“Lyme disease is a serious bacterial infection transmitted through the bite of infected ticks,” said IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra. “Lyme Disease is the most common vector-borne illness in the United States affecting more than 500,000 people nationally each year. As the summer approaches, I encourage our residents to learn to ‘Fight the Bite’ and protect yourself and your loved ones from tickborne illnesses. If you have been in wooded or high grassy areas and are experiencing symptoms – fever, fatigue, headache and a circular rash – see your health care provider immediately.”
A man riding a bicycle was found lying on the ground just after 1 p.m. Monday on Mattis Avenue, just south of Hedge Road.
Over the past week, local Red Cross volunteers responded to five home fires in Taylorville, Farmer City, Benton, Decatur, and Nashville, assisting 17 people with immediate needs including shelter, health care, and emotional support. These incidents reflect just a portion of the more than 60,000 disasters the Red Cross handles across the U.S. each year.
Illinois enacted its seat belt law 40 years ago and strengthened the law in July 2003, allowing officers to ticket motorists for failing to use their seat belt. Since the law’s introduction and upgrade, seat belt usage has surged from 15.9% in 1985 to 92.4% in 2024. However, there is still room for improvement. Law enforcement will be taking a no-excuses approach to enforcement. The key focus is nighttime enforcement, with Illinois data indicating higher rates of unrestrained fatalities at night.
Six years into his role as Champaign County Sheriff, Dustin Heuerman is leading a department that has undergone major transformation—from a new administrative home to initiative-taking efforts around public safety, mental health, and community trust.
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA) has notified ten Community Water Systems (CWS) across the state of potential PFAS exposure risks tied to emergency water connections. While the regular water supplies of these systems comply with the state’s new groundwater quality standards, each has the capacity to draw from neighboring systems recently identified with PFAS levels above regulatory limits.
Are you a plant lover? Come by the Sola Gratia Farm Annual Spring Plant Sale 2025 at Sola Gratia Farm. The Annual Spring Plant Sale will be open daily 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., starting May 9th and running through May 18th. Want to learn social media for business? Visit Social Media Basics for Businesses on Monday, May 12 at 6:00 p.m. at the Champaign Public Library. Professor Mark Wolters will teach you how to maximize your presence, reach new audiences, and market your business with the power of social media.
Champaign Central High School has claimed the top spot at the 2025 National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) Eastern National Tournament in Louisville, Kentucky. Over the weekend, Central’s 24-student team topped a field of 265 high school teams, with three individual archers placing in the top five of the competition.
After a month of delays due to lack of quorum, the Champaign School District seated its new board during a special meeting Friday night. The meeting, expected to be a procedural formality, quickly turned contentious as disputes over next week’s agenda and the superintendent’s future sparked heated exchanges between board members and the public.
The Illinois State Police (ISP) will join departments from across the country in Washington D.C. for National Police Week, held May 11 through May 17, 2025. The annual observance honors the sacrifice of law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty, including ISP’s own Trooper Corey Thompsen and Trooper Clay Carns, who both lost their lives in 2024 due to injuries sustained in traffic crashes.