Latest stories
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From Illini Hillel to a national movement: the Abram Sachar story
At the corner of John St. and Fifth in Champaign, an Honorary Street is designated to Abram Sachar, who established a Hillel movement at universities across the country.
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Honorary Alison Krauss Way recognizes renowned bluegrass fiddle-player and vocalist
Alison Krauss, the 27-time Grammy-Award-winning vocalist and fiddle player who grew up in Champaign, played the hallowed Grand Ole Opry at the age of 17.
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Honorary Brandon Hardway Drive pays homage to beloved former Pour Bros. manager
Brandon Hardway, a beloved community member and manager of Pour Bros. Taproom, was fatally shot on February 8, 2024. Last August, the segment of North Chestnut Street in downtown Champaign was designated Brandon Hardway Drive.
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More than a holiday tradition: Reindeer are a way of life at the Hardy ranch in Rantoul
Around the holidays, reindeer become a familiar sight: on cards, in movies and pulling Santa’s sleigh. But here in central Illinois, reindeer aren’t a myth or a cartoon. They’re livestock, cared for year-round.
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Declining attendance and rising maintenance costs bring an end to a historic church building in Champaign
With churches no longer playing as central a role in many people’s lives, more congregations are faced with hard decisions regarding their historic buildings.
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Advocates for Aging Care pushes for solutions as Champaign County faces skilled nursing bed shortage
Champaign County has one of the worst skilled nursing care shortages in the state. It means people often have to drive hours to see their loved ones. A local advocacy group is working to address the shortage.
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Champaign’s only low-barrier shelter is at risk of closing. Some guests are worried
Strides first opened in 2022, with funding from the American Rescue Plan, a federal COVID-19 relief fund. But funding is set to run out as early as February.
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3I/ATLAS is not alien spacecraft. But here’s how scientists actually look for aliens
3I/ATLAS, the third known interstellar object to pass through our solar system, is on its way out, yet speculation that it is alien technology persists.
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Transgender people are looking for safer places to live. Some have found a home in central Illinois
Amid increasingly hostile laws and rhetoric targeting transgender people in the United States, many of them seek to move to places they feel safer. Aaron Slayton is one of many who have made a new home in central Illinois.
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