Kennedy Center To Honor Danville’s Dick Van Dyke
CHAMPAIGN — The Kennedy Center announced it will honor Dick Van Dyke, an actor and comedian who grew up in Danville. Van Dyke is known for goofy facial expressions and other physical humor. He starred in his own TV show in the 1960’s and danced on rooftops in the movie Mary Poppins. The 95-year-old has […]
Voices From Illinois’ 15th Congressional District
Illinois’ 15th congressional district is one of two in the state where no incumbent is running. But this article is about the district itself, not candidates. All congressional districts are required to have roughly the same population, but there are no limits on territory. Illinois’ 15th District covers 14,696 square miles, or more land than […]
Central Illinois Schools Adopt Different Reopening Plans Amid Ongoing Pandemic
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 […]
Danville Casino Operator To Withdraw Application, Submit New One
DANVILLE – The operator for a proposed Danville casino says it is withdrawing the application, it submitted last October, and plans to submit a new one next month. The request from Haven Gaming, LLC, to withdraw is on the agenda for Thursday’s meeting of the Illinois Gaming Board. In a statement, the Rochester, NY-based company […]
Danville Juneteenth Celebration Promises History Lesson And A Party
There will be food, music, dancing and a serving of history, Danville’s Juneteenth Celebration, which runs from 5 to 8 PM on Friday, June 19, at Lincoln Park (1000 N. Logan Ave.). A Facebook page for the event is linked here. Juneteenth marks June 19, 1865, when word of the Emancipation Proclamation formally came to […]
Cities Issue Outdoor Seating Guidelines For Restaurants As Illinois Enters ‘Phase Three’
As the state of Illinois begins allowing outdoor dining at restaurants Friday, cities are issuing guidance on how restaurants can expand their available outdoor seating. Rob Kowalski, Assistant Planning and Development Director for the City of Champaign, says officials had just a few days to write their guidelines, after Governor J.B. Pritzker announced late last […]
What’s Closed In Illinois Due To The Virus
STATEWIDE Gov. J.B. Pritzker has ordered the state’s residents to remain in their homes except for essential needs, March 21 at 5:00 p.m.-May 31. Starting May 1, there will be major modifications to the plan, click here to read about them. All schools — Gov. JB Pritkzer’s order closing all schools in the state has […]
Schools Closed Because of Virus; Here’s How They’re Feeding Students
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 […]
News Around Illinois – March 26, 2020
Illinois Delays Income Tax Deadline As Virus Cases Climb CHICAGO — Illinois taxpayers will have until July 15 to file and pay their state income taxes because of the coronavirus pandemic. Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced the three-month delay Wednesday as officials reported an elderly resident has died at a suburban Chicago nursing home where dozens […]
News Around Illinois – March 19, 2020
Ill. Virus Cases Top 200, Include 42 Tied To Nursing Home CHICAGO — Illinois officials say an additional 128 people have tested positive for the coronavirus in the state, including 20 more individuals living or working at a nursing home in a southwestern suburb of Chicago. The additional results announced Wednesday by the Illinois Department […]
School Sales Tax Referendum Is On The Ballot Again In Vermilion County
After being rejected by voters in 2018, a referendum asking voters to approve a one-percent sales tax for public school facilities and other expenses is back on the ballot in the March 17th primary election in Vermilion County. But the proposal does not have the support of officials in Danville. Voters in several Illinois counties […]
News Around Illinois – March 16, 2020
Currently, there are 93 individuals in 13 Illinois counties who have tested positive for COVID-19. Click here for a map of the affected counties and other resources from WILL’s Coronavirus Information Center. Champaign County Woman Diagnosed With COVID-19 URBANA – Champaign County’s first confirmed case of COVID-19 is a woman in her fifties. She called the […]
News Around Illinois – February 28, 2020
Fees, Not Tuition Rising At Danville Area Community College DANVILLE – Student fees will be going up at Danville Area Community College, but tuition will remain the same. Trustees for the community college voted unanimously Thursday to increase the technology-and-activity fee for students from $20 per credit hour to $25. The college’s basic tuition rate […]
Central Illinois Under Winter Weather Advisory; Cancellations Underway
CHAMPAIGN – The National Weather Service Central Illinois office said on Wednesday afternoon that our area can expect snow into Thursday morning. However, rain will dominate southeast Illinois with freezing rain and sleet will be possible near I-70 Wednesday night which will lower snow accumulations there. Farther north snow will become lighter overnight and taper […]
News Around Illinois – January 31, 2020
Illinois Unemployment Rates Fell in December URBANA – December unemployment rates were down from a year earlier in all fourteen of Illinois’ major metropolitan areas, according to new figures from the Illinois Department of Employment Security. The following are the rates and gain of non-farm jobs over the year from three areas: Champaign-Urbana: 3.3% Gain 3,000 […]