Financial aid and scholarships make summer camp more accessible for C-U families

Financial aid and scholarships make summer camp more accessible for C-U families

CHAMPAIGN — Now’s the time many families start signing kids up for summer camp. For working parents, this child care is essential; but it can be expensive. Parents in Illinois who qualify for the state’s Child Care Assistance Program based on their work or school status can use that to help cover the cost of summer camp…

‘Genomics and Faith’ connects scientists and people of faith in C-U

‘Genomics and Faith’ connects scientists and people of faith in C-U

There’s a common misconception about science and faith: that the two cannot coexist. But one group in Champaign-Urbana is working to change that. Genomics for Faith aims to connect scientists and people of faith in the community. The program was created by the outreach team at the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology at…

C-U residents protest siege of Gaza in ‘Hands Off Rafah’ demonstration

C-U residents protest siege of Gaza in ‘Hands Off Rafah’ demonstration

Hundreds of people took to the streets of Champaign for the “Hands Off Rafah” protest — a march against the Israeli siege of Gaza and U.S. aid to Israel. The protest, which started at Champaign’s West Side Park, was organized by the Champaign-Urbana branch of the Party for Socialism and Liberation and was part of…

State Rep. Carol Ammons wants descendants of slaves in Illinois to have access to free DNA testing
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State Rep. Carol Ammons wants descendants of slaves in Illinois to have access to free DNA testing

Black residents in Illinois who are descendants of slaves may soon have access to free DNA testing. Rep. Carol Ammons (D-Urbana) proposed a House Resolution urging support for the Family Roots Genealogy Program pilot, which aims to reconnect African Americans to their ancestral roots. The program is in partnership with the Department of Anthropology at University of…

C-U residents say goodbye to Meadowbrook Park’s Prairie Play wooden playground

C-U residents say goodbye to Meadowbrook Park’s Prairie Play wooden playground

Children and families from Champaign-Urbana gathered at the playground at Meadowbrook Park in Urbana on Saturday to say goodbye to the wooden structure that has been around for almost 30 years. The playground will soon be replaced with a new design that Urbana Park District officials say is more modern and accessible.  Urbana resident Bree…

Here’s what research shows about how couples can thrive despite political differences

Here’s what research shows about how couples can thrive despite political differences

  As the 2024 election season approaches, political news coverage will rise — and with it, so might conflict between couples with differing political views. It’s something Emily Van Duyn is paying attention to. Van Duyn, an associate professor of communications at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, led a research study where she interviewed 67 individuals who are in…

How one science-backed program helps couples build strong romantic partnerships
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How one science-backed program helps couples build strong romantic partnerships

Emily Stenhoff and Spencer Strunic first met at a Sugar River Pizza in Madison, Wisconsin nearly five years ago. Today, the couple says they’re grateful for an online program that helped them strengthen their relationship and feel more equipped to tackle the challenges of marriage and parenting. Before they met, Emily and Spencer both said…

A glitch in the FAFSA site prevents students with undocumented parents from applying for college aid

A glitch in the FAFSA site prevents students with undocumented parents from applying for college aid

Despite efforts to simplify the Federal Application for Free Student Aid (FAFSA), students with undocumented parents are dealing with a frustrating website glitch that’s threatening their access to financial aid. A new online form launched at the end of last year — the result of the FAFSA Simplification Act that Congress passed in December 2020. The change was meant…

C-U residents protest for ceasefire in Gaza

C-U residents protest for ceasefire in Gaza

Dozens of people attended a rally in Champaign demanding a ceasefire in Gaza and an end to U.S. aid to Israel amid ongoing siege of the Gaza Strip by Israeli forces.  The Champaign-Urbana branch of the Party for Socialism and Liberation and the Prairie Liberation Center organized the protest as part of a national day of action organized by…

Lifted moratorium will allow Illinois to build new nuclear reactors

Lifted moratorium will allow Illinois to build new nuclear reactors

Governor J.B. Pritzker signed a bill into law Friday that will lift the three-decade moratorium on developing nuclear reactors.  The law, which takes effect in June 2024, will allow the development of generation IV power plants, which are also known as small modular reactors or SMRs. Currently Illinois, and most other states, use generation II reactors. Illinois generates…

Urbana High brings back beloved Thanksgiving dinner

Urbana High brings back beloved Thanksgiving dinner

Thanksgiving is on Thursday, and many mouths are already starting to water at the thought of a traditional turkey feast.  But for community members who are unable to afford or provide dinner, the Urbana High School student council is hosting its 50th annual Thanksgiving Dinner this week. The dinner event is making a comeback as…

Pro-Palestinian Jews find community in the C-U area

Pro-Palestinian Jews find community in the C-U area

Not all Jewish people agree with the actions of the Israeli military amid Israel’s ongoing invasion of Palestine. At the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the student group Jews for Palestine provides a space for Jewish people in the C-U area who don’t support Zionism — the movement supporting the creation of a Jewish State in Palestinian…

Many students face issues with landlords. Here’s how to avoid pitfalls, and where to find help

Many students face issues with landlords. Here’s how to avoid pitfalls, and where to find help

This is the time of year that many college students in Champaign-Urbana scramble to sign off-campus leases for the next academic year.  The process can be very complicated, and the race to quickly sign a lease can lead students to make uninformed decisions about their living situation, according to Dana DeCair, director of Off-Campus Community…

New hospital safety report gives Carle Foundation a ‘C’ and OSF Heart of Mary a ‘B’

New hospital safety report gives Carle Foundation a ‘C’ and OSF Heart of Mary a ‘B’

The Leapfrog Group issued its Fall 2023 Hospital Safety Grades on Monday. The report looks at metrics for patient safety and care quality and assigns an “A” to “F” rating to nearly 3,000 U.S. hospitals. Among those hospitals: OSF HealthCare Heart of Mary Medical Center in Urbana received a B grade, and Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana received a C…

C-U residents smash pumpkins to curb climate change

C-U residents smash pumpkins to curb climate change

The Champaign County Environmental Stewards turned post-Halloween cleanup into a community event on Saturday with their second annual Pumpkin Smash.  Residents tossed their pumpkins against a cement wall at the Landscape Recycling Center in Urbana, turning potential landfill waste into compost that will later be sold at the center. “It’s important to divert some of…