Food
Read more about the article County opposition to placards grows strongerFile Photo
The photo illustration shows examples of health inspection compliance posters required to be prominently displayed in food establishments within the Champaign-Urbana city limits. The posters indicate to the public the results of the latest health inspection. The Champaign County Board again struck down the proposal in a 14-5 vote to expand the mandate throughout the county this week.

County opposition to placards grows stronger

Claire Everett/CU-CitizenAccess.org — The Champaign County Board is continuing its opposition to the mandatory posting of health inspection placards for county food establishments outside the cities of Urbana and Champaign. The most recent vote against mandatory posting was by a much greater margin this week, with 14 members opposing and 5 supporting.

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Read more about the article Complaints about restaurants on the riseChampaign Urbana Public Health Department
Photograph submitted to the Champaign Urbana Public Health Department within a complaint about "a clump of hair attached to another object," found in the bottom of a cup, July 15, 2014.

Complaints about restaurants on the rise

Clumps of hair at the bottom of coffee cups and green slime leaking out of meat sandwiches were among the more extreme examples of complaints filed by customers and restaurant employees against food establishments this year.

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Read more about the article Health inspections temporarily close three restaurantsDarrell Hoemann/C-U Citizen Access
Ichiban Buffett, 105 N. Mattis, Champaign, Illinois on Tuesday, June 2, 2015.

Health inspections temporarily close three restaurants

Claire Everett/CU-CitizenAccess.org — Raw sewage in the kitchen preparation area closed down the Aroma Curry House in Champaign in August for two days. Health inspectors…

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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…

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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 Trial period over – yellow placards could be coming to a restaurant near youContributed/Champaign-Urbana Public Health District
A draft version of a reinspection notice. Public health officials are drafting ordinances that would require food establishments to post a color-coded placard that indicates the results of each health inspection. Yellow means the food establishment failed its health inspection with an adjusted score below 36 and but can remain open pending a reinspection within 30 days.

Trial period over – yellow placards could be coming to a restaurant near you

By Claire Everett/CU-CitizenAccess.org -- Between January and May, 32 restaurants in Champaign-Urbana failed health inspections. Diners still had no easy way of knowing if…

Continue ReadingTrial period over – yellow placards could be coming to a restaurant near you
Read more about the article Former Meals on Wheels recipient finds joy in volunteeringJanelle O'Dea/CU-CitizenAccess.org
Meals on Wheels volunteer Jerry Call makes a delivery on the "Pink Route" in Urbana, Ill., on March 18, 2014.

Former Meals on Wheels recipient finds joy in volunteering

By Janelle O’Dea/ CU-CitizenAccess.org - Meals on Wheels in Champaign-Urbana, Ill., provides hot lunches and sack suppers for a small cost to adult recipients…

Continue ReadingFormer Meals on Wheels recipient finds joy in volunteering