Read more about the article Long waits for appointments at social security district office persist, but recipients report faster service once appointment madeDarrell Hoemann
Champaign Social Security office exterior at 101 S. Country Fair Drive in Champaign on Thursday, April 17, 2025. Photo by Darrell Hoemann/CU-CitizenAccess

Long waits for appointments at social security district office persist, but recipients report faster service once appointment made

Getting an appointment at Champaign’s social security district office continues to take 30 days or more, but some recipients report that once they are…

Continue ReadingLong waits for appointments at social security district office persist, but recipients report faster service once appointment made
Read more about the article Residents hit with higher summer electricity bills that exceeded estimated increases
The Ameren Illinois service zone and the grid operator's zone covers much of the same territory. Source: Ambit Energy Pros (Left), MISO Planning Resource Auction for Planning Year 2025/26 Results (Right) 

Residents hit with higher summer electricity bills that exceeded estimated increases

This past June, Ameren Illinois increased its summer electricity supply rates from 8 cents per kilowatt-hour to 12, projecting bills to increase from 10%…

Continue ReadingResidents hit with higher summer electricity bills that exceeded estimated increases
Read more about the article Gun violence in Holiday Park neighborhood steadily drops in past five yearsSam Rink
A school speed limit sign stands on Maplewood Drive across the street from Kenwood Elementary School in the Holiday Park neighborhood in Champaign, IL on Nov. 5, 2025. Photo by Sam Rink.

Gun violence in Holiday Park neighborhood steadily drops in past five years

Gun violence in the Holiday Park neighborhood in Champaign has decreased significantly in the last five years, according to data from the Champaign Police…

Continue ReadingGun violence in Holiday Park neighborhood steadily drops in past five years
Read more about the article ‘It’s amazing they function at all’: social security recipients and workers brace for cutsDarrell Hoemann
Champaign Social Security office exterior at 101 S. Country Fair Drive in Champaign on Thursday, April 17, 2025. Photo by Darrell Hoemann/CU-CitizenAccess

‘It’s amazing they function at all’: social security recipients and workers brace for cuts

For Kiel Hodges, replacing a lost Social Security card has turned into a five-week ordeal with three office visits.  "I need it to get…

Continue Reading‘It’s amazing they function at all’: social security recipients and workers brace for cuts
Read more about the article Protesters say ‘Hands Off’ federal support, services in response to looming funding cutsJordan Butler
Protestors gathered at West Side Park in Champaign on April 5, 2025. Photo by Jordan Butler.

Protesters say ‘Hands Off’ federal support, services in response to looming funding cuts

“Hands off” was the message shared by hundreds in Champaign calling on the federal government to halt funding cuts to essential services across the…

Continue ReadingProtesters say ‘Hands Off’ federal support, services in response to looming funding cuts
Read more about the article Built on Soul: How Neil St. Blues Became a Cornerstone of Downtown ChampaignRachel Johnson
Gayle Starks and her family run Neil St. Blues at 301 N. Neil St. in downtown Champaign. Photo by Rachel Johnson.

Built on Soul: How Neil St. Blues Became a Cornerstone of Downtown Champaign

A family-run restaurant’s journey through community, culture, and economic resilience. Inside Neil St. Blues, warm golden light reflects off a polished concrete floor and…

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Read more about the article Champaign social security office overflows with residents seeking help with benefits and statusMolly Hughes
Some residents were sitting on the floor on April 2, 2025 at the Champaign Social Security Office at 101 S. Country Fair Dr. Photo by Molly Hughes.

Champaign social security office overflows with residents seeking help with benefits and status

Richard Sexton, a man from Effingham who has been receiving disability benefits, said last week that his Social Security account and his retired wife's…

Continue ReadingChampaign social security office overflows with residents seeking help with benefits and status
Read more about the article Illinois cancer registry to reexamine multiple cases of glioblastoma reported in Piatt CountyDarrell 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

Illinois cancer registry to reexamine multiple cases of glioblastoma reported in Piatt County

The Illinois Department of Public Health has reasserted Piatt County has been added to the list of sites that its cancer registry examines each…

Continue ReadingIllinois cancer registry to reexamine multiple cases of glioblastoma reported in Piatt County
Read more about the article Concerns about brain cancer cases in Piatt County grow, but Illinois public health agency yet to investigateDarrell 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 about brain cancer cases in Piatt County grow, but Illinois public health agency yet to investigate

Lessie Ann Patterson lived in Monticello, Illinois, for 25 years before dying in 2015 from glioblastoma, a rapidly advancing brain cancer with an average…

Continue ReadingConcerns about brain cancer cases in Piatt County grow, but Illinois public health agency yet to investigate
Read more about the article Central Illinois police training for mental health cases questioned, involuntary commitment issues remainDarrell Hoemann
Tisha Bryson at her home in central Illinois on Saturday, June 4, 2022. photo by Darrell Hoemann/C-U Citizen Access

Central Illinois police training for mental health cases questioned, involuntary commitment issues remain

Tisha Bryson has been shackled, hospitalized and shoved to the ground by central Illinois law enforcement officers more times than she can count while…

Continue ReadingCentral Illinois police training for mental health cases questioned, involuntary commitment issues remain