COVID News Roundup 1/26

There has been a mountain of news and updates since our last COVID update post a week ago. That Cheat Sheet post highlighted that officials were announcing sustained reductions in cases, hospitalizations and thus reduced mitigations. Soon after that, Region 6, including Champaign County, returned to Phase 4 guidance without additional mitigation. From the News-Gazette:

Region 6 has moved out of the state’s Tier 1 COVID-19 mitigation restrictions to the less restrictive Phase 4.

The Illinois Department of Public Health announced the change Thursday morning for the 21-county region that includes Champaign, Douglas, Ford, Piatt and Vermilion counties.

The change was based on improving COVID-19 metrics for the region, including a test-positivity rate of 6.5 percent for three consecutive days, plus staffed intensive care unit bed capacity of 20 percent or more for three consecutive days and no sustained increase in COVID-19 patients in the hospital for seven out of 10 days.

That full article here. The previous Cheat Sheet post had a description and links for the recovery Phases and mitigation Tiers to get back on track after outbreaks. For additional local data and vaccine information check out the C-UPHD coronavirus data page and vaccination dashboard. The return to Phase 4 has meant less restrictions on everything from indoor dining to libraries to sports. Here are just some of the stories on loosening restrictions in the area:

• Youth Sports opening back up from the News-Gazette. There was also an earlier article prior to the decision explaining the metrics and the why.
• Impacts of Phase 4 on campus from the Daily Illini.
• The University Chancellor is pleading with students to adhere to the remaining safety guidance after some concerns were raised by long lines. Coverage by WCIA here. The student infection rate is still far lower than the general community at this time with the News-Gazette reporting its "seven-day positivity rate held at 0.3 percent."
• Champaign Park District and Urbana Park District resuming some indoor activities, reported by Smile Politely.
• Public libraries in Champaign and Urbana have limited openings as reported by the News-Gazette.

There were also some updates on vaccinations (C-UPHD vaccination dashboard):

• Some students and teachers at Unit 4 are able to start signing up for vaccinations according to the News-Gazette today. WCIA had more coverage here.
• WICS had an article on the overwhelming demand in Champaign County and surrounding areas.
• Illinois Newsroom had coverage about building trust with agricultural workers and migrant communities with outreach on the vaccine.
• The Pantagraph had coverage on vaccine delays and nursing homes.
• WICS also had updates on a new Illinois State portal on COVID vaccination information.
• The Daily Illini took a look at the possible student vaccination timeline.
• The Daily Illini also had an overview of the local vaccination push in Champaign County.

Unfortunately as we race to get as many people as possible vaccinated and get this pandemic under control, the new more contagious variant threatens to do more damage. WAND had coverage about more confirmed cases of the virus variant spreading in Illinois. The News-Gazette today laid out specific concerns with the University and the new variant possibly coming here.

Other COVID-19 related updates:

• There is now a memorial established by the Unitarian Universalist church for those lost to the pandemic locally. Reporting from WICS. 
• The IFT teachers union has announced a COVID tracker on its website according to WICS.
• The University of Illinois Board of Trustees says it is still waiting on FDA approval for expanding its testing to more people according to the News-Gazette.
• WCIA had coverage on continued visitor restrictions at local hospitals.
• WCIA and WAND had coverage on the University's "Party Patrol" to help ensure adherence to pandemic guidance.
• The University's "Mom's Weekend" in-person activities were canceled, also from WICS.
• The Daily Illini had an overview of local COVID trends while students were gone.
• There was coverage on how COVID is still impacting "Restaurant Week" events locally in the Daily Illini and WCIA.

It was a busy week for local pandemic news. By the time you read this, there will likely be more news and updates!

Regional Planning Commission Updates

As the Cheat Sheet gets back up and running for 2021, it's worth highlighting one of the major resources for services and programs in the area: The Champaign County Regional Planning Commission. This post includes a general overview of the RPC and the January commission meeting write up. First, a quick overview from their about page:

The Champaign County Regional Planning Commission is an intergovernmental membership organization that provides a variety of programming in the areas of regional, environmental and transportation planning; economic, community, and workforce development; social services; early childhood education; and technical assistance in East Central Illinois. As a multi-faceted government agency, the Commission administers over 100 federal and state grants and contracts with an annual operating budget of $25 million and a staff of over 230 professionals housed in 12 locations serving over 30,000 clients annually.

More at their website here. What you'll find with local governments is that a lot of the funding and collaborations for various programs and organizations go through the Regional Planning Commission. It acts as a conduit between funding sources (Federal, State, or private) to actual boots on the ground organizations offering assistance and services to people in your community. WICS highlighted a recent example with the Champaign County Sheriff's Office last month:

Sheriff Dustin Heuerman and the Champaign County Sheriff's Office have set three initiatives for 2021.

