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Kellie Foy, editor-in-chief of The Vidette at Illinois State University, shows off the paper's website in The Vidette office. (Pantagraph photo by Clay Jackson)
By CONNOR WOOD The Pantagraph, Bloomington connor.wood@lee.net
BLOOMINGTON – Kellie Foy thinks the move to a fully online student newspaper at Illinois State University was a good decision.
As editor-in-chief for The Vidette's first fully digital year, the decision has had a big impact for Foy and her time at ISU.
"I honestly do love it a lot more (...) it was hard to keep up both a paper and a website and find content for both," Foy said.
Foy was editor-in-chief last school year as a junior and is returning to the role as a senior. She was news editor her sophomore year, when ISU's student paper published its final physical edition. Last school year, Foy led a largely new staff, she said, with about 40 of the 50 or so staff members being new to their roles.
She is pleased with how the staff handled the transition and first year of being digital-only.
"Honestly, I'm very proud and very happy with how it went," she said.
Kevin Capie, the paper's new adviser this year, said having Foy and a majority of the staff returning is a big help. It helps him learn the ropes, and means the students can hopefully jump right into things in the fall, without having to learn the process from scratch alongside him, he said.
"I was lucky in getting a very young staff, and (Capie) is too," Foy said.
Capie is coming in after the retirement of John Plevka, who was the adviser and general manager for the paper for a decade.
For Capie, the transition includes adapting to a large public university from a smaller private institution.
He has been teaching at Bradley University in Peoria since 2015. Before that, he spent 20 years at the Peoria Journal-Star, including on the sports desk.
When he applied to Bradley, he had intended to try for a staff position in marketing and communications, but ended up on the faculty openings webpage, where he saw the strategic communications position, he said. Sports writing experience was listed as a plus for the position, and just weeks later he was in a classroom.
"It was like overnight going to teaching," Capie said.
Today's focus on digital makes The Vidette's reporters more hirable after graduation, he said. It encourages students to go beyond a standard print presentation of a photo and text story, letting them build multimedia skills that can help them land jobs at TV stations and nonprint outlets.
"You may only need one tool once a year, but you need to know how to do it," he said.
As community newsrooms across the country lose positions, student outlets can help provide local news, Capie said. When reporting on campus events and other topics that touch their lives, student reporters have additional context and experience they can use in making decisions about their reporting.
"The audience gets that well-rounded view of the story," he said.
He plans to encourage the students to do that.
Next school year, Foy hopes to work with the staff to continue improving on their multimedia storytelling, including finding new angles for stories. There are also things for The Vidette to work on from a social perspective, she said, including looking at issues of diversity and making sure it is a visible presence on campus.
She encourages any ISU students who are interested to get involved. She said the direct experience The Vidette provides can teach students things they would not learn in journalism classes. This year brings new opportunities as well, with a new adviser and the change to all digital.
"I'm excited to see what we can do with (Capie) and where (Capie) takes us," Foy said.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 7, 2025 Contact Information: Contact: Alison Maley, government & public relations director Phone: (217) 299-3122 Email: alison@ilprincipals.org
Dr. Angie Codron named president of the Illinois Principals Association
The Illinois Principals Association (IPA) is proud to announce that Dr. Angie Codron, principal of Normal West High School in Normal, Illinois, will serve as president for the 2025–2026 school year. The IPA’s theme for the year is “TeamWorks,” which will be celebrated at the Education Leaders Annual Conference in October 2025. “TeamWorks means we can accomplish more together than we ever could alone," Dr. Codron said. "My leadership philosophy is rooted in building strong systems that help teams work effectively toward big goals. I’m grateful to the IPA for the chance to highlight how both our personal and professional teams make a real difference in the lives of those we serve." Dr. Jason Leahy, executive director for the Illinois Principals Association, said, “Dr. Codron is an exceptional leader. Her vision for teamwork will continue to propel the IPA forward as we strive to effectively serve school leaders together.” Dr. Codron has been an active member of the IPA since 2016. She serves on the IPA Board of Directors representing the Corn Belt region and has previously held roles as the region’s diversity & equity chair and treasurer. Now in her 10th year at Normal West High School, Dr. Codron served as associate principal for seven years before becoming principal three years ago. Over her 25-year career in education, she has held various leadership roles including science teacher, assessment coach, basketball coach, and member of several district strategic planning committees. Her work is driven by a passion for building effective, trust-based systems that support team accountability and high achievement. Dr. Codron earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry Education and a master’s degree in Athletic Administration from Eastern Illinois University, where she was also recognized as a Women’s Basketball Academic All-American. She later completed her Type 75 and Superintendent Certificates, as well as her Doctorate, at Illinois State University. She is also a proud mother of two sons: AJ, a Golden Apple Scholar and incoming freshman at Illinois State University studying elementary education and coaching; and Carson, who will be entering eighth grade at Bloomington Junior High. The Illinois Principals Association is a professional organization serving more than 6,700 educational leaders across Illinois. Learn more at www.ilprincipals.org.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 1, 2025 Contact Information: Contact: Alison Maley, government & public relations director Phone: (217) 299-3122 Email: alison@ilprincipals.org
Illinois Principals Association names new executive board and board members
SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Principals Association, which serves more than 6,600 educational leaders throughout the state of Illinois, announces the following school leaders to serve as the Executive Board for the IPA, effective July 1, 2025.
