A group of students at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign hope the school’s new chancellor, Charles Isbell, will sign off on a new mascot. The school has not had a mascot for about 18 years since retiring Chief Illiniwek, its fictional Native American chieftain, in 2007.

Local bus service in Champaign-Urbana could expand after the Illinois General Assembly approved a package during veto session this fall to invest millions of dollars in public transit across the state.

A longtime eatery in Urbana announced that it is closed temporarily due to structural issues in the building. In a statement posted to Facebook earlier this week, Courier Cafe said there is an issue with the brick facade on the south side of the building.

“I’ve always had livestock and they’re more fun than a cow,” Hardy said, laughing. [...] "They’re curious. They’re beautiful. I hope everybody enjoys them, and we’ll do it as long as we’re capable of doing it, and do the best job we can taking care of them.”

Police searched for the person who caused a wrong-way collision in Urbana early Saturday morning that killed a pedestrian and injured a police officer.

Needing some holiday spirit inspiration? Prairie Performances has got you covered! Grab your hot cocoa and Christmas cookies, settle in by the fire, and join host Mel Miller for Christmas on the Prairie.

The U.S. Department of Justice filed suit Thursday against the state of Illinois seeking access to its complete, unredacted voter registration database, including sensitive personal data such as dates of birth, driver’s license numbers and partial Social Security numbers. Read more ⬇️

The filmmaker behind the @pbs.org American Masters documentary on the life of Dick Van Dyke as well as @npr.org Media critic Eric Deggans discuss Van Dyke's accomplishments.

Dick Van Dyke is 100. We’ll talk today about his life, career and legacy with the filmmaker behind a new documentary about him, NPR media critic @edeggans.bsky.social, and a Danville woman who knows Dick and his wife, Arlene. We're live at 11 Central: will.illinois.edu/am/willplayer

On this episode of @21st.show, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says a Biden-era switch to the font Calibri — meant to be more accessible to more readers — was another instance of too much focus on DEI. He has ordered a return to Times New Roman.

Happy 250th birthday to Jane Austen! 🥳 Clef Notes celebrates with a look at the role of music in Jane Austen's life and the world of her novels. Take a deeper dive into Austen's world: tinyurl.com/y4m9aarr

This snowy Monday morning hear for yourself the songlike melodies of Ukrainian classical music! Prairie Performance's Mel Miller speaks with Ukrainian-American pianist Anna Shelest to learn more about what Ukraine has to offer global lovers of classical music.

@andyoler.bsky.social, editor of the new book LINGERING INLAND: A Literary Tour of the Midwest, talks about the book's essays and writers on @ilpublicmedia.bsky.social's @21st.show with @brianmackey.com

Join us TONIGHT at 7 PM on WILL-TV for an all new holiday Q&A from Mid American Gardener filmed at Prairie Fruits Farm and Creamery! 🐐🎄 Learn how to keep poinsettias and tropicals happy and alive all through the winter. Plus, Jim Appleby joins us with a lesson on evergreens.

Student officials at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign say administrators have changed their election rules without their input. A handful of members of the Illinois Student Council spoke at the U of I Senate meeting on Monday about the issue.

On the @21st.show, host Brian Mackey and expert guests take a deep dive into Northwestern University's $75 million dollar settlement with the Trump administration over a discrimination investigation.

Sixty years ago — on Dec. 9, 1965 — a holiday special launched a new Christmas tradition. A Charlie Brown Christmas premiered, and it would become a beloved annual broadcast. In 1995, Peanuts creator Charles Schulz spoke with NPR's Bob Edwards, reflecting on the animated special. Listen now 🎧

Is the U.S. facing an “epidemic of loneliness?"

“Short-term payments, while important, are only a first step,” said National Farmers Union president Rob Larew in a statement. “What we truly need are long-term structural fixes that restore viability and stability to family farms and ranches for generations to come.”

“There are a lot of people who have drug addictions because of their past,” Thompson said. “PTSD, military service, trauma, psychological problems, they’ve got all kinds of disorders, and a lot of places won’t take them because of that.”

Annette Douglas, coordinator of RIPPLE Effect, said digitizing the mail takes away the keepsake that means so much to those in prison. She said recipients of the cards have told her they are lifelines, that they carry them around, read them over and over, and even allow others to read them.

“So there were places in public settings where if somebody recognized me as being trans, it was putting me in danger, because they felt a need to throw me out of whatever public place I was in because I didn’t belong, because somehow I was a threat.”

The Champaign City Council reversed course Tuesday night and voted down a proposal that would have imposed fines on people living in public encampments.

Thank you to the 170 Friends of WILL who contributed more than $40,000 in support of Illinois Public Media on Giving Tuesday. 🧡 We appreciate your investment in local journalism, cultural programming, and community connection. 🧡 www.willgive.org

On Wednesday night, forecasters expect temperatures will drop to dangerously low levels. Meteorologists with the National Weather Service said wind chills (the combined air temperature and winds) will range from zero to as low as 15 degrees below zero.

