A one-of-a-kind state park in downstate Illinois could be in danger of closing its gates if its state funding is cut. Gov. Pat Quinn’s budget, unveiled last week, eliminates a big chunk of money heavily relied upon by the Wildlife Prairie State Park, located just outside Peoria.
“The park will close if sufficient community interest...
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Downstate Park Could Close Due to State Budget Woes
Illinois Senate Approves Changes to Legislative Scholarship Program
SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Senate unanimously approved legislation Wednesday that would make some changes to the legislature’s controversial scholarship program but keep it intact. The program has been under fire in recent months after stories by ChicagoTalks, The Chicago Tribune and the Associated Press.
Senate Bill 365 – sponsored by Senate President John J. Cullerton...
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Helmet Law Could Restrict Illinois Motorcyclists
ChicagoTalks reporter Devin Katayama reports on a new bill that would require Illinois motorcyclists to wear a helmet. Listen to the story here.
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Sun-Times Publisher Looks to the Future
Jim Tyree didn’t come right out and say it during his Feb. 3 lecture on the South Side, but based on a look into his crystal ball, he thinks big city news publishing on paper is on the way out. Tyree wondered out loud if his grandchildren will even know what paper and ink...
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Social Service Organizations Rally Together for Balanced Budget
Local faith leaders, along with representatives from more than 300 social service organizations, headed to Springfield on Tuesday to show their support for House Bill 174, which would raise the states income tax and expand the sales tax.
“Typically, these are organizations that are in competition against each other for limited state dollars, but instead...
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Pedestrian Advocates Push for Tougher Crosswalk Laws
Illinois lawmakers and pedestrian advocates are proposing a law that would require drivers to stop, rather than yield, for people in crosswalks – a second attempt after the divisive proposal failed in the assembly last year.
Supporters say the change would create more pedestrian- and bike-friendly roads and would reduce the number of vehicle-pedestrian crashes,...
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Jan. 25 is Deadline for Artists to Apply for Community Grants

The Community Arts Assistance Program (CAAP) was created in 1987 through funding provided by the Illinois Arts Council Access Program. The goals of CAAP are to discover, nurture and expand Chicago’s multi-ethnic artists and nonprofit arts organizations, and to foster new and emerging individual artists and arts groups by providing grants for professional, artistic...
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Chicago: January 7th 2010

Chicagoist has slides, and we thought it was a timely idea.
More about “Chicago January 7th 2010,” posted with vodpod.
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Media Democracy Day Panels on November 7th

Media Democracy Day — Chicago, 2009
SATURDAY AFTERNOON, NOV. 7, 2009, 1pm-4pm
If you plan to attend, please take some photos and call in a report about how the conference is going. Call 312 436-1820 (our Google Voice number.) and leave a message about the conference, speakers, and media and democracy.
$10 general adm. / $5 sr...
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Student Asks You to Help Calculate Columbia’s Carbon Footprint
For Columbia College students, staff and faculty only… for now. Columbia College student, Ashley Badgley is a Senior Journalism major is asking for your help as she examines the campus’ carbon footprint.
Her final independent project is focusing on how to make Columbia a more sustainable campus. In order to calculate the carbon footprint of...
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