WILL-AM

News Local/State

An earthquake centered in Oklahoma has rattled a swath of the Great Plains.

News Local/State

The county's first case of Zika virus was confirmed Friday by Champaign-Urbana Public Health Administrator Julie Pryde. But she could not confirm whether that case involved a female University of Illinois student that reportedly sought treatment at McKinley Health Center after returning from a Zika-infected area.

News Local/State

A judge is encouraging Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner’s administration to keep bargaining its contract with AFSCME, the state’s largest government union. Rauner's attorneys have been asking the state’s labor board to declare negotiations at an impasse, which could potentially lead to a strike of state workers.

News Local/State

In an era of political gridlock, one of the few topics on which there's been hope of bipartisan cooperation is on the issues of crime and punishment. Politicians have traditionally been averse to doing anything that could get them painted as being "soft on crime." It's an easy attack, and one that's been frequently deployed in the past. But this year, criminal justice reform advocates are fighting back, as in the case of an Illinois Democrat facing scare-mongering ads about criminal justice reform. 

News Local/State

Illinois Soccer Coach Janet Rayfield joined Brian Moline, Lisa Bralts, and John Steinbacher in this week's episode of The Bandwagon sports podcast.  Rayfield shared her thoughts on the problems with youth sports and player development in the United States.

News Local/State

Miniature horses can weigh from 100 to 200 pounds, making them smaller than ponies. The animals were first bred in Europe, as pets and as work animals in coal mines. But recently, they’ve found a new occupation --- as therapy animals.

News Local/State

Democratic U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin and Democratic Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth say college students are graduating with an 'overwhelming' amount of debt. During a panel at Parkland College in Champaign Thursday, the two discussed efforts to refinance the debt, increase Pell Grants, and allow for two years' free community college.

News Local/State

Gov. Bruce Rauner has laid off 29 Illinois Department of Transportation employees who were among those improperly hired based on political connections. The Republican said Thursday he issued notices to the so-called "staff assistants" hired by skirting personnel rules under two previous Democratic governors.

News Local/State

The Illinois Budgeting For Results Commission held a public hearing Wednesday at the University of Illinois at Springfield, in order to gather public feedback on how the state can budget its funds more efficiently.

News Local/State

Champaign Unit 4 Superintendent Judy Wiegand has started her final school year as the head administrator of the district.  Wiegand announced her retirement earlier this month.  But she’s got a lot on her plate before retirement.