217 Today: Thursday, August 5, 2021
An electric power station near Hulbert, Oklahoma. Lake Region Electric Cooperative built the area's electric infrastructure when it was formed in 1949. Seth Bodine/Harvest Public Media
Thursday, August 5, 2021
Today's headlines:
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Masks will be required in all Illinois schools and childcare facilities effective immediately. Gov. JB Pritzker made that announcement Wednesday.
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Illinois Republicans running for governor were quick to condemn the governor's masking order.
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School districts that were planning to allow some people to go without masks inside their buildings are making quick adjustments after the governor's order.
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Champaign County health officials announced 52 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, and the number of active cases increased to 448.
In today's deep dive, the internet is now for much more than entertainment, but rural areas are often the last to receive high-speed broadband.
Reporting today contributed by Hannah Meisel, Jim Meadows and Seth Bodine.