Other County Government Updates

This post covers many of the other County level government and related news items for May and June. For County Board specific updates, see our other post today here. 

Mahomet Aquifer Updates:

A bill banning carbon sequestration in the Mahomet Aquifer is awaiting the Governor's signature. State Senator Faraci's (IL-52) office is expecting him to sign it in the coming weeks. It is still unknown whether the Governor will visit the area when he does so.

The Daily Illini had coverage of the bill being passed by the Illinois General Assembly back in May:

After months of debate, the Illinois House and Senate passed a bill to ban carbon sequestration projects at sole-source aquifers on Tuesday, May 20. In a bipartisan effort, the House voted 91-19, sending the legislation to Governor Pritzker’s desk for approval. 

“Although carbon sequestration undergoes rigorous federal and State permitting, the uniqueness of the Mahomet Aquifer being the sole source of drinking water for central Illinois residents warrants additional protection,” reads the bill.

Carbon sequestration is the process of removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and injecting it underground. After Archer-Daniels-Midland’s carbon sequestration facility in Decatur, Illinois leaked, environmentalists started lobbying for efforts to protect the integrity of the Mahomet Aquifer, which serves nearly one million people. 

That full article here.

July 4th Events and Organizing.

There is a great deal of work that goes into local events, fundraising, and organizing body behind our local July 4th events. The Champaign County Freedom Celebration Committee is also looking for more volunteers for this year's events. The News-Gazette had a detailed overview of events here. Illinois Public Media also had a brief rundown of the events, timing, and security issues for this year's event:

The Champaign County Freedom Celebration has been East Central Illinois’ premier patriotic party since 1949 -honoring a longstanding custom to celebrate Independence Day in Champaign County. 

...

New Timing

This year’s event will include some changes to its parade route and time.

Captain Joe McCullough with the University of Illinois Police, said that due to the lack of volunteers, the celebration had to delay its parade time to 4:30 p.m. — several hours later than its traditional time. 

More at that full article here. Publicity Chair, Diane Ducey also explained some of the changes in a recent Kathy's Mailbag article here. For a little background, there was also a struggle for volunteers last year as well, as reported in the News-Gazette back in 2024.

After this year's July 4th events there were concerns raised about limiting protests, banning pamphlet distribution, and accessibility.

Kickapoo Rail Trail Update:

IPM also reported a large amount of State funding for the Kickapoo Rail Trail project:

The Kickapoo Rail Trail expansion received over $9.5 million dollars in the 2026 Illinois state budget to continue a construction project that involves converting an out of service railroad into a recreational trail... 

Bridgette Moen, planning director for the Champaign County Forest Preserves, said the final trail will be about 25 miles long. The trail will connect Urbana to Oakwood and cap out near Kickapoo State Park. 

“Currently we have about three miles built in Vermilion County and about eight in Champaign County,” she said. “But this project includes building close to nine additional miles in Vermilion County, about four and a half in Champaign County and then a trailhead structure in Urbana at the Urbana Park District.”

The funding for the project is from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity through the Rebuild Illinois Capital Plan. The total cost of the expansion is $11.2 million.

That full article here.

C-UPHD Updates:

There are ongoing disputes about the Sooie Bar-B-Que Joint dispute that had both the restaurant owner and the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District claiming to be vindicated after Judge Bohm ruled that the restaurant was to remain closed until it was in compliance with its existing food-service plan. In May the restaurant's lawsuit against the C-UPHD was dismissed, with the option of filing an amended complaint. The latest update from the News-Gazette notes that amended $3.5 million complaint has been submitted last week after an extension. The recent News-Gazette article was primarily on a separate new legal petition against the C-UPHD.

A local restaurant that has been shut down for nearly four months claims that, by not allowing it to reopen, the health district has violated a court order.

Sooie Bros. Bar-B-Que Joint co-owner Alven Allison has filed a petition for adjudication of civil contempt arguing that the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District has not complied with the order issued by Champaign County Judge Jason Bohm in late April.

Bohm wrote that the injunction to close the restaurant will remain in effect until Allison either “comes into compliance with the existing food-service plan dated February 2, 2023,” or submits an amended plan that is approved by the health district...

According to the case docket, any materials opposing Allison’s motion must be filed by July 14, and any rebuttal by Allison to these materials must be filed by July 21.

The court will then review the documents and decide whether to schedule a hearing.

That full article here with details on both the recent petition and amended $3.5 million lawsuit against the C-UPHD.

State's Attorney and Campus Protest Cases:

We've previously covered the Champaign County State's Attorney's controversial decision to charge campus protesters with felony mob-action charges which organizations like the Illinois ACLU raised serious concerns over. In case after case after case, the felony mob action charges have been dropped. From the News-Gazette coverage of the Yafa Issa case back in May:

A 19-year-old Savoy woman’s trial on charges related to her actions at a pro-Palestinian protest at the University of Illinois last year came to a close Thursday, with her found guilty of a misdemeanor.

Champaign County Judge Roger Webber dismissed felony mob-action charges against Yafa Issa after the state rested its case, saying the “evidence falls woefully short” of demonstrating that she was involved in any kind of violent activity. Issa was the first individual connected with the protest to go to trial.

Webber did not dismiss her misdemeanor charge of resisting or obstructing a peace officer, however, and, after hearing closing arguments, ruled it was clear beyond a reasonable doubt that Issa attempted to block officers from accessing tents erected by protestors near the Alma Mater statue.

That full article here with updates on that case, sentencing, and other cases in coverage last week here. 

While multiple other individuals who faced charges after the April 26, 2024, protest at the University of Illinois have taken plea deals, Issa was the first to go to trial.

Ultimately, Champaign County Judge Roger Webber made a similar ruling to the negotiated pleas others have accepted: He dismissed a felony mob-action charge and convicted her of resisting or obstructing a peace officer.

