Author: Joe Mason

The City of Urbana is looking to fill a vacated seat on their city council. City officials stated they are looking for applicants for the Ward 2 seat vacated by Alderman Julie Laut, who announced her departure effective October 28. Now, per state law, the mayor has 60 days from the resignation date to recommend an appointment to council. Officials said the appointment will fill the remainder of the term, which ends on May 3, 2021. The mayor will bring a recommendation to the council on December 21. The council must vote on the appointment within 30 days. If you…

By now, anyone could fill a few pages with all of the downsides of the pandemic-plagued year that’s been 2020. “I learned how to use a miter saw and air hammer — who knew these could be so much fun?” says the Champaign CPA, as well as “lay hardwood flooring and redo a deck. “I started to meet virtually with clients and team members across the country who I rarely saw in person before; connected more with my team as we worked together to adapt to working remotely while staying on top of so many changes impacting our clients; and…

After the pandemic, will Eden Park’s lights dim? Eden Park, which Gov. J.B. Pritzker visited this week, sells flat-panel ultraviolet lights, including one that disinfects rooms without harming skin. That’s been quite popular during COVID-19, CEO John Yerger said, but he also expects that to continue, as his customers are looking beyond just this pandemic. “They’re not even necessarily doing it for COVID. They’re doing it because we had SARS-1, we had Ebola,” he said. “Right now, people want to get this in place, they want to do it right, and then they want to have it available in the…

Angsty music, loud bangs, and victorious cheers rang through the South Quad on Oct. 31 as TEDxUIUC hosted a Halloween Car Smash where students could pay to whack an old, broken minivan. The idea behind this started with Jason Han, senior in LAS and Co-President of TEDxUIUC, who wanted to provide students with an opportunity to safely release their aggression and share in a fun experience. “We’re hoping this will bring a more college-like activity feel to students having this COVID-19 experience, especially freshman,” Han said. “Our main objective is to have fun while making sure we’re still safe.” TEDxUIUC provided…

I always like to describe Krannert Art Museum as lab, sanctuary and civic center in equal measure. As a place for cutting-edge research, the museum is a lab in the visual arts, every bit the equal of other laboratories on campus. Our curators forge new ideas, and our collections are meant for research by students, faculty and community. In a world with increasingly few places for collective gathering, we serve as a civic center, a place of convening (both virtual and in person), interrogating urgent questions of today and coming together for discovery and joy. We’re also a sanctuary —…

A man is now facing charges in Illinois for his alleged involvement in multiple kidnappings. Police arrested 27-year-old Felipe De Jesus Guevara Sanchez of New York at approximately 6:40 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 30. He was arrested at a gas station in the 1800 block of North Cunningham Avenue in Urbana.

mployers added 1.4 million jobs in August, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday. Job growth at that level marks a slowdown from earlier this summer: Employers added a revised 1.7 million jobs in July and 4.8 million jobs in June. Every person who can go back to work is a win after the unprecedented economic crisis the Covid-19 pandemic has brought on. However, America is still down 11.5 million jobs from February. The novel coronavirus, COVID-19, may have affected you and your community. At Newsbreak, our mission is to provide you with local resources that can best help you adapt to the circumstances in your…

Rod Perry’s career at South Carolina State was on hold until the spring because of COVID-19. But his coach suggested Perry consider a transfer to a bigger school. The talented defensive lineman had many options before deciding to relocate to Champaign. Though the Illinois defense struggled in the opener, Perry received high marks from his coaches. Beat writer Bob Asmussen chatted with Perry earlier this week. They talked about why he wears No. 96, who calls him by his full name and the importance of voting: What went wrong with the defense against Wisconsin? As a D-line, we’ve got to get more…

A Compassionate Police Department Award is on its way from PETA to the Champaign Police Department after Officer Molly McElwee rescued a 6-week-old kitten from a storm drain—and then adopted him. On October 24, local residents alerted the police department to a crying kitten who’d become trapped in a drain on Town Center Boulevard. When officers arrived on the scene, McElwee climbed into the drain and came back up with the kitten, whom she named Georgie. “Our sergeant ran over to Target to buy some toys, treats, and catnip,” she told PETA. “With those tools, I was able to coax little Georgie into…

Halloween is just around the corner, and public health officials are encouraging everyone to celebrate safely. The biggest advice is the same we’ve been hearing throughout the COVID-19 pandemic: practice social distancing, avoid large gatherings, and wear a mask. But a spooky plastic mask is no substitute for a cloth face covering, when it comes to preventing the spread of the coronavirus. So health officials suggest people get creative — and incorporate a proper face covering into their costumes. Champaign-Urbana Public Health Administrator Julie Pryde says people should only trick-or-treat outdoors — and with members of their own household. “The…

