Choose your location
LATEST NEWS
PHOTOS: Storms sweep Central Illinois overnight
CENTRAL ILLINOIS (WCIA) — After severe weather and storm warnings swept across the state overnight, Central Illinois is cleaning up the aftermath. Across several counties, trees and power lines went down with the strong winds and left much to clean up Tuesday morning. We asked our viewers to share what they saw: Champaign County On […]
UPDATE: Ameren close to complete power restoration across Illinois
7/17/2024 update: CHAMPAIGN COUNTY, Ill. (WCIA) — Ameren’s work to restore power after Monday night’s storms is nearing completion. An Ameren spokesperson said Wednesday afternoon that only 14 customers are without power. The company’s outage map indicates that most of these customers are in Champaign or Urbana, and the spokesperson said those customers should expect […]
Registration open for Champaign County household hazardous-waste collection
Jul. 17—CHAMPAIGN — Paint thinners, pool chemicals, weed killers, used motor oil, old kerosene, batteries and cleaning products. Registration is for Champaign County's annual one-day-only household hazardous waste collection event on Aug. 17 through this online link: All Illinois residents can obtain a 15-minute time slot between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. to drop off items that day outside State Farm ...
Weather balloon lands on powerlines in Champaign County
SADORUS, Ill. (WCIA) — After a night of severe weather in Champaign County, there was something resting on powerlines just east of Sadorus — and this time, it wasn’t a tree branch. Chief Robert Russian of the Sadorus Fire Department confirmed that a weather balloon landed on powerlines on 600 North Road. The balloon and […]
One hurt in Monday morning semi crash on I-57
TOLONO, Ill. (WCIA) — One person was hurt Monday morning when a semi-truck overturned on I-57 in Champaign County. State Police said the crash happened in the northbound lanes at Milepost 116 near Tolono. They determined that for unknown reasons, the driver of the truck lost control of their vehicle, went into the median of […]
Family will not pursue fertility-fraud suit against doctor's estate
Jul. 16—URBANA — The Plaintiffs in what could be the first suit under the state's new fertility-fraud law are dropping their case. Paula Duvall and her daughter, Erin Culver, filed a lawsuit against the deceased Dr. Bradley D. Adams and Christie Clinic in February, alleging that Adams used his own sperm to artificially inseminate Duvall in 1973 — which resulted in the birth of Culver — but ...
Into the outdoors with Nurtured in Nature
Nurtured in Nature is a new BIPOC outdoor wellness program, organized and directed by Tomas Delgado and facilitated by Healthy Champaign County, that invites Champaign-Urbana’s BIPOC community members to spend some time on easy hikes, meeting new people and learning about the environment. I recently spoke with Delgado about...
After the storm: Why did the sirens sound?
CHAMPAIGN — No, those eerie sirens you heard blaring Monday night from Foosland to Fisher were not the result of a tornado being spotted nearby. As of last September, the 49 sirens scattered throughout Champaign County are triggered to sound alarms not just for tornadoes but for what the National Weather Service classifies as “destructive storms,” meaning ones that exhibit 80-mph winds or hail at least 2.75 inches in diameter.
Unity High grad crowned Miss Champaign County 2024
Jul. 14—URBANA — Tears of joy — and a little sadness — were shed Sunday at the 2024 Champaign County Fair Queen Pageant as new queens were crowned and 2023 royalty said their goodbyes. In her first pageant appearance ever, Unity High grad Olivia Shike was crowned Miss Champaign County. She said she looks forward to spending time with her fellow winner, Little Miss Macey Huls. "Her older ...
Motorcyclist Identified in Effingham Crash
Champaign County Coroner Stephen Thuney has released the identity of an Alabama man who died as the result of injuries sustained in a motorcycle crash on July 4. Russell L. Bright, 63 years old, died at Carle Foundation Hospital at 12:14 P.M. on July 12, from multiple traumatic injuries. Preliminary...
Champaign County coroner IDs Alabama man fatally injured in motorcycle crash near Effingham
Jul. 15—URBANA — The Champaign County Coroner has identified an Alabama man who died Friday at an Urbana hospital from injuries sustained in a motorcycle crash a week earlier on Interstate 57 in Effingham. Russell L. Bright, 63, was pronounced dead at 12:14 p.m. Friday at Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana from multiple traumatic injuries, Coroner Stephen Thuney said. Preliminary information ...
Pro-Palestine student demonstrator charged with Mob Action after U of I protest
URBANA, Ill. (WCIA) — A student involved in the pro-Palestine protests on University of Illinois campus earlier this year has been charged with Mob Action after U of I Police used social media to identify her. According to Champaign County State’s Attorney Julia Rietz, Yafa K Issa, 18 of Savoy, was charged with one count […]
Dengue fever reported in Champaign County
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — As record-breaking levels of cases of dengue fever are spreading across the United States, at least one person in Central Illinois is reported to have dengue fever. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported 34 Illinois residents have tested positive with dengue fever this year as of Thursday afternoon. […]
Here’s how Champaign Co. community leaders aim to tackle homelessness
CHAMPAIGN COUNTY, Ill. (WCIA) — Community leaders from across Champaign County met Wednesday for a monthly coalition meeting, focusing on tackling homelessness. The conference aimed to help the 279 people in the county who are dealing with homelessness. Prominent figures like Urbana Mayor Diane Marlin, Urbana Police Chief Larry Boone, and other city employees from […]
Get your Culture here: July 2024
Hello, July; hello, summer. This is my absolute favorite time in Champaign-Urbana, save for the humidity and corn sweat — I find both deeply offensive. Nevertheless, there is plenty to do and enjoy in C-U this time of year, and our editors in other sections have provided great round ups for you (art, food, and music). To find culture this month, I’m encouraging you to venture outside of C-U, into our neighboring communities for all sorts of goings-on. July is, after all, fair season, and there are fairs to visit, demolition derbies to watch, and lemon shake ups and funnel cakes to eat.
Welcome to NewsBreak, an open platform where diverse perspectives converge. Most of our content comes from established publications and journalists, as well as from our extensive network of tens of thousands of creators who contribute to our platform. We empower individuals to share insightful viewpoints through short posts and comments. It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency: our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. We strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation. Join us in shaping the news narrative together.