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Read more about the article Small Business Incentive Program relief grants provides ‘much needed’ financial assistanceDarrell Hoemann
Habitat for Humanity, Champaign Executive Director Chad Hoffmanon in the Restore in Champaign on Friday, December 11, 2020. Photo by Darrell Hoemann/C-U Citizen Access

Small Business Incentive Program relief grants provides ‘much needed’ financial assistance

Forty-eight out of approximately 90 small businesses in Champaign received a total of $520,000 in grants from the Small Business Incentive Program COVID Relief Grants. The money for these grants came from the Federal CARES Act fund. The city council amended the pre-existing Small Business Incentive Program so that the program could be used to distribute this new funding in an efficient and productive way.

Continue ReadingSmall Business Incentive Program relief grants provides ‘much needed’ financial assistance
Read more about the article Champaign Park District sells off annual flowers due to COVID-19Champaign Park District Facebook Page
A photo of flowers posted to Champaign Park District's event for the flower sale this year.

Champaign Park District sells off annual flowers due to COVID-19

The Champaign Park District is well known for their spring and summer planting of beds of flowers across various parks in the Champaign County area. But this year, the district was unable to plant flowers due to staff shortages caused by the financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving the flowers to be sold at flower sales instead.

Continue ReadingChampaign Park District sells off annual flowers due to COVID-19
Read more about the article Garden Hills neighborhood faces dark times, literally and figuratively
The intersection of Mattis Ave. and Paula Dr. in Champaign lacks street lighting most of the way down Paula Dr. in the Garden Hills neighborhood.

Garden Hills neighborhood faces dark times, literally and figuratively

The city’s multi-decade improvement plan for Garden Hills has increased the community residents’ trepidation as they see general deterioration and an abundance of issues piling up while the city’s improvement efforts appear to have slowed. “We’re just not a priority, let’s put it that way,” resident Amy Revilla said.

Continue ReadingGarden Hills neighborhood faces dark times, literally and figuratively
Read more about the article U Of I Data: Undergrads In Greek And Certified Housing Contracted COVID At Higher Rates Than OthersLee V. Gaines/Illinois Newsroom

U Of I Data: Undergrads In Greek And Certified Housing Contracted COVID At Higher Rates Than Others

URBANA – Undergraduate students comprised the vast majority of COVID-19 cases at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign during the fall semester, with the highest infection rates occurring among students living in fraternities, sororities and other private, campus-certified housing.

Continue ReadingU Of I Data: Undergrads In Greek And Certified Housing Contracted COVID At Higher Rates Than Others
Read more about the article Food insecurity projected to soar in eastern Illinois and Champaign CountyEastern Illinois Foodbank
Eastern Illinois Foodbank provides a graphic to explain how food reaches those in need.

Food insecurity projected to soar in eastern Illinois and Champaign County

The nonprofit organization Feeding America has projected Champaign County’s food insecurity rate to increase by 31% by the end of 2020 in comparison to data collected in 2018. Feeding America is a nationwide network of more than 200 food banks that feed more than 46 million people through food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, and other community-based agencies.

Continue ReadingFood insecurity projected to soar in eastern Illinois and Champaign County
Read more about the article COVID-19 hampers food distribution at Eastern Illinois FoodbankNaomi Diaz
Eastern Illinois Foodbank's trucks at its facility in Urbana on North Shore Drive.

COVID-19 hampers food distribution at Eastern Illinois Foodbank

Pre-pandemic, Eastern Illinois Foodbank provided food and grocery products to 100,000 people in 18 different Eastern counties in Illinois. Today, they project the number of those in need to increase by 63,000. The foodbank expects the second wave of COVID-19 will continue to increase the need for “emergency food,” and they are preparing for just that.

Continue ReadingCOVID-19 hampers food distribution at Eastern Illinois Foodbank
Read more about the article Local sanitary district experiences loss of user payments due to coronavirusUrbana-Champaign Sanitary District
An aerial photo of the Sanitary District from its website.

Local sanitary district experiences loss of user payments due to coronavirus

The Urbana-Champaign Sanitary District has been hit with about a $1 million loss in revenue because of unpaid bills resulting from the district’s suspension of its late fees and water discontinuance policies during the coronavirus pandemic.

Continue ReadingLocal sanitary district experiences loss of user payments due to coronavirus
Read more about the article Public health officials say Champaign County is at a “critical juncture” in the pandemicGoogle Street View
The exterior of Carle Foundation Hospital's emergency department in Urbana during October 2019.

Public health officials say Champaign County is at a “critical juncture” in the pandemic

On Monday, Champaign-Urbana Public Health Department Administrator Julie Pryde, joined by officials from Carle Foundation Hospital and OSF HealthCare Heart of Mary Medical Center in Urbana, warned that hospitals are approaching capacity. The officials said that Region 6 — which covers 21 counties in east-central Illinois including Champaign County — has only 29% of its Intensive Care Unit capacity and 29% of its hospital bed capacity remaining as virus cases surged.

Continue ReadingPublic health officials say Champaign County is at a “critical juncture” in the pandemic
Read more about the article University building monitoring for COVID-19 lax after shortfall in hiringVivian La
A vacant building monitor desk in the School of Literatures, Cultures and Linguistics in Urbana.

University building monitoring for COVID-19 lax after shortfall in hiring

To get into University of Illinois buildings, students and employees are supposed to show an app saying that they’ve had a recent, clean COVID-19 test. Nearly one-third of the time, however, there’s no one at the door to check their status.

Continue ReadingUniversity building monitoring for COVID-19 lax after shortfall in hiring