Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to include information about the number of counselors and funds for mental health services provided by the University of Illinois. URBANA – Students at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign held a vigil Nov. 1 to honor the life of a student who died by suicide in late…
URBANA – The University of Illinois’ saliva-based COVID-19 testing program will soon be available to the larger Champaign-Urbana community, according to university officials. Currently, the test is only available to students and staff on some college campuses. But officials say plans are now in the works to make it available to Champaign-Urbana community members, too….
ROCKFORD – Sandra Martell is in a tough spot. As public health administrator in northern Illinois’ Winnebago County, Martell was threatened with lawsuits from several area bar owners after she included them on a list of businesses allegedly defying the governor’s orders to halt indoor dining. The county is part of a region that faced…
CHAMPAIGN – Halloween is just around the corner, and public health officials are encouraging everyone to celebrate safely. The biggest advice is the same we’ve been hearing throughout the COVID-19 pandemic: practice social distancing, avoid large gatherings, and wear a mask. But a spooky plastic mask is no substitute for a cloth face covering, when…
URBANA — Nick Rudd was a stalwart on the Champaign-Urbana music scene for decades. He died earlier this year. Monday, on what would have been Nick’s 60th birthday, Nick’s wife Gina Manola announced three memorial funds for music in Champaign-Urbana in his honor. The Nick Rudd Music Fund will support annual concerts through the University…
Additional sites for early voting are opening in Champaign County on Monday, October 19. Each of the eleven early voting site is open to voters from any part of Champaign County. The Champaign County Clerk’s office will operate the sites seven days a week, and will also keep them open on Election Day, November 3rd,…
CHAMPAIGN – On a day when Women’s Marches took place all across the country, hundreds of people gathered at West Side Park in Champaign on Saturday afternoon to participate in the movement. The C-U event was the only one registered in Illinois, outside of Chicago. The rally kicked off with a series of speakers, including…
CHAMPAIGN – A Navy Sailor from Champaign who died in the USS Cole attack will be remembered in a ceremony next week. Back in 1999, terrorists bombed the ship as it was being refueled in Yemen’s Aden Harbor. Seventeen sailors died, including Engineman Second Class Marc Ian Nieto of Champaign. The ceremony will take place Naval…
(UPDATE: Since its newsroom closed in September 2020, the Rantoul Press has continued to appear as a free weekly newspaper, featuring articles from the News-Gazette. The website and social media pages for the Rantoul Press have not been continued. – JM 3/11/21) RANTOUL – The Wednesday, Sept. 30 edition of the Rantoul Press is the last…
Ja Nelle Pleasure never used to think twice about putting food on the table for her family. In fact, the Pleasure family revolved around food. One of…
CHAMPAIGN – The 2020 census will determine how much funding and political representation communities across the U.S. receive. But so far, about a third of Champaign County residents have not participated. At this point in 2010, when the last constitutionally mandated nationwide count was conducted, about 70% of residents had participated, says State Sen. Scott…
CHAMPAIGN – Nearly 16% of Champaign County residents struggle to afford food, according to a 2020 Feeding America study. A new bus on the streets of Champaign-Urbana is aiming to alleviate that. The new Mobile Market is the product of a partnership between Carle Health and the newly formed Champaign-Urbana City Farms. The pay-what-you-can food…
University of Illinois athletes led a Black Lives Matter march through Champaign on Monday, culminating with five minutes of silence outside Champaign Police Headquarters. Listen to this story here. Chants of “No justice, no peace! Prosecute the police!” rang out as the group estimated at about 500 people marched from Memorial Stadium up First Street…
URBANA – A University of Illinois Extension team has designed a map for people to locate food resources in their zip codes. It’s tailored to families and individuals who struggle to afford food. Included on the map are grocery stores, farmers’ markets, food pantries, and school and summer meal sites. The map also pinpoints Supplemental…
URBANA – A moratorium on utility shutoffs in Illinois expired last Sunday. But with the COVID-19 pandemic continuing, several utilities have volunteered to extend the moratorium for another month. The Illinois Commerce Commission says utilities that agreed to the extension include Ameren Illinois, Illinois American Water and Aqua Illinois. All of those serve customers in…