Category Archives: Champaign County

Invest in Humanity, Not Handguns: Reject the Public Safety Sales Tax

Posted on 10/18/2024 by Grant Chassy

 Champaign County government placed a question on this November’s general election ballot requesting a tax increase. The so-called public safety sales tax, a proposal that would double the current 0.25-percent sales tax levied on purchases in the county, would generate … Continue reading →

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Reform Champaign County Animal Control Policies to Treat Pets and Other Animals Humanely

Posted on 07/29/2024 by Grant Chassy

Like so many others in Champaign-Urbana, I’m a proud dog parent. We adopted our first dog in early 2023. He’s a former stray, and based on his timid behavior at the time we adopted him, veterinarians suspect he was abused … Continue reading →

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A Road Map for Repairing the Harm: The History of Racially Restrictive Covenants

Posted on 04/01/2024 by Aaron Ammons and Grant Chassy

Can you imagine, as a resident of Champaign County, being told you aren’t allowed to live in a neighborhood because you’re Black? By today’s standards, such blatant racism would be met with disgust and rejection—at least by the majority of … Continue reading →

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Posted in African American history, African Americans, Champaign County, Housing, Justice, racial segregation in Champaign/Urbana, Racism | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on A Road Map for Repairing the Harm: The History of Racially Restrictive Covenants

Code Blue: Suffering through DWB in Rantoul

Posted on 08/27/2023 by Kevin Williams

This essay, submitted to the Rantoul Press in 2009, was never published. The author shares it now to give context to community concerns with policing in Rantoul in the wake of recent police shootings of young Black men. “You were … Continue reading →

 1,427 total views

Posted in African Americans, African Americans, Champaign County, Justice, Police, police accountability, Police Brutality, Police brutality, Policing, Racism, Section, Voices | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Code Blue: Suffering through DWB in Rantoul

Take Action to Keep Champaign County from Losing Another Nursing Home!

Posted on 11/04/2022 by Champaign Country Health Care Consumers

Champaign County residents are about to lose another nursing home. But we can stop this from happening, if we work together! The Rothners, who are the current owners of the former Champaign County Nursing Home, which they bought in 2018, … Continue reading →

 636 total views

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Champaign Can End its Housing Discrimination

Posted on 09/18/2022 by Housing Working Group of the Champaign-Urbana Democratic Soc

As previously reported in the Public i, housing discrimination in Champaign is a chronic issue. Following on the “tough on crime era,” since 1994 Champaign has allowed landlords to reject tenant lease applications based on their conviction record—in excess of … Continue reading →

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Fines, Fees, and Escalating Bail Bonds: Champaign County Urgently Needs to Implement the Pretrial Fairness Act

Posted on 03/31/2022 by Chelsea Birchmier and Phillip Ernstmeyer

The Champaign County Bailout Coalition (CCBC) is a grassroots organization that uses community donations to pay low bail amounts for incarcerated individuals who don’t have access to financial resources in their moment of crisis. Founded in 2018, CCBC now pays … Continue reading →

 1,271 total views

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Countering Violence in Champaign-Urbana

Posted on 02/10/2022 by James Kilgore

The uptick in murders in 2021 represents a national crisis. In 2020, the FBI counted 21,750 homicides in the US, a 30 percent increase over 2019 and the largest percentage increase since 9/11. The total number of murders rose slightly … Continue reading →

 1,265 total views

Posted in African Americans, Champaign County, Gun violence, racial segregation in Champaign/Urbana, Youth Services | Comments Off on Countering Violence in Champaign-Urbana

Ending Gun Violence Requires Long-Term Investments in People and Communities

Posted on 02/10/2022 by Helen A. Neville and Nickholas Grant

Quansay L. Markham (17 years old), Jonathon McPherson (17), Jadeen Moore (19), Acarrie Ingram-Triner (19), and Jordan Atwater-Lewis (17) are among the people who were shot and killed in Champaign-Urbana in 2021. Are there things we could have done as … Continue reading →

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Posted in African Americans, African Americans, Champaign County, Gun violence, Voices, Youth Services | Comments Off on Ending Gun Violence Requires Long-Term Investments in People and Communities

Taking the Band-Aid Off of Mass Incarceration

Posted on 02/10/2022 by Brian Dolinar

On a bad day, those of us seeking justice can find little to be hopeful about. The recent acquittal of Kyle Rittenhouse again reminds us that the law is designed to protect white lives. Even after widespread protests and demonstrations … Continue reading →

 1,165 total views,  1 views today

Posted in African American, BLM, Champaign County, incarceration, Justice, Police brutality, Policing, Section, State Government | Comments Off on Taking the Band-Aid Off of Mass Incarceration

Urbana’s Long Search for Traffic-Stop Equity

Posted on 02/10/2022 by Durl Kruse

In 2004 the State of Illinois required all law enforcement agencies to report their annual traffic stop data to the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT). The Urbana Police Department’s (UPD) data shows they have enforced traffic laws inequitably every year … Continue reading →

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Posted in African Americans, Champaign County, Justice, Police, Policing, Racism | Comments Off on Urbana’s Long Search for Traffic-Stop Equity

The Congolese Community of Champaign County

Posted on 02/09/2022 by John Matanda Tshipama

We are the Congolese Community of Champaign County. The estimated number of Congolese living in Champaign County is more than 6,000 persons. Our mission is to support each other and help our children learn about the country, as well as … Continue reading →

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Shelter Resources for the Homeless

Posted on 02/09/2022 by Public i

The cold months are upon us, a dire reality for the homeless in our community. Here the Public i offers a short list of emergency shelters in the community. It is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all … Continue reading →

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Shamar Betts: Caught in a Legal Drama that Started Before He was Born

Posted on 04/04/2021 by Janice Jayes

No one wants to be the poster child for a Supreme Court challenge. However, finding his case before the Supreme Court could not only help Urbana resident Shamar Betts resolve his own situation, but it could redraw the legal lines … Continue reading →

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Acceptance or Approval? LGBTQ Housing in 1960s and 1970s Champaign-Urbana

Posted on 03/18/2020 by Nick Goodell

In 1960s Champaign-Urbana, the state and civil society did not actively approve the existence of LGBTQ people, but gave passive acceptance for them to do as they wished in their own homes. Records of this life have been preserved in … Continue reading →

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The Effect of the Courts on Everyday Life in America

Posted on 11/14/2018 by Ruth Wyman

If the confirmation hearings over the last couple of months haven’t focused attention on our courts, I’m really not sure what can. But as much as the federal courts receive the attention of the media and our nation’s law schools, … Continue reading →

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Our County Nursing Home for Sale

Posted on 02/11/2018 by Belden Fields

(Belden Fields is the Chair of Friends of Champaign County Nursing Home) At its January 9, 2018 meeting, the Champaign County Board decided to put the Champaign County Nursing Home up for sale. All the Republicans voted in favor, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Champaign County, Nursing Home, social services, the elderly | Comments Off on Our County Nursing Home for Sale