Illinois Public Media News

Topflight Grain Cooperative and OmniTRAX have announced a partnership to operate a short line railroad in Decatur, with hopes that prompt busineses to build facilities along the rail line, in order to access the city's Midwest Inland Port.

A high-school senior from Downers Grove already has a notable life experience to brag about when he starts applying to college: 17-year-old Carl Miller is part of Illinois’ delegation to the Republican National Convention. And three generations of his family are in Cleveland to join him.

The University of Illinois Board of Trustees meets Thursday in Urbana.  At that meeting, they are expected to approve the hiring of Dr. Robert J. Jones as Chancellor of the Urbana campus.  Illinois Public Media's Brian Moline discussed the hire with Lee Gardner, who's a senior reporter for The Chronicle of Higher Education.

New University of Illinois Urbana Chancellor Robert Jones had his first opportunity to meet the public Wednesday, addressing a crowd at the Illini Union.  He'll start his new job in early October, and plans to do a 'listening and learning tour' in the first 100 days in his new job. 

A judge has ruled that a voter referendum seeking to change the way Illinois draws its political boundaries is unconstitutional for the November ballot. It's the second time that such an attempt has been blocked in the courts. In both instances, a lawsuit brought by an attorney linked to top Democrats argued that it didn't meet constitutional muster.