New government employee salary guide with searchable databases available!
How bad are the streets of Champaign and Urbana? Pavement data detail poor quality and need for extensive repairs
It’s not rare to find postings on social media sites in Champaign and Urbana about potholes or crumbling roads causing damage to cars — or just general observations about the shoddy shape so many streets are in. In fact, those...
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Central Illinois police training for mental health cases questioned, involuntary commitment issues remain
Tisha Bryson has been shackled, hospitalized and shoved to the ground by central Illinois law enforcement officers more times than she can count while experiencing a mental health crisis. “I try not to hold grudges,” Bryson said, a resident of...
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Security footage across the street from an incident on Saturday, March 5, 2022 at 1:47 a.m. at Red Lion at 211 E Green St in Champaign. A video of the aftermath was uploaded by Harley Coleman: https://youtube.com/watch?v=8g0V2…
Police said no charges were filed, but bar owner Scott Cochrane said there would be more training for bouncers and security.
Business
Downtown for sale: Vacant and derelict buildings wait for new owners and development plans
Abandoned and vacant buildings abound in downtown Champaign after three years of pandemic closures, business failures, downsizing and moves, a street-by-street survey by CU-CitizenAccess conducted per
Abandoned and vacant buildings abound in downtown Champaign after three years of pandemic closures, business failures, downsizing and moves, a street-by-street survey by CU-CitizenAccess conducted periodically over the past 18 months found. Many vacant buildings had businesses that closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, but several empty buildings had been vacant, dirty and in need of […]
Some Champaign landlords limit use of vouchers as income, meaning it’s harder for low-income families to rent; But Urbana landlords accept vouchers
Champaign landlords are reluctant to consider federal housing vouchers as income, prompting many to not accept vouchers — but Urbana’s laws protect tenants from discrimination like that, housing officials said. Families living in Urbana can have their federal housing vouchers for rent counted as a source of income, meaning that it is much easier to […]
Champaign-Urbana businesses varied in reasons to take — or not to take — federal loans
A $3 million forgivable federal loan helped one local agribusiness offset rising costs, while a $100,000 loan allowed another business to simply survive. In total, more than 4,000 businesses received about $337.8 million in federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans throughout Champaign and Urbana. The loans were meant to help businesses keep their workers paid […]
As national labor shortage drags on, local businesses and workers suffer consequences of the “Great Resignation”
Running a business is never easy, but it’s gotten a lot harder during what’s been dubbed the “Great Resignation” – the nationwide pandemic-induced labor shortage.
Locally, many business owners aren’t sure that they’ll ever be able to bounce back.
Latest hospital safety grades released, area hospital withholds data from national survey
One area hospital’s safety grade has declined since the pandemic began, and another withheld quality of care information from the organization.
‘Wolf in sheep’s clothing’: Cannabis workers describe pushback against unionization efforts
Ramy Akram-Ahmed, a wellness advisor at Sunnyside Cannabis Dispensary in Champaign, Illinois, made $17 an hour while the parent company of Sunnyside, Cresco Labs, made $210 million in revenue in just the second quarter of 2021. Illinois and cannabis giants like Cresco Labs are reaping the benefits of the booming cannabis industry, but workers like […]
Out of town business receives millions in PPP relief money from local bank
In April 2020, the federal Small Business Administration (SBA) began to give out loans via the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). By the end of the program, over 4,000 businesses in Champaign-Urbana received forgivable loans, according to SBA data. Among those thousands is a company called 42 Lines. Despite receiving funds in Champaign, the business isn’t headquartered […]
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