Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2021 Today’s headlines: Electric utility Commonwealth Edison says it’ll voluntarily issue a $21 million refund to customers after it admitted former executives and lobbyists engaged in a years-long bribery scheme. With colder months ahead, there’s more farmers can do to protect their fields for future seasons. The Champaign City Council voted Tuesday night to…
CHAMPAIGN — Public health officials in Champaign County are sounding the alarm as the omicron variant of COVID-19 spreads across the country. Hospital officials say they already have more COVID patients than at any time this past year. Champaign-Urbana Public Health District administrator Julie Pryde says we’re already in a wave of infections from…
DANVILLE — When Doug Toole, the director of the Vermilion County Health Department, and the department’s contact tracers get back to their desks in the morning, there are piles of calls to make. Those piles represent positive cases of COVID-19. Contact tracing is an important part of stopping the spread of COVID-19, according to Toole….
Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2021 Today’s headlines: The Illinois Department of Public Health reported a new record number of COVID cases for 2021 on Monday. The University of Illinois announced Monday that it will delay the start of in-person spring classes on its Urbana campus by one week. Public health officials are pleading with the community…
URBANA — The University of Illinois announced Monday that it will delay the start of in-person spring classes on its Urbana campus by one week. Chancellor Robert Jones said in a mass email to faculty, staff and graduate students that the first week of classes next semester will be online starting Tuesday, Jan. 18. U…
Monday, Dec. 20, 2021 Today’s headlines: State public health director Dr. Ngozi Ezike says people need to continue to follow COVID-19 prevention protocols, including getting vaccinated. Beginning Jan. 1, Ameren Illinois customers will see an increase in their electric bill of around $2.50 per month. Some of the money will go toward ongoing upgrades to…
CHAMPAIGN – Champaign County is experiencing one of its most intense COVID waves yet. Local hospitals are filling up and at least eight county residents have died in the last two weeks due to COVID-19. Meanwhile, the new and highly infectious omicron variant is taking hold in the United States. While it hasn’t been officially…
December 17, 2021 Today’s headlines: Despite increasing cases of COVID-19, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker said he’s not planning to implement new restrictions on gatherings or businesses. The new year will bring higher Ameren bills because of a rate hike recently approved by the Illinois Commerce Commission. Two bus stops are getting upgrades as part of a settlement…
URBANA – The U.S. Department of Justice combed through the Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District website – and found a few things that needed to change to better serve low-vision riders. One rider’s Americans With Disabilities Act complaint about the website sparked the DOJ’s interest. Although the department couldn’t replicate her claim, they did find other…
Editor’s note: At the request of Nikki Usher, we changed the pronouns in this article that pertain to Usher from ‘she’ to ‘they.’ – Reginald Hardwick, News Director, March 26, 2024 CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Krannert Art Museum in Champaign has two entrances. One entrance is at the top of a flight of concrete stairs,…
Thursday, Dec. 16, 2021 Today’s headlines: After nearly 20 years of attempts, the state of Illinois will finally sell the James R. Thompson Center in downtown Chicago. Champaign’s new plan to reduce gun violence divides $3.2 million in pandemic relief among local agencies. None of that new money would go to the Champaign Police Department. Residents…
Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2021 Today’s headlines: Illinois stopped licensing traditional midwives in the mid-1960s, and made the practice illegal in 1992. But on Tuesday, Governor J.B. Pritzker signed a law once again sanctioning midwifery outside of hospitals beginning next fall. The Champaign City Council unanimously approved a blueprint on Tuesday for a plan which infuses $3.2…
CHAMPAIGN — Champaign has a new plan to stop the recent spike in shootings. The Champaign City Council approved the plan unanimously on Tuesday night after hearing two hours of testimonies about gun violence in the city. Samantha Carter lives in Garden Hills, one of the most affected neighborhoods. “I would like to share with…
Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2021 Today’s headlines: Governor J.B. Pritzker issued a state disaster proclamation Monday for 28 Illinois counties hit by Friday’s severe storms. The proclamation gives the state and its emergency management agency the authority to provide resources to help storm victims. Republican candidate for governor Darren Bailey is the first in the GOP field…
CHAMPAIGN – Staffing shortages persist at C-U at Home – which provides services to those living in Champaign-Urbana without a home. Two emergency shelters that were scheduled to open Monday in Champaign-Urbana are delayed due in part to a lack of staff. The delay comes after the organization’s main shelter closed for several months earlier…