At the agreement of Assistant State’s Attorney Eileen Keeley and Issa’s attorney, Evan Bruno, Issa will be required to complete 100 hours of public service work and 12 months of conditional discharge.

That is also the sentence that other individuals have accepted as part of their negotiated pleas.

Given the passionate views on the topics of the protests themselves, I will repost the disclaimer from our previous coverage on these protests and related charges:

The Cheat Sheet does not take any position on foreign policy and generally limits its content to local government related news and information. On controversial issues like this, we will try our best to highlight different perspectives, while still doing our best to confirm any facts in contention. We leave it to the reader to form an opinion.

County Board February Updates

This post covers February Champaign County Board meetings and other County related news items. We'll be highlighting the nursing home updates, Willard airport expanded service pitch to local governments, recent board and judge appointments, and county law enforcement issues. At the end there is also a list of other county government and news highlights.

Old County Nursing Home and Bed Shortage:

WCIA had coverage of this week's special study session by the County Board on what to do about the old Champaign County Nursing Home property that was sold to a private entity that soon closed it. The meat and potatoes of that meeting begins around the 12 minute mark of the meeting video here (agenda prior to amendment moving up the presentations here). From the WCIA coverage:

The Champaign County Board and community members came together Tuesday night at a study session, talking about the future of University Rehab in Urbana...

When University Rehab closed, the community lost over 200 licensed beds.

Board members and advocates agree they need to think ahead and make a plan for the current and future aging population. The study session was one step to getting there.

Part of that will come from working with the Champaign County Healthcare Consumers and Advocates for Aging Care. They want to work together to bring more beds to the area.

That full article here. The News-Gazette had more in their coverage as well. A few key excerpts: 

“AAC has looked into the issue of using the current facility as a nursing home and has come to the realization that it would probably not be suitable, certainly not suitable for a contemporary, nonprofit nursing home,” she said. “If the Champaign County Board decides to lift the restriction on the sale of the facility, allowing it to be sold for something other than a nursing home, AAC will support that decision.”

...

[County Executive Steve Summers] said in a previous interview that a program manager with the Illinois Department of Public Health told him the license for the home has lapsed, and any new operator would have to invest significant capital to get the property in compliance with all current IDPH codes.

He added that the receiver has said they were told that “demolishing the building down to the foundation and rebuilding was the most likely way to have a nursing-home facility on that site.”

That full article here with a lot of additional information, background, and other perspectives. It highlights a key issue for the county is ensuring that it can recoup some of the 2 years worth of back taxes and future property taxes from the site. There was a lot of news coverage and discussion of the nursing home and beds shortage in the last County Board: Winter Updates Cheat Sheet post here.

The Advocates for Aging Care group had an opinion piece in the News-Gazette this month highlighting their community survey. As pointed out in this study session meeting, the group hopes to use the community survey and an additional upcoming market research study to supplement the Illinois Department of Public Health information on the local (as opposed to regional) shortage in order to make the licensing process feasible.

Willard Service Expansion and Public Funds:

Smile Politely had an opinion piece on the Minimum Revenue Guarantee proposals for a new leisure flight service out of Willard Airport with some helpful information and analysis. The Champaign County Economic Development Corporation (EDC) has been collaborating on presentations to local government bodies, according to the News-Gazette. The presentation to the City of Champaign is available here, with a comprehensive staff report for that study session topic here. From the News-Gazette article:

In addition to the two city councils, representatives from the University of Illinois-owned airport also presented their pitch this week to the Rantoul Village Board.

According to the airport’s updated incentive policy, the university is offering a first-come, first-served minimum revenue guarantee of $500,000 for service to any airport in Florida or Arizona, or to Las Vegas.

Executive Director Tim Bannon has said that the airport is hoping to raise a community match of $500,000 so that it can offer a total minimum revenue guarantee of at least $1 million.

That full article here. There's already a similar outstanding minimum revenue guarantee (MRG) to expand Willard's services with a route to and from Washington, D.C. The presenters to local governments argued that these kind of risk limiting safeguards will help Willard compete with other downstate airports. 

One selling point that appeared to appeal to local government officials was that the University's half of the million dollar MRG would be used up first (as opposed to city, village, or county public funds), if the route struggles for profitability in the initial years. The anticipated timeline for local government bodies to approve the commitment appears to be for this April, with actual funds allocated to the MRG at a later date.

County Appointments:

Don Owen was appointed to fill the vacancy left by former County Board Chair Kyle Patterson as he became the City of Champaign Township Supervisor, according to the News-Gazette. Samantha Carter, the previous vice chair was selected as the new board chair. County Board member Jennifer Locke was selected as the new vice chair. You can see the nomination process for selecting the chair and vice-chair at the February County Board meeting video here. You can also see the vote to approve the vacancy appointment of Don Owen and his swearing in earlier at that same meeting here.

The News-Gazette also had coverage of a new associate judge in the local area Sixth Judicial Circuit of Illinois:

Rob Jacobson, a partner at local law firm Tummelson, Bryan and Knox, will don the robes on March 1 and be sworn in as an associate judge at the Champaign County Courthouse.

Chief Judge Randy Rosenbaum said Thursday that the 14 elected judges of the Sixth Circuit selected Jacobson from a pool of 12 applicants to fill a brand-new position that the Illinois Supreme Court allowed Champaign County to create...

The new judge will oversee juvenile abuse and neglect cases, a load currently split between Judge Matthew Lee and Judge Brett Olmstead. Jacobson’s courtroom also will call guardianship cases, which Judge Anna Benjamin currently oversees.

More at that full article here, including concerns about space issues at the courthouse with 1 more judge than it was designed for.

County Law Enforcement Items:

The Redeploy youth incarceration diversion program is coming to Champaign County according to the News-Gazette:

The launch comes after a group of local partners won funding last year from the Juvenile Redeploy grant, a program sponsored by the Illinois Department of Human Services. It aims to help supplement typical probation plans by providing treatment services and resources to eligible juvenile offenders who would otherwise be sentenced to prison.