They pertain to Justice Diversion, increasing community relations, and continuing the work of their Special Enforcement Team...

The first initiative is working on Justice Diversion.

They will be working in partnership with the Champaign County Regional Planning Commission to get a social worker to help with certain cases that police get called to.

Full article here. More coverage on these CCSO initiatives at the News-Gazette here.

The commission itself is run by a Chief Executive Officer Dalitso Sulamoyo and commissioners representing local governments across the County. For example, Urbana Mayor Marlin is the chairperson of the commission as of 2021. The chair rotates from year to year (the previous chair was Savoy Mayor Joan Dykstra). There are also two community members serving as commissioners.

As with the last meeting, the discouraging numbers from the 2020 Census played a major role. From the November meeting minutes:

[Planning & Community Development Director Rita Morocoima-Black] presented the final numbers of the Census 2020 to the Commissioners. She commented that the numbers were not very encouraging for the Champaign County area. The numbers are lower than what the staff was hoping the numbers to be. Also, it is believed that the numbers do not include the numbers from the University. The Village of St. Joseph had 85 percent response rate.

The numbers were compared with the numbers from the 2010 Census and the news is not good. It was expected to have better numbers in comparing with 2010, but that is not the case. In Champaign County, numbers were down almost two percent. The City of Champaign was down almost six percent. The City of Urbana was down almost one percent. The Village of Savoy was down almost seven percent. The Village of St. Joseph was up four percent. The Village of Rantoul was down almost four percent. The most discouraging numbers were from the University District. This can be attributed to COVID. It is uncertain if the numbers for the University are correct. 

The full November meeting documents here (video, minutes). This helps provide some context for this January's meeting notes below.

January 22nd Commissioners Meeting:

The meeting video is available here (meeting documents, agenda, and agenda packet). There was some beginning of the year business to attend to, including the new rotating chair and approving the meeting calendar (with some revisions for remote Zoom meetings as opposed to the usual in person location).

Concerns about the 2020 Census were brought up in the last meeting as well as January's. Early indications appear to suggest that there was a significant 2% response drop from 2010. Various funding is often directly based on Census data, so this could have impacts on funding of all sorts of programs and assistance in the coming years.

In the Planning and Community Development Director's report the Census data and products will begin to be available at the end of February with overall counts in early March. Unfortunately the local counts and full details may not be known until July 31st later this summer. 

Workers comp claims and costs are down due to the impacts of pandemic restrictions. Claims are usually due to in-person incidents such as trips and falls.

The tentative launch date for additional emergency rent assistance in the County is February 26th. It was noted that landlords have been frustrated in trying to encourage tenants who qualify for assistance programs to get through the process or even convince them to apply (even though they're eligible). There was discussion about possible outreach to build trust and encourage participation. Lisa Benson, the Community Services Director, noted that there is difficulty in getting proper documentation and there is a need for in-person assistance to help people through the process.

Dennis Roberts of the Urbana City Council and the Workforce Development team at the RPC highlighted a successful beautification project collaboration they hope will inspire more collaborations with local governments and the RPC team there.

The Workforce Development team also highlighted a University committee established to address racism in the community, including a subcommittee on workforce participation. There will be public engagement coming up on ideas and historical steps in the community to move forward. There was some discussion about the energy of addressing racism locally often involving "reinventing the wheel" of beginning steps as opposed to building off of previous work. Champaign City Council at-large member Will Kyles volunteered to participate.

Chief Executive Sulamoyo didn't present his own report and left the robust division reports speak for themselves this month. The meeting went into closed session to deal with employment matters before adjourning.

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.

Champaign County Bailout Coalition Updates

This post has updates and links from the last meeting of the Champaign County Bailout Coalition, but first some context with the passage of a major piece of legislation. The Illinois General Assembly recently passed a police and criminal justice reform bill that is now waiting on the Governor's signature to become law. In a recent Cheat Sheet post we had the Champaign County Sheriff's reaction, but the bill would also impact many organizations that work with the Criminal Justice system like the Champaign County Bailout Coalition. NBC Chicago had a detailed overview of the bill earlier this month:

House Bill 3653, authored by the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus, was approved by the Illinois General Assembly Wednesday, bringing "significant changes" to things like police training policies, police accountability, transparency in law enforcement and the rights of detainees and prisoners, according to Sen. Elgie R. Sims, Jr., who sponsored the bill.

Among the changes the bill would bring are the elimination of monetary bail, a requirement that all police officers wear body cameras by 2025, a ban on all police chokeholds, new guidelines for "decertification" of police officers, and an end to suspended licenses for failure to pay, among several other changes. It also bans police departments from purchasing military equipment like .50 caliber rifles and tanks, increases protection for whistleblowers, and adds to rights for detainees to make phone calls and access their personal contacts before police questioning.

