Illinois Public Media News

The Champaign County Board voted 15 to 2 Thursday night to allow construction of a huge new solar panel farm on a site east of Sidney.  

Two members of a self-styled militia group from Ford County pleaded guilty Thursday in the 2017 bombing of a Minnesota mosque, admitting that they hoped the attack would scare Muslims into leaving the country. Michael McWhorter, 29, and Joe Morris , 23, of Clarence, Illinois, pleaded guilty in federal court to five counts that also included an attempted bombing of a clinic in Champaign that performed abortions. Each faces at least 35 years in prison.

On the 21st: We speak with Juliana Stratton, our new lieutenant governor. She’s tasked with leading the state’s efforts to change our criminal justice syste - and, we'll hear from the community organization First Followers on how to best help people who have been incarcerated. Plus, just 2% of Illinois preschool teachers are men. What's behind that? And, you might be surprised to hear that the 8-foot tall “lost vase” from the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair has been found...in a California seafood restaurant.

Perry Cline’s story is a remarkable one. He’s a formerly incarcerated 51-year-old man who overcame the odds to graduate from the University of Illinois last month.

The Found Footage Festival showcases the best and funniest discarded videos, found in thrift stores and dumpsters around the country. Illinois Public Media spoke with Nick Prueher, a comedian who co-founded the show with his childhood friend Joe Pickett, to learn more about  the origins of the 'Found Footage Festival.'