Juveniles who apply and enter the program in Champaign County may get life coaching and job training from DREAAM Academy, a Champaign nonprofit, or mental-health and substance-abuse counseling from Cunningham Children’s Home in Urbana...

Forty-five Illinois counties have participated in Redeploy since 2015, according to the state agency’s website, with 72 percent of the youths involved in 2019 having no new arrests while enrolled.

That full article here.

In other county law enforcement news, there was the largest multi-jurisdictional training exercise to prepare for a local mass casualty event. It was the third and largest annual exercise, according to the News-Gazette, of this type and occurred about a month ago. WCIA also had coverage of the exercise:

On Tuesday in Champaign, 163 area first responders prepared for emergencies no one hopes for, but everyone has to be ready for. It was all part of their joint training for departments across the county...

“How can we all work together, speak the right language and everyone knows what to expect when they come to one of these incidents,” [Champaign Police Lt. Aaron Lack] added.

He said smaller groups train together quite a bit, but big sessions like this one happen about once a year. He hopes they can happen a little more often if possible.

That full article here. The event exercise operated under the Active Shooter Incident Management framework.

Other County Law Enforcement Related Items:

• Illinois Public Media had an in depth look at the Rantoul Police Department response to officer involved shootings that included some follow up details on one officer who resigned and was briefly hired by the Champaign County Sheriff's Office soon after.
  
  
• There were a lot of updates in the last County Board Facilities Committee meeting on the satellite jail consolidation project (as well as a lot more details on the County Plaza project). The bulk of the information is very detailed financial and change order information in the 2/6/2024 meeting Agenda Packet here. The presentation at the meeting itself explained the reasons for the changes, generally unavoidable when a project plan meets reality.
  
  
• The County Sheriff's jurisdiction was included in the News-Gazette's ongoing examination of lost and stolen firearms entering the community, sometimes under implausibly convoluted "loss" or "theft," according to Editor Jeff D'Alessio in a recent 2/29/2024 WDWS interview.

Other County Government News:

• Solar farm zoning decisions continue to be a controversial subject for many local communities, especially after the State of Illinois limited some local authority in denying certain projects. WCIA highlighted one example in Urbana this month where residents were concerned about a project coming to their area.
  
  
• The Center Square highlighted a University of Illinois Extension program on revitalizing rural downtown areas.
  
  
• Smile Politely had an opinion piece pondering on the feasibility of non-partisan county elected offices, similar to some non-partisan local government bodies like the City of Champaign city council, for example. I hope to get some legal input soon on how that may or may not be possible under Illinois law and circle back to that question.
  
  
• There was additional Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funding reported coming to the Champaign County Continuum of Care for Service Providers the Homeless at the Regional Planning Commission. For fans of acronyms, that's more HUD funding for the CSPH at the CCRPC. In simpler terms, CSPH brings together a lot of service providers, organizations, and resources to monthly meetings to collaborate and share information on our local homeless situation. The RPC is an umbrella organization of County and other local government bodies collaborating on local services more generally.
  
  
• The Champaign County Forest Preserve is acquiring a large piece of land by the River Bend Forest Preserve near Mahomet according to the News-Gazette using State grant money.
  
  
• There were questions this month about the status of the rural broadband projects using ARPA money and a desire for an update on the status of those projects. There is some general information about the rural broadband needs and planning here via the Illinois Farm Bureau. 
  
  There's a 270 page county report for background on the issue, but it has a concise "Executive Summary" and "Next Steps" section one can start with. There doesn't appear to be any recent meeting minutes (for the January or August 2023 meetings) on the County website yet, or any videos to catch up on with.

In other County News:

• C-U Public Health Department hosted a panel on Black Health, Wealth & Wellness in Champaign County (available on their facebook page here). There was additional news coverage of C-UPHD Narcan educational events (WCIA) and new solar panels on their facility (Daily Illini). 
  
  
• Steve Stierwalt, chairman of the Champaign County Soil and Water Conservation District, had remarks published in the News-Gazette about his role in ensuring the productivity of County farm lands, especially as we adapt to climate change locally.
  
  
• There's still a week left to register for the United Way Emergency Community Leaders program (or until all 55 spots are filled), according to Smile Politely.

Champaign County Updates

 

The possible nighttime white out conditions with the recent severe winter storm forced County crews to halt road clearing operations overnight according to WCIA:

Champaign County Highway Department will cease plow operations from 6 p.m. Wednesday until 6 a.m. Thursday due to the forecasted high winds and white out conditions.

Officials said based on the information that they have received from the National Weather Service, winds will continue to gust at 35 MPH to 40 MPH on Thursday...

Champaign County Highway Department will have plows stationed throughout the county overnight to aid in emergency calls if needed.

Full blurb here.

Petitions for local candidates in the upcoming midterm elections are circulating. It's a good time to help your favorite candidates get on the ballot and get to know who is in the running. From WCIA earlier last month:

Champaign County Clerk Aaron Ammons asks everyone to be prepared for an influx of people — who want to run for office — bringing a petition to their doors.

Amid a surge in COVID-19 cases, Ammons asks all candidates to be masked and bring along hand sanitizer to use in between homes, not just for handwashing but for cleaning pens in between signatures...

The Illinois Primary is set for June 28 this year.

That full article here. 

If you want to learn more about how to be an effective member of a local board and get more involved in your community or a local organization, there is a free "Board Bootcamp" course coming up this month. From Smile Politely:

If you are a new, current, or prospective board member for a nonprofit organization, The Center for Nonprofit Excellence at the Community Foundation of East Central Illinois encourages you to attend their Board Bootcamp, a now quarterly offering that is designed to help create effective boards. 