Full article here with a breakdown of the bill by topic. There is a great deal of pushback by law enforcement across the state. From CBS Chicago:

The executive director of the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police, Ed Wojcicki said he wants to be part of any upcoming discussions involving the bill.

“We’re going to ask the governor to veto it, or certainly ammendatorially veto it,” Wojicicki said. “We’re going to identify the most egregious portions of the bill.”

Once he gets the bill, the governor has 60 days to sign it. He issued a statement Wednesday supporting the bill, calling it a model for the nation in justice reform.

That full article with more details here.

The end of cash bail isn't immediate in the bill and it appears that it could take a couple years to transition to a system where a suspect is jailed based on factors such as public safety and flight risk as opposed to how much money they have. The Bailout Coalition's website about page makes clear how their mission remains relevant until that transition occurs:

The Champaign County Bailout Coalition is a non-profit and volunteer-run alliance of local individuals and organizations committed to the abolition of money bail as the criterion for determining pretrial release in Champaign County. Unaffordable bail disregards the legal right of the presumption of innocence and condemns individuals to jail before trial. Moreover, decades of research show that the risks of an individual committing a punishable offense during pretrial release or missing their court dates are unaffected by payment of bond. We believe that justice will be done only when this criminal practice is replaced by mandatory non-monetary release for as many people as possible and support for those awaiting trial.

More information on their about page here. In their most recent meeting and on their facebook page they have made it clear they're still looking for volunteers right now:

CCBC collaborates with other criminal justice reform minded organizations for court watching, fundraising and groups like the Coalition to End Money Bond. Local criminal justice activist and Co-Director of the FirstFollowers Reentry Program in Champaign County highlighted the bail reforms in his initial impressions of the passed bill:

The ending of cash bond is momentous and has been the product of years of grassroots struggle. While legislators will no doubt claim credit for this advance, the real credit goes to the Coalition to End Money Bond and the Chicago Community Bond Fund and other activists/advocates who have been so instrumental in getting this passed. In keeping away multiple attempts to water down this legislation and raising consciousness about EM and all the other ways the system tries to pretend they are making change. I especially salute the impacted people who stepped up so heroically to share their experiences of EM and pretrial injustice. Without their stories and determination, this legislation could not have passed. 

People can listen to more reactions from various organizations and activists at a virtual townhall on the Chicago Community Bond Fund facebook page.

Last week's meeting covered a multitude of topics, but a timely issue involved advocacy for priority access to the COVID-19 vaccine for incarcerated people in prisons and jails. Danville Correctional Center recently had an outbreak that they're still battling. From WCIA last month:

 New numbers released by the Illinois Department of Corrections show 30% of Danville Correctional Center’s inmates are currently battling COVID-19.

“We dreaded this day,” Education Justice Project‘s Rebecca Ginsburg said. “We thought it was likely to come eventually. The warden, especially at Danville Correctional Center, has done a good job of delaying this day. But the day has arrived. The numbers are increasing, doubling – more than doubling on a weekly basis.”

Full article here. Another update from WCIA a few days ago included two new deaths:

Two men in their 60s who are inmates at the Illinois Department of Corrections prison in Danville have died since Thursday after contracting coronavirus...

WCIA reported Jan. 5 that an inmate in his 40s had died on Dec. 26.

Since the start of the pandemic, a total of 896 inmates have tested positive for the virus. Of those 741 have recovered and 155 cases are still active.

Another 147 jail staffers have also tested positive. Of those, 135 have recovered and 12 cases are still active.

That full blurb here. The local Champaign County Sheriff gave a presentation on safety issues at the Main and Satellite jails in Champaign County to the County Board's facilities committee (agenda, video) earlier this month. His presentation included the various ways they have attempted to prevent outbreaks locally in spite of serious limitations in their ability to separate and quarantine the number of incarcerated people during intake and in housing.

The Champaign County Bailout Coalition meetings are bimonthly on Thursday evenings and the upcoming dates/times can be found on their facebook events page here. Their meetings are currently on-line and their next meeting is January 28th at 5-6:30pm. 

January County Board Meeting

The regular meeting of the Champaign County Board was this week (agenda packet, video). Click these links for previous Cheat Sheet posts on Committee meetings earlier this month here and last week's Committee of the Whole and Special meeting here. The January meeting came on the heels of a ruling on the the longstanding disagreement on the appointment power of the County Executive in her favor. From the News-Gazette earlier this week:

A legal dispute between Champaign County’s first elected county executive, Darlene Kloeppel, and the county board over executive authority has been decided in Kloeppel’s favor...

The county board hasn’t contested Kloeppel’s authority to make appointments to non-elected vacancies. In filling elected position vacancies, however, the board has relied on the state election code, which states unexpired terms of elected officials should be filled by the appointment of the county board chair with the advice and consent of the county board.

