Data center energy consumption raises concerns about long-term costs and reliability
Illinois is home to more than 240 data centers.
New Champaign Unit 4 Superintendent on the decision to become an educator, how to support students and families
Geovanny Ponce arrived as Unit 4 superintendent in July. He grew up in Honduras and specializes in turning around low-performing schools.
Former Sangamon County deputy convicted of murder dies while in custody
State parole board denied a medical release for Sean Grayson just three weeks ago.
This large Chicago high school rarely suspends its students
Schools in Illinois suspend Black students at much higher rates than white students. Kenwood Academy High School on Chicago’s South Side stands out for bucking that trend.
Teen arrested for robbery in Campustown
Four teenagers are accused of committing aggravated robbery in Champaign’s Campustown Tuesday.
Pritzker signs disaster proclamation to aid Illinois communities in storm cleanup efforts
The relief will be available to 15 counties after recent severe and record-breaking storms.
This Springfield high school has one of the highest rates of suspensions for Black students in Illinois
There were fewer than 500 Black students at Lanphier High School in the 2024-2025 school year, but they received almost four times that number of in-school and out-of-school suspensions.
Champaign Unit 4 School District would like to build a fourth middle school. It needs approval from voters
The school board is putting the question to voters in a ballot referendum – do they support the school district selling bonds to build and rebuild its middle schools?
Flood Watch issued for Central Illinois
The Flood Watch begins at 1 p.m. Wednesday and will continue until 1 a.m. Thursday.
Can purple corn replace some synthetic food dyes? Midwest scientists see potential
Shades of red extracted from an ancient corn variety held up to heat and other conditions typical of food processing and storage. Researchers are exploring whether this natural dye alternative could open new markets for Midwest farmers.
WILL Call: What’s Happening in Central Illinois August 20 – 23
Dance lessons for people with Parkinson’s, live music, a sale for dumpster-reclaimed items and more are happening in Central Illinois this weekend.
Rantoul teen found dead after flooding accident in rural Champaign County
The county coroner’s office said the body of Elias A. Smith, 17 was found Monday in a flooded drainage ditch in Condit Township, west of Rantoul.
As Urbana District 116 students return to school, parents reflect on outgoing superintendent
Monday was the first day of school in Urbana District 116. It also marked the beginning of Superintendent Jennifer Ivory-Tatum’s last year in charge.
Bipartisan group of Champaign County Board members thwart vote on home rule, blocking a plan to ban data centers
Several Champaign County Board members left the special meeting early, causing it to end after only three minutes and before any member of the public could speak on the home rule issue.
This Rockford middle school disciplines Black students more than any school in Illinois
Schools in Illinois discipline Black students at much higher rates than white students.
A Rockford middle school is an outlier for handing out the most discipline violations per Black student of any school in the state.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey on SAFE-T Act, budget, and Illinois schools
Republican candidate for Illinois governor, Darren Bailey discussed why he decided on a second run for governor last week on the 21st Show.
Pesticides can drift for miles, injuring plants. That can hurt farmers’ bottom-line
Dicamba, a potent herbicide, can drift miles away from where it’s originally sprayed. There’s little recourse for farmers whose plants are damaged by the pesticide.
America @ 250: Allan Crandell discusses how we can again find meaning as Americans
Dr. Allan Crandall has provided psychotherapeutic and medical services to people throughout central Illinois and in Arizona, New Mexico, Alaska and Colorado.
Urbana teachers to receive annual 5% raise under new contract
Under the new contract, teachers in Urbana will get 5% raises each year for the next 3 years.
This group of Philo students are sharing their love for Ukraine at the Illinois State Fair
Two sisters and their friend won an award at the Champaign County Fair for their presentation on Ukrainian culture.
Excess nutrients can lie dormant in soil for years before polluting rivers, study finds
U.S. Geological Survey researchers developed models to better understand the timing and sources contributing to nutrient pollution in streams and rivers. They say their findings can help guide efforts to improve water quality.
