WILL-AM

News Local/State

About 100 teachers and support staff recently gathered in a junior high school in central Illinois to take on the roles of people living in poverty. It’s part of a poverty simulation used by schools across the country that’s supposed to challenge stereotypes. But some say it takes more than a one-time simulation to change attitudes and behaviors.

News Local/State

Illinois Treasurer Mike Frerichs has announced a new $500-million program that will help farmers, homeowners and employees in rural parts of the state get access to low-interest loans. He says the program will create wealth and jobs in rural areas, which will ultimately bring money back to the state in the form of taxes.

News Local/State

Calling all young screenwriters. The Champaign-Urbana Film Society is looking for kids to submit their screen plays. 

News Local/State

Part 2: Most of the radium-tainted earth from decades-old manufacturing in Ottawa has been removed, but one major site still needs cleanup.

News Local/State

Candidates in the Illinois governor’s race blew through campaign contribution limits months ago, but recently a few state House races did too.

News Local/State

More than 1,000 calls have come in to Illinois’ new helpline for opioid addiction and substance abuse since it launched in December. Helpline operators coordinate resources to callers based on needs, such as finding sober living homes.

News Local/State

There’s some encouraging news about the Illinois economy, according to a University of Illinois survey.

News Local/State

A new, widely debated federal mandate requires truckers to electronically track the number of hours they’re on the road — a rule that’s meant to make highways safer. But there’s a big difference between hauling a load of TVs and a load of cattle destined for meatpacking plants.

News Local/State

Illinois contracts with private insurance companies to manage Medicaid benefits, and a recent overhaul of the program reduced the number of providers from 12 to seven. Now is the time to enroll for coverage that will take effect on April 1, and Medicaid recipients who want to continue their providers should find out which plans they take before signing up.

News Local/State

The Ohio State Buckeyes overcame a 15-point deficit to beat the Illini men 75-67 in Big Ten basketball, Sunday afternoon in Columbus.