RANTOUL – As hundreds of migrant farmworkers arrive in central Illinois to work on detasseling — a process needed to create hybrid seed corn — local organizations are stepping up to provide services to the workers and their families. Martha Gonzalez, executive director of the Rantoul Multicultural Community Center, says the child care they offer…
CHAMPAIGN – The largest bars in Champaign’s Campustown area will be closed on Friday and Saturday, July 10-11, in an attempt to avoid spreading the coronavirus during Greek Reunion. In fact, local officials say the more people stay away from Greek Reunion this year, the better. Greek Reunion brings students back to the University of…
CHAMPAIGN – Maricel Mendoza is familiar with the work migrant and seasonal farmworkers do. Growing up, her family traveled from Texas to central Illinois every year for her parents’ jobs as contractors with a large seed company. “All of my parents’ siblings were migrants, my grandparents were migrants,” Mendoza says. “So it’s just something that…
URBANA – University leaders from across the Midwest say they’re concerned about a drop in international student enrollment this fall, given new restrictions imposed on foreign students by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Chancellor Robert Jones, Michigan State University President Samuel Stanley, University of Wisconsin-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank and Loyola…
CHAMPAIGN – On Friday, the Illinois High School Association released guidelines for allowing student athletes to practice and play. It comes as the Illinois Department of Public Health announced the number of confirmed coronavirus cases grew to 145,750 including 7,005 deaths. Here are a few of the Phase 4 Return To Play Guidelines: Schools must…
CHAMPAIGN – If you recently bought packaged garden salad, the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District says you should check to see if its been recalled. In a press release late Wednesday, health leaders reported there are six cases of Cyclosporiasis in Champaign County. The intestinal illness can cause watery diarrhea, loss of appetite, bloating, low grade…
CHAMPAIGN – The child care industry, like many others, has been hurt by the COVID-19 pandemic, as many day care centers and home-based child care providers were forced to either close or reduce their capacity as states implemented stay-home orders to slow the spread of the virus. As businesses slowly reopen, lack of access to…
URBANA – University of Illinois officials released more details Monday about what the fall semester will look like on its Urbana campus. During a webinar hosted by U of I staff on Monday, Brian Brauer, associate director of the Illinois Fire Service Institute, broke down the university’s actions to prevent the spread of COVID-19 into…
CHAMPAIGN – Durante el fin de semana, la familia y los amigos de Joel Quintas se reunieron al aire libre en Champaign para recordarlo y para dar gracias a Dios por su vida.
CHAMPAIGN – Over the weekend, family and friends of Joel Quintas gathered outside in Champaign to remember him and thank God for his life.
CHAMPAIGN — Meg Moynihan knows what it’s like to struggle. In 2016 she and her husband, who own an organic dairy farm in Minnesota, found themselves without a processor, which turns farm milk into a consumer product. Their farm was too far a drive for too little milk, they were told. They didn’t find another…
URBANA – A group of local nurses is organizing an event Sunday aimed at raising awareness about how racism is a public health issue. The “White Coats For Black Lives” demonstration will take place at 1 pm Sunday at the Crystal Lake Park pavilion in Urbana. Champaign-Urbana nurse Cristina Kelly says recent protests against racial…
The Illinois Newsroom team is answering questions from listeners to navigate this unprecedented time. Have a question you want answered? Ask here. In today’s edition of “Ask the Newsroom,” we sought answers — regarding the state’s moving into Phase 4 of the Restore Illinois plan today — from Julie Pryde, administrator of the Champaign-Urbana Public…
CHAMPAIGN – Many state and local parks that remained open during Phase 3 of the Restore Illinois plan have seen high volumes of visitors anxious to get outside in recent weeks. As Illinois enters Phase 4 Friday, all outdoor recreation at parks can return, but some precautions will remain in place. Champaign Park District basketball…
UPDATED June 25, 2020: C-U Public Health Administrator Julie Pryde says the Trump administration’s move to withdraw federal funding from some COVID-19 testing sites will not affect Champaign’s public drive-through testing site at Marketplace Mall. But come July, it will no longer be staffed by the Illinois National Guard. Pryde says she does not expect…