(SPRINGFIELD) It was this past Tuesday that a few lawmakers were in Springfield to discuss the state’s Broadband Expansion program with the lofty goal of bringing internet services to each Illinois resident, no matter what. The Legislative Budget Oversight Committee met with National Telecommunications & Information Administration officials to go over what is needed to make it happen. Illinois has set aside $400 million for the expansion program with the cost of expansion plans now rising to at or over $1 billion.
(SPRINGFIELD) A new report shows that teacher vacancies around Illinois is hitting minority based communities especially hard. The Advance Illinois Advocacy Group says while many school districts may not be able to offer competitive salaries to teachers and other staff members, the results for poorly funded districts means they are less likely to have the full staffing structure needed for all students. This is a minority issue. The stats show overall, 35% of black, and 22% of low-income students in Illinois now reside in high vacancy school districts, compared to just 8% of white students around the state.
(SPRINGFIELD) A federal judge in West Virginia yesterday ordered a 14-day temporary restraining order against the NCAA’s transfer rule. The TRO comes in a seven-state lawsuit against the NCAA contesting the organization’s rule barring athletes from competing immediately after a second transfer. While the antitrust lawsuit is led by Ohio, the state of West Virginia is serving as local counsel in the case along with Illinois, Tennessee, North Carolina, Colorado, and New York. Another hearing is set for an update on December 27th.
(SPRINGFIELD) Although the Geminid meteor shower of 2023 peaked last night, the sky’s celestial fireworks display will continue through the rest of December, depending on sky conditions. Skywatchers in areas with dark skies could see an many as 100 meteos per hour according to SpaceWeather.com. If folks want to stay indoors, the Slooh robotic telescope network is hosting a free livestream of the Geninid meteor shower starting this afternoon at 4:30 Central Time. Logon at Slooh.com or go to the Geminid Meteor Shower on YouTube.