America @ 250: Allan Crandell discusses how we can again find meaning as Americans
Dr. Allan Crandall has provided psychotherapeutic and medical services to people throughout central Illinois and in Arizona, New Mexico, Alaska and Colorado.
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America @ 250: Da’Sani Lewis wonders what America should be in 50 years
Da’Sani Lewis is a 2026 graduate of Danville High School and will be attending Southern Illinois University Edwardsville this fall. Lewis wonders what kind of place America should be 50 years from now.
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America @ 250: John Martin asks how the country can return to better times and heal from its wounds
John Martin is a lifelong Urbana resident and a retired software engineer. A self-described patriot and supporter of the Make America Great Again movement, Martin asks how the U.S. can heal from the previous presidential administration’s handling of immigration.
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America @ 250: Lance Dixon has two questions for America
Lance Dixon is a husband, a father of five and the owner of Dixon Graphics in Champaign. He grew up in Chicago’s melting pot thinking America’s institutions were rock solid. He’s shaken by how fragile they seem today.
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America @ 250: 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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Honorary Christopher Oberheim Way recognizes the sacrifices of a loving father, husband and protector
Christopher Oberheim’s family members say he was the ultimate girl dad, a loving husband, a respected coach and a public servant who gave his life serving the city of Champaign.
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Honorary Bishop King James Underwood Way pays tribute to a longtime church leader and community builder
An honorary street sign on Grove Street in Champaign — from Sixth to Wright — marks the legacy of Bishop King James Underwood, a recognition given to a man who built community, both spiritually and physically.
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Honorary Rabbi Ben Frankel Way recognizes the founder of the world’s first Hillel
Rabbi Benjamin Frankel founded the Hillel at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign in 1923. Hillel has since grown into an international movement reaching more than 800 campuses across the globe.
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Honorary Patricia Avery Neal Way recognizes a woman of possibility
Nestled between North Street and Columbia Avenue, the 600 block of Walnut Street is known as Honorary Patricia Avery-Neal Way. The street recognizes a woman who left a legacy of breaking barriers and advocating for social justice in the Champaign community.
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Honorary Chris Decker Drive remembers a friend and protector of downtown Champaign
Honorary Chris Decker Drive is located in Champaign on Main Street between Walnut and Chestnut Street. For more than two decades, Chris Decker worked in downtown Champaign as a security professional.