The board contended that the plain language of that statute controls language in the county-executive law, Bohm wrote, but that fails to take into consideration that the county-executive law was passed more recently than the election code.

Full article here. This had left a previous appointment to fill a vacancy on the board in a bit of limbo. Former County Administrator and Deb Busey served as a parliamentarian in case of complicated protocol issues arose. A vote to confirm the appointment of the previous appointee, Cameron Raab, maintained the status quo without any fuss. Some board members facial expressions appeared to ask what the point was of this protracted battle that changed nothing in the short term.

The News-Gazette's conservative opinion columnist Jim Dey had overflowing praise for the ruling as "persuasive," "a tour de force, a clear and concise examination of all the issues involved and a thoughtful rationale..." that leaves one wondering if he's merely a glowing fan of the new Republican Judge. More likely, Republicans are looking at the long term ramifications and the original conservative intentions of the County Executive as a Republican check on a Democratic County Board. The position was designed by and for the popular former County Clerk Gordy Hulten who compared the position to being President of the County. Dey only went as far as describing it as "akin to having a mayor for the county."

When the political tides change, we may see another reversal of who wants to keep the County Executive Form of government, and who wants to revert back to having an appointed County Administrator.

After the appointment was approved, Board Member McGuire called on folks to help others with access to the vaccine. Some of the methods for gaining access use technology which can be difficult for some, especially many elderly people at greater risk. He was also hoping for more detailed breakdowns of vaccination progress among categories such as age groups and Nursing Home residents. The health department's vaccination dashboard has more general data, but includes the current phases and eligibility here.

Appointment votes on a few other boards and commissions fell down mostly party lines. Democrats blocked an appointment to the Mental Health Board, seeking a different candidate to be nominated. Republicans voted against another MHB nominee, but didn't have enough votes to block him.

The Auditor had a presentation for folks interested in the nitty-gritty of the previous year's budget, CAFR (what's this?) and process. It's available at the 45 minute mark in the video. The presentation slides are available here on the County website.

There was an issue with a public participation earlier in the meeting, with one person unable to be heard due to a technical issue. The Board voted to allow Amanda Dixon the opportunity to comment later in the meeting with a vote at around the 54 minute mark. She expressed her frustrations about Animal Control and other authorities not taking her complaints about a pet hording couple seriously until they had caused serious harm to the animals.

There appeared to be some other members of the public attempting to comment as well, but the vote to make an exception was only for the speaker who had the earlier technical issue by name. After last week's nearly 5 hour long COW meeting, there didn't appear to be a willingness to have an extended late night public comment opening.

The meeting ended with a bipartisan statement of appreciation of Deb Busey helping as a parliamentarian and her long time dedication to the County government.

More COVID Updates: Tier 1 Mitigation

Following up on yesterday's COVID updates on the Cheat Sheet, news broke yesterday that Region 6 has jumped back to Tier 1 mitigation status, which includes Champaign County and of course Champaign-Urbana. This follows recent news of the more infectious UK strain of the coronavirus being detected in Illinois (the vaccine appears effective against this variant). First the good news from WAND last night:

Central Illinois regions have moved to lower COVID-19 mitigation levels after the state announced a hospital staffing program and changed its mitigation metrics. 

Region 6, which includes the east half of central Illinois, has met the metrics to move to the Tier 1 mitigation level. Region 3, or the west half of central Illinois, will have even fewer restrictions as it moves to Phase 4 of the original Restore Illinois plan. Both regions were previously under Tier 3, which is the strongest mitigation level possible. 

The changes significantly reduce restrictions to businesses and will allow bars and restaurants to reopen in central Illinois. Tier 1 allows limited indoor service at the lesser of 25 percent capacity or 25 people in the room. Indoor tables can't exceed four people under Tier 1 and indoor service is suspended for business that don't serve food. 

Full article with more regional details here. The Illinois Department of Public Health mitigation page explains what this means in far more detail here. The local situation involved a longer trend of slowly declining cases and other indicators. From the News-Gazette website last night:

The new rules take effect immediately, IDPH spokeswoman Melaney Arnold told The News-Gazette.

It was a close call Monday. Region 6's hospitalization number dropped by just one, to 180, giving it the required seven days of decline in a 10-day period.

The other metric the region needed to go its way — a seven-day positivity rate under 8 percent — wasn't as close. Region 6's rate fell from 7.0 to 6.7 percent Monday, its seventh straight day in decline...

In reaching Tier 1, Region 6 isn't all the way back to where it was before Nov. 20, when Gov. J.B. Pritzker placed all 11 regions in Tier 3. The last remaining step is to move from Tier 1 to Phase 4.