The first session of the year is on February 23rd from 4 to 5 p.m. and will take place over Zoom. The focus will be on recruiting new board members.

Full blurb here. More information available at the Community Foundation of East Central Illinois website here.

In other Champaign County government news:

• January Champaign County Board Updates Cheat Sheet post.
• See our Cheat Sheet post on the latest updates on the Champaign County Courthouse. Includes updates on the cell phone ban, severe weather closings, and more here.
• Champaign County Sheriff Dustin Heuerman spoke to WCIA about initiatives to expand access to mental health care before a situation becomes an issue for law enforcement or the jail.
• The Champaign County Forest Preserve District has a bit of a scavenger hunt available when the weather clears up again. From WCIA.
• What towns and areas are defined as "rural" can have a major impact on where federal dollars go to local government and projects. From Illinois Newsroom.

In other Champaign County news:

• The Champaign County Humane Society raised $17,000 during the Betty White Challenge event according to WCIA.
• Champaign County home sales hit record numbers according to WCIA.
• The Eastern Illinois Foodbank announced a warehouse expansion. From WCIA.
• Update on Miss Champaign County Erica Johnson looking towards the Miss Illinois County Fair Queen competition.  
• A recent Tom's Mailbag question was asking about the Champaign "snow hole" with recent snowfall appearing to miss our area (prior to the severe winter weather warnings this past week).
• That same Tom's Mailbag column addressed fire station needs in Champaign and Urbana. In Champaign they gave an overview of the existing locations meeting current standards, but possibly some expansion issues in the future.
• Champaign County Restaurant Week coverage from WAND. More on restaurant week events and updates with the severe weather at their website here and facebook event page here.

Other County Government Updates

This post includes updates on housing assistance, the Forest Preserve District, animal control, and a number of Sheriff's Office and corrections news links.

The Champaign County Regional Planning Commission is offering assistance to many local residents who may need help with their water or sewer bills. From the News-Gazette:

Income-eligible households in Champaign County with past-due water or sewer bills or disconnections can apply for help from a temporary assistance program.

The Champaign County Regional Planning Commission will be accepting applications for the Water/Wastewater Assistance Program on a first-come, first-served basis through May 31, 2022, or until the funding is gone.

The program, intended to help homeowners and renters avoid shut-offs, will provide a one-time payment that will go directly to the applicants’ water or sewer companies.

Full blurb here. More information at the RPC website here. WCIA had more details and qualifying information. There are more updates on rental and mortgage assistance and homeless services in another C-U Local Cheat Sheet post this month here.

The News-Gazette had updates on the progress of Champaign County Forest Preserve District projects benefiting from the recently approved tax revenue boost here. Smile Politely also had an article on Lorrie Pearson, the Executive Director of the Forest Preserve District, last month here.

County animal officials were in the news this past month advocating for reforms in the law to prevent and more effectively deal with cases of animal abuse. From the News-Gazette:

A new Illinois law that prevents anyone who has committed two or more animal cruelty felonies from living in the same household or having custody of an animal is a good start but doesn’t go far enough.

That’s the opinion of several Champaign County officials who deal with such cases.

County veterinarian Dr. Susan Norris, the new director of county animal control, Heather Soder, and Assistant State’s Attorney Troy Lozar said the law, which goes into effect in 2022, is too weak.

More at the full article here.

The Champaign County Juvenile Detention Center is looking for job applications to be detention officers. Described as a way to work with youth and have an impact on the local gun violence problem, the position may be far from what one may expect. From the News-Gazette:

“You have to have a lot of energy. You have to be open-minded. You can’t have prejudged notions,” he said. “You have to be fair, consistent, have great communication and listening skills, great decision-making skills. You’ve got to have common sense. You have to have a bachelor’s degree.”

If that job description fits you or someone you know, [superintendent Keith Willis] and his boss, Mike Williams, director of court services for Champaign County, beg you or that person to apply...

“I’m looking for all walks of life, whether you are interested in criminal justice or … recreation management,” he said. “Our job encompasses a corrections, sociology, psychology, mental health, education mindset. We do all those things.”

More at that full article here. Link to the application here. You can also contact superintendent Keith Willis at kwillis@co.champaign.il.us or (217) 384-3780. Their office website with additional information is here.

Other County government news and updates:

• CU-CitizenAccess had an article delving into the history and recent arrest of a Champaign County Sheriff's Deputy.
• A Tom's Mailbag column included some current and comparison data on how many folks in the Champaign County jail system end up transferred to the Illinois Department of Corrections prison system.
• WCIA had an overview of the Champaign County Sheriff's holiday DUI enforcement work. There was an earlier blurb on WCIA about seat belt enforcement results over Thanksgiving.
• In local gun violence related news, there were also discussions for raising rewards for tips through the Champaign County Crime Stoppers program to build off of the ongoing "gun bounty" work. The Champaign Coroner weighed in with another area coroner on dealing with so many young victims of gun violence and their families in the aftermath.

October County Roundup

There was a lot going on at the County level this month. I'm still not caught up with the latest on the Jail discussions, but there are links to last night's meeting below. Redistricting and budgeting priorities once again dominated the conversations.

The News-Gazette had coverage of the discussions going into the federal relief funds (ARPA) and how the various Board members were prioritizing plans from progressive projects to local facility needs. Excerpt from the News-Gazette coverage earlier this month:

While board Democrats are noting the categories of projects they want to prioritize, specific projects within those categories will need to be studied before projects can proceed, Patterson said.

A substantial amount of the federal money will be spent on county facilities, he said, and while the jail is one of those facilities in need of attention, it’s unlikely that a large portion of the $41 million would go toward a jail project...

Republican board member Brad Passalacqua said Republicans haven’t drafted a formal proposal for where the $41 million should be spent, but have made their views known at public meetings.

Republicans support a significant amount of the funds going to solve some of the problems with the county jail in downtown Urbana and the satellite jail and for much-needed broadband infrastructure throughout the county, he said.

