WILL-AM

News Local/State

University of Illinois officials are being encouraged to think about race in a new way. That’s thanks to a change in the university’s strategic plan proposed by a student member of the U of I Board of Trustees.  On Thursday, Chicago campus Trustee Jauwan Hall suggested they replace the concept of encouraging “diversity” with encouraging "normalization."

News Local/State

An advisory committee of community members looking at the Champaign Unit Four school district’s facilities plans reviewed cost estimates for four options for Champaign Central High School Thursday night --- and then took one of those options off the table.

News Local/State

The University of Illinois Urbana campus is exploring the idea of a mascot for its athletic teams nearly a decade after retiring Chief Illiniwek as the campus symbol.  Alumnus Will Leitch, a writer for Bloomberg and several other publications, explains why he's in favor of this idea in an interview with Illinois Public Media's Brian Moline.

News Local/State

Prosecutors have dropped a misdemeanor domestic battery charge against Illinois basketball player Jaylon Tate after concluding there was not enough evidence to convict him.  Tate, a 21-year-old junior, was was suspended from the team after his arrest.  UPDATE: He was reinstated to the team by Athletic Director Josh Whitman Friday

News Local/State

The Illinois EPA has approved a $4 million state loan to help the Knox County city of Galesburg replace its lead water lines.

News Local/State

A standing-room-only crowd of more than 150 people attended a meeting at the I-Hotel in Champaign to learn more about a possible new private high school.  Organizers say that Academy High would hold classes in the University of Illinois Research Park starting with the 2017-18 school year.

News Local/State

On Wednesday, about 8,000 union supporters rallied at the Illinois Capitol to protest Gov. Bruce Rauner's calls to change collective bargaining policies. A coalition of labor groups marched by the governor's
mansion on their way to the Capitol.  Both Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton took the stage.

News Local/State

Illinois basketball junior guard Kendrick Nunn pleaded guilty to a mismeanor charge of battery, and could eventually see his record cleared. He was sentenced to 18 months unsupervised probation and 100 hours of community service.

News Local/State

About 50 faculty, staff and students from Western Illinois University gathered with community members Monday in Macomb for a demonstration to call for full state funding of higher education.

News Local/State

A Quad Cities dental hygienist says failure to keep up with dental care can have devastating consequences for residents of nursing homes.