Urbana Shootings In 2021 Soar Past Last Year’s Numbers, And Leaders Are Looking For Change
URBANA – Halfway through 2021, Urbana had already surpassed the total number of shootings that took place in 2020. Last month, the Urbana Police Department
Illinois Becomes 20th State To Allow College Athletes To Profit Off Their Name, Image And Likeness
CHAMPAIGN – Governor J.B. Pritzker was in Champaign Tuesday to sign a bill allowing Illinois college athletes to profit off of their name, image and
People Of Color Are The Least Vaccinated In C-U; Local Organizations Are Trying To Help
Editor’s Note: A prior version of this story incorrectly stated the percentage of Black and Hispanic residents in Champaign County who are fully vaccinated. The
Illinois Colleges Approach Legal Weed Differently, Even Though It’s Illegal Federally
NORMAL – It’s January, so most Illinois college students are coming back to class after winter break. But this will be their first time back
IL Struggles With Lack Of Long-Term Addiction Recovery Options
Earlier this year, we covered the difficulties faced by Illinoisans in recovery – especially those who had successfully detoxed, and were hoping to…
Illinois Students Act In Response To Proposed Title IX Changes
Students across Illinois are calling for tougher campus policies on sexual harassment and misconduct as the Trump administration proposes changes to…
Reporter’s Notebook: Why We’re Investigating Education And Incarceration In Illinois
Earlier this year, I reported for Illinois Newsroom that the Illinois Department of Corrections spent less than $300 on books for its educational programs across
How Seeking Justice Retraumatizes Assault Survivors
Rape and sexual assault are issues that have dominated the headlines recently. The response to those stories – whether they are about Brett Kavanaugh,…
E-Cigarette Use Soars Among Illinois Teens
E-cigarettes are setting anti-smoking efforts back by as much as a decade. That’s what researchers found after analyzing this year’s Illinois Youth…
Women Make Some Gains In Illinois Elections
This week’s election was expected to bring a second “Year of the Woman” to American politics. After Tuesday, here’s what that looks like in Illinois:…
Do Campus Sexual Misconduct Policies Allow Harassment To Persist?
Every college campus has standards and policies to prevent sexual harassment. But time and again, repeated complaints are filed against professors for…
Reporter’s Notebook: The Road To A Story
I’m used to long roads. I grew up at the dead end of a dirt one in rural Montana. For my latest radio story, I
High Schoolers To Help At Polling Places In Sangamon County
At the county health building in east Springfield, election judge trainees sit through a presentation and comb through packets of information. On…
Non-Profit Sues IDOC Over Censorship Of LGBTQ Publications
Knowing there were other transgender inmates in prisons in Illinois and across the country made Leila Lee feel as though she wasn’t alone. She said it…
Illinois Sex Ed Law Requires ‘Honor And Respect For Monogamous Heterosexual Marriage’
Lily Furgeson had a great experience in sex ed in middle school. Furgeson, who is a 17-year-old senior at a Chicago Public Schools high school, said her eighth grade sex ed teacher made sure to include lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender identities as part of their curriculum.
Illinois Early Childhood Educators Share Election Hopes
Preschool is a key part of building a solid foundation for lifelong learning, some experts even say it’s the most important part of a child’s education. And yet, it’s not considered by the state of Illinois to be as important as K-12 education, based on the way funding is allocated.
Trump Signs Water Infrastructure Bill
President Donald Trump signed America’s Water Infrastructure Act on Tuesday, which authorizes work on many projects around the U.S., ranging from water…
What The ‘Year Of The Woman’ Looks Like In Illinois
Erin Cetindag and Delaney Flattery stopped by the Sangamon County building to vote early on a recent Saturday. The two college students were home in…
Telemedicine Helps Reach Stroke Patients in Rural Illinois
Two years ago, Donna Patton became one of the nearly 800,000 Americans who suffer a stroke each year. She still remembers waking up from surgery and…
Where Do Illinois Candidates Stand On Student Debt?
Illinois Newsroom asked the candidates running for Congress in the 13th District (where Martin lives) what they plan to do about the issue if elected.
Little Rock Nine Member Talks About Desegregation, Mental Health In Galesburg
Knox College, in Western Illinois, honored a civil rights icon with a doctorate degree during its convocation in September. Elizabeth Eckford was one of the
Ask The Newsroom: The State Of State Parks
Recently, we received a question from Mark Porter, who wanted to know more about the state of state parks in Illinois.
From Plants To Panels: Solar Debate Plays Out In Fields Around Illinois
Rural counties are facing a lot of heat over Illinois’ booming solar power development. The big push started in late 2016 when the state legislature
Civil Rights Leader Urges Students: Keep Fighting, With Love
Earlier this month, Diane Nash told a full auditorium of University of Illinois Springfield students that she and fellow civil rights activists, “Loved…
Ask The Newsroom: How Are Early Voting And Mail-in Ballots Handled?
In the past, Ann Quackenbush would wake up early on election day to get to her polling place. The elementary school teacher in Champaign says
Why Illinois Data On Chronic School Absences Could Be ‘Meaningless’
Illinois schools will soon have to publicly report and be evaluated on a new performance measurement: chronic absence. But researchers and superintendents have raised questions
Technology Changing Access And Outcomes In Abortion Debate
Technology changing access and outcomes in abortion debate President Donald Trump has stood strongly behind the anti-abortion movement, and his Supreme…
Data Show Opioid Prescriptions Declining In IL
There is some good news in the fight against opioid abuse in Illinois. Doctors prescribed fewer opioids to patients in 2017 than 2016, according to
The Cost Of Doing Business Across The Rural Digital Divide
Gary Smith has worked at the grain elevator at Okaw Farmer’s Co-op in Lovington, Illinois, for forty years. On his desk sit two computer screens, where…
Battling Drug Addiction: What Comes After Detox?