Other new board members include:
For information about other board members and IPA regions, please visit www.ilprincipals.org/board and www.ilprincipals.org/regions. The Illinois Principals Association mission is to develop, support, and advocate for innovative educational leaders. For more information about the IPA, please visit www.ilprincipals.org.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 4, 2025 Contact Information: Media Contact: Garth Reynolds, executive director Illinois Pharmacists Association Phone: (217) 522-7300 Email: greynolds@ipha.org Website: ipha.org | @ILPharmacists
IPhA applauds historic passage of HB1697: The Prescription Drug Affordability Act
IPhA applauds historic passage of HB1697: The Prescription Drug Affordability Act comprehensive PBM reform law strengthens patient protections and supports community pharmacies statewide
SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Pharmacists Association (IPhA) celebrates the General Assembly’s passage of HB1697, the Prescription Drug Affordability Act, a landmark achievement in the fight to protect patients, enhance transparency, and preserve access to pharmacy care across Illinois. This legislation was a central focus of Governor JB Pritzker’s 2025 State of the State address, where he emphasized the need to confront harmful pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) practices that have driven up drug costs, jeopardized local pharmacies, and strained patient access to care. HB1697 now delivers on that call to action with sweeping, enforceable reforms. “I am thrilled that this legislation will finally reverse the alarming trend of pharmacy closures across our great state,” IPhA President Dave Bagot said. “HB1697 represents not just a policy victory, but a commitment to preserving access to essential health care services in communities throughout Illinois.” IPhA extends its sincere gratitude to Senator David Koehler and Representative Natalie Manley for championing this legislation. Their leadership has resulted in one of the most significant PBM reform packages in the country, built on transparency, accountability, and patient-centered care. HB1697 directly targets systemic failures in the prescription drug marketplace. The law eliminates spread pricing that has diverted millions away from patient care, ends PBM steering practices that restrict pharmacy choice, and mandates 100 percent rebate passthrough to ensure savings are returned to patients and health plans. It also institutes robust regulatory oversight through required annual transparency reports, plan audits, and market conduct examinations. The bill also provides vital financial relief to the state’s most vulnerable pharmacies. HB1697 allocates $45 million annually to sustain critical access pharmacies and invests an additional $25 million to enhance pharmacy access. These provisions are designed to stop the ongoing wave of pharmacy closures and restore access in both rural and urban areas. “This bill is a turning point. Illinois is making it clear that we will no longer allow corporate middlemen to undermine patient care and community health,” said Garth Reynolds, executive director of IPhA. “HB1697 restores transparency, puts patients first, and gives independent and community pharmacies a fair chance to survive and serve.” HB1697 would not have been possible without the relentless advocacy of pharmacists, student pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and patients across the state. As the legislation now heads to Governor Pritzker for signature, IPhA remains focused on supporting its full implementation and defending its critical protections. “We reached this moment because our profession stood united and refused to accept the status quo,” Reynolds added. “This law is a meaningful step forward in building a health care system that works for Illinois patients.” About the Illinois Pharmacists Association The Illinois Pharmacists Association (IPhA) is dedicated to enhancing the professional competency of pharmacists, advancing the standards of pharmacy practice, improving pharmacists’ effectiveness in assuring rational drug use in society, and leading in the resolution of public policy issues affecting pharmacists.
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