On this Giving Tuesday, hear why supporters have chosen to donate to Illinois Public Media. We are incredibly grateful to each and every one of you for your continued support of local public media for the good of all! 💜

It's Giving Tuesday! In honor of the spirit of caring for those around us, tonight we are re-airing the 2018 documentary "Mister Rogers: It's You I Like" at 7 PM on WILL-TV. 💜

It’s Giving Tuesday! Kimberly and John are on the air this morning asking for your support of IPM News and the many locally focused services Illinois Public Media provides. And thanks to generous Friends of WILL, every gift will be matched! You can make a difference at willgive.org.

Updated Tuesday at 6:00 a.m. After several new inches of snow fell yesterday, the National Weather Service in Central Illinois has canceled a Winter Weather Advisory. Meteorologists warn that Tuesday morning’s commute could still be slick due to the new snow and some patchy freezing fog.

Natural wetlands have many environmental benefits, but in Illinois, many natural wetlands no longer receive federal protections due to a 2023 Supreme Court decision that narrowed protections offered in the U.S. Clean Water Act. Because of this, many have been filled in for development.

We're back! Today: -A one-off magazine is in the works called the “Chicago Review of Architecture.” We'll talk about it. -Plus, we’ll check in on the college basketball season, and see which teams have a chance to join the Big Dance in March. It's all live at 11: will.illinois.edu/am/willplayer

More snow is expected on top of what we already have. ❄️ The National Weather Service in Lincoln has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for much of central and west central Illinois from today at noon until Tuesday at 6:00 a.m. Snow accumulations between 2-5 inches are expected.

Winter weather will arrive in Central Illinois over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend — first with a shot of arctic air and blustery winds, followed by a chance of some weekend snow, according to meteorologist Andrew Pritchard. Read or listen in the link below. 🎧

The WE ❤️ PUBLIC TELEVISION! telethon is a live-recorded celebration in honor of 55 years of public television. Join us for the WE PUBLIC TELEVISION! telethon at 8 PM on WILL-TV or on your PBS App. Donate early and support the programming you love at www.willgive.org 💜

If advocates, stakeholders and members of the public were granted all their requests for public school funding next year, lawmakers would have to increase the state’s K-12 education budget by nearly three-quarters of a billion dollars.

As of Nov. 1, there are 82 unsheltered adults and children in the area, and homelessness is on the rise in Champaign-Urbana, said Cunningham Township supervisor Danielle Chynoweth.

A tower crew are surveying the WILL-TV and WILL-FM tower today. For their safety, there will be some disruption in service this afternoon for over-the-air WILL-TV and FM viewers and listeners. We apologize for the inconvenience and will be back up and running soon! Online streams remain available.

The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, through the Department of Nuclear, Plasma & Radiological Engineering, is in the process of applying for a license to construct and operate a new research nuclear microreactor on campus. Learn more on this episode of "Weather Realness." 🎧

We have a very special "Afternoon at the Opera" coming up TOMORROW! This Saturday, tune into "Afternoon at the Opera" for Tchaikovsky’s “Iolanta” at noon, followed by “Adriana Mater” by Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho at 2 PM.

The city approved a five-year agreement with Arrow, a subsidiary of Carle Health, earlier this month. The measure took effect on Nov. 15, the same day Advanced Medical Transport (AMT) ended its ambulance services in Champaign.

Come join our team! @ilpublicmedia.bsky.social is looking for an agriculture/environmental reporter. We are the NPR and PBS stations based at the Univ. of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Please note, this is a grant-funded reporting position for a maximum of 2 years. Apply here: lnkd.in/gjKMAGSD

Ready to eat like it's 1775? Ken Burns sat down with Bennett Rea from ‪Cookin with Congress and PBS SoCal to try some dishes from Revolutionary America. Can you guess what a Hearty Choke Pie is? 🤔

Those incarcerated at Danville Correctional Center have led the state in developing peer education programs, where those in prison teach and mentor their peers through group classes.

Today: Free speech is a fundamental right in America, but it’s facing many challenges this year. We’ll talk with a trio of Illinois reporters who’ve been covering free speech challenges across the Midwest. Let's talk at 11: will.illinois.edu/am/willplayer

U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth has fired a staffer accused of misrepresenting himself as an attorney and falsifying an official form to visit and secure the release of a Staunton restaurant owner detained by immigration agents.

The Junior League of Champaign-Urbana is celebrating the 30th Festival of Trees, the organization’s largest fundraiser this Sat. Nov. 22 at the I Hotel & Illinois Conference Center from 10 AM-4 PM. This will also be the final time the Junior League of Champaign-Urbana organizes and hosts the event.

It was a Friendsgiving to remember! 🍂 We are so grateful to the over 150 community members who joined us last Wednesday for a tour of our studios, picked up vintage WILL swag, and chatted with staff, hosts, and fellow public media fans! We're thankful for our Illinois Public Media community! 💜

Starved Rock is Illinois’ most visited state park, attracting more than 2 million visitors each year.

We love seeing your "For the Good of All" signs across Central Illinois! 💜 If you would like to show your support with your own sign -- let us know! Stop by Campbell Hall at 300 N. Goodwin Avenue in Urbana and grab a sign OR let us know by request here on socials.

Host Tinisha Spain and the State of Change team will show you how land managers, scientists, and volunteers are reviving native ecosystems through fire, conservation, and the reintroduction of keystone species like bison.