2020 – Page 7 – CU-CitizenAccess.org

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.

Champaign Park District revenue declines

Post author:Claire O'Brien / For CU-CitizenAccess
Post published:June 29, 2020
Post category:Public Funds

The Champaign Park District, facing at least $1.8 million in lost revenue, is set to meet July 22 to discuss its budget for the upcoming year. Part of the budget, which includes grants and the park district recently applied for a Rebuild Illinois grant. It is also in the process of applying for an Illinois Emergency Management Agency grant, but Wallace said in a phone interview Thursday that the grant has shifted to being administered federally and so the grant is more limited in scope.

Area hospitals receive millions of dollars in Covid-19 emergency funding

Post author:Samantha Boyle / For CU-CitizenAccess
Post published:June 24, 2020
Post category:CU-Covid19 Health Care

Carle Foundation Hospital has received nearly $18.8 million this month in grant money under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security or CARES Act, according to COVID Stimulus Watch. Meanwhile, Christie Clinic received about $2.4 million in grant money. These grants were awarded through the department’s Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund on June 11, according to COVID Stimulus Watch, which is a service of Good Jobs First, which collects data of financial assistance from federal, state and local government programs. COVID Stimulus Watch, specifically collects and publishes data from CARES Act recipients.

Read more about the article Campus crime decreased after coronavirus, but crime statistics remain varied and ‘confusing’

University of Illinois Blog

The University of Illinois Police Department operates from the Public Safety Building, 1110 W. Springfield Ave., Urbana.

Campus crime decreased after coronavirus, but crime statistics remain varied and ‘confusing’

Post author:Dylan Tiger
Post published:June 24, 2020
Post category:CU-Covid19 Justice

Before University of Illinois students were sent home in mid-March, there were at least 183 crimes in Champaign-Urbana reported directly to university police — mostly underage drinking and theft. After March 21, the total number of crimes reported decreased, with 52 crimes directly reported to university police as of May 31 according to the daily crime log.

Read more about the article Formerly incarcerated man dedicates life to anti-violence work

Jobie Taylor

Jobie Taylor (left) and Patricia Avery (right).

Formerly incarcerated man dedicates life to anti-violence work

Post author:Marissa Plescia / For CU-CitizenAccess
Post published:June 24, 2020
Post category:Community Voices

At the age of 17, Jobie Taylor was just about to graduate high school when he was convicted of first degree murder in the south side of Chicago. Given a sentence of 40 years, of which he served 20, for a crime he claims he didn’t commit, Taylor is now 44 years old and dedicates his life to changing the exact culture he grew up in. He works with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s Education Justice Project, a program that provides higher education at Danville Correctional Center. He’s now a case manager at the Housing Authority in Champaign, where he works with at-risk youth to get their GEDs and find jobs.