News In Brief: March 8
“News In Brief” from Illinois Public Media presents a comprehensive overview of critical topics affecting your community and Illinois as a whole.
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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…
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‘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…
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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…
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A new Illinois re-entry guide includes resources for LGBTQ+ people after incarceration
CHAMPAIGN — Stephanie Zarate is both transgender and formerly incarcerated. Zarate says being transgender makes it difficult to find resources after incarceration — especially housing. “Unlike cisgender, straight people, it’s difficult for us because we don’t have the support that they have,” she said. That’s why the latest re-entry guide from the Education Justice Project…
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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…
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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…
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One man’s re-entry charts a path for more formerly incarcerated people to buy homes
CHAMPAIGN — Anthony spent about half of his life in prison and just got out last year. It was a huge adjustment because so much had changed in the decades Anthony was incarcerated. “I hadn’t seen a cell phone in almost 30 years,” Anthony said. “Now in this new world, you can’t function without a…
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Downtown Champaign bar manager dies nine days after shooting
Champaign Police are reclassifying the shooting of a downtown bar manager as a homicide, following the death of Brandon L. Hardway. The Champaign County Coroner’s office says the 45-year-old Hardway, of Champaign, died early Saturday at Carle Hospital, due to injuries he received in a shooting on the afternoon of February 8. Police say the shooting happened outside Hardway’s bar, Pour Brothers Craft Taproom, 40 E. University Avenue in downtown Champaign. Police say Hardway had come outside for a cigarette break, and was shot in the back.
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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…
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Rantoul community honors Azaan Lee one year after he was killed by police
RANTOUL — Community members met Wednesday night in Rantoul to commemorate the life of 21-year-old Azaan Lee after he was shot and killed by police one year ago. Rantoul Police Officer Jose Aceves shot and killed Azaan Lee while investigating a stolen car. Aceves resigned just over a month after the shooting, according to documents…
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After fatal shootings, Rantoul police recommended more training. They just sent one officer to a gun range
This story is part of a partnership focusing on police misconduct in Champaign County between the Champaign-Urbana Civic Police Data Project of the Invisible Institute, a Chicago-based nonprofit public accountability journalism organization, and IPM Newsroom, which provides news about Illinois & in-depth reporting on Agriculture, Education, the Environment, Health, and Politics, powered by Illinois Public…
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C-U’s Restaurant Week features cuisines from around the globe
The 8th annual Restaurant Week is underway in Champaign-Urbana. This year’s event highlights 50 local restaurants, showcasing cuisines from all over the world. The event is put on by Experience Champaign-Urbana, a tourism marketing organization. Terri Reifsteck, the organization’s VP of marketing, said that the event is meant to boost local restaurants during a time…
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New details emerge in University of Illinois police investigation of Akul Dhawan’s death, including alcohol consumption and police timeline
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Police Department says they acted immediately on the information they had at the time, some of which they learned after his death was inaccurate.
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Champaign hired Police Chief Timothy Tyler despite disciplinary past and allegations of misconduct
This story is part of a partnership focusing on police misconduct in Champaign County between the Champaign-Urbana Civic Police Data Project of the Invisible Institute, a Chicago-based nonprofit public accountability journalism organization, and IPM Newsroom, which provides news about Illinois & in-depth reporting on Agriculture, Education, the Environment, Health, and Politics, powered by Illinois Public Media. This investigation was…