Full article here with more details and local data. If you're confused, you're not alone. The State of Illinois' Coronavirus Response website breaks down what they mean by each phase of the recovery (e.g. Phase 4 here). The more helpful link on the right hand side is Mitigation, which explains the mitigation tiers to fight a resurgence of COVID-19 during this process. In other words, if a region starts getting a lot of new cases, they could end up in one of the tiers of mitigation before getting back on track. They have a simplified chart to help:

There's a full breakdown and explanation of the Illinois tier system here. People didn't want a "one size fits all" system, so probably the best thing you can do is check for updates from your local health department to know what the current status and rules are: Champaign-Urbana Public Health Department COVID-19 dashboard.

The C-UPHD Administrator also had an update yesterday on data on with Elizabeth Hess on Urbana Public Television and available on YouTube here. All of this comes on the heals of news a few days ago that the UK variant of the coronavirus had been detected in Illinois. From the IDPH website:

The Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) and Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today announced the first case in Illinois of the SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.1.7 first identified in the United Kingdom. The case was identified by the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine through sequencing analysis of a specimen from bio-banked samples of COVID-19 positive tests.

The new strain was first identified in the United States about two weeks ago in Colorado and has since been identified in several other states. Evidence suggests that this variant can spread more easily than most currently-circulating strains of COVID-19, but there is no evidence that the new strain affects the sensitivity of diagnostic tests or that it causes more severe illness or increased risk of death. In addition, data suggest current vaccines will be effective and safe in providing protection against the variant. 

“This news isn’t surprising and doesn’t change our guidance around COVID-19. We must double down on the recommended safety strategies we know help stop the spread of this virus,” said CDPH Commissioner Allison Arwady, M.D. “In order to protect Chicago, please continue to wear a mask, practice social distancing, wash your hands often, do not have outside guests in your home, and get vaccinated when it is your turn.”  

Full news release here. And since nothing about this pandemic can ever be simple, it's probably worth noting Dr. Ezike's warning in the St. Louis Dispatch:

Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said Friday that the discovery of the U.K. variant in the state means residents should take extra precautions in the weeks ahead. A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report released Friday modeled that it could become the predominant variant in the U.S. in the early spring. Other variants have been identified here and in South Africa, Nigeria, Brazil and Japan.

“If we do not continue to wear our masks, watch our distance, and avoid gatherings, this new variant could sweep across the state as it swept across the U.K.,” Ezike said. “That would lead us back to a place that we don’t want to go.”

That full article here, though it is mostly on Missouri's coronavirus situation. What the future holds in Illinois may come down to whether the impact of more infectious variants of the virus outrace our vaccination efforts. It's worth reiterating from the IDPH news release that, "data suggest current vaccines will be effective and safe in providing protection against the variant."

For other COVID-19 Updates this week, see yesterday's Cheat Sheet post here.

COVID Updates 1/18

There have been several recent local news stories and updates on the pandemic that are worth highlighting. You can always check local coronavirus data on the C-UPHD website's coronavirus information page here and the latest vaccine information on their vaccination dashboard here. In spite of some concerns in other states and national news, the local health district dismissed any concerns at the local level last week. From WCIA:

There are some concerns about the vaccine supply at the federal level, but officials with the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District said they are not concerned at this point.

They’ve opened two clinics on opposite sides of Champaign for people 65 and older and underlying health conditions, and are working with the state to give others who’ve had their first dose the second. They’re asking people who haven’t gotten theirs to be patient, and that their vaccine will be coming soon.

Full article here with a brief video segment. There was also a recent variant in Illinois discovered that the vaccine also appears effective against. As of today the News-Gazette has the tally of local deaths at 99 including two additional deaths reported today. A couple other figures from that update:

The number of Champaign County residents hospitalized with COVID dropped by two, to 28.

New cases in the county were up in the past day by 85, to 15,428, with 721 of them currently active -- 39 fewer than the day before...

-- Close contacts currently in quarantine declined by 80, to 1,006.

That full blurb is available here. The News-Gazette's vaccination updates yesterday put the percent of Champaign County residents with both doses of the vaccine at roughly 1% and those with at least the first does at 4.9%.

The total now stands at 10,303 — or 4.9 percent of the county population — according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.

A smaller group of county residents — 2,018, or 0.96 percent — has received both doses of the vaccine. That's an increase of 201 from the previous day.

Full article here with additional information and data from surrounding counties. The latest update on the C-UPHD facebook page notes that the January 19-22 appointments are full:

Due to the overwhelming response, all appointments for COVID-19 vaccinations for Champaign County residents age 75 and older and those 65-74 with underlying health conditions for January 19-22 are full. We will notify the public of the next clinic as vaccine becomes available through our website and social media pages.

Long term care facilities are being vaccinated by Walgreens & CVS pharmacies. This arrangement was made through federal contracts. This process is running parallel to our community clinics.

