URBANA — Surveyors will start knocking on doors in rural Champaign County this weekend to ask residents if they are happy with their internet service. Champaign County officials commissioned the survey to find the most efficient way to close internet gaps with $3 million in COVID-19 relief. “There might be a way that we can
URBANA — In 2018, when Champaign County Clerk Aaron Ammons took office, there were only 10 early voting locations in the county. This year, there will be 30. “I’m trying to do everything I can to increase the participation from voters in a midterm election.” That’s why we’ve been pushing vote by mail so much,
Lee esta historia en español This article is the first in a series about the access to pregnancy care for immigrants in Champaign. You can read part two here and part three here. “Why are you having more children?” That’s a question a doctor in Champaign asked Fabiola Silva during a doctor appointment. “He started
Updated: February 8, 2022 As the state of Illinois increases resources at local health departments to provide mass vaccinations, we are providing locations in/around the Champaign-Urbana area of places to receive the COVID vaccines and testing. As of late December, Illinois is seeing its highest surge in COVID-19 cases during the entire pandemic. For people
CHAMPAIGN — Champaign-area residents who received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and qualify for a booster have many options for getting the shot locally. Awais Vaid, deputy administrator and epidemiologist with the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District, says all local pharmacies and other providers are offering boosters — as well as first and second doses — to anyone
CHAMPAIGN – Immigrants make up about 12% of Champaign County’s total population and have contributed to the county’s economic growth in recent years, contributing tens of millions of dollars in state and local taxes and injecting hundreds of millions of dollars into the local economy. At the same time, the rapid rise in the immigrant
URBANA – Arraignment is scheduled on Monday for a man accused of killing a teenager. On Friday morning, bicyclists found a body laying in a ditch along East Washington Street in Urbana. The Champaign County Coroner’s office identified the victim as 14-year-old Steven Butler III. His family reported him missing the night before. An autopsy
URBANA – More than 10,000 residents of long-term care facilities in Illinois have died from COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, according to state data. But in Champaign County, only one long-term care facility is currently mandating that its staff receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Clark-Lindsey, a long-term care facility and nursing home in Urbana,
After taking a year off due to the COVID-19 pandemic, fireworks shows are returning to central Illinois. Here’s where you can see all the area’s displays: URBANA – Here’s a partial list of professional fireworks displays for Independence Day weekend, July 1-4, 2022: July 1 Freedom Fest – Lake of the Woods, Mahomet – fireworks begin
CHAMPAIGN — Following state and national trends, Champaign County is seeing an uptick in drug overdose deaths and homicides. Over the past five years, the number of people who’ve died from a drug overdose — in both Champaign County and the state of Illinois — has roughly doubled. Last year, 52 Champaign County residents died
CHAMPAIGN – Organizers throughout Champaign County say Juneteenth is about history, but also about bringing attention to systemic issues that the African American community still faces. Juneteenth, which falls on June 19, is also now an official state holiday, after Gov. JB Pritzker signed legislation on Wednesday. Rantoul resident Debbra Sweat was having coffee with
Editor’s Note: A prior version of this story incorrectly stated the percentage of Black and Hispanic residents in Champaign County who are fully vaccinated. The correct values are now reported below. CHAMPAIGN- When Dr. Wanda Ward, a University of Illinois employee with SHIELD CU, first heard that COVID-19 vaccines were being rolled out, she says
CHAMPAIGN – Artists from the Champaign-Urbana area will once again be showcased at the 19th annual Boneyard Arts Festival, June 18-20, named for the creek that runs through Champaign and Urbana. It’s a comeback for the festival, which was limited to a virtual edition last year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Artists will be showing
August 2023 Editor’s note: The information below was originally reported in June of 2021. Much of it is no longer relevant as the COVID-19 public health emergency was declared over by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on May 11, 2023. For health questions about COVID-19, call the Illinois Department of Public Health hotline
August 2023 Editor’s note: The information below was originally reported in June of 2021. Much of it is no longer relevant as the COVID-19 public health emergency was declared over by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on May 11, 2023. Updated June 6, 2021 at 12:30 p.m. This is an updated post on