Following the takedown of the University of Illinois’s Housing Explorer database, a resource for students seeking housing in Urbana and Champaign, the Off-Campus Community…
Darrell Hoemann
Members of the Historic East Urbana neighborhood association said they are suffering through recurrent odors and potential pollution issues because of the emissions from Emulsicoat, a local asphalt plant. The most recent complaint, filed to the IEPA in early May 2021, stated “the stench in the East Urbana neighborhood was overwhelming” and that people noted physical problems tied to it. The investigation by Michael Haggitt and Mark Schleuter from that same month had limitations from the lack of hard evidence linking the odor to the suspected Emulsicoat source and recommended no further action beyond the community meeting they held a month prior to that in April.
r/UIUC
A university student criticized the University of Illinois Counseling Center in a Reddit thread, describing being turned away in tears during a “serious mental health crisis”, but were turned away because they “already had an appointment six months ago.” The counseling center responds with a commitment to student needs.
Among the most trending topics locals discussed on Facebook and Twitter were the highest rate of COVID-19 vaccination in Illinois, the first UK variant of COVID-19, Pritzker tour, Market Place Mall looter’s guilty plea, mysterious Walmart fight and, of course, the weather.
On January 18, Tier 1 mitigation requirements were announced for all regions with a test positivity rate of 8% or higher for three days or more. Champaign County, however, is in Phase 4 of the Restore Illinois reopening plan, which allows indoor dining at bars and restaurants. So, most of the campus bars opened their doors during the weekend of January 23. That afternoon, two social media users shared on Reddit, Twitter, and Facebook almost the same picture of a crowd of students in the line at the Red Lion bar.
Darrell Hoemann
Teenage cyberbullies across Illinois might want to think twice before posting anything mean or reckless on social media ever again. Illinois public school administrators now have the authority to demand a student’s social media account password if the school suspects the student of violating a disciplinary rule or policy, thanks to a new law implemented earlier this year.