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 […]
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 […]
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.
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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.
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 […]
Champaign County is short 300 nursing home beds. Health officials want input on how to help
National data shows that beds are disappearing while the need for senior care is growing. This problem will only multiply because of the rapid projected growth of U.S. residents ages 65 and older — from 56 million in 2020 to 81 million by 2040.
WILL Call: What’s Happening in Champaign-Urbana Jan. 18 – Jan. 21
Listen to Kimberly Schofield and Owen Henderson talk about weekend events on IPM News AM 580 and FM 90.9 – Wednesdays at 6:45 and 8:45 a.m., and Thursdays at 5:44 p.m.
“Pride of the Illini” showcases LGBTQ+ stories and art at UIUC
URBANA — Before graduating from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in winter 2023, Lindsay Peters created a senior project that combined her passions for sound editing and LGBTQ+ community advocacy. Peters wanted to combat the underrepresentation of the queer community in media, so she recorded and produced a series of original songs, poems and short […]
Illinois enacts statewide ban on vaping and e-cigarette use in public
As of January 1, 2024, Illinoisans are no longer able to vape or use e-cigarettes in public places, workplaces, and near any entrances, windows, or ventilation areas. This is part of the updated Smoke-Free Illinois Act (SFIA), aimed at protecting the public from the effects of secondhand smoke and vapor. Under this act, an electronic […]
He used education to escape a violent childhood. Today, he wants to help kids in similar situations
This story includes details of violence some may find disturbing. Shamar Betts can still recall in vivid detail the moment he discovered the dead body of his friend Corsean. It was 2014. Betts was 13 years old at the time. They were hanging out near their middle school on the South Side of Chicago when […]
Illinois Public Media launches Illinois Soul: a new platform amplifying Black voices and music
On February 1, 2024, Illinois Soul will launch on FM 101.1 here in Champaign-Urbana. And outside of the twin cities, you can tune it in on a high definition radio at FM 90.9. HD 2.