Flags across Illinois lowered for State Trooper killed in Champaign County wreck
28-year-old Corey Thompsen started out as an intern with ISP and became a trooper 5 years ago.
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Climate scientist Jim Angel on recent Illinois weather patterns — and what’s in store for winter
The climate in the Midwest is ever-changing — and that’s what makes it fascinating, says Jim Angel. Angel is a climate scientist with the Illinois State Water Survey. He served as Illinois State Climatologist for more than two decades until 2018, and has been studying climate extremes in Illinois and the Midwest for almost 40…
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Danville gets $1 million to focus on tree planting program
DANVILLE – The City of Danville has been awarded a $1 million grant from the Inflation Reduction Act and the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program. This grant will be used in launching a new program, Community Roots: Danville’s Urban Reforestation and Revitalization Plan. “This initiative is designed to enhance tree canopy…
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Community marks a year since Palestinian American boy’s slaying: ‘We were all killed that day’
When 6-year-old Palestinian American boy Wadee Alfayoumi was stabbed to death in October of 2023 in suburban Plainfield Township in an alleged hate crime, it was as though the Muslim community itself had been stabbed. That’s how Ahmed Rehab, executive director of the Chicago office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, described the effect of…
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Chapter Two: Fallout-Through Marginalized Eyes
A year ago, on October 13, Israel began a ground operation in Gaza in response to the devastating attack by Hamas on October 7. The conflict has claimed more than 43,000 lives with some one hundred hostages still being held in Gaza. Now, the regional war the United States has spent a year trying to…
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American Red Cross holds blood drives in Central Illinois for hurricane relief
With back-to-back hurricanes canceling hundreds of blood drives in Southeastern parts of the United States in recent weeks, the American Red Cross is calling for help from other parts of the country, including Central Illinois. The Red Cross will host numerous blood drives in Champaign County over the next month., Dozens of students attended a…
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‘Trying to hold on to hope’: Local Jewish and Palestinian communities remember October 7 one year later
CHAMPAIGN– Vigils and gatherings were held around the country and in Champaign Monday to mark one year since an attack by Hamas killed about 1,200 people in Israel. Hillel and the Chabad Center came together on the University of Illinois Quad to mourn those lost and those still held hostage by Hamas in Gaza. An…
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Chapter One: Fallout-October 7
One year ago today, Hamas militants killed more than 1,200 men, women and children and kidnapped more than 200 others after entering Israel from the Gaza Strip. In response to the attack, Israel launched a military offensive that has killed more than 41,000 people in Gaza. More than half of those killed were women and…
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Champaign Park District hosts Halloween costume giveaway, promoting sustainability and inclusivity
The Champaign Park District hosted its 8th annual Halloween costume giveaway on Saturday, offering people of all ages the chance to find something fun for the fall season. Throughout the past month, community members donated their old costumes to the drive, resulting in over one hundred options to choose from this year. Lynne Franco, program…
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Chicago dance group teaches U of I community new steps to improve mental health
URBANA – A group has Champaign-Urbana residents dancing away with new moves by teaching them a beloved Chicago tradition. The Era Footwork Collective came to Champaign-Urbana on September 7 to teach people how to do “footwork” at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. The organization’s mantra is “Footwork Saves Lives”. Sterling “Steelo” Lofton is…
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Champaign County to provide free gun locks and safes as part of new firearms safety initiative
URBANA – Champaign County is launching a new grant-funded program, which will provide free gun locks and safes for residents. The county has been awarded a grant from the Illinois Department of Public Health to enhance public health and safety through firearm safe storage solutions and education on firearms restraining orders, according to a news…
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Champaign mayor to serve as head of Illinois Municipal League
CHAMPAIGN – The mayor of Champaign has been elected to serve as President of the Illinois Municipal League for a one-year term. Mayor Deborah Frank Feinen has served on the IML Board of Directors as a Vice President since 2020, and was elected president during the 111th IML Annual Conference held last weekend in Chicago,…
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University of Illinois dining and custodial workers go on strike
Food and building service workers, represented by Service Employees International Union Local 73, at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign went on strike Monday morning. Wages are a major issue. “They give us just a little bit every year,” said building service worker Liem To. “A lot of departments get a lot more money than…
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11th annual Immigrant Welcome Awards celebrates the work of community members in Champaign County
The eleventh annual Immigrant Welcome Awards will be held at the Urbana Free Library this Sunday. Six awards will be presented to honor people and businesses that are working to make Champaign County a welcoming space for immigrants. Ricardo Diaz serves on the board of the CU Immigration Forum, which is the main sponsor of…
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Newton County sheriff pays tribute to slain deputy, thanks public for support
NEWTON COUNTY, Ind. — The body of a slain sheriff’s deputy from Newton County, Indiana was escorted earlier this week from Urbana to Springfield and from Springfield to Brookston, Indiana Thursday. Corporal Brandon Schreiber was shot in the line of duty on September 1 while assisting Iroquois County Sheriff’s Department in Illinois. A police…