Synthetic fabrics kneecapped American cotton. Industry leaders have a plan to revive it
Fewer people are buying cotton thanks to the rise of synthetic fibers like nylon and polyester. Now, the U.S. cotton industry wants to boost demand for American-grown cotton with tax credits and marketing campaigns.
Urbana District 116 superintendent plans to say good-bye after this school year
Jennifer Ivory-Tatum has led the district for seven years.
2026 butter cow: ‘Miles of Smiles’ is State Fair’s theme in celebration of Route 66
The Illinois State Fair will run from Aug. 13-23 in Springfield.
DeKalb and Aurora are flush with data center cash. They differ in how to spend it
Since the Meta Data Center has operated in DeKalb, it has accumulated $72 million in additional property tax revenue for the city. In Aurora, officials are being purposely cautious with data centers and choosing to not spend their new revenue yet on specific projects.
Urbana Mayor DeShawn Williams’ state of the city address highlights decrease in crime, plans to confront housing challenges
Mayor Deshawn Williams spoke at his State of the City address about public works improvements, including new street lights and sidewalks as well as public safety and violence prevention.
Pritzker, Bailey seek to convince farmers at forum they’re the best candidate for agriculture
Illinois farmers heard pitches from incumbent Gov. JB Pritzker and downstate Republican farmer Darren Bailey on Monday as each argued they’re best positioned to address agricultural issues.
Central Illinois under Severe Thunderstorm Watch
Hail, damaging wind gusts, and heavy rainfall are expected.
WILL Call: What’s Happening in Central Illinois August 13 – 16
A singer-songwriter showcase, a fall plant sale, a vegetarian soul food buffet and more are happening in Central Illinois this weekend.
Champaign County group rallying against data centers hosts second information session
Resist AI Data Centers in Champaign County launched last month to push against data center development in the county.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker makes his case for a third term on The 21st Show
Governor JB Pritzker discussed issues with certain prisons in Illinois, public distrust of billionaires, and what he hopes to accomplish if given the opportunity to serve as governor for another term on the 21st Show.
Champaign residents have until Wednesday to opt out of electric aggregation agreement
Champaign officials have signed an agreement with Homefield Energy to be the city’s new energy supplier.
In data center hubs Aurora and DeKalb, two different approaches to setting restrictions
The 10 data centers in the City of Aurora are under some of the strictest regulations in the state for the facilities.
Few parents in Illinois opting kids out of required vaccines, data shows
Most Illinois counties have a non-medical exemption rate under one percent. Six counties in northern and southern Illinois have a two percent exemption rate.
America @ 250: Da’Sani Lewis wonders what America should be in 50 years
Da’Sani Lewis is a 2026 graduate of Danville High School and will be attending Southern Illinois University Edwardsville this fall. Lewis wonders what kind of place America should be 50 years from now.
This handstand-performing skunk is disappearing from the Great Plains. It may be endangered soon
The plains spotted skunk is becoming harder to find in the central U.S. states it calls home. As federal officials consider the skunk for federal protections, researchers and environmentalists are hoping to learn more about the long understudied species.
As the next generation takes over the family farm, a tough economy brings new challenges
Passing on the family farm to the next generation is typically an involved process, both financially and emotionally. A turbulent agricultural economy the past few years has made that transition even more difficult.
Illinois House begins investigation into indicted Rep. Carol Ammons
Ammons pleaded not guilty on July 16 to 10 felony charges, including wire fraud, lying to the FBI and conspiring to obstruct justice.
‘I’m embarrassed by it’: Speaker Welch apologizes for interactions with former staffer
Welch defends office’s handling of Benton’s sexual harassment cases.
How Aurora and DeKalb are dealing with data centers
In a tale of two data center cities, Aurora and DeKalb are two examples of how location, regulation and revenue affect the residents where they sit.
