Illinois officials say they were surprised by rape charge against star Terrence Shannon Jr.
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Illinois officials say they were surprised by rape charge against star Terrence Shannon Jr.

Illinois suspended Shannon on Thursday after he was charged with rape for an alleged incident that happened when the football team played at Kansas in September. Whitman spoke at a news conference Friday before Illinois’ game against Fairleigh Dickinson.

Illinois suspends star basketball player Terrence Shannon Jr. following rape charge
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Illinois suspends star basketball player Terrence Shannon Jr. following rape charge

The school suspended Shannon from “all team activities, effective immediately,” a day after the Douglas (Kansas) County District Attorney issued a warrant for his arrest. The alleged incident happened when he attended the Illini’s football game at Kansas on Sept. 8.

Urbana City Council delays decision to hire more police officers, facing resident pushback
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Urbana City Council delays decision to hire more police officers, facing resident pushback

URBANA —  Urbana Police Chief Larry Boone asked the Urbana City Council Monday night to amend the budget to hire four additional police officers. The Council deferred the decision until a national consulting firm hired by the department releases a report with staffing recommendations. Boone requested $569,198 to fund four new positions, including a Deputy…

People incarcerated at Champaign County Jail will get two free phone calls a day, starting next year
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People incarcerated at Champaign County Jail will get two free phone calls a day, starting next year

CHAMPAIGN —  The Champaign County Sheriff has selected a new company to offer phone and video calls at the Champaign County Jail.  The new company — Consolidated Telecom, Inc. — will offer two free phone calls to each resident per day. The new contract is set to begin on Feb. 15, 2024, according to the Request…

Urbana Police will consider hiring non-police staff for mental health, domestic violence calls
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Urbana Police will consider hiring non-police staff for mental health, domestic violence calls

URBANA — The Urbana Police Department hired a national consulting firm this year to evaluate how the department works, including how — and if — officers should handle certain types of calls for service. The firm, BerryDunn, has worked with police departments throughout the U.S. to evaluate their processes and offer recommendations.  One consideration is…

New documents show Rantoul Police Department cleared main officers of wrongdoing in 2023 fatal shootings
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New documents show Rantoul Police Department cleared main officers of wrongdoing in 2023 fatal shootings

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…