Jimmy Joy

73-year-old man reported missing found in Champaign: Police

URBANA — A man reported missing on Thursday was found Friday morning unharmed, according to Urbana Police.  An individual who identified herself as the sister of Jimmy Joy, 73, told police she took her brother to Carle Hospital to seek cold and flu treatment and that he was left in the care of the medical…

opening of grocery store in Cairo, Illinois

The government spends millions in food deserts to open grocery stores. Why aren’t they surviving?

More than 100 people congregated in the parking lot of Rise Community Market on its opening day a little over a year ago. As they listened to celebratory speeches, the audience erupted into joyful exclamations: “Mercy!” “Wonderful!” “Wow!” “All right!” Colorful homemade signs raised by local leaders beckoned the crowd to join in: “We!” “Are!”…

A courtyard in the background of a building with a sign reading "The Urbana Free Library"
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What’s Your Story? Urbana Free Library seeks visual artists for new program starting this fall

URBANA – The Urbana Free Library is looking for local artists to share their work and knowledge for the Artist-in-Residence Program. Three artists will have each have one month to share their work and guide the public through creating visual artwork, which can be anything from painting to collages to yarn work. Morning Edition host…

A man in a racing wheelchair leans forward before pushes around a track.
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Local athlete heads to Paris for his fourth Paralympic games

CHAMPAIGN – Athletes around the world are preparing for the Paris 2024 Paralympics that kick off at the end of August. Brian Siemann, a local resident, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign graduate, and four-time Paralympian, will compete in the 100m, 400m, 800m, 5,000m, and marathon events for the US Paralympic Track and Field Team. Morning Edition…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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…