That facebook update available here. News-Gazette coverage announcing that round of vaccines here. While health officials and elected leaders continue to assure the public of the safety and efficacy of the vaccine, a significant minority of health workers have had some hesitancy in getting vaccinated themselves when given the opportunity. From Illinois Newsroom:

Despite more Champaign County residents becoming eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, one-third of health care personnel in the county still aren’t vaccinated due to their own concerns about the vaccine, according to the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD)...

“I would say about a third of the population has this hesitancy about the vaccine,” says Awais Vaid, Deputy Director of CUPHD. “[They] are basically wanting to wait and watch for maybe a month to see how the rollout goes, if there are any serious adverse effects, if there are complications.”

...

“We’re hoping that people who are hesitant make up their mind pretty quick and get us on the [right] path,” he says.

That full article here. The hesitancy of some health care workers was expressed at a recent local Q & A session with Julie Pryde, the Public Health Administrator at C-UPHD. At the NAACP of Champaign County event, one person noted their primary doctor expressed personal doubts about taking it. He asked what a patient in that position should make of that in their own decision making. Pryde suggested a second opinion while pointing out that the data is showing that the vaccine is safe and working. She said the hesitancy among some health care workers was kind of concerning because it worries other people too.

For those betting on herd immunity, we're still a long ways off according to a recent WCIA article:

“About 10 to 15 percent of the population have already had Covid in Champaign,” Deputy Administrator for Champaign Urbana Public Health Ditrict Awais Vaid said.

That number helps build immunity, but it needs to be much higher to reach herd immunity.

That’s why public health officials would rather people get vaccinated instead.

That full article here.

The local Unitarian Universalist Church is having a memorial event tomorrow for those lost to COVID-19. From Smile Politely:

The Unitarian Universalist Church of Urbana-Champaign is installing "Open Hearts: A COVID Memorial" on their grounds Tuesday, January 19th. There will be a small dedication ceremony, with remarks from Champaign-Urbana Public Health Administrator Julie Pryde, Urbana Mayor Diane Marlin, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Chancellor Robert Jones, Champaign Mayor Deb Feinen, and UUCUC member Julie Laut and blessing from Reverend Caplow and Reverend Sally Fritsche.

Full blurb with additional information and links here. More from the UUCUC website here.

County Organizations Roundup

The first meetings of the year can be helpful in catching up with local organizations and what they're planning in the year ahead. Regardless of when you attend your first meeting, however, the most important step is just showing up! This post has updates on the NAACP of Champaign County, Champaign County Reentry Council, and Champaign County Community Coalition.

NAACP of Champaign County:

This month the NAACP of Champaign County didn't have a regular meeting, but it did have its second Q&A meeting on the COVID vaccine and additional concerns within the community about implementation, safety, and building trust. For folks who missed it, the Community Coalition had a brief presentation from C-UPHD's Julie Pryde and Dr. Oliphant here (COVID presentation starts at roughly the 35:34 minute:second mark and Dr. Oliphant's comments start at roughly 41:20).

The local NAACP was also in the news this week for its feedback on the City of Urbana's attempts to reform its use of force policies:

But the changes did not please many of the public commenters at Monday’s city council meeting, including the leaders of the Champaign County branches of the ACLU and NAACP.

“Overall, this policy fails to accomplish the purpose of protecting the public from excessive use of force, or other misconduct by police, nor is it designed to substantially diminish the number of incidents in which force is used,” past president of the local ACLU Carol Spindel said on behalf of her organization and the local NAACP. “And really, this is a policy for the 20th century, not the 21st.”

...

And local NAACP President Minnie Pearson called “weak” the language that says “tactical de-escalation should be used whenever feasible.”

“The word feasible kind of troubled me,” she said. “I thought a better word would be ‘shall.’”

Full article here. The local branch has also been heavily involved in seeking reforms in Unit 4 schools and its search for a new Superintendent. The News-Gazette had an update on the three superintendent finalists for the position here. Video of their community presentations is available from the Unit 4 website here along with a link for community feedback.

Champaign County Reentry Council:

The Champaign County Reentry Council had its first meeting of the year last week as well. My last update on the Cheat Sheet was pre-pandemic (post available here) so a quick reminder of what the Reentry Council is:

The purpose of the Reentry Council of Champaign County is to provide a means of communication and coordination among community organizations, public officials, advocates, and others involved in the community response to persons returning to Champaign County from incarceration in federal prison, state prison, or the county jail. The Council also receives and reviews data regarding jail bookings, jail-based screenings, and connections to services for the purpose of coordinating community services and planning. The Council receives regular reports from organizations providing reentry and related services, reviews funding opportunities, and recommends actions which will enhance public safety, reduce recidivism, and improve outcomes for those returning from incarceration and their families.

