Aging farmers and the government want to save farms, but for many the cost is too high
A federal program promises to pay for farmland preservation. Few landowners are taking advantage.
America @ 250: Brian Cudiamat asks if anyone knows how to govern
Brian Cudiamat, a Filipino American, grew up in the Chicago suburbs. He came to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign for school in 1996 and never left.
Businessman Larry Gies to become U of I’s largest donor after pledging $100 million towards business college
The new pledge is in addition to Gies’ $150 million donation to the business school in 2017 and a $100 million donation to the athletics department in 2025.
University of Illinois Senate plans to review Flock automated license plate reader contract
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has 20 automated license plate readers through Flock Safety. The University Senate resolved Monday to give the public more information about the contracts.
Stratton, Tracy clash over Trump, affordability in lone U.S. Senate forum
Stratton stuck to the unapologetically progressive message that helped her win the Democratic nomination against more moderate primary opponents earlier this year. Tracy, on the other hand, labeled Stratton as a tax-and-spend liberal and accused her of being a Democratic socialist “even though she won’t admit it.”
WILL CALL: What’s Happening in Central Illinois October 22-25
Live music, an immersive art show, and an early Christmas open house are all happening in Central Illinois this weekend.
Cunningham and Champaign Township voters will weigh in on repeal of Illinois’ anti-BDS laws
The advisory question on the midterm ballots asks whether Illinois should repeal its law that prohibits the state pension fund from investing in companies that boycott Israel.
Urbana City Council appoints former park district board commissioner to represent Ward 6
The Urbana City Council appointed a successor for former Ward 6 Council Member Grace Wilken. The group also eliminated the mayor’s ability to vote in a certain committee meeting.
At the U of I’s Asian American Cultural Center, a traditional Indian art form gets its first showcase
Kuhu Shukla’s exhibition, “Not Mine Only Held,” uses Warli’s geometric patterns to explore emotion, belonging and culture. It’s on view at the Asian American Cultural Center through Dec. 11.
Free school lunch is no longer on the menu for many kids. It’s one of many strains on cafeterias
Schools in the U.S. serve almost 30 million lunches every day. But rising food costs, regulations and cuts to food assistance mean school kitchens have to do more with less.
Documents show state’s disaster request met FEMA’s threshold
A spokesperson for FEMA did not explain why Illinois’ request was denied and did not say if the agency conducted additional in-person damage assessments.
Hunting and foraging classes gain popularity, as more people want to connect with nature
People have harvested wild foods for millennia, but learning how to do it today is harder, because fewer people have those skills. These groups are teaching people to eat “field to fork” again.
PHOTOS: 2026 LGBTQ pride celebration in Urbana
Sixteenth annual event includes parade and booths featuring 150 community organizations along Race and Main Streets.
Republican Congressman Mike Bost on Medicaid, Iran war, and why he won’t debate his opponent
As he runs for another term serving Illinois’ 12th district, Congressman Mike Bost discusses the Iran war and other foreign policy issues as well as Medicaid on The 21st Show.
C-U Reparations Coalition receives $1M to help repair harms caused by slavery, systemic racism
A significant portion of the money will be used as an endowment to help fund future reparations work. The coalition will meet with community members and leaders to determine where people want the money to go.
‘Slap in the face’: Decatur Public Schools custodians say they were offered lower raises than other employees
Decatur Public Schools offered custodians a raise of 60 cents an hour, according to the union representing the custodians, SEIU Local 73.
Data center development is paused in Champaign County. That’s not curbing interest from developers though
Data Center developers are looking for land to build the often-sprawling buildings that hold servers and require large amounts of electricity and water. That’s happening while the county has a one-year moratorium on new data center development.
Illinois erases $1.4 billion in medical debt for thousands of residents
On average, residents had about $1,200 in debt eliminated, though one person had as much as $900,000 in medical debt erased, according to the state.
