WILL-AM

News Local/State

Illinois coal mines lost 228 jobs in the last year, according to numbers from the federal agency that tracks mine safety. That’s fewer jobs than were shed in 2016, and production is up by around 11 percent in the state.

News Local/State

Eastern Illinois University is reporting a five percent increase in spring enrollment --- its first enrollment increase in more than ten years.

News Local/State

Private school scholarships for low-income students will be allocated on a first come, first serve basis, and the application process is set to open at the end of this month. At least one private school official says he wishes that launch date were delayed to give schools more time to educate staff and the parent community about the process.

News Local/State

The University of Illinois College of Law Dean says people who protested the visit of the U.S., Deputy Solicitor General protested the wrong person.

News Local/State

President Donald Trump’s administration has been in power for a year now. “State of Trump” is our series discussing what’s changed in Illinois, and what might be ahead. Black Lives Matter got its start after George Zimmerman was acquitted in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin. It marked four years as an organization in 2017.

News Local/State

Rural America was an important demographic in the last election cycle, helping Donald Trump advance to the White House over Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. Even though Illinois was an electoral victory for Clinton, only twelve of Illinois’ 102 counties went blue, and more than half of those were located in Chicagoland. 

News Local/State

Legionella bacteria, which has created problems for an Illinois veterans home in Quincy, might be present at the State Capitol Complex. Initial water tests from a burst pipe showed the presence of Legionella DNA. But until additional test results come out, state officials are saying it’s safe for employees and visitors to continue their daily routine.

News Local/State

President Trump campaigned on building a wall between the border of Mexico and the U.S. While it appears he's willing to scale back that effort, targeting immigrants who do not have protected status remains near the top of his agenda. 

News Local/State

Advanced Placement courses are a rarity in rural Illinois high schools. A new pilot program unveiled this month attempts to fix that by testing out online AP instruction. 

News Local/State

The Cunningham Township Assessors office in Urbana has new employment and pay policies, after a controversial month for the new assessor.