Christmas Comes To Champaign, But Without Annual Community Dinner

Christmas Comes To Champaign, But Without Annual Community Dinner

The annual Community Christmas Dinner in Champaign will not be held this year. But it wasn’t the coronavirus that canceled it. No doubt, the COVID-19 pandemic would have canceled the event, which served a free Christmas Day dinner to hundreds of guests at Champaign’s First Christian Church. But organizer Lynne Barnes says they had announced…

Appointment Of New Member Marks Division Between County Board & Executive

Appointment Of New Member Marks Division Between County Board & Executive

URBANA – Democrat Cameron Raab was appointed and sworn in to fill a vacant seat on the Champaign County Board Thursday night. But the appointment came with a testy legal debate that may not be over. The debate was about who’s in charge of the county board’s agenda: county board chair Kyle Patterson, or County…

Towns Offer Aid To Businesses For COVID-Related Supplies
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Towns Offer Aid To Businesses For COVID-Related Supplies

CHAMPAIGN – Small businesses have had to deal with an added expense this year, paying for supplies and equipment to prevent the coronavirus from spreading at their stores, offices and factories. Champaign, Urbana and Rantoul are offering state-funded grants to help with those new expenses. The grants can be used by small businesses in the…

A view of the front of the Urbana City Building.

Electoral Board Removes Mayoral Candidate Jones From Urbana Ballot

URBANA – Just three Democrats will run for mayor of Urbana in the upcoming consolidated primary election. The city’s Electoral Board formally voted Wednesday to remove a fourth candidate from the ballot, former basketball player, Verdell Jones III. Urbana City Clerk Phyllis Clark says the strongest point in the objection filed against Jones’ ballot petitions…

Kyle Patterson Chosen To Chair Champaign County Board

Kyle Patterson Chosen To Chair Champaign County Board

URBANA – The Champaign County Board chose Kyle Patterson to be their new chair at Monday night’s organizational meeting. County board members voted along party lines in the online meeting, to choose Patterson, an Urbana Democrat, for chair. He won over Republican Aaron Esry of rural St. Joseph. Democrat Steve Summers of Urbana was chosen…

U Of I Chancellor Releases Plan For Campus Life After Chief Illiniwek
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U Of I Chancellor Releases Plan For Campus Life After Chief Illiniwek

A plan for addressing issues related to the University of Illinois’ use of Chief Illiniwek as a mascot includes formation of a student council to look at the development of new traditions for the Urbana campus. Chancellor Robert Jones released the implementation plan on Friday. The plan draws from input from a series of community-wide…

Illinois Economy Stalls In November: Flash Index

Illinois Economy Stalls In November: Flash Index

Illinois’ economic recovery stalled last month, according to the University of Illinois Flash Index. The Flash Index measured the state’s economy at 95.6 for both October and November, bringing a pause to five months of steady improvement. “What we’re basically, is treading water this month, in terms of recovery from the spring crisis,” said University…

Holiday Promotion Aims At Bringing Customers Back To Champaign’s Retail Center
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Holiday Promotion Aims At Bringing Customers Back To Champaign’s Retail Center

CHAMPAIGN – The COVID-19 pandemic has been tough on in-person shopping, especially at small, local businesses. Those are just the type of businesses hoping to grab shoppers’ attention during the holiday shopping season, with the Hometown Holiday Shop & Stroll, a promotional event that starts on Tuesday, December 1st, and continues through the 20th. This…

Champaign’s Parade Of Lights Goes Virtual & Miniature
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Champaign’s Parade Of Lights Goes Virtual & Miniature

Champaign’s 20th annual Parade of Lights went before the public for the first time, Saturday evening. But instead of a procession on downtown streets, the parade features miniature floats on your computer screen. (Watch the parade at this link). The virtual “shoebox edition” of the parade was created due to COVID-19 precautions, which have led…

Blakeman Concedes To McGrath In Circuit Clerk’s Race

Blakeman Concedes To McGrath In Circuit Clerk’s Race

URBANA – Two-term incumbent Katie Blakeman has conceded to Democratic challenger Susan McGrath in a tight race for Champaign County Circuit Clerk.  “Today I called my opponent to congratulate her on her win, and to offer my assistance in ensuring a smooth transition in the Champaign County Circuit Clerk’s Office,” Blakeman wrote Friday, in a…

23 Counties And Counting: Downstate Separation Referendum Wins Favor In November Election

23 Counties And Counting: Downstate Separation Referendum Wins Favor In November Election

URBANA – One result of the November 2020 election in Illinois was 20 downstate counties passing an advisory referendum in support of forming their own state that leaves Chicago and Cook County behind. That makes a total of 23 counties where separation referendums have passed this year. (UPDATE: As of November 2022, the total is…

Pryde: Don’t Give In To ‘Pandemic Prevention Fatigue’

Pryde: Don’t Give In To ‘Pandemic Prevention Fatigue’

CHAMPAIGN — As the number of COVID-19 cases set a new state record Wednesday, Champaign County also reported a big increase in the number of people testing positive for the virus. The 305 new cases actually occurred over a couple of days. And administrator Julie Pryde with the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District said there were…

McGrath’s Narrow Lead For Circuit Clerk Holds, As Ballot Counting Continues

McGrath’s Narrow Lead For Circuit Clerk Holds, As Ballot Counting Continues

URBANA – The Champaign County Clerk’s office added another 1,917 ballots to its total Friday, as election workers continued to process vote by mail ballots, provisional ballots and mail ballots that had been challenged. (Find a link to the latest election totals here) Chief Deputy Clerk Angie Patton said the number of additional ballots arriving…

Dirksen Londrigan Concedes To Davis, After 2nd Bid For Congress Fails

Dirksen Londrigan Concedes To Davis, After 2nd Bid For Congress Fails

SPRINGFIELD – Democrat Betsy Dirksen Londrigan thanked her supporters, volunteers and campaign staff Wednesday, after losing to Congressman Rodney Davis for a second time. And she urged voters to stay active in the political process. Two years ago, Davis defeated Dirksen Londrigan by less than one percentage point, or 2,058 votes, giving her hope for…