Anna Koh

Chad Rand asks if anyone would be happy living in a truly homogenous country
Chad Rand is outreach coordinator for the University of Illinois Education Justice Project, where he supports people across the country who are coming home from prison or facing detention and deportation.

America @ 250: Father Johndamaseni Zilimu asks how we become peacemakers
Father Johndamaseni Zilimu is pastor of St. Matthew Parish in Champaign. Father John was born in Tanzania and moved to the U.S. in 2000. He received his doctorate in mathematics education from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2014.

America @ 250: Hannah Velasco asks if America was actually ever great
Hannah Velasco is a 29-year-old resident of Urbana. She directs Urbana High School’s Ballet Folklórico de los Tigres, and is a recruitment and training coordinator for the Court Appointed Special Advocates of Champaign County. Her identity has never fit neatly into one box, and she believes that accepting each other’s differences is part of being American.

America @ 250: Kay Weidner asks Americans to ask themselves, ‘Who am I?’
Kay Weidner grew up near Crystal Lake Park in north Urbana and still lives in the area. Members of her family have served in the military since at least World War II, and she loves a good Fourth of July Parade.

America @ 250: Alex Wysocki asks, ‘Are short-term political gains worth giving up the big picture?’
Alex Wysocki is a television producer, filmmaker, husband and father of three. He and his wife Abigail moved to Champaign during the COVID-19 pandemic and are raising their family here.

Coles County tornado leaves Charleston residents without power, damaging trees and homes
Thousands of residents were left without power following severe weather, including tornadoes, that touched down in Coles County Wednesday night.