The 2025 Christie Clinic Illinois Marathon brings thousands of runners and spectators to the streets of Champaign-Urbana this weekend—but it also brought a wave of road closures impacting traffic across the area.
Race weekend just got easier, thanks to Spiros Law, P.C., the sponsor of the new FREE Illinois Race Weekend mobile app. Designed with runners and spectators in mind, the app puts everything you need for race weekend right at your fingertips—whether you’re on the starting line or cheering from 1,000 miles away.
Parkrun started in the United Kingdom and now has over 2,500 locations in 23 countries including 80 in the United States, with four in Illinois. The Morrisey Park parkrun held its first event on May 4, 2024, and will be celebrating its one year anniversary on May 10. Morrisey Park has had a total of 47 events with 884 finishes from 266 participants.
“It introduces them to professional practices they will encounter in their field, such as working with a gallery, preparing their work for exhibition, and engaging in the jurying process – all essential for an emerging artist,” said gallery director Lisa Costello. “This is necessary for resume building and establishing themselves as practicing artists once they graduate in their career program or transfer to a four-year college.”
The final session is on Friday, April 25 at 3:00 p.m. The program will be open to the public interested in taking part. The training will be a part of Race Weekend and will also take place inside Memorial Stadium. The program was created after last year’s Race Weekend, where 45-year-old Christie surgeon Rafael Ruggieri suffered a cardiac arrest while running in the Christie Clinic Illinois Half Marathon.
In honor of Earth Day on April 22, the Champaign-Urbana community is invited to join a March for Science rally and People’s Science Fair, highlighting the vital role science plays in everyday life and advocating for increased support for scientific research.
Jason Mewes became a pop culture icon since his debut in 1994’s Clerks. Cult-fans followed his controversial antics with his longtime friend Kevin Smith. They continue to build on their character roles from the Jay and Silent Bob series. The duo returned in 2019 in the Jay and Silent Bob reboot. They then returned in 2022 in Kevin Smith’s Clerks III.
To my surprise, the exhibit was far more expansive and beautifully arranged than I had expected. It was hosted with great care and organization, and many volunteers greeted us with kindness and guided us with hospitality. Even though I have very little knowledge of quilting, I found myself deeply moved by the intricate detail and creative tough found in each piece. As I continued observing the works, I began to understand the incredible amount of time, effort and dedication that each artist poured into their creations. I couldn’t help but admire them deeply. I even took photos of several pieces I enjoyed most. What I captured was only a small portion, there were many more delicate and creative works beyond what my camera lens could hold.
Distracted driving refers to engaging in activities that divert a driver’s attention from the road. These distractions significantly increase the risk of a crash. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA):
Alcohol and drug impairment are estimated to be a factor in more than 47% of all fatal motor vehicle crashes in Illinois. There is one alcohol-related traffic fatality every 39 minutes in the United States. The ACE program allows officers to work even harder at removing dangerous DUI offenders from the road. This project is funded through the Illinois Department of Transportation.