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.
Mattoon resident Diane Lathrop was born and raised in east-central Illinois. She was valedictorian of the Mattoon Senior High School class of 1971. She attended the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and, in 2023, retired after more than 40 years in the financial services industry.
Callie McFarland has lived in Monticello since 2004. She’s a mother of two, a farmer’s wife and a small business owner. Since 2008, she’s been the director of community and economic development for the city of Monticello.
Dr. Allan Crandall has provided psychotherapeutic and medical services to people throughout central Illinois and in Arizona, New Mexico, Alaska and Colorado.
Da’Sani Lewis is a 2026 graduate of Danville High School and will be attending Southern Illinois University Edwardsville this fall. Lewis wonders what kind of place America should be 50 years from now.
John Martin is a lifelong Urbana resident and a retired software engineer. A self-described patriot and supporter of the Make America Great Again movement, Martin asks how the U.S. can heal from the previous presidential administration’s handling of immigration.
Chad Rand is outreach coordinator for the University of Illinois Education Justice Project, where he supports people across the country who are coming home from prison or facing detention and deportation.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Parkland College serves about 9,600 students and offers more than 130 degree and certificate programs. Parkland’s 60th anniversary celebrations began in March and will continue throughout the year, ending with the Diamond Jubilee Gala in November.
In 2020, Melody Walker and her friend Caitlin Doyle decided they wanted to form an all-female Grateful Dead cover band. After a few male friends expressed interest in taking part in the group, they allowed it — as long as they dressed like women.
Families made their way to the Krannert Art Museum in Champaign Saturday for “Artventures for Kids.” The free program combines storytelling with gallery exploration and hands-on activities for children.