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Anthony Bruno
Jim Meadows/Illinois Public Media

News Local/State

Christensen Pleads Not Guilty To Yingying Zhang Kidnapping; Jury Trial Set For Sept. 12

In a hearing lasting less than five minutes, Brendt Christensen entered a “not guilty” plea Thursday in a federal courtroom in Urbana to the charge of kidnapping Yingying Zhang.

Prosecutors accuse Christensen, a recent University of Illinois graduate student, of abducting Zhang, a U of I visiting scholar from China, from a campus bus stop on June 9th.

A jar full of change.
Carter Staley/NPR Illinois

News Local/State

State Budget Boosts MAP

The new state budget will fund Illinois colleges and universities at the level of funding they received in 2015 — minus 10 percent. But there’s one area of higher education that got a boost.  

News Local/State

Mike Marron Announces Bid For 104th IL House Seat

Vermilion County Board Chairman Mike Marron says he wants to run as the Republican nominee for the 104th District Illinois House seat. Marron aims to succeed incumbent Chad Hays, who has announced he won’t seek re-election.