Author: Joe Mason

Patients that have recovered from a COVID-19 infection may be able to help treat others and ease the pain of a neighbor in their fight with the disease by generously donating their plasma. The Community Blood Services of Illinois, which is the provider of COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma to hospitals in Champaign County and the surrounding region, collects plasma from county residents who have fully recovered from a COVID-19 infection. Plasma from recovered citizens contain antibodies from the virus that can be transfused to patients who are currently hospitalized with the Coronavirus. Donations must be scheduled at least 28 days after…

Several businesses in Urbana have received COVID-19 relief funding over the past several months. The funding totaled to $1.1 million. The funding was granted in order to help businesses “defray costs of operating a business during the pandemic,” according to a City of Urbana press release. “We’re grateful to be able to distribute over $1 million in COVID-19 relief funds to local businesses. Our community has rallied around these businesses to help maintain their operations and help retain jobs. We continue to ask everyone to wear a mask and respect public health guidelines to help them stay open,” said Mayor…

Another five Champaign County residents have died from COVID-19, the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District announced on Tuesday. It’s the most fatalities in a single day for the county since the pandemic began.  The virus claimed the lives of a woman in her 60s, a woman in her 70s, two men in their 80s and a man in his 90s.  According to CUPHD, 37 county residents have died from COVID-19 to date. Eight of those deaths have come in the last week. On Wednesday, CUPHD reported another 305 cases of COVID-19 in the county, though some were from previous days, administrator…

Food insecurity in America is reaching an all-time high during the COVID-19 pandemic. But large regional differences exist in the severity of the impact. Experts project over 50 million Americans will be food insecure in 2020, including about 17 million children, says Craig Gundersen, ACES distinguished professor in the Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics at the University of Illinois. Gundersen estimated food insecurity using Map the Meal Gap, an interactive model he developed for Feeding America, a nationwide network of more than 200 food banks in the U.S. For the current report, he combined MMG data with projected unemployment…

A plot to allegedly kidnap and execute Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and Senator Kamala Harris was busted by Secret Service and the “would-be killer” was put behind bars after a criminal complaint was filed by the Secret Service on Wednesday, October 21. The man who allegedly planned to commit the hideous crime was identified as James Dale Reed. He approached a house in his hometown Maryland on October 4, 2020, that had Biden Harris campaign signs in the front yard. Reed allegedly left a handwritten note containing graphic threats against Biden, Harris and their supporters. While coming to drop…

A mother has been arrested for allegedly stabbing her son to death after the young man found her with her lover, who was almost of his age. Jose Carlos da Silva Junior from Brazil was allegedly murdered by Lucivania Lopes, who plunged a blade into his chest after the 21-year-old allegedly attacked her toyboy. The incident reportedly happened last Friday, October 16. The Sun reported that the 37-year-old mother was drinking with her 22-year-old lover at her house in the municipality of Mutunopolis, in the Brazilian state of Goias, when Jose found them. Lucivania admitted to killing her son but…

BILLINGS, MONTANA: A 21-year-old mother from Montana has been convicted of negligent homicide in the death of her toddler son’s 2018 hot car death. Ashley Howard was sentenced this week to 20 years in prison according to PEOPLE. On Monday, October 19, just two months after jurors found her responsible for her 2-year-old son’s death, Howard appeared in court for her sentencing, as per court records.  A judge had ruled that Howard would spend the 20 years in jail in the Montana State Women’s Prison in Billings. She has already spent two years in jail and will get credit for the…

A man in Utah who had taken a boy and a woman after breaking a protective order was shot dead by police on early Sunday morning. After six hours of continuous standoff police shot and killed the man. The boy was released several hours ago before the situation ended, said Lt. Jeremy Hansen, Tooele Police. The woman was taken to the hospital, she had serious injuries. Around 3 am, police killed the man “to protect the woman and themselves”, said Police Chief Ron Kirby. Chief said, someone from the family called police around 9 pm, Saturday to report about the…

A woman who had shot herself and was later found dead with two of her children inside a room in their California home. Recently a video was released which shows police shooting at a woman. The footage was of December 16, 2019, when the police took a call of a man who said he was bleeding and didn’t know how. A conversation was released and the dispatcher asked what happened? The man responded “I don’t know, I’m bleeding from “my nose, my mouth”. The man also added that his wife was also bleeding and two children in the room. The…

Thursday: A 18-year-old high school senior man caught red handed and has been imposed for sexual abuse when the incident regarding he sexually assaulting and molesting a 7-year-old Chicago first graded girl through learning Livestream came to light. According to document reports, the man is identified as the 18-year-old namely, Catrell A. Walls who has been imposed with criminal sexual charges and is said to appear for a bond hearing during this Saturday. The 7-year-old who is the victim of the case also told the investigators that the assault wasn’t for the first time. With that, she also said that…