That full article here. WCIA had a more extensive look at the jail consolidation needs and cost issues earlier in October here. There was a Jail Facilities Committee meeting last night, but I haven't had a chance to review it yet. The video is available here on the County's YouTube channel.

In addition to the latest jail discussion updates, the Board approved funding for two more Sheriff's deputies. Republicans had pushed for adding funding for four more deputies during the debates on budget and need. Excerpt from the News-Gazette coverage prior to the regular Board meeting vote:

Heuerman said his recommendation would be to add four deputies, but he welcomed the addition of two more.

“We could always use more deputies,” the sheriff said Wednesday. “I could absolutely use the four.”

The additional two deputies had been negotiated as part of the budgeting process with County Executive Darlene Kloeppel based on what money the county has available, he said.

Heuerman said adding two deputies will cost the county $242,000, including salary, benefits, equipment and training.

That full article here. WCIA's coverage, including a video segment, also noted the Sheriff's hope that the additional funding for two more deputies may come with the next budget.

Another big issue this month was finally working out the last details of the County Board district map with the late census data. The delayed census meant that the various proposed maps were working off of estimates to meet the usual deadlines. There was a lot of fighting within the local Democratic party in addition to disputes with the Republicans leading up to this point. The final map was approved over the objections of the Democratic County Executive and Republicans on the board. The News-Gazette had the map and coverage of the disagreements. Excerpt:

[County Board member Jim Goss] said Friday that while Democrats did their job in coming up with a map that equalized population variance among districts, this latest map also leaves his district, District 1, with an area of 388 square miles.

“It’s just ridiculously large,” he said.

Under the new map, seven board districts favor Democratic candidates, three favor Republicans, and one, District 5 in northwest Champaign, is a toss-up.

That full article here. The News-Gazette also had an article previewing this month's map debate here. Illinois Newsroom had coverage of the latest map approval here.

There was a Victory over Violence town hall and panel discussion including local activists, organizations, and the Champaign County Sheriff. The full video is available on the Champaign Government TV channel online here.

The News-Gazette also had an overview of the history and latest updates on the Champaign County Crime Stoppers program. Excerpt:

Today, the process is significantly more sophisticated.

When calls come in, they’re routed to a company in Canada called Northern Communications, where identifying information is stripped. A random number is then given to the caller, who is answered by employees of a company called Alternative Answers. Information is taken down and recorded in an app called “P3 Tips.” Tipsters can also submit directly to the app or at champaigncountycrimestoppers.com.

The fact that calls are routed to Canada is not random happenstance. Canadian law protects the information that might identify a tipster, Geoff Coon, the agency’s current law-enforcement coordinator.

That full article here. WCIA reported that there were some unusual thefts of weather research equipment highlighted by the Crime Stoppers program this month here.

There were many other County items in the news this month as well:

• C-U at Home homeless shelters are extending their hours according to WCIA.

• The eviction moratorium has ended, spurring local protests reported on by the Daily Illini as well as WCCU.

• Smile Politely has links for the public health district's Community Needs Survey here.

• Central Illinois on track to a record harvest this year from Illinois Newsroom.

• WCIA had an investigative report on habitual offenders and the criminal justice system in Central Illinois, including Champaign County.

• The News-Gazette had an interview with the new executive director of the Champaign County Forest Preserve District.

• Proposed County staff bonuses in the new budget (still pending final approval), also from the News-Gazette.

• MTD updates, including staff shortages and a new zero-emission bus from the Daily Illini. More on the hydrogen bus from Illinois Newsroom here.

• More Democratic infighting and dirty laundry shared in conservative Jim Dey's opinion columns in the News-Gazette.

• Illinois Newsroom also had a great deal of news on the news itself, declining newspapers and alternative media, etc. There's a list of the latest articles under the "journalism" tag on their site here.

September Roundup: Evictions and Jail Updates

As folks can certainly tell, we're still very much behind and finding it impossible to keep up with all the recent changes, pandemic related issues, and news coverage. In some ways there's more local government information easily accessible and available than ever. Unfortunately the pandemic also really affected availability and shook up everyone's lives. Hopefully we'll be able to get back up to a regular schedule of coverage again soon. Here's a quick County Roundup of news and issues:

Some of the biggest news is that the eviction moratorium has expired and eviction cases have already begun to flow through the local courts. From WCIA earlier this week:

After a year and a half, the pause on evictions in Illinois is now officially over. That means anyone who hasn’t been able to keep up with rent can face being kicked out of their home.

“It’s absolutely terrifying, because you don’t know what’s going to happen next, and these are people,” Corinne Chamberlain, from Danville, said...

On Monday, and Tuesday, no cases were filed. Wednesday, there were two. Then, Thursday, 28 evictions were filed, and Friday, four.

Judge Olstead said Thursday’s cases came from the same law firm. He expects a large case load come Monday morning. 57 are on the docket.

Full article available here with links to previous articles on the topic. Assistance information from the Champaign County Regional Planning Commission is available here. There was brief coverage of a local protest in the Daily Illini earlier in September here.

From the News-Gazette last week:

Community violence interventions, expanding broadband internet service and help for stormwater drainage issues are among the projects Champaign County Democrats are prioritizing for the use of about $41 million in federal funding the county will get over two years.

The Champaign County Board has received dozens of requests for use of the funds the county will be allocated from the coronavirus relief bill that Congress passed in March, and has devoted several sessions to hearing from community groups, county department heads and members of the public explaining why their projects should be funded...

Republican board member Brad Passalacqua said Republicans haven’t drafted a formal proposal for where the $41 million should be spent, but have made their views known at public meetings.

Republicans support a significant amount of the funds going to solve some of the problems with the county jail in downtown Urbana and the satellite jail and for much-needed broadband infrastructure throughout the county, he said.