The constituencies with voting representation on the Council are the Champaign County Board, the Champaign County Sheriff’s Office, the Champaign County Mental Health Board, the State's Attorney's Office, the Judiciary, the County Jail, Champaign County Health Care Consumers, Champaign County Probation, U.S. Probation, Rosecrance Central Illinois, the Champaign County Continuum of Care, Champaign County Housing Authority, Champaign County Regional Planning Commission, FirstFollowers, Ann's House, GROW, State of Illinois Department of Corrections Parole, TASC, a law enforcement representative, a liaison from the Crisis Intervention Team Steering Committee, and a designated Citizen Representative.

Each month the Council meets and goes over data related to the reentry population and connecting them to services to meet their needs as well as presentations from various agencies and reentry programs locally. This month's meeting had a lot of updates on mitigation changes and how various agencies and programs have had to adapt to providing services during the pandemic.

There was an active discussion supportive of bringing IDOC's Summit of Hope expo back to the Champaign-Urbana area for connecting parolees and probationers to local services. There was also some follow up to an opportunity for agencies to make short videos that would play in the prisons to let the people housed there know about reentry programs and services they may need.

The Housing Authority of Champaign County also has a flyer posted in its news section this month of one of the programs they're working on for reentry populations: The 2nd Chance Eviction Prevention Program. 

Champaign County Community Coalition:

The Community Coalition meeting (video, agenda) included updates on a COVID-19 youth messaging campaign, information on today's MLK Jr. Celebration (which will include live remarks from civil rights activist Reverend Barber), and a the COVID presentation mentioned above (starting at 35:34 in the video). 

The Coalition has regular updates on gun violence and other issues in their Police Chiefs' Update in which the local chiefs of law enforcement present updates to the community. The increase in shootings and gun violence mirrored an article earlier this month in the News-Gazette:

What police are finding is that not only are there more shootings, but there has been a significant increase in the amount of firepower.

Consider, for example, a Dec. 4 incident in which two men in a vehicle fired at Champaign County sheriff’s deputies trying to stop their vehicle for speeding. When the car they were in was ultimately stopped, police found an AR-15 assault rifle, two handguns and a drum magazine that can hold 50 to 100 bullets.

“Most officers don’t even carry 50 bullets on their person,” said Champaign police Sgt. Dave Griffet, a police officer for 30 years.

That full article here. There were also some updates on getting back to school this spring at Unit 4 and District 116 with the latest mitigation rules and strategies.

County Board Roundup: Recorder, Appointments, Animal Control

This past week the County Board had a Committee of the Whole meeting, a special meeting, and a court ruling on appointments. The discussion and votes mostly revolved around appointments and a referendum on eliminating the County Recorder office by merging it with the County Clerk's office. There was also some discussion on the Animal Control office and its handling of euthanasia cases after a tragic mistake over Christmas.

The Committee of the Whole (video, agenda packet here) was a marathon meeting lasting nearly 5 hours. Most of the public comments revolved around the outrage of the Animal Control euthanasia error and some input on how best to eliminate the Recorder's office. The News-Gazette had an overview of the Recorder referendum approved a couple days later at the special meeting (video, agenda):

The long-debated question of whether Champaign County should eliminate the elected office of recorder of deeds is now set to head to voters.

At a special meeting Thursday night, the county board approved putting the question on the April 6 ballot.

Specifically, voters will be asked if the office of Champaign County recorder shall be eliminated, with all duties and responsibilities of that office being transferred to the county clerk’s office, at the end of this year.

Full article here with a brief overview of what the Recorder office does and how those duties are often part of a County Clerk's office in Illinois counties. Most of the discussion in this week's meetings revolved around the technical issues of how long it would take to transfer the responsibilities of the office and ultimately end the elected office overseeing it. A compromise for the end of this year won out in the end.

Of the long discussions and arguments about appointments, probably the most important point was that appointed positions are difficult to fill and the County needs more applicants and interest.

If you are interested in learning more and applying for a vacancy, start on the Board Appointments page: http://www.co.champaign.il.us/CountyExecutive/Appointments.php

The County Executive also has appointment news on the Executive's News page: http://www.co.champaign.il.us/CountyExecutive/countyexecnewsreleases.php

This page lists the different appointed bodies overseen by the Board. To find a current opening, start by clicking on the “Vacant Appointments” tab.

The appointments links on the County website can be a bit circular and confusing as the appointment authority has changed with the new County Executive form of government. This has been a subject of lawsuits, including the most recent ruling establishing the Executive as the clear appointment authority, with the County Board's authority to advise and consent to those nominations. The News-Gazette highlighted a potential hiccup with a recent vacancy appointment to the board itself:

Whether it will have any impact on the recent appointment of Cameron Raab to fill the other District 6 seat formerly held by Mike Ingram, who resigned after being elected county recorder of deeds in November, remains to be seen.

