2024 – CU-CitizenAccess.org

Former Sangamon County Sheriff’s deputy Sean Grayson, who is now charged with murder in the fatal shooting of Sonya Massey, was previously discharged from the U.S. Army for serious misconduct — and still hired at six police departments in Central Illinois.

Deputy accused of killing Sonya Massey in Springfield was discharged from Army for serious misconduct

Post author:Farrah Anderson and Sam Stecklow / Invisible Institute and the Investigative Reporting Workshop
Post published:July 25, 2024
Post category:Government Justice

This article was originally published by IPM Newsroom on July 24, 2024. This article was updated with additional reporting about Grayson’s claims to have…

Ricardo Diaz, the most recent chair of the Civilian Police Review Board, stepped down in May. Diaz said local activists were frustrated by the slow pace of reforms and how local ordinances curtail the power of the CPRB to provide more powerful oversight of Urbana police. Photo by Farrah Anderson.

Urbana activists want more police oversight. But local laws hold the civilian review board hostage

Post author:Farrah Anderson and Sam Stecklow, Invisible Institute
Post published:July 17, 2024
Post category:Government Justice

This story was originally published on IPM Newsroom on July 8, 2024. This story is part of a partnership focusing on police misconduct in…

Read more about the article Champaign County jail bookings remain stable while public defender workload triples to keep clients out of jail under SAFE-T Act

Darrell Hoemann

Satellite Jail exterior on Wednesday, December 15, 2021. photo by Darrell Hoemann/C-U Citizen Access

Champaign County jail bookings remain stable while public defender workload triples to keep clients out of jail under SAFE-T Act

Post author:Farrah Anderson / For CU-CitizenAccess
Post published:July 15, 2024
Post category:Government Justice

A recent sweeping state criminal justice reform bill was intended to keep people out of jail if they could not afford bail. But while…

Read more about the article Local police spent over $137,000 on overtime for one day of University of Illinois’ Gaza protests

Farrah Anderson

Dozens of police officers from Champaign, Urbana, Mahomet, and the Champaign County Sheriff’s office joined the University of Illinois Police Department to respond to the encampment demanding the University divest from Israel on Friday, April 26. / Photo by Farrah Anderson

Local police spent over $137,000 on overtime for one day of University of Illinois’ Gaza protests

Post author:Farrah Anderson / For CU-CitizenAccess
Post published:July 9, 2024
Post category:Government Public Funds

Police departments throughout Champaign County paid over $137,000 in overtime costs to officers who responded to one day of protests at the University of…

$Read more about the article State commission fined Campustown bars, liquor stores nearly $15,000 for underage sales in past six years — a fraction of what students have paid$ Google Street View

Joe's Brewery on Google Street View. Screenshot taken on August 23, 2023.

State commission fined Campustown bars, liquor stores nearly $15,000 for underage sales in past six years — a fraction of what students have paid

Post author:Colin Hislope / For CU-CitizenAccess and CU-CitizenAccess.org
Post published:July 8, 2024
Post category:Business Government Public Funds

This past April, a Green Street Pantry employee was charged with selling alcohol to a minor who died of hypothermia the same night with…

Read more about the article Concerns raised in Monticello about number of brain cancer cases; Data being collected from the community

Darrell Hoemann

A view looking north on Independence Street, just south of Marion St. in Monticello, IL on Friday, June 14, 2024. photo by Darrell Hoemann/C-U Citizen Access

Concerns raised in Monticello about number of brain cancer cases; Data being collected from the community

Post author:Gwyn Skiles / For CU-CitizenAccess
Post published:June 18, 2024
Post category:Government Health Care Public Health

This past February at a Monticello City Council meeting, resident Caitlin McClain spoke about her father-in-law who died of brain cancer in 2022. “My…

Photo depicting the aftermath of a fire at 206 S. First St. Photo by Claire Podlesak.

Causes of many fires in Champaign and Urbana go undetermined; Campustown is a hot spot

Post author:Claire Podlesak / For CU-CitizenAccess
Post published:May 24, 2024
Post category:Government Housing Neighborhoods

A cigarette butt flicked out of an open window. A late-night pizza sitting in the oven for too long. A hair curler left on…

The Champaign County Courthouse. Screenshot from Google Street View.

Champaign County suffers chronically high number of domestic violence calls and cases

Post author:Megan Krok / For CU-CitizenAccess
Post published:May 24, 2024
Post category:Government Justice Neighborhoods

In the first two months of this year, there were around 10 calls per day to emergency services regarding domestic violence and disputes in…

Read more about the article University of Illinois campus trying to address safety concerns over e-bikes and e-skateboards; Accidents not being tracked

CU-CitizenAccess

Veo bikes lay in the grass in Campustown near the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

University of Illinois campus trying to address safety concerns over e-bikes and e-skateboards; Accidents not being tracked

Post author:Haley Maser / For CU-CitizenAccess
Post published:May 23, 2024
Post category:Neighborhoods Transportation

Almost two years ago, Illinois State University administrator Adam Peck was hit by a bicycle. Four days later, he died of his injuries. Peck,…

The crosswalk at the intersection of Logan and Walnut streets in downtown Champaign where Patricia Marxmiller was struck by an MTD bus. Screenshot from Google Street View.

More than 250 pedestrian accidents reported in Champaign and Urbana in past six years

Post author:Jordan Butler / For CU-CitizenAccess
Post published:May 21, 2024
Post category:Public Funds Transportation

For Patricia Marxmiller, a simple trip became the defining moment of the rest of her life. In February 2015, Marxmiller returned from her lunch…