July 2020 – CU-CitizenAccess.org

The proposed Cronus site on the north side of the highway on March 21, 2016.

Six years and Tuscola residents still waiting on Cronus fertilizer plant

Post author:Claire O'Brien / For CU-CitizenAccess, Therese Pokorney / For CU-CitizenAccess and Reily Sharpe / For CU-CitizenAccess
Post published:July 28, 2020
Post category:Agriculture Jobs

In 2014, in the midst of a gubernatorial election, the construction of a $1.4 billion fertilizer plant in Tuscola was announced with much fanfare and the promise of state subsidies. Eight years later, no piece of dirt has been overturned since former Gov. Quinn poked a shovel into an open field in a symbolic groundbreaking. Now Tuscola officials say the outbreak of coronavirus will add to the long delays.

Read more about the article Champaign County jail bookings show racial disparity over eight years

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.

Champaign County jail bookings show racial disparity over eight years

Post author:Peyton Wesner / For CU-CitizenAccess
Post published:July 22, 2020
Post category:Justice

Black persons were booked at the Champaign County jail at least one and half times more than white persons over an eight-year period, according to a review of jail data by CU-CitizenAccess.org. The jail system has been criticized for shortcomings in health care and infrastructure over the past decade. The latest plan to consolidate the two facilities, estimated to cost between $42 and $52 million and is still being discussed by the county board. There were a total of 49,535 jail bookings from January 1, 2012 to March 11, 2020 – specific bookings, not individual persons booked.

Read more about the article Reports on “recovered” COVID-19 cases inconsistent and incomplete; Numbers elusive and may mislead on real medical impact of virus

Dylan Tiger

A Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting review of state health data found four primary categories of definitions for "recovered" COVID-19 patients. See below for an interactive version.

Reports on “recovered” COVID-19 cases inconsistent and incomplete; Numbers elusive and may mislead on real medical impact of virus

Post author:Dylan Tiger, Isaiah Baba / For CU-CitizenAccess, Daria Makhneva / For CU-CitizenAccess and Samantha Boyle / For CU-CitizenAccess
Post published:July 10, 2020
Post category:CU-Covid19 Government Public Health

As Covid-19 surges again in the U.S., the high percentage of "recovered" cases might be cited as a sign that a vast majority of those infected quickly rid themselves of the virus. But the “recovered” statistics are incomplete, inconsistent and call into question the accuracy of any total number of recovered cases, according to a review of 50 state public health sites by CU-CitizenAccess.org.

Champaign-Urbana Public Health District

COVID-19 testing data shows high recovery rate, weekly increase in testing

Post author:Isaiah Baba / For CU-CitizenAccess
Post published:July 9, 2020
Post category:Public Health

By the end of June Champaign County had conducted more than 33,000 COVID-19 tests, according to data from the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District. A review of the data saw the number of daily tests increasing dramatically while showing that Champaign County has had a relatively low positive rate (2.5%) with 723 cases out of 29508 tests (May to June). It also showed a high “recovered” rate, but the term “recovered’ can be misleading. In Illinois, the definition of recovered means that an infected person has not died within 42 days of being diagnosed. The rate was 93 percent (May to June).

Champaign-Urbana Public Health District

C-U Health District focusing on prevention efforts, contact tracing in Phase Four

Post author:Samantha Boyle / For CU-CitizenAccess
Post published:July 8, 2020
Post category:Public Health

Julie Pryde, administrator for the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District, said the state will continue in Phase Four now until the pandemic ends, meaning masks and six-feet social distancing are still recommended and required in public spaces. The health district is in the process of hiring more contact tracers, for example. About 30 contact tracers work there now to track the persons with whom an infected person has had potential contact with.

Read more about the article Temporary worker at Rantoul meat processing plant tests positive for Covid-19

Pam Dempsey, Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting

Medical staff prepare to test workers for Covid-19 at Rantoul Foods on Friday, May 8, 2020, as part of a two-day mass testing event. The meat processing plant had 55 confirmed cases as of Friday.

Temporary worker at Rantoul meat processing plant tests positive for Covid-19

Post author:Pam G. Dempsey
Post published:July 3, 2020
Post category:CU-Covid19

After 26 days of no new reported cases, a Rantoul Foods worker has tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

Small Business Administration announces grants for civil unrest damages

Post author:Claire O'Brien / For CU-CitizenAccess
Post published:July 2, 2020
Post category:Government Public Funds

Champaign County businesses that suffered damage from looting may eventually be included in funding from the Small Business Administration (SBA), a spokesperson said last week. John Dwyer of the Champaign County Emergency Management Agency, said in a phone call that over 50 businesses were affected by looting. The SBA announced in an email on June 26 it would be providing grants to Illinois businesses affected by civil unrest between May 26 and June 8.

Citizen's Utility Board - Illinois

Citizens Utility Board issues scam warning

Post author:Claire O'Brien / For CU-CitizenAccess
Post published:July 2, 2020
Post category:Housing

The Illinois Citizens Utility Board has warned of several scams that take advantage of utility consumers. Among the scams the board noted in a June 30 email to consumers was a maintenance plan, where water companies offer a protection plan to people that is often expensive and frequently goes unused. The board was created by state law in 1984 to advocate for Illinoisans in dealing with utility companies, and its website said it has saved the state’s residents $20 billion by stopping rate increases. The group is not affiliated with a political party, but was created by an Illinois law.

Champaign-Urbana Public Health District

Champaign-Urbana Public Health District warns of foodborne outbreak

Post author:Dylan Tiger
Post published:July 1, 2020
Post category:Public Health

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) notified the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD) of a "multi-state outbreak" of an intestinal illness known as cyclosporiasis. According to the press release, it is believed that the outbreak to be linked to packaged garden salad, and there are six cases of the illness in Champaign County as of July 1. Fresh Express issued a recall for the products on June 27, 2020. The recalled food products were made in a production facility in Streamwood, Illinois. This factory was also linked to over 500 cases in 2018, and infections were traced to McDonald's restaurants in several states.