News Local/State
John Groce has been fired as head coach of the Illini basketball team, effective immediately. "Under his leadership, regrettably, we were not able to sustain the level of competitive excellence that we expect at the University of Illinois," said Athletic Director Josh Whitman.
News Local/State
The Republican health care bill under consideration in the House of Representatives would change health coverage for a lot of people. It would no longer require that Americans buy health insurance, for instance, and it would eliminate current subsidies, replacing them with a fixed refundable tax credit.
News Local/State
Enrollment in Illinois’ public universities and community colleges continues to decline. That’s according to figures released by the state Board of Higher Education.
News Local/State
Healthcare leaders are voicing concerns about the Republican repeal plan to the Affordable Care Act. Democrat Dick Durbin is traveling the state to meet with those who would be affected by the House changes. A panel of Rockford-area healthcare leaders met with Illinois’ senior Senator on Friday.
News Local/State
A symposium on Black Sacred Music this weekend at the University has attracted participants from across Illinois and Michigan, plus guest musicians and the university’s own Black Chorus. But for the first time, local choral director Willie T. Summerville will not be attending.
Summerville died at his home in Champaign, at the age of 72.
News Local/State
A former assistant state's attorney and University of Illinois football captain Curtis Lovelace has been acquitted in his second murder trial for the Valentine's Day 2006 death of his first wife. The jury delivered its verdict a little over two hours after closing arguments. Lovelace and members of his family burst into tears after the verdict was read.
News Local/State
Illinois Democrats want to make it harder for outside political groups to confuse voters with absentee ballot schemes.
News Local/State
Fans of the Champaign-Urbana music scene may know John Isberg from his work with the band Tigerbeat, among others. Now Isberg is turning his love for local music into a documentary called “Where It Begins,” which will focus on music from 1977-2000.
News Local/State
Community and law enforcement leaders in Champaign-Urbana hope they’ve successfully appealed to 11 more young people to turn their lives around. The CU Fresh Start Program held its second quarterly "Call-In" Thursday night, with hopes of deterring gun violence. The panel of those with a history of gun-related behaviors came face to face with family members of gun violence victims, like community leader Seon Willams. "When you act in an inhumane way, the suffering is just beginning," he said.
News Local/State
Flying into town only a few hours before tipoff because of travel trouble a day earlier, and wearing yellow practice jerseys instead of the game uniforms that got stuck on their abandoned airplane, Michigan raced to an early double-digit lead and beat Illinois 75-55 to reach the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals on Thursday. Illinois could still play in the National Invitation Tournament.
