Urbana activists want more police oversight. But local laws hold the civilian review board hostage
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Urbana activists want more police oversight. But local laws hold the civilian review board hostage

ByFarrah Anderson

This story is part of a partnership focusing on police misconduct in Champaign County between the Champaign-Urbana Civic Police Data Project of Invisible Institute, a Chicago-based nonprofit public accountability journalism organization, and IPM News, which provides news about Illinois & in-depth reporting on Agriculture, Education, the Environment, Health, and Politics, powered by Illinois Public Media….

A baseball player wears an eye mask while swinging at bat at a ball.
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Baseball tournament for the visually impaired comes to Savoy

ByKimberly Schofield

SAVOY – This weekend, three Midwestern teams are coming to Savoy for the Beep Baseball Tournament. This event provides an adaptive version of the sport for visually impaired players and coaches. The Indy Thunder, Chicago Comets, and Gateway Archers will compete at Prairie Fields Park in Savoy on Saturday, July 6th, starting at 9:30am. Morning…

Concerns raised in Monticello about number of brain cancer cases; Data being collected from the community
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Concerns raised in Monticello about number of brain cancer cases; Data being collected from the community

ByCU-CitizenAccess

This past February at a Monticello City Council meeting, resident Caitlin McClain spoke about her father-in-law who died of brain cancer in 2022. “My father-in-law was a smart, strong, witty man,” McClain said. “He couldn’t talk at all. In fact, the only thing that he could say was ‘I love you’ to his 4-year-old granddaughter,…

Two men looking at a third man who is a judge.
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Amid pushback to requests for more police, Urbana City Council votes to fund only two positions

ByFarrah Anderson

The Urbana City Council moved to approve its budget for the next fiscal year at a council meeting Tuesday. The Urbana Police Department had asked the Council to fund 11 positions. But after months of pressure from community members to divert funds away from police to groups that provide social services, the Council voted to…

A group of musicians holding instruments poses for a photo at a performance.
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Five Cities Baroque Festival is back for second season in central Illinois

ByKimberly Schofield

DECATUR- Singers and musicians from across central Illinois are collaborating to celebrate Baroque music this June at the Five Cities Baroque Festival. Performances will be held throughout Champaign and Decatur starting this Sunday, June 16th through Saturday, June 22nd. Morning Edition host Kimberly Schofield spoke with the festival’s founding director, Nate Widelitz, about bringing 17th…

Feel The Beat: New entertainment district opens in downtown Champaign
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Feel The Beat: New entertainment district opens in downtown Champaign

ByKimberly Schofield

CHAMPAIGN – A new entertainment district is coming to downtown Champaign. The Beat, located on Market St, will be a space for adults to listen to music, support local businesses, and establish a sense of community. Morning Edition host Kimberly Schofield spoke with Tracy Parsons, the Community Relations Manager for the City of Champaign, about…

Memorial Day weekend travel to be congested with severe weather on the way
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Memorial Day weekend travel to be congested with severe weather on the way

ByNPR

America is back, baby. Airports and roadways are expected to be jam-packed during the Memorial Day weekend, making up for travel lost during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new analysis from AAA. But severe and potentially destructive storms forecast for the Plains, Midwest and mid-South through Memorial Day weekend may dampen the fun. AAA projects 43.8 million people…

Dr. Irfan Ahmad dies at 66 of respiratory complications

Dr. Irfan Ahmad dies at 66 of respiratory complications

ByMae Antar

CHAMPAIGN – Long-time community member and activist died unexpectedly of respiratory complications Wednesday night at age 66.  Dr. Irfan Ahmad was an active and well-known member of the central Illinois Muslim community.  “He was always just an advocate for underserved communities, particularly the Muslim community, particularly immigrants, but you know, particularly Pakistanis, because, you know,…

Pro-Palestine groups camp out overnight, dispute UIUC officials’ account of protest negotiations

Pro-Palestine groups camp out overnight, dispute UIUC officials’ account of protest negotiations

ByIPM News

UPDATED at 11:30 a.m on Monday, April 29. Pro-Palestinian demonstrators camped out overnight on campus at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. They want the campus to divest from companies with ties to Israel’s military. The move has led to the cancellation of a meeting that had been planned with UIUC administrators Monday. The new…

Central Illinois Headlines – April 29, 2024

Central Illinois Headlines – April 29, 2024

ByIPM News

Wet workweek ahead The National Weather Service in Central Illinois is forecasting storms on Sunday night and Monday. Meteorologists expect more active weather later in the week. Illini football players selected in the NFL Draft CHAMPAIGN – Former Illinois football players Johnny Newton, Isaiah Adams, Tip Reiman, and Casey Washington were selected in the 2024…

Protest for Palestine at UIUC leads to two arrests; negotiations reach peaceful resolution
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Protest for Palestine at UIUC leads to two arrests; negotiations reach peaceful resolution

ByIPM News

  UPDATED at 1 p.m. on Sunday, April 28. A long day of protests at the Alma Mater in Urbana ended late Friday night, after pro-Palestinian students and officials at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign reached a peaceful resolution. Earlier in the day, U of I police arrested two people protesting in support of…

New UIUC signs honor early Black students, promotes inclusion
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New UIUC signs honor early Black students, promotes inclusion

ByDavid Pierce

The African American Heritage Trail, established in 2020, is a series of memorial signs that chronicle the history of African Americans throughout the county. Recently, two new displays have been added to the trail. These are dedicated to William F. Earnest and Maudelle Tanner Brown Bousfield. The new signs are located on First street in…