Full article here. The jail situation continues to be a crisis situation that needs to be resolved before a court ruling or other event forces the close of the downtown jail. Taking money from relief funds meant for the area's most vulnerable population for jail consolidation costs may be a political non-starter however. More on the Sheriff's ask and the committee seeking to address the issue from WCIA here.

Other County government related news items from this last month:

• Champaign County Circuit Clerk's amnesty week for fines and fees is coming up.
• A local immigration task force was honored for its local work with immigrants.
• The Champaign County Forest Preserve District has a new director.
• County Board of Review vacancy update from 9/14/2021. More from WCIA here.
• Drainage projects that could use federal relief funding presented to the Environment and Land Use Committee.
• More on County district maps now that the delayed census data is available.

Champaign County Forest Preserve Updates

The 2020 election had consequences in another County government body: the Champaign County Forest Preserve. A voter referendum for more taxpayer funding passed. Prior to the election the Forest Preserve explained its goals if they received the additional funding. From the News-Gazette this past November:

Water, bike trails and roofing jobs are among the top projects on the Champaign County Forest Preserve District’s to-do list if voters approve a tax increase Tuesday...

Forest preserve district Executive Director Mary Ellen Wuellner said the increase would bring in about $700,000 annually.

No. 1 on the list of projects those funds would pay for: restoring Willow Pond at Middle Fork River Forest Preserve in rural Penfield, at a projected cost of $450,000.

The pond with the only beach in the county has a leak that needs to be sealed, and it will be given a new look.

Full article with other priorities here. There was a follow up article after it passed explaining that the budget would be updated with the new funds in mind. A new preserve project was announced earlier this month by WCIA:

The 98-Acre Heron View Forest Preserve will be the fourth along the Sangamon River. When it’s officially open, you’ll be able to find it sitting between Lake of the Woods and Sangamon River Forest Preserves along County Road 2600 North in Mahomet.

Forest Preserve District officials said as a floodplain forest, the space will allow them to better regulate flood peaks, as well as give visitors a lot of recreational opportunities.

Blue Heron’s and Virginia Bluebells, for which the preserve got its name, will be in full bloom by springtime.

Full blurb here.

Other Forest Preserve News Updates:

• Winter Activity Guide released (Print from PDF here) and WCIA coverage here.
• Replacing a pavilion with new shelters: WCIA Blurb, News-Gazette full article with more details.
• New trail signage to check out: Earlier this month from the News-Gazette.
• A fundraiser for a "new accessible recreation area at the Lake of the Woods peninsula."

A reminder that there are often a multitude of volunteer opportunities at the Forest Preserve. More information on that is available on their website here.

The Preserve is governed by a Board of Commissioners, but meeting information for 2021 still doesn't appear to be available on the website yet. When it is, it will likely be on this page.

Hospital Property Tax Dispute Update

There was a big ruling with one of the hospital property tax cases that have been lingering over local governments of Champaign County for years now. The News-Gazette had initial coverage on their website Wednesday night when the ruling came down:

The Carle health system has prevailed in a 13-year-old legal quest to win back its charitable tax exemptions on four Urbana properties, among them Carle Foundation Hospital.

In a lengthy written opinion issued Wednesday, Judge Randy Rosenbaum found that Carle was entitled to partial tax exemptions on the properties for seven out of eight disputed years, 2005-11, and ordered the Champaign County treasurer to issue Carle a tax refund of more than $6.2 million.

The city of Urbana, Cunningham Township, several local taxing authorities and the Illinois Department of Revenue — all defendants in the 2007 suit filed by Carle — were further ordered to pick up the tab for the cost of the litigation, excluding Carle’s attorney fees.

Full article available here. Thursday's News-Gazette eEdition also has a basic timeline, going all the way back to 2004, explaining how we got to this point with Carle and the property tax disputes here (subscription). Today's paper had a breakdown of the amount owed by the individual taxing bodies:

The amounts the other six taxing districts will owe include:

— Champaign County: $1,481,897.

— Champaign County Forest Preserve: $156,913.

— Parkland College: $967,414.

— Cunningham Township: $367,295.

— Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District: $517,467.

— Champaign-Urbana Public Health District: $208,589.

While the refund must be made by the treasurer’s office, Weibel said, the money to cover the check will be coming from the seven taxing districts.

That full article available here which also had some initial response from the County Treasurer. Here's another updated News-Gazette article with a response from the Mayor of Urbana:

“We have long contended that Carle Foundation Hospital should support the health of the community in which it is located by paying its fair share of costs for public safety, infrastructure, schools, parks and other core services,” she said. “We believe that the cost of medical charity care for a service region of 1.4 million people should not be borne by taxpayers in one small city of 42,500 people.”

Marlin said the city will be considering its options going forward, but she wants to set Urbana taxpayers’ minds at rest that this ruling won’t affect Urbana’s tax rate and city services. Carle’s tax payments over the years that are now subject to a court-ordered refund have been set aside, she said.

That full article here. More on Urbana's statement on the ruling from WCCU here. WCIA had even more on how the City of Urbana was prepared for the worst here. How exactly this well affect the County and what it means for other hospital property tax exemptions and the budget, I'm not entirely sure yet. The topic has come up before on the Cheat Sheet in regards to the County's financial ratings and outlook and in long term budget concerns of the County board.

More on that to come...

Mahomet Aquifer and Wetlands Restoration

In local environmental news this past month, a new State law to help protect the Mahomet aquifer has gone into effect and plans are moving forward on restoring wetlands in the Middle Fork River Forest Preserve. WCIA had an overview of the new law protecting the aquifer, the primary source of drinking water in the area, about a week ago:

The bill requires the IEPA to use existing information available from the state and federal agencies to identify unknown, unregulated or under-regulated waste disposal sites that sit above the aquifer and may pose a threat to surface water or groundwater resources.

