Food
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 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
Read more about the article Outside Chambana, posting placards is voluntary
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 struck down the proposal in an 11-9 vote to expand the mandate throughout the county.

Outside Chambana, posting placards is voluntary

Anyone entering the Culver's on Neil Street in Champaign will immediately see a placard showing the results of the restaurant's most recent food inspection. Drive one mile south to the Burger King in Savoy, and there is no placard displayed.

Continue ReadingOutside Chambana, posting placards is voluntary
Read more about the article First quarter brings two closures, 18 restaurant failuresClaire Everett
Firehaus, located at 708 S. Sixth St., Champaign, in the afternoon on April 25, 2014. Firehaus was closed after failing their restaurant inspection with an adjusted score of -19 on March 19 and reopened March 21 with an adjusted score of 90.

First quarter brings two closures, 18 restaurant failures

One Champaign restaurant was shut down for 37 violations during the first part of the year under the health department’s new placard system. Firehaus's…

Continue ReadingFirst quarter brings two closures, 18 restaurant failures
Read more about the article Yellow placards go missing in first six months of new systemClaire Everett / For CU-CitizenAccess
Empire Chinese Restaurant's satisfactory compliance placard, 410 E. Green St., Champaign, April 25, 2014. The restaurant failed its health inspection on March 25 with an adjusted score of 21 and five critical violations but was allowed to correct enough to earn a green placard.

Yellow placards go missing in first six months of new system

Nearly two dozen restaurants in Champaign-Urbana have failed health inspections during the past three months. But most customers would not know that, despite new requirements that restaurants post results of their inspections.

Continue ReadingYellow placards go missing in first six months of new system