Champaign County | featured news

Michael Akers, 38, pleaded guilty in early April to aggravated criminal sexual abuse, admitting that in August 2011, he made inappropriate sexual contact with a girl under the age of 13 who was in his home.

URBANA — A Broadlands man who admitted he sexually molested a young girl on one occasion eight years ago has been sentenced to four years of probation.

Kaleb McLain, 22, got the new sentence for aggravated discharge of a firearm in a 2017 shooting in Urbana after being convicted in a 2018 Vermilion County weapons case, testing positive for drug and alcohol use, failing to get an assessment for substance abuse and missing appointments with his probation officer.

Rantoul Village Administrator Scott Eisenhauer said event officials are scheduled to tour the site at the National Aviation Center on June 8. He said both sides are almost positive the championship will be moving to Rantoul.

RANTOUL — Morton calls itself the "pumpkin capital of the world." Rantoul might become the pumpkin-launching capital of the world.

Fire Chief Paul Cundiff said firefighters when firefighters arrived at the single-story structure in the 500 block of West Pearl Street about 5 p.m., they found a curtain on fire in a bathroom next to an electrical outlet.

THOMASBORO — Nobody was injured in a late-afternoon fire at a Thomasboro duplex.

Champaign County judge Wednesday sentenced a Rantoul man to six years in prison for his 15th conviction for driving under revocation.

URBANA — A Champaign County judge Wednesday sentenced a Rantoul man to six years in prison for his 15th conviction for driving under revocation.

'He is enamored with firearms and not afraid to use them,' Judge Heidi Ladd said Tuesday after hearing evidence about Devon Miles' alleged involvement in several different crimes where guns were used.

URBANA — A Champaign County judge has ruled that a 17-year-old facing gun-related charges should be tried as an adult since the juvenile justice system has failed to get his attention.

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The prosecution's list in Brendt Christensen's trial includes swabs of several stains in his bedroom; a roll of duct tape; electronics; and records from several websites. The defense's list includes his family history; financial, educational and medical records; his high school yearbook; and job applications.

Judge Tom Difanis said he was impressed by the effort Taylor-Smith has made since police raided her home on West Eureka Street on Nov. 14, 2017, after drugs had allegedly been bought there and found cocaine residue, painkillers, cannabis and guns.

URBANA — A Champaign woman who had a gun in her home when drugs were present in 2017 was sentenced Tuesday to two years in prison.

This outage impacts online court records, plus your ability to pay a fine, plead guilty and file a case online.