Vivian La
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.
Carle.org
Since March, a total of 80 COVID-19 patients have died in the Carle Health System and 511 have been discharged. Carle shares these trends “to inform our region of the reality we’re facing today,” according to the website. “As the region’s only Level 1 Trauma Center, we continue to meet our community’s healthcare needs whether it’s care for COVID, heart attack, stroke or trauma.”
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s revised calculation of the campus positivity rate of COVID-19 has potentially lowered the rate substantially by reducing the number of reported positive tests. Epidemiologists say the more accurate way to calculate positivity would be to divide unique positive tests by unique total tests, but that information is not always available.
The highest number reported by the state was September 8, which indicated delayed reporting. The county's highest number was 356 cases on Sept. 11. County public health officials said their case numbers lag behind the state and university because they take time to confirm positive cases.
Champaign County Forest Preserve District
The Champaign County Forest Preserve District is a week away from learning if voters will support its plea for an increase in taxes to support catching up on more than $4 million in backlogged capital projects. The referendum proposes an increased tax levy of 0.0160 to 0.1033 percent. The district decided not to increase its tax levy before a tax cap implementation in 1996.
Lack of adequate medical care, whether routine or emergency, at the two Champaign County jail facilities is not only a local issue, but also echoes a national crisis in medical care at county jails.
Since 2016, there have not been reported deaths at the Champaign facilities, but complaints from inmates about poor health care in the jail have continued.
Darrell Hoemann/CU-CitizenAccess.org
Starting July 1, inspections will change.
Darrell Hoemann/CU-CitizenAccess.org
It’s not always easy for a local cemetery to stay alive. Gravesites need to be maintained, bills need to be paid, and revenue relies solely on death. Every active cemetery deals with difficulties, but for a board of less than 10 retirees, maintaining East Lawn Burial Park in Urbana is a grave concern.
Darrell Hoemann/CU-CitizenAccess.org
With a U.S. Department of Justice-imposed deadline approaching, Champaign County officials have increasing pressure on them to either renovate or close the 37-year-old jail in downtown Urbana.
Darrell Hoemann/CU-CitizenAccess.org
In our “Uncharted Waters” series, The Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting took at look at what’s behind the recent spike in irrigation, the lack of regulations around groundwater and stalled water supply planning efforts and the impact this will have on Illinois in the future.