The long-running legal fight between the Carle Foundation and Urbana and other local governments over hospital tax exemptions will last a little longer.

The Illinois Supreme Court ruled Thursday that an appellate court that ruled against current state law on the exemptions lacked the jurisdiction to do so. The high court sent the case back to circuit court. And for now at least, the 2012 state law defining how much charity work a hospital must provide to earn a tax exemption stays in place.

The Illinois Supreme Court will hear arguments today in a case on the constitutionality of hospital tax exemptions involving Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana. In this encore conversation, University of Illinois Law Professor John Colombo spoke about the arguments both sides are making in the case.

Carle Hospital is one of a growing list of hospitals requiring visitors to wear personal protective equipment when they visit patients kept in isolation. Area Presence hospitals - Covenant in Urbana and United Samaritans in Danville - already require the protective gear when visiting patients in isolation.

Urbana Mayor Laurel Prussing is seeking a fourth term in 2017, making the annoucement at her Urbana home Wednesday. There could be a 3-way race for the office in the February Democratic primary, with Urbana Alderwoman Diane Marlin running, and fellow city council member Aaron Ammons reportedly weighing a run for the city's top office.

The University of Illinois has hired King Li, an administrator at Wake Forest University, as its inaugural dean of the Carle Illinois College of Medicine. His tenure will start October 1, pending approval by the U of I Board of Trustees at its September 8 meeting.