U of I dean Ruby Mendenhall is preparing to share a lifetime of writing as Urbana’s poet laureate
IPM’s Reginald Hardwick talked with Mendenhall about her family, her gift and she shared one of her poems.
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Rantoul community honors Azaan Lee one year after he was killed by police
RANTOUL — Community members met Wednesday night in Rantoul to commemorate the life of 21-year-old Azaan Lee after he was shot and killed by police one year ago. Rantoul Police Officer Jose Aceves shot and killed Azaan Lee while investigating a stolen car. Aceves resigned just over a month after the shooting, according to documents…
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Champaign County is short 300 nursing home beds. Health officials want input on how to help
National data shows that beds are disappearing while the need for senior care is growing. This problem will only multiply because of the rapid projected growth of U.S. residents ages 65 and older — from 56 million in 2020 to 81 million by 2040.
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Urbana among Midwestern cities to be counted again like it’s 2020
Eleven municipalities in Illinois and Iowa are the only cities in the U.S. so far to have signed agreements with the U.S. Census Bureau to recount their residents in 2024 and 2025 in a repeat of what happened during the 2020 census.
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Kickapoo Rail Trail on track for two-year completion with $11.2 million state grant.
After seven years of construction, less than half of the 24-mile Kickapoo Rail Trail in east-central Illinois has been completed. But now, the project could be finished in the next two years, thanks to a state grant. An $11.2 million grant, awarded through the state’s Rebuild Illinois Capital plan will pay for the completion of the walking and bike path.
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People incarcerated at Champaign County Jail will get two free phone calls a day, starting next year
CHAMPAIGN — The Champaign County Sheriff has selected a new company to offer phone and video calls at the Champaign County Jail. The new company — Consolidated Telecom, Inc. — will offer two free phone calls to each resident per day. The new contract is set to begin on Feb. 15, 2024, according to the Request…
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SNAP benefits may not cover people’s needs during the holidays. Food pantries in C-U are helping
Millions of people in the U.S. rely on monthly benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, to pay for groceries. Recently, the government increased these benefits by 12.5% for the next year to match inflation. But even with the increase, SNAP benefits are not enough to cover what many families need this time of…
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Urbana Police will consider hiring non-police staff for mental health, domestic violence calls
URBANA — The Urbana Police Department hired a national consulting firm this year to evaluate how the department works, including how — and if — officers should handle certain types of calls for service. The firm, BerryDunn, has worked with police departments throughout the U.S. to evaluate their processes and offer recommendations. One consideration is…
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WILL Call: What’s happening in Champaign-Urbana Aug. 31-Sept. 4?
Listen to Kimberly Schofield and Owen Henderson talk about weekend events on IPM News AM 580 and FM 90.9 – Wednesdays at 6:45 and 8:45 a.m., and Thursdays at 5:44 p.m.
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New Urbana police chief ready to address violent crime but says it will take the entire community’s help
Chief Boone has been a law enforcement professional for 33 years and retired as Chief of Police in Norfolk, Virginia before finding his way to Urbana.
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Urbana’s Canaan Baptist Church is designated a local historic landmark.
Canaan Baptist Church in downtown Urbana is now a local Historic Landmark. The city’s Historic Preservation Commission recently granted the designation at the church’s request. Local architect Joseph Royer designed the building, which was built in 1909-1910 as the home of Urbana’s First Christian Church. Canaan Baptist Church moved into the building in 1977. Rev….
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Undergraduate library at the University of Illinois may receive a new name for its new mission
CHAMPAIGN — The Undergraduate Library at the University of Illinois’s Urbana campus was closed in May of 2022. The unique building, with its two main floors located underground, was dedicated in 1969 as a hub for undergraduate resources and study spaces. But last year, University officials announced the library would be closed and the building…
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Illinois lawmakers are requiring honesty from crisis pregnancy centers. Here’s what Urbana activists want to do.
CHAMPAIGN — When the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last summer, Kit Santa Ana, an organizer in Champaign-Urbana, said she was inspired to do something. That started, she said, with making sure local pregnancy centers were being honest with their clients. Pregnancy resource centers offer resources and options to people who are pregnant. But local…
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Parents fuming over planned changes to Urbana elementary school
Move would likely cause school redistricting for many elementary school students URBANA — At a committee meeting of community members and school administrators, the district superintendent unveiled a possible plan to turn Wiley Elementary school into a sixth grade center. This plan didn’t appeal to many community members. Wiley is closing its doors starting this…
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Champaign man gets 40-year sentence for killing teenage boy
A judge sentenced 57-year-old Daryl Vandyke on Wednesday after the Champaign man admitted that he used an ax or other sharp-edged garden tool to kill Steven Butler III, in July 2021.
