The 217 Today Podcast

217 Today: What’s Happening in Central Illinois Dec. 18 – Dec. 21

Kimberly Schofield and Stephanie Orellana
 

Courtesy of Urbana Arts and Culture Program

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Thursday, December 18, 2025

Today’s headlines: 

  • State data shows one in three Urbana students was chronically absent last year. That means they missed 10 percent of school with or without an excuse.
  • A state task force is investigating why violence against women and girls in Chicago is disproportionately high.
  • Downtown Urbana's Courier Cafe remains closed due to structural issues.
  • Illinois’ new vaccine advisory committee voted Tuesday to continue giving the hepatitis B vaccine to most newborns.

In today’s deep dive, we’ll learn about what is coming to the Central Illinois area in the world of arts, culture and entertainment.

217 Today is produced by Stephanie Orellana. Reporting today contributed by Emily Hays, Mawa Iqbal, Reginald Hardwick, Katie O’Connell, Kimberly Schofield and Adelyn Mui.