Read more about the article Farming among the country’s deadliest jobsDon McMasters/for The Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting
Firefighters practice placing a rescue tube during grain bin rescue training at the Danville Bunge facility on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2013.

Farming among the country’s deadliest jobs

Farmers, ranchers and other agricultural managers ranked in the top 10 for highest fatality rates by occupation last year.

Additionally, the “agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting” industry category was – again – the country’s deadliest industry, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics findings released on Monday. The findings show that the broad agriculture industry category was nearly seven times deadlier than the typical job.

Continue ReadingFarming among the country’s deadliest jobs
Read more about the article Champaign-Urbana Public Health District makes health inspection reports available onlineScreenshot
The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District now allows site visitors to view restaurant inspection reports online. According to director of environmental health Jim Roberts, this new online feature went live on Monday, September 15, 2014.

Champaign-Urbana Public Health District makes health inspection reports available online

By Emma Weissmann/For CU-CitizenAccess.org -- After five years of trying to get restaurant inspection reports on their Web site, public health officials finally succeeded this month. The site — http://c-uphd.org/foodinspections.html — now delivers a wealth of information on the inspections, including the inspection history and scores for more than 1,000 food establishments. The health department opened the Web site earlier this month, but did not announce it until Thursday.

Continue ReadingChampaign-Urbana Public Health District makes health inspection reports available online
Read more about the article County set to debate whether posting placards will harm restaurantsDarrell Hoemann/CU-CitizenAccess.org
Jim Roberts of the Champaign-Urbana Health District holds up a sample placard as county board members discussed whether restaurants in the county should be required to display inspection placards on August 21, 2014.

County set to debate whether posting placards will harm restaurants

By Claire Everett/CU-CitizenAccess.org -- Whether a restaurant in Champaign County should have to tell customers if it failed its health inspection is still up…

Continue ReadingCounty set to debate whether posting placards will harm restaurants
Read more about the article Government looks to counter SNAP recipient fraudRobert Holly/Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is the country’s largest nutrition-support program, last year serving about 47 million Americans at a cost of about $76 billion.

Government looks to counter SNAP recipient fraud

By Robert Holly/Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting -- Champaign County has seen a 40 percent increase in the number of households on the federal…

Continue ReadingGovernment looks to counter SNAP recipient fraud
Read more about the article Mold in ice machine, flies in drain among dozens of violations in area restaurantsDarrell Hoemann/CU-CitizenAccess.org
Perkins resturant inspection cards on Tuesday, August 19, 2014. photo by Darrell Hoemann/C-U Citizen Access

Mold in ice machine, flies in drain among dozens of violations in area restaurants

By Claire Everett/CU-CitizenAccess.org -- Meat leaking blood into cases of beer, ice machines with mold and flies in drains  were among the critical violations…

Continue ReadingMold in ice machine, flies in drain among dozens of violations in area restaurants
Read more about the article Touring through central Illinois in a Model A Ford is trip down memory laneAlison Marcotte/For CU-CitizenAccess.org
Steve Holt with his1931 Model A Standard Tudor Sedan.

Touring through central Illinois in a Model A Ford is trip down memory lane

Alison Marcotte/For CU-CitizenAccess.org -- In 2012, Steve Holt looked at a 1931 Model A Standard Tudor Sedan that was for sale in Danville, Ill.…

Continue ReadingTouring through central Illinois in a Model A Ford is trip down memory lane
Read more about the article Community Ambassador at Shadow Wood keeps kids engaged throughout the summerDarrell Hoemann/CU-CitizenAccess.org
Giovanna Olea in the community center in Shadowwood community on Thursday, April 17, 2014. photo by Darrell Hoemann/The Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting

Community Ambassador at Shadow Wood keeps kids engaged throughout the summer

By Giovanna Olea/For CU-CitizenAccess.org - 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…

Continue ReadingCommunity Ambassador at Shadow Wood keeps kids engaged throughout the summer
Read more about the article Slices of Life: Jazz Professor Chip McNeill throws himself into his workDarrell Hoemann/The News-Gazette
Chip McNeill plays for the dancers. Traffic Jam: USO Swing Night The Chip McNeill Swingin' Quartet Chip McNeill and his swingin' quartet will rev up the Krannert Center lobby with the jumpin' sounds of the 1940s. The U of I Swing Society will put set the joint jumpin' as the up-tempo high-energy music encourages everyone to dance the night away.

Slices of Life: Jazz Professor Chip McNeill throws himself into his work

By Samantha Kiesel -- Chip McNeill walks down the hall in his black sneakers as jazz music floods the basement of Smith Hall. He…

Continue ReadingSlices of Life: Jazz Professor Chip McNeill throws himself into his work
Read more about the article Safe at Home Part 2: Going it AloneThomas Pompernigg/Flickr Creative Commons
More women are choosing home birth, but in states where home birth midwives operate illegally, some women opt for an unassisted birth at home.

Safe at Home Part 2: Going it Alone

By Christine Herman/For CU-CitizenAccess.org -- When Cheryl Gioja went into labor, her husband Joshua got down on his knees to “catch the baby” in the…

Continue ReadingSafe at Home Part 2: Going it Alone