Several non-profit organizations in the Champaign-Urbana area will receive a $250,000 grant to expand their services to asylum seekers. The federal funding, distributed by the Illinois Department of Human Services, will be given to the New American Welcome Center at the University YMCA, the Refugee Center and Cunningham Township. According to a press release from…
House of Desires Opening at Station Theatre in Urbana Date & Time: Thursday, December 7th at 7:30 p.m. Location: Station Theatre, Urbana Details: Experience a 17th-century romantic farce written by a nun! Runs Thursdays through Sundays until December 17th. Lindsey Stirling Snow Waltz Tour at Grossinger…
URBANA — Urbana Police Chief Larry Boone asked the Urbana City Council Monday night to amend the budget to hire four additional police officers. The Council deferred the decision until a national consulting firm hired by the department releases a report with staffing recommendations. Boone requested $569,198 to fund four new positions, including a Deputy…
ATTACH Art Show – Opening Reception Date & Time: Thursday, November 30th, 6 p.m. Location: Krannert Art Museum, Champaign Details: Join the opening reception of ATTACH, showcasing high school art inspired by the museum’s collection. Meet the artists from Centennial, Central, and Urbana High Schools. Live…
After seven years of construction, less than half of the 24-mile Kickapoo Rail Trail in east-central Illinois has been completed. But now, the project could be finished in the next two years, thanks to a state grant. An $11.2 million grant, awarded through the state’s Rebuild Illinois Capital plan will pay for the completion of the walking and bike path.
CHAMPAIGN — As the holiday season approaches, many towns and cities are gearing up for their annual Christmas tree-lighting ceremonies. From Danville to Charleston, there are plenty of events to choose from. Here are some of the upcoming events: Danville’s Lighting of the Old Oak Tree: The Danville Girls Chorus, the San Ramon Valley High…
CHAMPAIGN — The Champaign County Sheriff has selected a new company to offer phone and video calls at the Champaign County Jail. The new company — Consolidated Telecom, Inc. — will offer two free phone calls to each resident per day. The new contract is set to begin on Feb. 15, 2024, according to the Request…
Terminus Victor Album Release Show Date & Time: Friday, November 24th at 9 p.m. Location: Rose Bowl Tavern, Urbana Details: Enjoy performances by Terminus Victor, Sweet Melk, and Edna in an exciting album release show. Smoke N Whiskey at Pipa’s Pub Date &…
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…
Millions of people in the U.S. rely on monthly benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, to pay for groceries. Recently, the government increased these benefits by 12.5% for the next year to match inflation. But even with the increase, SNAP benefits are not enough to cover what many families need this time of…
Plans are in the works to construct a 2.3-mile rail trail in a rural area of Piatt County. As initially reported by columnist Tom Kacich in the News-Gazette, the proposed shared-used path would use the railroad right-of-way originally established for railroad tracks as a route for walking, running and cycling between the small towns of…
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…
While Illinois has moved to protect access to gender-affirming care and enshrined civil rights for the LGBTQ+ community overall, four of the five states that border Illinois have all seen a massive rise in bills that target the queer community, especially transgender youth. According to the ACLU’s anti-LGBTQ legislation tracker, Missouri’s state legislature has considered 48 bills in 2023 alone that would negatively impact the queer community in areas ranging from healthcare to education to free speech and expression.
URBANA — The Urbana Police Department hired a national consulting firm this year to evaluate how the department works, including how — and if — officers should handle certain types of calls for service. The firm, BerryDunn, has worked with police departments throughout the U.S. to evaluate their processes and offer recommendations. One consideration is…
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…