urbana – Page 10 – CU-CitizenAccess.org

Urbana City Building from Google Maps.

Pay gap between Champaign and Urbana employees actually widening, new data reveals

Post author:Owen Henderson / For CU-CitizenAccess and Dylan Tiger
Post published:September 27, 2021
Post category:Government Jobs Public Funds

Recently released data on employee salaries of the City of Champaign and City of Urbana show that Urbana pays substantially less than Champaign and that the pay gap between the two cities has actually increased over the past two fiscal years, according a CU-CitizenAccess review. When the data for employees receiving under $75,000 a year is included, the number of employees increases to 315, more than double the 145 employees included in the compensation report the City of Urbana publishes.

Read more about the article Ebertfest prices increased up to 50% prior to postponing due to COVID-19

Danielle Sheppard

Virginia Theatre, 203 W. Park Ave., Champaign, Illinois

Ebertfest prices increased up to 50% prior to postponing due to COVID-19

Post author:Claire O'Brien / For CU-CitizenAccess
Post published:September 20, 2021
Post category:Business CU-Covid19

Prices for Ebertfest tickets soared this year with passes increasing between 35% and 50% from 2020 to 2021, depending on the type of pass. The annual film festival started by the late film critic Roger Ebert in Champaign-Urbana in 1999, was scheduled for September 8 to 11 at the Virginia Theatre in Champaign, but was delayed again because of concerns about COVID-19 pandemic. The festival had previously been called off in the spring of 2020 due similar concerns about COVID-19, but returned this fall with the price increases.

Read more about the article Champaign and Urbana police struggle to diversify

Darrell Hoemann

Looking south to the Champaign Police Department Building on First Street. Photo by Darrell Hoemann/CU-CitizenAccess

Champaign and Urbana police struggle to diversify

Post author:Claire O'Brien / For CU-CitizenAccess and Dylan Tiger
Post published:July 14, 2021
Post category:Government Justice

In 2014, the police staff in Champaign was 88% white and Urbana’s police staff was 84% white, CU-CitizenAccess reported at that time. Almost seven years later, those numbers are virtually unchanged, despite pledges by both cities to diversify their police forces.

Read more about the article Illinois flu activity plunges amid pandemic

Illinois Department of Public Health

Source: Illinois Department of Public Health

Illinois flu activity plunges amid pandemic

Post author:Luis Velazquez / For CU-CitizenAccess
Post published:May 10, 2021
Post category:CU-Covid19 Public Health

Influenza-like illness (ILI) activity has decreased compared to previous years in Illinois. The highest ILI rate was in mid-February of 2020 at 7.4%. That is a 93.2% decrease to 0.5% of ILI activity in February of 2021 compared to 2020.

Source: Small Business Association

Illinois Small Business Association releases Restaurant Revitalization Fund information

Post author:Claire O'Brien / For CU-CitizenAccess
Post published:May 3, 2021
Post category:Business CU-Covid19

The U.S. Small Business Administration has announced details about the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, a program established under the American Rescue Plan Act Congress passed…

Trash lines the bus stop next to Walmart on North Prospect Ave. in Champaign on April 5, 2021. Photo by Dylan Tiger.

Champaign residents seek litter solutions after delayed city cleanup efforts, untracked complaints

Post author:Daria Makhneva / For CU-CitizenAccess and Dylan Tiger
Post published:April 9, 2021
Post category:CU-Covid19 Environment Neighborhoods

Champaign residents erupted on social media in early March about the excess litter in the Champaign area, especially North Prospect, with some claiming they have never seen the city so polluted before. In late spring this year, resident Michael Chrasta expects “a revival” of the Loving Our City cleanup initiative that was cancelled in March 2020 as COVID-19 entered the community.

Farm acreage at the 1831 2500N, Thomasboro, IL belonging to Baloo Enterprises LLC on Saturday, March 13, 2021. photo by Darrell Hoemann/C-U Citizen Access

Illinois billionaire Shahid Khan investing in thousands of acres of the state’s farmland

Post author:Marissa Plescia / Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting and Dylan Tiger
Post published:April 1, 2021
Post category:Agriculture

In recent years, Urbana billionaire Shahid Khan has added to investments by quietly purchasing farmland through a company he owns called Baloo Enterprises LLC. A spokesperson for Khan confirmed earlier this month that Khan has purchased roughly 24,000 acres of farmland in central Illinois.

Yidong "Ivor" Chen. Source: Change.org

University student readmitted after public outcry against “unfair” COVID disciplinary policy

Post author:Daria Makhneva / For CU-CitizenAccess
Post published:February 24, 2021
Post category:CU-Covid19 Education

A fourth-year international Ph.D. student who was dismissed from the University of Illinois for COVID non-compliance in the fall 2020 semester has been readmitted after public outcry. Now, he has proposed solutions to create a more “transparent and humane” policy.

Restaurants, religious organizations among top local industries that received PPP loans

Post author:Claire O'Brien / For CU-CitizenAccess and Dylan Tiger
Post published:February 8, 2021
Post category:Business CU-Covid19 Public Funds

The Small Business Administration released more data about businesses who received Paycheck Protection Program loans under $150,000. Previously, the SBA did not release business names for businesses that received loans under $150,000.