A bill in Illinois could require the state board of education to have instructional resources and other material available to teachers to help them deliver lessons about climate change.

State lawmakers would have to set money aside for it. Schools across Illinois are already required to teach about the topic as part of the science requirement. Supporters of the bill say it's meant to help teachers with the curriculum that's vital for students.

The bill would also ensure the state's current standards on climate change stay in place.

image/jpeg school-class-classroom-teacher-teachers-student-students-GENERIC.jpg?w=900

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) -- Hundreds of UIUC students gathered in Champaign on Wednesday to protest the University for what they describe as its "complicity" in the war in Gaza.

Students started rallying at Alma Mater in the afternoon, before travelling to Green Street for a protest and then moved to across the street from Swanlund Administration Building, to hope to talk to administration.

The protest was organized by a student group ActNow4Palestine. They are demanding the University to divest from BlackRock, an asset manager company. Among the companies BlackRock invests their money in are weapons manufacturer Lockhead Martin, Northrup and Raytheon, who supply weapons to Israel.

“As a Palestinian, I’m saddened by the disregard Chancellor Jones and President Killeen have
shown to my community," Dema Karim, spokesperson for ActNow4Palestine, said in a news release announcing the protest.

The group also wants the university to form an advisory committee for Palestinian, Muslim and Arab affairs.

Norman Hernández, the undergrad student spokesperson of ActNow4Palestine, said it's important for him to be a voice for the voiceless, no matter where they are in the world.

"I think it's easy for people to, you know, look over there and, you know, see it as something that's kind of abstracted from our way of life," Hernández said. "But I really urge people to educate themselves on why it's not."

A small group of students was there to show support for Israel as well.

"My brothers and sisters that are not able to celebrate the holiday of Passover or breathe fresh air today as they're hostages," Jonah Shapiro, a student told WCIA before a protestor shouted profanities at him.

"And I'm here because of people like that that hate us," he added.

Robin Kaler, University of Illinois's Associate Chancellor of Strategic Communications and Marketing, gave WCIA a statement on the protest.

"We care about all of our students and are focused on the things we can do here on our campus to deliver the educational experience they expected when they chose to come to Illinois.

Members of our university community and even visitors are allowed to exercise their freedom to engage in expressive activities on university property as long as they abide by university policies that are consistent with the First Amendment. We always hope they exercise those rights that are respectful of people with other viewpoints. Additionally, we hope those are not involved in a particular event show that same courtesy."

Statement from Robin Kaler

Pro-Palestinian protests have happened at college campuses across the country this week, including at Columbia University and NYU.

Israel has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip since Hamas' Oct. 7 deadly attack, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

image/jpeg MicrosoftTeams-image-14.jpg?w=900

Gibault Catholic High School in Waterloo shared a number of job postings last week on social media, marking one of the larger steps the school is taking in a restructuring…

The post Changes coming to Gibault appeared first on Republic-Times | News.

The Columbia School Board gathered earlier in the week for its regular April meeting, with the board approving a field trip for the Columbia High School Science Club and several…

The post Plans discussed for Columbia schools appeared first on Republic-Times | News.

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — Rockford University students held activities and educated students on sexual violence on the 25th Denim Day.

Denim Day is a campaign that was started in 1999 after the Italian Supreme Court overturned a rape conviction. The court said she must have helped remove her tight jeans, implying consent.

Women came to work in jeans the next day to show solidarity with the victim. Denim Day has grown into a worldwide movement, including in Rockford.

"I'm really glad we had a turnout, not only for us and kickball, but for what's really important is our community partners spreading the awareness for Denim Day," said Rockford University student Lexi Keating.

Each year, Denim Day brings awareness to victim blaming and misconceptions that surround sexual violence.

"In the past, like it's kind of been a small venue and we want to do something to invite more students and get more people educated about it and know the resources that we do have here in Rockford," said Rockford University Women's Volleyball Team Head Coach Raven Burns.

Three Rockford University students organized a kickball tournament as part of a class.

"This was a big community-based learning project here, and we kind of partnered with some of the people here on campus to kind of make this event," said Burns. "So it's been taking all semester to get to this point."

The group wanted to host an event that got other students involved and active while recognizing an important cause. It is also something that they could participate in with their friends.

"It was kind of chaotic, kind of organizing all that out of nowhere, but it was it's definitely worth it to see everybody having fun, seeing everybody being intrigued with our community partners and everything like that," said Keating.

