Read more about the article Veterans Assistance Commission can’t meet demand for help
File photo. The hands of veterans as they wait outside the meeting room for the Veteran's Assistance program on the first Monday of the month at Brookens Champaign County Building on Monday, November 3, 2014. Photo by Darrell Hoemann/C-U Citizen Access

Veterans Assistance Commission can’t meet demand for help

Due to a tight budget, Champaign County Veterans Assistance Commission has had to turn away 138 veterans so far this year requesting financial help. Last year they turned away 151 veterans.  The organization  receives funding from Champaign County. They provide temporary financial assistance to veterans, including helping with mortgage or rent payments, utility payments, and food and family essentials. As of this fall, they’ve spent about $69,750 of the budget, Superintendent Brad Gould said. There are over 9,000 veterans in Champaign County , according to the latest figure from U.S. Census Bureau. The low budget has been a problem for several years. In 2014, the commission had to turn away 177 veterans. According to the commission annual report, 52 percent of the budget goes towards helping veterans with their rent, 6 percent towards helping with mortgage and 42 percent goes towards helping with utilities.

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Read more about the article UI system repeatedly denies Daily Illini FOIA requests
Bercham Kamber/The Daily Illini.

UI system repeatedly denies Daily Illini FOIA requests

Amid allegations of sexual misconduct on campus, The Daily Illini has filed six requests for documents relating to sexual misconduct claims. All six requests have been denied, even when they were only for an aggregate number of complaints.

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Read more about the article Health inspectors fail 10 food spots, close six since May
KFC & A&W, 1321 N Dunlap Ave., Champaign The health department closed the restaurant Aug. 22 due to “gross unsanitary conditions” during its routine inspection. No details were provided in the report. On Thursday, November 29, 2018. photo by Darrell Hoemann/C-U Citizen Access

Health inspectors fail 10 food spots, close six since May

From May 1 to Oct. 31, 2018 public health officials temporarily closed or failed 16 restaurants, eateries and cafes, according to a review of inspection records from the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District. Inspectors failed eight restaurants between Jan. 1, 2018 and April 30, 2018.

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Read more about the article Report shows toxic contamination at coal ash sites throughout IllinoisJack Brighton/Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting
Andrew Rehn of the Prairie Rivers Network presents the report "Cap and Run: Toxic Coal Ash Left Behind by Big Polluters Threatens Illinois Water" in a packed room at the Illinois state capitol building in Springfield.

Report shows toxic contamination at coal ash sites throughout Illinois

A new report published by several state environmental groups shows severe pollution of groundwater at nearly every known coal ash storage site in Illinois.

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Read more about the article Public comments now open on Dynegy plan to stabilize the Middle Fork River near coal ash ponds
Dynegy proposes to build wall of rock for more than a third of a mile along the Middle Fork River to stop riverbank erosion near two of the company’s coal ash ponds near Oakwood, Illinois. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is seeking public comment on the proposal until December 28. (SCI Engineering/from open records request)

Public comments now open on Dynegy plan to stabilize the Middle Fork River near coal ash ponds

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is seeking comment on a proposal by Dynegy Midwest, LLC to install a rock wall to prevent millions of gallons of coal ash from polluting the Middle Fork River in Vermilion County.

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Read more about the article Longtime Illinois representative campaign expenditures low
Rep. Danny Davis (D-7th IL)

Longtime Illinois representative campaign expenditures low

U.S. Congressman Danny Davis, Democrat, of District 7 has occupied his seat in the House of Representatives for over 20 years.  Davis was re-elected to his seat on earlier this month – defeating his opponent Republican Craig Cameron by more than 80 percent of the votes. And each year, Davis has one of the lowest campaign spending and contribution amounts of the Illinois representatives, spending anywhere from $300,000 to $600,000 and raising as little as $200,000 and as much as $600,000.

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Read more about the article Illinois campaign spending not always transparent
Brad Schneider

Illinois campaign spending not always transparent

Congressman Brad Schneider (D-IL 10th District) was one of the top campaign spenders among Illinois candidates running for the U.S. House of Representatives in 2016. For the competitive race in District 10, he reported expenditures of about $5.6 million in the 2015-2016 election cycle. But for this year’s race, he only spent $1.5 million so far, according to federal election records.

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Read more about the article Rep. Bobby Rush’s family continues to benefit from campaign dollarsRush.house.gov
U.S. Congressman Bobby L. Rush (1st District of Illinois)

Rep. Bobby Rush’s family continues to benefit from campaign dollars

A 2018 report from the House Committee on Ethics shows Democratic Representative Bobby Rush is still utilizing the federal campaign finance system to benefit his family despite following a 2016 questioning by the Federal Election Committee. In 2016, the Federal Election Commission inquired into Rush’s campaign finance report due to vague categories of expenditures. Additionally, watchdog groups have questioned the large amounts of campaign money going to Rush’s family members.

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