The new law also seeks to establish a pilot program at the Pekin Metro Landfill to identify potential and current threats to the water quality of the Aquifer from the landfill.

The proposed legislation came from the recommendations of the Mahomet Aquifer Protection Task Force, a bipartisan coalition of central Illinois lawmakers from both chambers of the General Assembly, including Representative Carol Ammons (D-Urbana) and Senator Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet).

That full article with video segment here. Previous Cheat Sheet post on the Mahomet Aquifer Protection Task Force here. The News-Gazette also had a brief Q&A on the new law here. Additional background on a gas leak impacting the aquifer that helped spur new protections on the Cheat Sheet here. The News-Gazette had a good summary of the gas leak and lawsuit timeline earlier this year:

Nearly 40 area residents are now part of lawsuits that accuse Peoples Gas of contaminating drinking water when a large amount of natural gas was leaked into the Mahomet Aquifer about three years ago.

According to a press release from Spiros Law, the firm filed a second lawsuit Monday in Champaign County Circuit Court against The Peoples Gas Light and Coke Company on behalf of an additional 21 people affected by a gas leak from Manlove Field, an underground natural-gas storage facility operated by Peoples Gas in rural Mahomet. There are now 38 people who are part of the pair of lawsuits, Spiros Law stated...

The situation came to light in late 2016 when some residents in the Mahomet area began noticing issues with their well water. Since then, Peoples Gas has acknowledged the leak at a natural-gas well at Manlove Field, 4,000 feet underground, which contaminated private water wells.

That full article available here.

The News-Gazette also had an overview of the plans for the Middle Fork wetlands restoration a few weeks ago:

The wetlands were created by beavers that had dammed up the area, but resulting flooding was affecting area farmland, so the dams had to be busted. The beavers moved on, as did the bald eagles.

Kuntz said the plan is to restore the wetlands without causing flooding problems for adjacent private property...

The work will involve building a berm with a structure that staff will be able to control for the season...

Wuellner said money from a fundraising effort in 2018 — plus a $21,000 grant from the Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation and a Department of Natural Resources grant — will help pay for the wetland restoration project.

More information at the full article here, including an update on the Willow Pond project (previous Cheat Sheet post on that here) and mention of the attention the Dark Sky Park is bringing to these issues.

Park and Environment Updates

First, some various funding updates for area parks. From the News-Gazette last month:

Virginia Theatre among tourism grant recipients
The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity has awarded $1.8 million in grants to increase Prairie State tourism — and the Virginia Theatre in Champaign is among the recipients.

The Office of Tourism announced the 17 recipients of two different grants, saying tourism produced more than $3 billion in tax revenue for the state and local communities last year.

One grant, awarded officially to the Champaign Park District/ Virginia Theatre, is for $50,000. It’s to be used for installation of “modern ‘intelligent’ theatrical lighting.”
...
The Tourism Attraction Grant program helps develop or enhance tourism attractions to boost visitation and overnight stays in Illinois. There were 13 recipients sharing $1.4 million. Officials say there were four times as many applications for this grant as there was available funding.

Full blurb available in the eEdition (with digital subscription) here. There was also an update by WCIA on Crystal Lake Park (with video segment here):

Work is underway on Crystal Lake Park Rehabilitation Project.

Developers needed the lake level lowered to allow for work on the new multi-use path.

The Park District is paying for this project with a grant from the Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program.

Carle Hospital matched the grant for a total of $537,000.

They expect the trail to be completed in July. 

Blurb and video segment available here. The Rehabilitation Project has an informational website here as well. The Middle Fork Forest Preserve's Dark Sky designation became official this month. From the News-Gazette eEdition:

Last weekend, Middle Fork River Forest Preserve was officially dedicated as a Dark Sky Park and a new park entrance sign was unveiled during a celebration attended by about 200, including people who were deeply involved in getting the park certified as the first and only International Dark Sky Park in Illinois and one of only 50 in the country.

Mary Ellen Wuellner, executive director of the Champaign County Forest Preserve District, said it was a fun celebration that included a presentation on the importance of dark skies and what individuals can do to darken skies around our own homes, presented by David Leake, director of Parkland College’s

William M. Staerkel Planetarium, who was a driving force behind the park’s new designation. Wuellner said it’s been interesting to see how quickly the park’s designation has attracted visitors and phone calls from people interested in visiting. She said there are people who make a point of visiting Dark Sky Parks, which are listed on the International Dark Sky Association’s website, darksky.org.

Blurb available with digital subscription here. There was also a blurb last week on State funding becoming available to local governments here:

Local governments in Illinois may apply for state grants to acquire or develop space for recreation areas.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources announced Tuesday that applications will be accepted beginning July 1 for the Open Space Land Acquisition fund and the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund. The OSLAD program provides 50 percent funding for qualified projects by municipalities that can show they have the ability to finance the remainder of the project.

The money comes from a portion of the state’s real estate transfer tax.

That blurb also available from the eEdition here.


Here are some additional links on the latest updates on various area environmental issues:

• From April: 5th and Hill Cleanup: Update from WCIA. Update from WCCU. Background from WILL here and from Champaign County Health Care Consumers here.
• May update on residents suing People's Gas over the natural gas leak in the Mahomet aquifer from WILL with background information as well.
• May update on Dynegy rethinking its Middle Fork stabilization plans from the News-Gazette here.
• May update on campus solar power including new Engineering roof panels from the News-Gazette here.

There was also a WCIA article on a state grant to help encourage students to bike or walk to school. More on that here.

Middle Fork and County Video Updates

First off, if you've been waiting for new County government videos, there's a new batch on the County Clerk's YouTube channel here. They include the 2/26 County Board Strategic Planning Study Session, the 3/5 Facilities Committee meeting, the 3/7 Environment and Land Use Committee, and the last County Board Committee of the Whole on 3/12.

