Despite a growing need for mental health services in the community, the director of the Counseling Center at the University of Illinois says the resources remain underfunded and understaffed. “I think mental health services everywhere are underfunded,” said Center director Carla McCowan. “How many staff members do you need before you meet demands? What’s that…
URBANA, Jan. 11 — Urbana Middle School will stay with remote instruction for the rest of this week. Absences among staff at Urbana Middle School pushed the school to go virtual this week. District 116 Superintendent Jennifer Ivory-Tatum says she doesn’t expect other Urbana schools to go virtual. “Even before Thanksgiving, we have been doing…
Students and staff at Urbana public schools only need to isolate for five days after testing positive for COVID-19. District 116 made the change on Monday, after federal, state and local public health agencies all greenlighted the new quarantine guidance. District 116 Superintendent Jennifer Ivory-Tatum said students and staff who are still sick with a…
Since 2019, at least 63 Champaign-Urbana restaurants have failed and 19 have been temporarily closed down by public health officials under a new restaurant inspection system launched that year. On average, health inspectors failed 14 restaurants of 324 restaurants inspected each quarter between 2008 and 2017, according to an earlier analysis of public health department…
CHAMPAIGN — The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has halved the number of days of isolation recommended for those sick with COVID-19. Illinois school districts have not made that change – yet. The difference has caused enough confusion among parents that the Champaign Unit 4 School District superintendent had to email out a…
URBANA – As COVID-19 hospitalizations reach a pandemic high, Carle Health has decided to delay non-emergency procedures. This time, Carle is not rationing supplies — but staff energy. “As opposed to last year this time, we have most supplies needed but limited availability of our already stretched-thin staff to respond to the growing exposures and…
URBANA — In 2021, more than 1,300 people died in car crashes in Illinois. That’s the highest number since 2005. The roadside assistance group AAA is encouraging drivers to adopt safer behaviors in the new year. “When we call a crash an accident, it implies that these tragedies are beyond human influence, and that is…
URBANA — In order to make water safe to drink, it has to go through a process called chemical disinfection. This process, however necessary, creates byproducts. University of Illinois researcher Lois Raetzman says it is possible that one chemical byproduct could have serious health effects. “So we’re absolutely not saying you should not disinfect water….
CHAMPAIGN — Public health officials in Champaign County are sounding the alarm as the omicron variant of COVID-19 spreads across the country. Hospital officials say they already have more COVID patients than at any time this past year. Champaign-Urbana Public Health District administrator Julie Pryde says we’re already in a wave of infections from…
DANVILLE — When Doug Toole, the director of the Vermilion County Health Department, and the department’s contact tracers get back to their desks in the morning, there are piles of calls to make. Those piles represent positive cases of COVID-19. Contact tracing is an important part of stopping the spread of COVID-19, according to Toole….
URBANA — The University of Illinois announced Monday that it will delay the start of in-person spring classes on its Urbana campus by one week. Chancellor Robert Jones said in a mass email to faculty, staff and graduate students that the first week of classes next semester will be online starting Tuesday, Jan. 18. U…
CHAMPAIGN – Champaign County is experiencing one of its most intense COVID waves yet. Local hospitals are filling up and at least eight county residents have died in the last two weeks due to COVID-19. Meanwhile, the new and highly infectious omicron variant is taking hold in the United States. While it hasn’t been officially…
URBANA – The U.S. Department of Justice combed through the Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District website – and found a few things that needed to change to better serve low-vision riders. One rider’s Americans With Disabilities Act complaint about the website sparked the DOJ’s interest. Although the department couldn’t replicate her claim, they did find other…
CHAMPAIGN — The first pandemic-era standardized test results are out. Student achievement dropped all over Illinois, including in local school districts. Champaign Unit 4 fifth grade teacher Kim Tate sees pandemic stress as one reason behind the test score decline. “There’s that element of, ‘I have other priorities and concerns and even trauma.’ Because I…
URBANA – Health officials reported late Tuesday that the omicron COVID-19 variant has been confirmed in a case in Illinois. The Illinois Department of Public Health and the Chicago Department of Public Health said the case was confirmed in a Chicago resident. That patient had been in contact with a person from another state who…