Urbana enacts ordinance to require council approval for use of surveillance technology
After years of discussion over how Urbana should use surveillance technology, officials have enacted a measure that implements transparency requirements and mandates city council approval for departments to adopt new tools like license plate readers or facial recognition software.
Mahomet-Seymour school district seeks public approval for $84 million construction project
The project would be funded through $84 million in new bonds and existing county sales taxes.
WILL Call: What’s Happening in Central Illinois August 6 – 9
Multiple festivals are happening in Central Illinois this weekend.
Pritzker signs new laws requiring businesses to accept cash, pay employees for jury duty
The governor signed 87 bills on Friday.
Illinois offers temporary sales tax reduction on back-to-school shopping
From Friday, Aug. 7, through Aug. 16 the state’s sales tax on school supplies will be reduced from 6.25% to 1.25%.
Women’s baseball league celebrates past, future of sport on opening weekend
Rain couldn’t dampen the festivities as the league held the first two games of its inaugural season on Saturday and Sunday in Springfield.
GOP U.S. Senate candidate Don Tracy talks abortion, ICE shootings, and Iran war on 21st Show
Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, Don Tracy joins the 21st Show again ahead of the general election in November.
At Spunky Bottoms, an Illinois River wetland’s resilience is on display
The Nature Conservancy acquired the roughly 1,300-acre Merwin Preserve at Spunky Bottoms in the late 1990’s and allowed the site to return to being a floodplain wetland.
Screwworm restrictions are slowing transports of dogs and cats from crowded shelters
Animal rescue leaders say new rules meant to prevent the spread of the livestock parasite make sense. But they are also costly for overcrowded shelters in Texas, which transfer many pets to other states.
America @ 250: John Martin asks how the country can return to better times and heal from its wounds
John Martin is a lifelong Urbana resident and a retired software engineer. A self-described patriot and supporter of the Make America Great Again movement, Martin asks how the U.S. can heal from the previous presidential administration’s handling of immigration.
Investigation underway after Champaign house explodes and catches fire
Neighbors and Champaign Fire Department say no one was home at the time of the explosion.
Illinois Prisoner Review Board denies early release for Sean Grayson
The Illinois Prisoner Review Board voted unanimously Friday to deny former Sangamon County Sheriff’s Deputy Sean Grayson’s application for compassionate release. He is serving a 20-year sentence for second-degree murder for the 2024 killing of Sonya Massey.
Sean Grayson, seeking medical release from his murder sentence, still maintains Sonya Massey ‘attacked’ him
State’s attorney opposes release of former Sangamon County Sheriff’s deputy
Healthcare costs have more than doubled for many farmers this year, on top of soaring expenses
When Congress allowed Affordable Care Act tax credits to lapse, healthcare premiums spiked for millions of Americans — especially self-employed farmers and ranchers. That added cost is multiplying the stress on their already stretched balance sheets.
How exactly did cyclospora infiltrate our food supply? We still don’t know
Food safety experts say contaminated water in farm fields is a likely culprit. But questions still remain about the current outbreak.
Mahomet Public Library plans for new expansion referendum next April
After being voted down in the March primary, Mahomet Public Library Director John Howard still wants to see a new children’s area and community room for Mahomet residents. The previously proposed outdoor patio has been taken out of these plans.
Upcoming C-U art exhibition showcases ‘wide range of viewpoints’ in disability representation
“Able in CU” is a project featuring eight charcoal portraits including two self-portraits and six individual portraits by artist Shauri Gonzalez.
Weatherman-turned-congressman Eric Sorensen wants to guide weather preparedness from D.C.
The former television weatherman is looking to use that experience to help shape federal policy to help keep Americans safe from weather disasters.
Danville Mayor announces 2027 reelection bid with several challengers
Danville Mayor Rickey Williams Jr. is seeking a third full term in office. At least four others are challenging him for the position.
Pritzker signs school cellphone ban to avoid student distractions
New law restricts use of all electronic communication devices, with some exceptions.