April 2014 – CU-CitizenAccess.org

Regina Ramsey and her family, Shawtel Harris, 18, Makhii Jones, 5 and T'Aire Jones, 8 at 1107 West Hill Street, Urbana, where Habitat will begin construction of their new home in a a few weeks. They were at the site on Wednesday, April 23, 2014. photo by Darrell Hoemann/C-U Citizen Access

Gov’t Watch: City of Urbana program works to fund housing opportunities

Post author:CU-CitizenAccess.org
Post published:April 24, 2014
Post category:Article Housing

Lyanne Alfaro/For CU-CitizenAccess.org -- Two more low-income Champaign-Urbana families will soon each have new homes. The new housing is a result of one of…

Read more about the article Unmet Needs: Living with mental illness in central Illinois

Bradley Gordon/Flickr Creative Commons

A hospital hallway

Unmet Needs: Living with mental illness in central Illinois

Post author:CU-CitizenAccess.org
Post published:April 22, 2014
Post category:Article Health Care Public Health

Illinois Public Media's “Unmet Needs: Living with mental illness in central Illinois” explores the causes of the gaps in care and looks at some of…

Read more about the article Gov’t Watch: Urbana entices new business with incentives

Darrell Hoemann

Milea Hayes and Lauren Young, co-owners of Bohemia in downtown Urbana on Thursday, April 10, 2014.

Gov’t Watch: Urbana entices new business with incentives

Post author:CU-CitizenAccess.org
Post published:April 14, 2014
Post category:Public Funds

After owning multiple shops in California, Laura Young moved to the Champaign-Urbana area where she met Milea Hayes. Also a store owner, Hayes found…

Read more about the article Shadow Wood computer lab offers more than just tech classes

Giovanna Olea/Community Ambassador

Artwork produced by children at the Shadow Wood Mobile Home Park computer lab

Shadow Wood computer lab offers more than just tech classes

Post author:CU-CitizenAccess.org
Post published:April 14, 2014
Post category:Blog

Giovanna Olea works for CU-CitizenAccess.org as a community ambassador in a computer lab at Shadow Wood Mobile Home Park. CU-CitizenAccess.org has opened and operated…

A. H. Gorton

Wanted: Your favorite social media place

Post author:CU-CitizenAccess.org
Post published:April 9, 2014
Post category:Article Education

CHAMPAIGN – Nearly 70 percent of U.S. residents over the age of 12 are using social media, according to this recent analysis. Overall, Twitter…

Read more about the article CU-CitizenAccess.org reporter wins creative writing award

Darrell Hoemann/CU-CitizenAccess.org

Midwest/CUCA staff on Monday, January 27, 2014.

CU-CitizenAccess.org reporter wins creative writing award

Post author:CU-CitizenAccess.org
Post published:April 8, 2014
Post category:Article

CU-CitizenAccess.org contributor and University of Illinois alumnus Robert Holly recently won a creative writing award for his in-depth coverage of a congregation in Bristol…

Read more about the article Road to Rantoul: Migrant workers journey to central Illinois

Photo by Darrell Hoemann

The Nightingale Camp in Rantoul, Ill., is licensed by the state to house more than 400 migrant workers. The workers come north from places such as Mexico and Texas to detassel corn.

Road to Rantoul: Migrant workers journey to central Illinois

Post author:Robert Holly / For CU-CitizenAccess
Post published:April 6, 2014
Post category:Immigration

Each summer, hundreds of seasonal workers leave their homes in Texas and Mexico and travel more than 1,000 miles north to work in the corn fields of central Illinois. Many of those hundreds make their way to Rantoul, a village of about 13,000 people in Champaign County and the summer home of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign football team's training sessions. As the sessions get underway in mid-August, the hundreds of migrant workers wrap up the first wave of agriculture work in nearby corn fields.

Read more about the article Gov’t Watch: Rough winter tough on area roadways and city budgets

Darrell Hoemann/CU-CitizenAccess.org

City of Champaign public works employee Chad Haney fills a pothole on Mattis Avenue in Champaign on Tuesday, April 1, 2014. photo by Darrell Hoemann/CU Citizen's Access

Gov’t Watch: Rough winter tough on area roadways and city budgets

Post author:CU-CitizenAccess.org
Post published:April 4, 2014
Post category:Article Public Funds

Sari Lesk/For CU-CitizenAccess.org -- After about twice the average snowfall hit Central Illinois this winter, local government bodies are increasing their budgets to address needs…

Read more about the article Gov’t Watch: Lack of pre-trial release program halts progress at county jails

Darrell Hoemann/CU-CitizenAccess.org

A common area between pods at the Champaign County satellite jail in east Urbana on March 11, 2013.

Gov’t Watch: Lack of pre-trial release program halts progress at county jails

Post author:CU-CitizenAccess.org
Post published:April 2, 2014
Post category:Article Justice

By Klaudia Dukala/For CU-CitizenAccess.org -- When consultant Alan Kalmanoff was conducting his assessment on the Champaign County jails, he noticed inmates with mental health problems…

Read more about the article Gov’t Watch: Despite studies and proposals, county jails see little improvements

Darrell Hoemann/The News-Gazette

One of the pods. Photos at the Champaign County satellite jail jail in east Urbana on Monday, March 11, 2013. File photo.

Gov’t Watch: Despite studies and proposals, county jails see little improvements

Post author:CU-CitizenAccess.org
Post published:April 1, 2014
Post category:Article Justice

After more than 10 years of debate and studies of the defects of the downtown Champaign County jail, county officials still have no clear plan to replace it.