Like many states, Illinois is battling an opioid epidemic. Loran Owens, who lives in Franklin county in Southern Illinois, knows what the epidemic is…
The 1908 Race Riot & ‘Being Black At School’
Earlier this month, we reported on the 1908 Race Riot in Springfield and what’s being done to remember and reconcile 110 years after the violence broke…
Ask the Newsroom: Election Edition
You want to be an informed and confident voter this election season, and Illinois Newsroom wants to help. Our statewide public media collaboration is delivering
For Shrinking Illinois Towns, A ‘Smarter’ Approach
Farm towns in Illinois have been shrinking for decades, and the trend doesn’t show signs of reversing. By 2025, rural counties with populations of less
Confronting Our Racist Past: The 1908 Springfield Race Riots
It’s been 110 years since the 1908 Race Riot erupted in Springfield. The violence and its aftermath inspired the founding of the NAACP, the prominent
Researcher: Higher Wages, Student Loan Forgiveness Solves Shortages
Gov. Bruce Rauner signed into law a slew of legislation this month intended to alleviate Illinois’s teacher shortage. But some teachers and union leaders doubt
Illinois Families, Kids With Disabilities Suffer Without Childcare
Michelle McAnarney said she realized her daughter Darby was different than other children soon after she was born. “She was always a little delayed…
Why Is ICE Arresting Undocumented Immigrants In A Sanctuary City
The answer lies within the Russian nesting doll structure of our government and law enforcement jurisdictions. The City of Urbana sits within Champaign County which
As Shootings Rise, Local Leaders Grapple With Gun Violence
In a community with as many resources as Champaign-Urbana, why does gun violence persist? That’s the question Donte’ Lotts, a community liaison for CU Fresh
What Will It Take To Fix Illinois’s Teacher Shortage?
There were more than 2,000 teaching, administrative, support staff and other positions across the state that went unfilled during the 2016-17 school year, according to a report from the Illinois State Board of Education.
Community Works Towards Solutions For Traumatized Students
How many people would come to discuss the topic of students and trauma? No guests had been confirmed, but social media activity suggested high turnout
U Of I Students Design Virtual Reality For Incarcerated People
Simple, everyday tasks – like ordering coffee, crossing the street, or getting gas – can be an obstacle, or an intimidating challenge for people recently
Trauma Hurts Kids, But Educators Can Help
Children who experience trauma often face behavioral, health and academic challenges, according to decades of research . Kristine Argue, instructional…
How To Stop Gun Violence? Just Ask
Conversations around gun violence often revolve around long-term solutions, like improving schools or the local economy. But even if those things were easy — and
Police Data Show Gun Violence A Chronic, Growing Problem Across Illinois
His name was Devon McClyde, and he was 16 years old when he was caught in the crossfire of an argument while playing basketball one
‘Down The Hill:’ Violence Often Rooted In Inequality
For many families and young adults living in Peoria’s South Side, gun violence is too often a part of life and something they’ve been fighting
Suicide A Driver Of Gun Deaths In Rural America
The national conversation around gun violence generally centers around mass shootings, school shootings and gang activity. These problems need to be addressed, but may overshadow
How Schools Can Help Kids Traumatized By Gun Violence
Last month, about a dozen people gathered in the basement of a church in Champaign, Ill. to learn how traumatic experiences affect the lives of
Listening About Guns
What I heard at both events: safety concerns, frustration with legislators and calls for action around gun laws. Hope for children, love for community and
Feedback: Noble Charter Schools Story Hit A Nerve
Earlier this month, we posted a story about discipline practices inside Noble Network of Charter Schools , which educates approximately one out of 10…
Illinois Prison System Spent Less Than $300 On Books Last Year
Every Sunday, a group of women meets in the basement of a church in Chicago’s Ravenswood neighborhood to sort and package boxes of books. The boxes are sent to women
Will Illinois Face Another Budget Impasse?
Passing a state budget is arguably the most important thing the Illinois General Assembly does every year — or at least should do every year.
Culture Shock: Teachers Call Noble Charters ‘Dehumanizing’
The trend toward school choice has educators across the country looking at Chicago’s Noble Charter Schools — an award-winning network of mostly high schools that
Students Across Illinois March Against Gun Violence
Thousands of students, teachers, parents and victims carried signs and marched across Illinois in the cold, snow and sleet on Saturday as part of the
U of I Graduate Workers Strike Hinges On Tuition Waivers
Hundreds of classes have been canceled and dozens more relocated as a strike by graduate employees at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign continues into a second
Lawsuit Alleges Illinois Prisons Improperly Censored Criminal Justice Newsletter
The publisher of a newsletter about the criminal justice system filed a lawsuit this week against the Illinois Department of Corrections alleging that multiple state
Even With No Budget, Illinois Spends And Spends
Gov. Bruce Rauner is scheduled to unveil his fourth budget proposal Wednesday in a speech to the General Assembly. Illinois lawmakers only enacted a budget
Schools Are Using Poverty Simulations To Build Empathy. But Do They Work?
About 100 teachers and school support staff spent the better part of three hours inside a junior high school gymnasium in rural, east central Illinois in early
Dem Candidates For Gov In Lockstep At Justice Forum
Five of the six Democrats running for governor were in Peoria over the Martin Luther King Day weekend. They were making largely similar cases to
Education Board Calls For Swift Action On School Funding
If you’ve seen Gov. Bruce Rauner’s campaign commercials , you might think the school funding issue was settled last summer. But as often happens with…
Key Question For Democrats: To Billionaire, Or Not To Billionaire?
With roughly three months to go until Illinois’ primary election, there are seven men seeking the Democratic Party’s nomination to be governor of Illinois. One
