News Local/State
School funding is one of the key issues in the General Assembly’s budget debate. Everyone agrees the current funding formula needs to change, but there’s less agreement on how to fix it.
News Local/State
State Senator Daniel Biss wants to beat Bruce Rauner in next year’s gubernatorial election. But the Evanston Democrat doesn’t blame all of the state’s problems on the GOP incumbent. The former University of Chicago mathemetician addressed a gathering of 50 people in a downtown Champaign bar on Thursday, three days after another candidate for governor, J.B. Pritzker, was in the area.
News Local/State
State Rep. Carol Ammons (D-Urbana) says a higher minimum wage would help both workers and the economy. Ammons was part of a rally in Champaign Wednesday, pushing to raise minimum wage from $8.25 to $15 an hour over five years.
News Local/State
The regional branch of the Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and International Trade Center (ITC) in Champaign-Urbana is expanding its scope. It will now offer its free services to businesses in the Decatur area as well.
News Local/State
University of Illinois Police are investigating an apparent suicide involving a student at the campus’ Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. Officers responded to a report of a fire at Krannert’s outdoor amphitheater just before 3 a.m. Wednesday. Police found a person with severe burns, who was likely deceased, with a gas can next to him. Champaign County Coroner Duane Northrup tells the News-Gazette the deceased was identified as a 21-year old male student from Gurnee.
News Local/State
After nearly a week without a working projector, downtown Champaign’s Art Theater Co-Op is ready to show movies again. Manager Austin McCann says the theater had to go dark a few days ago, when their hundred-thousand-dollar digital movie projector malfunctioned.
News Local/State
The research park at the University of Illinois continues to grow. The Champaign City Council approved two measures Tuesday night for the research park’s expansion on the south end of Champaign.
News Local/State
Moody's Investors Service has downgraded the credit rating of one state university in Illinois — Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago. The lower rating takes Northeastern well become so-called junk status. And the bond credit rating company says the rating could be lowered even further.
News Local/State
As rapid-fire change comes at the federal level, advocates want to keep Illinois' status as one of the leading states in offering protections for LGBT individuals.
News Local/State
J.B. Pritzker brought his campaign for governor to the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana Monday. The billionaire venture capitalist is trying to establish himself as the progressive choice for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination.
