With the 2024-2025 High School sports season close to an end (baseball, softball, soccer, among a few others still competing) I thought it necessary to send out an ode to the local high school sports teams and a shout out to those who made the season possible.
NCMEC has assisted in the recovery of more than 450,000 missing children cases, achieving a 91% recovery rate in 2024. NCMEC marked 40 years of service in 2024 and has been responsible for the groundbreaking 1981 symposium on missing and murdered children, and the organization with the help of civil rights advocate Ozell Sutton to missing children featured on milk cartons.
University of Illinois Extension, in partnership with the Rantoul Public Library is offering a free workshop on Thursday, May 30, at 1:00 p.m. The workshop is led by University of Illinois Extension Nutrition and Wellness Educator Rachel Mannen. The library is located at 106 W. Flessner Ave., Rantoul, IL. This workshop will introduce participants to making bread from scratch. This includes mixing, kneading, shaping and baking.
Schedule a time to give now by visiting RedCrossBlood.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS or by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App. Donors who give by May 31 will receive a solar lantern and will be entered to win a U.S. trip for two. Full details can be found at RedCrossBlood.org/May. DOnors from June 1 to 30 will get a $15 Amazon.com gift card by email and will be entered to win one of two $7,000 gift cards. Visit RedCrossBlood.org/June.
Community advocate and Above & Beyond One Winter Night award recipient Scott Burnsmier inspired attendees with his heartfelt story and message of hope during a recent event hosted by C-U at Home, a local nonprofit working to support individuals experiencing homelessness.
In a major move to protect one of Illinois’ most vital water sources, the General Assembly on Tuesday passed Senate Bill 1723, which bans carbon sequestration over, under, or through the Mahomet Aquifer, a critical drinking water source for up to 1 million residents in central Illinois.
Circle K is bringing back its popular Fuel Day on Thursday, May 22, offering drivers up to 40 cents off per gallon of gas between 4 and 7 p.m. local time at participating stations, including locations throughout Champaign.
The City of Urbana invites residents to a Public Open House on Wednesday, May 28, from 6 to 8 p.m. in City Council Chambers at 400 S. Vine Street to review and comment on the revised draft of the Imagine Urbana Comprehensive Plan. This open house offers a final in-person opportunity for public input before the Plan is potentially approved.
The University of Illinois Extension, in partnership with Champaign County Master Gardeners and Prairie Gardens, invites community members to get their hands dirty and help protect pollinators through a special hands-on container planting event on May 27 or 28, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Prairie Gardens in Champaign.
For 17 years, the chapel at Cunningham’s Spiritual Life Center has been more than just a space for worship—it has served as the heart of campus life. From graduation ceremonies and Christmas programs to prom nights, talent shows, career fairs, and even board meetings, the chapel is a place where milestones are celebrated, healing begins, and futures take shape.