Chaundra Bishop, who represented northeast Urbana on the city council, said she is stepping down to to put more focus on her health. The city is expected to take applications from residents hoping to complete her term.
Urbana Mayor DeShawn Williams appointed Verdell Jones III to fill a vacancy in Ward 4. Jones is a firefighter in Champaign and leads a nonprofit that uses sports to mentor young people.
Tal Prendergast has served the Urbana Fire Department for 17 years and the Danville Fire Department for five years.
Zachery Mikalik has been with the Urbana Police Department for nearly 18 years,.
The document aims to outline the community’s vision for growth and redevelopment over the next two decades.
Williams will be sworn in on May 3. IPM’s Kimberly Schofield asked him what it means for him to be Urbana’s first Black mayor, how he hopes to bring the city together and why he plans to spend a lot of time with youth.
Marlin said she hopes the city’s next mayor will “make decisions based on what is best for the community as a whole.”
Urbana voters put DeShawn Williams on the path to becoming the city’s next mayor. Residents also reelected all incumbents currently serving on the City Council.
In today’s deep dive, we’ll learn what’s on the ballot and who’s running for city council in Urbana’s upcoming election.
Ahead of Urbana’s Feb. 25 primary election, candidates for mayor and City Council presented to a full house at a forum held in the Urbana City Council chambers.
Officials in Urbana have tabled an ordinance that would require the city’s police department to seek approval before purchasing and using surveillance technology, including license plate readers, facial recognition software, drones, social media analytics software, mobile X-Rays and tools used to gain access to a mobile device.
Urbana officials are taking steps that could bring a grocery store to the city’s north end. On Monday night, the City Council pledged to allocate $800,000 to tackle a food desert in Ward 3. The money is meant to support an application for the Illinois Grocery Initiative, a program that could provide up to $2.4
This story is part of a partnership focusing on police misconduct in Champaign County between the Champaign-Urbana Civic Police Data Project of Invisible Institute, a Chicago-based nonprofit public accountability journalism organization, and IPM News, which provides news about Illinois & in-depth reporting on Agriculture, Education, the Environment, Health, and Politics, powered by Illinois Public Media.
The Urbana City Council is expected to review three proposed ward boundary maps at its June 3rd Committee of the Whole meeting. Meanwhile, the proposed maps are posted at the city’s website for public review and comment. A link on the website’s front page takes users to information on ward redistricting. The map that wins council approval will replace Urbana’s current ward map.
URBANA — Urbana Police Chief Larry Boone asked the Urbana City Council Monday night to amend the budget to hire four additional police officers. The Council deferred the decision until a national consulting firm hired by the department releases a report with staffing recommendations. Boone requested $569,198 to fund four new positions, including a Deputy