
Champaign County Board passes resolution prohibiting tax breaks for data centers
If a data center company wants to build in Champaign County, they will still have to pay their fair share in taxes.

If a data center company wants to build in Champaign County, they will still have to pay their fair share in taxes.

Mahomet officials ended discussions with a data center developer last week, but residents are still frustrated by the process.

Residents’ concerns about data centers include wildlife and environmental impacts and electricity demand. The Champaign County Data Center Task Force held a public meeting Wednesday, Oct. 7, to review its proposed regulations for large data centers in the county.

Mahomet officials were asking the Champaign County Board to ban leaf burning within 1,000 feet of the village.

The federally funded Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program provides one-time benefits to income-eligible households. The Champaign County LIHEAP office has nearly 900 scheduled appointments for the month of October.

Both proposed sites fall outside of the villages’ boundaries and are under the jurisdiction of the county.

Mahomet officials were in talks with Clean Cloud Energy about a potential data center in the village.

The organization is moving after 27 years of leasing office space at the Brookens Administrative Center in Urbana. The lease is set to expire in January.

Champaign County currently has a shortage of 120 election judges. If the gap isn’t filled, the county may see certain polling locations close on Election Day, affecting voters’ experiences.

Protesters condemned the construction of future data centers, arguing they produce more harm than good.

Since 1901, the courthouse has gone through immense changes, from the building itself to the way it functions in the community. But changes to state law have led to a sharp decline in revenue for courthouse services.

Cyclists participated in Bike to Work Day, part of a larger Bike Month across Champaign County.

Democratic incumbent Champaign County Sheriff Dustin Heuerman and Republican Gregory Worrell, participated in candidate interviews at Illinois Public Media’s studios.

CHAMPAIGN – Homelessness in Champaign County has risen in recent years. The latest count, conducted in early 2026, found 364 people in the area are homeless – up from 355 the prior year. The data was released in August by the Champaign County Continuum of Service Providers to the Homeless (CSPH) — a group

At Tuesday’s Champaign County board meeting, the chair of the board said the county has no data centers planned. And during public comment, residents asked for help to fund a skilled nursing facility.