
WILL Call: What’s Happening in Central Illinois July 9 – July 12
Win prizes at a night of drag comedy bingo, see a documentary screening about an Illinois-based rock band or try more local events this weekend in Central Illinois.

Win prizes at a night of drag comedy bingo, see a documentary screening about an Illinois-based rock band or try more local events this weekend in Central Illinois.

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.

Learn how to support local pollinators, see a fireworks show at a summer festival and more this weekend in Central Illinois.

The Urbana Park District is asking residents to fill out a survey and participate in focus groups to help guide the creation of their 2027-2031 Strategic Plan.

Celebrate Juneteenth with free, all-ages events, get a taste of local theater, try your hand at beginner level fishing and more in Central Illinois this weekend.

The city is taking feedback from residents on a new design for the main road that included a dedicated lane for left turns and bike lanes.

Juneteenth marks the arrival of U.S. Army troops in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865. The troops told some of the last enslaved Americans that they were free. They were enforcing the Emancipation Proclamation, in which President Abraham Lincoln decreed some enslaved people to be free on January 1, 1863. (NPR) Many central Illinois communities

Cleanup underway in Champaign and Vermilion Counties after storms on June 12, 2026. Photos by Abigail Bottar and Reginald Hardwick, IPM News

The Urbana City Council is expected to take a final vote at a special meeting on July 6.

Someone shot and fatally wounded a 16-year-old in Champaign early Saturday morning.

The new rules prohibit the city from investing in certain companies that profit from war or conflict.

The city released a statement on Wednesday paying tribute to Bishop. She was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in 2016, according to the city.

Reynaldo Camas-Aranda grew up in a house with his uncle, aunt and mother in Cicero. His uncle’s arrest during Operation Midway Blitz has strained the family’s finances.

During a Monday Committee of the Whole meeting, the city considered a developer proposal to build a four-story apartment building on West Main Street just north of Boneyard Creek.