Champaign County | featured news

Today is Tuesday, May 21, the 141st day of 2019. There are 224 days left in the year.
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On May 21, 1932, Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean as she landed in Northern Ireland, about 15 hours after leaving Newfoundland.
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The situation came to light in late 2016 when some residents in the Mahomet area began noticing issues with their well water. Since then, Peoples Gas has acknowledged the leak a natural-gas well at Manlove Field, 4,000 feet underground.

By PENNY WEAVER and TIM MITCHELL

'It's a record number of applications,' said Admissions Director Andrew Borst, adding that he's 'confident' that Urbana's new Illinois Commitment free-tuition program was a factor.

URBANA — The actual numbers won't be released until next fall, but applications to the University of Illinois are up more than 10 percent this year, driven in part by interest in a new free-tuition program.

Joseph Mohammad Carter, 31, was charged Monday with being a felon in possession of or using a firearm and driving under the influence of alcohol.

URBANA — A Champaign man faces weapons and DUI charges following his arrest over the weekend in Urbana.

'We had hail damage to cars and buildings throughout the county, but Tilton, Westville and Catlin got hit the hardest,' said Ted Fisher, director of the Vermilion County Emergency Management Agency.

TILTON — When a severe storm swept through Tilton last Thursday afternoon, about a dozen or so employees and customers hunkered down in a back room at Mike's Grill.

The city announced Monday that for the third year in a row — and with the goal of saving $500,000 — it would be continuing to make cutbacks, revenue increases and other changes.

URBANA — Over the past two years, the city of Urbana has been dealing with a problem that it was going to have to deal with eventually.

Kwame Raoul's office said the local bus company still exists as a corporate entity and that owner Dennis Toeppen also has to meet certain obligations during the three-year agreement.

CHAMPAIGN — Suburban Express may have shut down, but the Illinois Attorney General says it still is required to live up to a court-ordered agreement reached last month.

The new capital improvements plan also delays a number of them beyond their optimal schedule, according to the memo prepared for tonight's council discussion.

CHAMPAIGN — Despite more than $418.4 million in proposed spending, Champaign's updated capital improvements plan doesn't address all the needs identified in the planning process, city staff said in a memo to council members.

Chief among the issues are Illinois' large unfunded pension liabilities and the state's low "rainy day" reserves for when the national economy turns sour, the report said.

By GRANT MORGANgmorgan@capitolnewsillinois.com

TUSCOLA — Carle's physician offices in Tuscola closed Monday due to a water-main break.
Patients were being contacted to reschedule their appointments, and those seeking urgent care in that area were redirected to Carle Convenient Care Plus, 2512 Hurst Drive, Mattoon.