City leaders in Champaign and Urbana are calling on their community to support local restaurants as Region 6 faces resurgence mitigations. The mitigation measures will be implemented starting on Monday for Region 6, which includes Champaign County. Those measures include: No indoor service at bars and restaurants Outdoor service must end by 11 p.m. Reservations will be required at restaurants and bars There will be limited gatherings of 25 people at the most. Leaders are asking their communities to continue to support their local restaurants. They said residents can help by dining outdoors as weather allows; using curbside pick-up and…

Illinois football’s list of players ruled out for Saturday’s game against Purdue topped a dozen. It wasn’t a rash of injuries that swept through the Illini program this week. Those dozen-plus players were held out for the reason that’s now become typical in college football: COVID-19. Starting quarterback Brandon Peters and backup tight end Griffin Moore both tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, Illinois announced about an hour before Saturday’s game. Those positives cases saw double-digit players swept up in a round of contact tracing. “We have a couple positives,” Illinois coach Lovie Smith said the Illini lost 31-24 in…

hese new mitigations are being implemented because as a whole, Region 6 had a 7-day rolling average COVID-19 test positivity rate of more than 8% for three consecutive days. As a result, the State has implemented the following new mitigation measures across Region 6: No indoor service allowed at restaurants or bars. Outdoor service at restaurants and bars must end by 11 p.m. Reservations are required to be served (outdoors) at a restaurant or bar. Gatherings limited to a maximum of 25 people. Other specific mitigation measures have also been implemented which can be reviewed online. Residents will continue to…

When I went vegetarian over a decade ago, I re-discovered Mexican cuisine. As a broke college student, I didn’t know how to cook properly for myself, so my veggie dishes were bland, boring, or just turned into cereal. Going out for tacos became a welcome treat, and even though I think I’ve learned to cook by now, I still find myself choosing Mexican if I’m in charge of picking date night. Luckily, Champaign-Urbana has lots of restaurants with menus that accommodate the growing trend of dietary restrictions. Everyone in my life knows that I love Mexican food. I served at…

Shopping and eating in Champaign-Urbana can be fun and beneficial for all, not to mention the unique gifts and treats you can find for the loved ones in your life Holiday shopping is upon us! Are you ready? We can help. If there is one thing that 2020 has taught us, it is that local businesses are near and dear to our hearts. We hope to help showcase some of the wonderful Champaign-Urbana area small businesses that have great gift ideas and treats for your holiday needs. 1. Check out the listings below and see how you can shop (and…

A man was arrested Friday night after police were alerted to a kidnapping scheme involving at least one adult victim. Felipe De Jesus Guevara Sanchez, 27, of New York, was arrested for aggravated kidnapping and forcible detention. He is being held at the Champaign County Jail. Guevara Sanchez is alleged to have demanded that the parents of their adult son pay a ransom for his release. University of Illinois Police learned Friday afternoon that a meeting to exchange custody of the 25-year-old victim for money was to occur in the early evening at a gas station in the 1800 block…

On Friday, the Illinois Department of Public Health along with Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced new restrictions for Region 6 of the state’s COVID-19 response plan, which includes Champaign County. These restrictions, which take effect on Monday, Nov. 2, include the suspension of indoor service at bars and restaurants, requiring bars and restaurants to end outdoor service by 11:00 p.m., and requiring customers to make reservations beforehand when dining out. The restrictions also limit gatherings to a maximum of 25 people. Schools and polling places are exempt from these new restrictions, and the University does not plan on making any…

Employers added 1.4 million jobs in August, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday. Job growth at that level marks a slowdown from earlier this summer: Employers added a revised 1.7 million jobs in July and 4.8 million jobs in June. Every person who can go back to work is a win after the unprecedented economic crisis the Covid-19 pandemic has brought on. However, America is still down 11.5 million jobs from February. The novel coronavirus, COVID-19, may have affected you and your community. At Newsbreak, our mission is to provide you with local resources that can best help you adapt to the circumstances in your…

 Champaign Rehabilitation Center located on South Mattis Avenue is closed permanently. According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, they closed for good on Sunday, Oct. 25, for financial reasons. Residents moved to other facilities of their choice that were able to fulfill their needs.

HISTORY AND FEATURES This park was acquired in 1924, which is absolutely wild to me, since this sits just off Mattis Avenue and the idea that Champaign was developed in any way out this far west one hundred years ago is mind boggling for some reason. Alas, city planners must have known that the resident neighborhoods moving that way were going to need green space, and someone with the last name Glenn must’ve been hopped up on enough opium to deliver the goods. Hard to say. There is a wonderful playground for kids to run around in, as you’d expect,…