There have a been a few news items related to the Middle Fork River in the past couple weeks. First there are some upcoming Dark Sky events, including some at our recently certified Dark Sky park for astronomical viewing. From the News-Gazette last week:

International Dark Sky Week is April 1-7, and Middle Fork River Forest Preserve, which is now an official Dark Sky Park, is hosting a special event the week after on April 13 called Discover the Night Sky at the Activity Center in the Middle Fork River Forest Preserve. From 7:30 to 10 that night, you can celebrate the dark sky at one of the darkest spots in Champaign County and learn about the night sky and light pollution, participate in hands-on activities, create and take home special crafts, speak with astronomy experts and look through telescopes. The event is free and open to all ages. No registration is required. For more information, call 217586-2612.

Blurb available at the News-Gazette eEdition here. There were also some public input given at the recent Illinois Environmental Protection Hearing on the Dynergy toxic coal ash issue (more posts on the bank armoring issue here and the toxic ash issue here). From the News-Gazette this week:

Crowd at IEPA hearing pushes for removal of coal ash near Middle ForkDespite warnings against making comments regarding coal-ash removal at Tuesday's public hearing held by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, most of the people who spoke ignored that directive.

And if there were any doubt where the more than 250 people in the audience stood on the issue, all doubt was gone after one public commenter, Cindy Shepherd with Faith In Place, asked for a show of hands: Who wants the coal ash to be moved away from the Middle Fork River?

An overwhelming majority quickly put their hands in the air...

The riverbank, which has significantly eroded, is the only thing between the river and two coal-ash impoundments on the site of the former Vermilion Power Station, which Dynegy closed in 2011.

The ash contains contaminants that can harm the environment, and Dynegy wants to stabilize the bank to avoid a collapse that could release those contaminants into the river.

But, for years, local environmental organizations have urged Dynegy, the IEPA and other government officials that the energy company should move the coal ash away from the floodplain of the river. Removal will ensure there will never be a spill and eliminate the need for future streambank stabilization projects, they argue.

More at the full article here. There was a lot of additional information on the background in an article previewing the tensions prior to this meeting as well. It has general information about the issues, but also explains the frustrations of those who have been trying to be heard about removing the toxic ash itself instead of what they consider temporary solutions:

At 6 p.m. Tuesday at Danville Area Community College's Mary Miller Gymnasium, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency is granting the public its first official — and maybe only — opportunity to comment on the record about Dynegy's plan to reinforce about 1,950 feet of bank separating the Middle Fork River from more than 3 million yards of coal ash.

River regulars have been pushing for more than four years for a public hearing on the Dynegy coal-ash impoundments. And although this hearing is narrowly focused on the stream bank project, Light and the Richarts said it's impossible to separate the two...
Coal-ash spills elsewhere — including one near Kingston, Tenn., and another in Eden, N.C. — caused "widespread environmental and economic damage to nearby waterways and properties," according to the U.S. EPA...

Rather than the proposed monthslong stream bank stabilization, Eco-Justice, the Prairie Rivers Network and other environmental groups would prefer to see quicker, smaller-scale emergency work done to the bank now, followed by long-term efforts to move the ash.

That full article here.

County Updates and Brief Board Meeting

The March County Board hearing was only 20 minutes, with most of the business unanimously passed in the consent agenda approved in the Committee of the Whole last week. The News-Gazette had an overview in a blurb in today's paper:

Board commits to rebuild Ludlow-Gifford route
The Champaign County Board committed Thursday night to spending more than $3 million to rebuild a highway in the northern part of the county.

In a 20-0 vote, the board awarded the contract on the project to Cross Construction, which made a $3.18 million bid.

The project calls for reconstructing 5.22 miles of the east-west County Road 9, running from Ludlow to north of Gifford. The road is frequently used for farm traffic and to transport market products...

In other business: — The board voted 20 to 0 to increase public defender salaries to be equitable with salaries for attorneys in the state’s attorney’s office, based on comparable workloads, time admitted to the bar and time in service.

— The board voted 20 to 0 to spend $287,052 to pay nursing home employee benefit time and nursing home management retention bonuses. This money will be included on the last paycheck from the county following the sale of the home, if and when that takes place.

Full blurb available here in the eEdition for digital subscribers. I'm still waiting for the video to be uploaded of the last Committee of the Whole meeting (updated with link) and information from the reentry presentations. In other County government news we had scammers cause the remote bail option to be shutdown for jail and the Forest Preserve doing some controlled burns. WAND had a video a short blurb and a video segment on the remote bail payments here. The News-Gazette had more in yesterday's paper:

Credit card fraud shuts down bail option in Champaign County
About 10 people have been released from the Champaign County Jail since the first of the year after having posted bail using stolen credit card information.

The discovery of the fraud prompted Sheriff Dustin Heuerman on Wednesday to suspend indefinitely the online payment method GovPay.com, which was intended to increase convenience for someone posting bail for an arrestee...

"Since the beginning of 2019, there has been more than $25,000 in bail paid with the remote option from suspected stolen credit card information. We have seen an increase in fraudulent activity as of late and fear that as word of this spreads, more fraud will take place. There are a variety of inmates who have been released as a result of this fraudulent activity and bail amounts have also varied," the sheriff said...

Heuerman said his investigators are looking into the fraud.

Meanwhile, those wanting to post bond for an inmate can still do so by appearing at the jail with cash or an actual credit card, as opposed to just a credit card number. The bond poster must present valid identification and if paying in cash, have the exact amount.

Full article here. And from Monday's News-Gazette, the Forest Preserve's efforts to get native plants to grow involves controlled burns. Video segment and a short blurb available from WCIA here. Excerpt:

Prescribed burning started today at the Champaign County Forest Preserve near Homer Lake.

It is an effort to get native plants to grow.

The area they were in today they attempt to do burns every other year.

More here. More specifically on why controlled burns help in a prairie ecosystem in a later article here.