T-shirts were hung up along the wire fence as part of the clothesline project

"A lot of people came out today," said Rockford University student Fransico Rodriguez. "We didn't really think that many people will come out."

Between games, students got information from community resources like the Family Peace Center, Rockford Sexual Assault Counseling, NAMI, the OSF Trauma Recovery Center and the Pregnancy Resource Center.

"That's good to know that a lot of guys are out here, a lot of girls out here," said Rodriguez.

Students left knowing that people are there for them.

"I think it's an underlying message that they all need to hear," said Keating. "I'm hoping that they understand, too, that a community is here for them as much as they are for the women here."

image/jpeg snapshot-2024-04-24T210951.950.jpg?w=900

CHICAGO (CBS) – A window was left damaged at a bookstore on the city's North Side Wednesday morning.

It happened around 6 a.m. at the Women and Children First bookstore, located at 5233 N. Clark St. in the Andersonville neighborhood

Chicago police said an unknown number of people broke the window – classifying it as criminal damage to property.

No injuries were reported.

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, the store said the window displayed a Palestinian flag with a sign calling for a ceasefire.

No arrests were made.

Area Three detectives were investigating. 

bookstore-vandalized-1.jpg?v=1da0267dcfd5e1d387d4678a648e733c

By Joe Boyle

An Oak Lawn trustee said that Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s proposal to eliminate the state’s grocery tax will be costly for the village.

Trustee William “Bud” Stalker (5th), accompanied by Mayor Terry Vorderer, recently returned from a fact-finding trip to Springfield where they learned more about the governor’s proposal to eliminate the grocery tax.

The governor believes that by eliminating the 1% grocery tax, it will save taxpayers money when they purchase food. However, Stalker said this idea will have a negative effect on Oak Lawn and other municipalities.

“The loss of the grocery tax would be a loss to our budget,” Stalker said during the Oak Lawn Village Board meeting Tuesday morning. “I would ask residents to oppose this.”

“The loss of the grocery tax would be a loss to our budget and would result in a loss of $2.2 million a year for the village,” Vorderer said.

Pritzker has said that Illinois shoppers would save a dollar on every $100 they spend on groceries with the elimination of the grocery tax. But the Illinois Municipal League also opposes this proposal, citing that the city of Chicago would lose $80 million and Orland Park $2.5 million annually.

Stalker said he has discussed the matter with state Sen. Bill Cunningham (D-18th) and said they will fight to prevent the elimination of the grocery tax. The Illinois Municipal League is asking mayors to report their projected losses as a way to pressure lawmakers to act.

If approved in Springfield, the state grocery tax would be eliminated on July 1.

Road repairs

Trustee Paul Mallo (3rd) asked residents during the meeting to be patient as road repairs continue in the village. Most of the work is being done overnight from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m., the trustee said. The project should be completed next month.

Mallo also passed along his condolences after the shooting death of Chicago Police Officer Luis Huesca as he was returning to his Gage Park home in the city on Sunday. Huesca was reportedly returning home from work.

“This is just so tragic,” Mallo said. “We have to stop having these processions to Blake-Lamb Funeral Home. This happens way too often.”

Hometown Heroes

Vorderer noted during the meeting that the village is unveiling its Hometown Heroes program that will recognize current and former U.S. veterans from Oak Lawn. Banners will be put up in designated area of the village and will include a photo of the local veteran and information about his service.

“We are proud to honor our former and current veterans,” said Vorderer, a U.S. Army veteran who served in Vietnam. “We hope to have them up before the July 4 parade.”

The banners are for Oak Lawn residents only. Veterans will have to serve with one of the six U.S. military branches to be eligible.

Residents can drop off a photo of the veteran at the front desk of the Oak Lawn Municipal Center, 9446 S. Raymond Ave. The $100 fee — required when dropping off the photo — will allow for the veteran’s banner to hang in the village for two years.

At the completion of the two years, families will be asked if they want to renew having the banner continue to be raised.

Further information about the Hometown Heroes program can be obtained at the Village Hall or on the Oak Lawn website.

Vorderer also proclaimed that April 26 will be “Arbor Day in Oak Lawn.” The mayor noted that the first Arbor Day took place April 10, 1872, in Nebraska. People living in the state marked that day by planting 1 million trees.