A high schooler in Maryland has been accused of faking his own kidnapping during a Zoom class prompting his teacher to call the police. The 11th grader at Quince Orchard High School in Gaithersburg pulled the elaborate prank on Thursday during his virtual honors history lesson that startled the teacher into horror. Once the teenager turned his camera on, his teacher saw a man in a black ski mask “waving what appeared to be a gun,” said a statement made by the school officials Alarmed at what appeared to be unfolding over the screen, the teacher did what was viable…

A pregnant Texas woman’s body was discovered stuffed in a freezer who was missing for days and in this case, her boyfriend has been apprehended. As per the report, Selena Ann Bradley, who was expecting her third child, was found dead stuffed in the kitchen freezer by officers. They arrested her boyfriend, William James Martinez, 39, on Monday. Police said, Bradley, 23, who had been missing since Friday, was wrapped in a blue tarp in the freezer in her boyfriend’s house. An autopsy is pending , but authorities said that she had bruises on her neck and face consistent with…

A Chicago woman is in custody on Monday after allegedly stabbed her 5-year-old daughter to death. As CrimeOnline previously reported, Serenity Arrington died on Saturday after she was taken to a Chicago hospital with a stab wound or wounds to the throat. Police sources told the Chicago Sun-Tribune that the girl’s mother, 27-year-old Simone Austin, has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder. According to the report, police officers arrived to the scene at West Fulton Boulevard on Saturday morning, sometime after the girl was stabbed at 9:15 a.m., and Austin approached the officers. It is unclear who first called…

You’re never going to want to sit on a toilet again after reading about the terrifying attack made against this woman when she went to the loo. Boonsong Plaikaew, from Thailand, was going about her business on the bog when she felt a searing pain. When she looked down, blood was gushing down her legs and onto her pants which were around her ankles. Instinctively, the 54-year-old reached her hand between her legs to find out why she was in pain and bleeding – only for a 2.1m python to lurch up and bite down on her finger. Boonsong managed…

More than 60 million Americans have cast ballots in the U.S. presidential election with eight days to go, a record-breaking pace that could lead to the highest voter turnout in over a century, according to data from the U.S. Elections Project on Monday. The tally is the latest sign of intense interest in the contest between Republican President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden, as well as voters’ desire to reduce their risk of exposure to COVID-19, which has killed about 225,000 people across the United States. Democrats hold a significant advantage in early voting due to their embrace…

More than four in ten supporters of both President Donald Trump and his Democratic challenger, Joe Biden, said they would not accept the result of the November election if their preferred candidate loses, Reuters/Ipsos poll found. The survey, conducted from Oct. 13-20, shows 43% of Biden supporters would not accept a Trump victory, while 41% of Americans who want to re-elect Trump would not accept a win by Biden. Smaller portions would take action to make their displeasure known: 22% of Biden supporters and 16% of Trump supporters said they would engage in street protests or even violence if their…

Lisa Lewey-Shields is back in the CI Kitchen with Covid-19 comfort food dishes. Here’s more from Lisa: COVID is on it’s second third and fourth blast. Schools are closing, bars and dining are closing, events, meetings, and gatherings are being postponed. More and more things are being done through zoom, google meet, crowdcast, gotomeeting, facebook live or face time. Stay inside, wash your hands, use sanitizer on your hands, in your laundry, on your furniture and vehicles, Stay at least 6 ft apart. BUT …. eat right, drink lots of water, tart cherry juice, and black/green teas and take vitamins…

A woman is facing charges of murder and aggravated battery in connection with the death of her girlfriend’s 3 year old son named Miguel. The woman identified as Te’Lea Jefferson, 23, was arrested Tuesday after police in Tallahassee, Florida received a report of a “suspicious death” from an area hospital. On Tuesday, Jefferson brought the boy to Tallahassee Memorial Hospital around 7 p.m. The boy was unresponsive, had severe trauma to his head and face, and had a body temperature of 88 degrees. He was pronounced dead at 7:04 p.m, when medical staff alerted the police suspecting it to be…

A Minnesota woman is behind bars after police say she intentionally killed her disabled daughter and waited hours to contact authorities. Star Tribune reports that 35-year-old Elise C. Nelson is charged with second-degree intentional murder and second-degree manslaughter, in connection with the death of her 13-year-old daughter, Kylie Larson. According to court documents, Kylie was significantly impaired and wore a pulse oximeter, which is a finger clip device that monitored her oxygen levels and pulse rate. If her oxygen level or pulse dropped too low, a warning alarm sounded off. Doomsday death & deception: Nancy Grace investigates “Cult Mom” Lori Vallow. Inside sources reveal…

A day Greg Allen will never forget. When his 4-year-old whispered “Never forget me, Dad” before his ex-wife Dara Llorens kidnapped her. When life throws you challenges and gives you burdens too heavy to carry alone, your faith and God can see you through. Losing a child or having them taken far away from you is impossible painful, but the belief that they will return someday can keep you from losing hope. This is a test for your spirit and your faith, and if you prevail, God will help reunite you. And the sun will shine again. Estranged after their…