Rich Egger

When the Western Illinois University Board of Trustees met on May 6, Chairperson Polly Radosh warned the COVID-19 crisis is saddling Western with a new set of budget challenges.

The Western Illinois University Board of Trustees has approved an increase in student fees, which go to athletics and other student activities.  But the change did not come easily.

Western Illinois University hired Dr. Martin Abraham about a year ago to serve as its next provost.  But when President Jack Thomas announced he would step down at the end of June, 2019, the university's Board of Trustees asked Abraham to serve as acting president.

Western Illinois University Board of Trustees Chairperson Polly Radosh said leaders of the school's presidential search committee made progress the first two-and-a-half months of the year. But in mid-March, the state issued stay-at-home orders and bans on large gatherings in an effort to limit the spread of the coronavirus.

Electricity from Capital Power's wind farm in western Illinois should be on the grid by this time next month. Project Manager Matt Martin said the Cardinal Point Wind Farm will be completed a couple weeks ahead of schedule, thanks in part to a relatively mild winter.

A Western Illinois University spokesperson said the administration hopes to know this week whether the institution has a remaining financial obligation to former president Jack Thomas now that he has accepted a new job.

Richard Ness wrote a book about journalism movies around 20 years, and in recent years he started work on a second edition. He said the first edition analyzed more than 2,000 films, and he was up to around 4,500 films for the second edition when the publisher stepped in and suggested he scale it back.

Western Illinois University said it will receive $8.9 million in state money to re-start plans to build the Center for Performing Arts (CPA) in Macomb. Interim Provost Billy Clow said he feels good about the possibility the CPA will finally be built.

The interim president of Western Illinois University used the start of the new semester to deliver an upbeat speech to faculty, staff, students, and community members.  Dr. Martin Abraham told the audience in the University Union Grand Ballroom that he believes WIU's struggles are in the past.

The Orpheum Theatre in Galesburg will host a series of documentary films during the first part of the year. Executive Director Erin Glasnovich said the theatre has shown documentaries in the past but never week-after-week as part of a series.