Urbana City Council signs off on housing development on West Main Street
The council voted 4-1 to allow the 32-unit apartment building to be built along Boneyard Creek following significant debate among residents.
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America @ 250: Father Johndamaseni Zilimu asks how we become peacemakers
Father Johndamaseni Zilimu is pastor of St. Matthew Parish in Champaign. Father John was born in Tanzania and moved to the U.S. in 2000. He received his doctorate in mathematics education from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2014.
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Urbana City Council delays vote on West Main Street housing project, amends minimum parking requirements
The city council once again heard from public commenters on both sides of the debate surrounding the redevelopment project, setting the stage for a possible vote next Monday.
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America @ 250: Hannah Velasco asks if America was actually ever great
Hannah Velasco is a 29-year-old resident of Urbana. She directs Urbana High School’s Ballet Folklórico de los Tigres, and is a recruitment and training coordinator for the Court Appointed Special Advocates of Champaign County. Her identity has never fit neatly into one box, and she believes that accepting each other’s differences is part of being American.
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America @ 250: Kay Weidner asks Americans to ask themselves, ‘Who am I?’
Kay Weidner grew up near Crystal Lake Park in north Urbana and still lives in the area. Members of her family have served in the military since at least World War II, and she loves a good Fourth of July Parade.
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America @ 250: Alex Wysocki asks, ‘Are short-term political gains worth giving up the big picture?’
Alex Wysocki is a television producer, filmmaker, husband and father of three. He and his wife Abigail moved to Champaign during the COVID-19 pandemic and are raising their family here.
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Urbana City Council declines to make downtown civic center a historic landmark, passes budget
Officials in Urbana had a busy week at city council. They rejected a proposal to grant landmark status to the former Civic Center downtown, which may become the site of a new transit center. The city also approved a new budget and appointed a new Ward 5 council member.
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Urbana Park District seeks community input to create future goals
The Urbana Park District is asking residents to fill out a survey and participate in focus groups to help guide the creation of their 2027-2031 Strategic Plan.
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Champaign’s 2026-2027 budget passes unanimously
New funding allocations include three new firefighters, a Homelessness and Community Services Manager and a background investigator for the police department. The city is also funding capital projects including Park Avenue, expansion of the downtown plaza and a traffic signal at the Mattis Ave. and Sangamon Dr. intersection.
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IHSA boys baseball tournaments brings families to Champaign, boosts local economy
Eight teams traveled from across the state to compete in the IHSA Boys Baseball State Tournament. The competition brought new and familiar faces to Champaign-Urbana, benefiting the area’s local economy.
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After much anticipation, Garden Hills improvements wrap up with new stormwater basins, playground equipment
Hedge Park is the main attraction of the new improvements. It includes a workout area, swing set, an exploradome with webbing and ropes to monkey around and a splash zone to cool off.
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Urbana City Council postpones vote on West Main Street housing project
The Urbana City Council is expected to take a final vote at a special meeting on July 6.
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Combe Incorporated invests $30 million to expand Rantoul facility, with $5 million state grant
Combe’s expansion in Rantoul is expected to create more than 20 new full-time jobs in the village and retain 100 existing full-time jobs.
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Illinois bill limits how social media companies can target feeds to children
The bill passed the Senate unanimously on Monday with a vote of 57-0. It passed the House a second time on Monday with a 113-0 vote.
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Illinois asking for residents’ input on housing concerns
Illinois Housing Development Authority is in the process of drafting their 2027 Housing Blueprint.
