals of Illinois chapter (Illinois Federation of Teachers Local 4100) hope the administration will feel more pressure to reach a settlement, following last week’s approval of a strike authorization vote.
Mayor Williams & challenger Vinson discuss issues in Danville mayoral candidates debate
The two candidates for mayor of Danville, incumbent Rickey Williams Jr., and Vermilion Housing Authority executive director Jackie Vinson, answered questions Monday night at forum held at Danville Area Community College.
Champaign’s three mayoral candidates meet in Illinois Public Media forum
Champaign voters have three candidates for mayor to choose from in the April 4th election. And all three — Azark David Cobbs, Deborah Frank Feinen and Don Gerard met in the WILL Radio studios for a one-hour forum recorded on March 4, and broadcast on WILL AM and FM on March 10.
Illinois’ economic growth rate was up a bit in February — Flash Index
Following a year of declines – the state’s economic growth rate increased last month, albeit slightly. The University of Illinois Flash Index rose from January’s 103.1 to 103.4 in February.
IPM says farewell to St. Louis-bound Brian Moline
Illinois Public Media is bidding a reluctant goodbye to Brian Moline, who has accepted a new job as a news editor for St. Louis Public Radio, beginning March 6.
Marron seeks state funding for Savoy, Rantoul & Danville infrastructure projects
State Representative Mike Marron is one of many Republicans critical of Governor J-B Pritzker’s ambitious budget proposals to add new state spending for education, childcare,
Budzinski tours ag research at U of I and visits with laid-off Akorn workers in Decatur
U.S. Representative Nikki Budzinski visited the University of Illinois Research Park in Champaign on Thursday. But first, the central Illinois Democrat stopped in Decatur, where more than 400 pharmaceutical plant workers had been abruptly laid off by Akorn Pharmaceutical.
Azark David Cobbs seeks change in his second run for mayor of Champaign
Azark David Cobbs is making his second run for mayor of Champaign, running against incumbent mayor Deborah Frank Feinen and former mayor Don Gerard.
A Piatt County zoning board votes against a wind farm, but the county board will have the final say.
Both supporters and opponents were watching Thursday night, as the Piatt County Zoning Board of Appeals voted 5-0 against recommending a zoning permit for the Goose Creek wind turbine project proposed by Apex Clean Energy. The proposal now goes to the Piatt County Board, which does not have to follow the zoning board’s ruling.
Deb Feinen Seeks a 3rd Term as Champaign’s Mayor
Champaign voters will have three candidates to choose from on April 4, including incumbent mayor Deborah Frank Feinen, who is running for a third term.
Public hearings on a proposed wind farm in Piatt County are entering the home stretch.
The 300 megawatt project would consist of 50 to 60 large wind turbines on land in Blue Ridge, Goose Creek and Sangamon townships, leased from area farmers.
Former Champaign Mayor Don Gerard hopes to return to the office.
There will be three candidates on the ballot for mayor of Champaign in the April 4th consolidated election. This first report on the Champaign mayoral
Former Congressman Rodney Davis has been hired by a lobbying firm
Former Illinois Congressman Rodney Davis has been hired as a lobbyist. The Taylorville Republican will become a managing director for Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies. In his new job, Davis will provide counsel to the firm’s government relations clients.
Champaign will hire a consulting firm to help it recruit more, and more diverse, police officer candidates.
The Champaign City Council voted Tuesday night to hire a consulting firm to help it attract more, and more diverse police officers.
Freshman lawmaker Nikki Budzinski begins work representing Illinois’ 13th Congressional District.
Nikki Budzinski is starting her first term in Congress as a member of the minority party. But, despite that, and despite qualms about expected changes to House rules, the Springfield Democrat says she still hopes to work with Republicans on legislation that helps working people.
Applicants for Scott Bennett’s state Senate seat make their case at an online forum.
Applicants seeking to fill the state Senate seat left vacant by the death last month of Scott Bennett appeared on an online forum Wednesday evening, to make their case to local Democrats.
WILL at 100: A century of programming for the farming world
From its first sign-on in 1922 to the present day, agricultural programming for rural audiences has been an important part of programming on WILL-AM.
Hundreds turn out for a memorial service for State Senator Scott Bennett
At a memorial service for State Senator Scott Bennett (D-Champaign) on Monday, friends and colleagues emphasized his ability to make friends in a field where
Researchers are using a geologist’s version of an MRI to map the Mahomet Aquifer
During several days last week, a helicopter hauling a huge antenna flew at low altitudes over rural Champaign County. The antenna sent electromagnetic waves into
Scott Bennett Funeral Scheduled For Krannert Center on December 19
State Senator Scott Bennett of Champaign will be remembered at a funeral at the University of Illinois’ Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, Monday, December