Kloeppel vetoed Raab’s appointment, but her veto was ignored and Raab was seated as a new board member.

Kloeppel said Friday she could potentially appoint Raab herself, or she could let her veto stand — in which case the board could override it — or she could contest the appointment, though that would require going back to court.

That full article with more details and background here. Other appointment discussions included more legal technicalities about statutory requirements for partisan balance on the Board of Review (an overview of the Board of Review is available at a previous Cheat Sheet post here).

The discussion on the Animal Control Department didn't result in any substantive votes or changes, but there have been a couple updates in the local news about new protocols to hopefully prevent any further errors and allay concerns with the public. Illinois Newsroom had an overview of the discussions and copies of memos on the subject:

Both County Executive Darlene Kloeppel and Animal Control director Stephanie Joos issued memos reporting on the incident (they can be seen below, following this article). In her report, Joos said she’s taken steps to prevent future mistakes. Because there was confusion over the description of Dada, additional fields have been added to the department’s loss report form, so staff can provide more details. And kennel cages at the department’s pound will have additional signs showing the status of each animal.

“These new measures have been implemented to assure this will not happen again,” Joos wrote in the memo.

That full article here. WCIA had additional coverage with a short video segment here.

Sheriff Reacts to State Criminal Justice and Police Reform

 

The State legislature passed a fairly sweeping criminal justice and police reform bill during its 'lame duck' session and appears on its way to becoming law with the Governor's support. Champaign County's local sheriff had made his concerns about the bill public beforehand. The News-Gazette talked to him again after passage in today's paper:

Democratic Champaign County Sheriff Dustin Heuerman said he stands ready to work with Illinois lawmakers on sweeping changes they approved Wednesday in the state’s criminal-justice system.

“I’m disappointed in the manner in which it was passed,” he said Wednesday. “But the bill this morning was better than the bill last night.”

...

“I think it helps us get unethical officers off the streets faster with the attorney general’s certification bill that was wrapped up in this,” he said.

Another advantage, he said, is the bill requires candidates running for sheriff to have law-enforcement certification.

That full article is available here. The County Sheriff and State's Attorney concerns were covered in a previous News-Gazette article here. Excerpt from that earlier article:

But Vermilion County State’s Attorney Jacqueline Lacy, Champaign County State’s Attorney Julia Rietz and Champaign County Sheriff Dustin Heuerman said there is not enough time before the end of the lame-duck session Wednesday for lawmakers to thoughtfully consider the sweeping changes and get feedback from the public.

The timing, Rietz and Heuerman said in a release, “leaves one to wonder if the true intentions of this bill are for well-rounded criminal-justice reform that will enact change while also protecting the safety of the community.”

That older article available here. NBC Chicago had one of the better overviews of all of the changes the bill entailed broken up into sections. Excerpt:

Among the changes the bill would bring are the elimination of monetary bail, a requirement that all police officers wear body cameras by 2025, a ban on all police chokeholds, new guidelines for "decertification" of police officers, and an end to suspended licenses for failure to pay, among several other changes. It also bans police departments from purchasing military equipment like .50 caliber rifles and tanks, increases protection for whistleblowers, and adds to rights for detainees to make phone calls and access their personal contacts before police questioning.

Detainees, prisoners and all those who interact with police officers will have the expectation of prompt medical care while in custody, with special accommodations made for pregnant women. Charges of resisting arrest must cite a justification for the original arrest that was allegedly resisted against under the measure, as well.

That full overview and article available here. The Sangamon County Sheriff was far more dire in his reaction to the bill claiming the "devastating" bill will make people less safe. His reaction available from WCCU here. The Champaign County Bailout Coalition that has been fighting to end cash bail for quite some time explains some essentials of the bill from their perspective and additional information on their facebook page here.

Getting Started in a New Year!

It's been a tough year for a lot of folks in the past year. With the pandemic, social unrest, and divisions on what people believe is objective reality. The Cheat Sheet has unfortunately been down for most of the pandemic. At first, overwhelmed with all of the new changes in covering and accessing local government along with new limitations and time constraints. 

For 2021 there are a lot of updates coming:

• The Champaign County Clerk website is new, so a lot of our informational links need to be updated.
• There's a whole new slate of County Board members that are already changing!
• There's an upcoming local election for municipal offices that'll be covered more on the C-U Local Cheat Sheet here.
• That's just to start! More updates and information are coming soon!

We appreciate all of the support and help we've received by local leaders and local journalism to make this a helpful tool. Thanks for the kudos and complaints... both helped us in the past and will certainly help in the future.

If you're just getting started on learning what's going on with County government, there were a couple committee meetings that are available on the County's facebook page that started out the new year.

January's Facilities Committee, which usually deals with more mundane planning and projects for the vast properties the County government owns and operates, was a good start. With a new County Board the Champaign County Sheriff had an overview of the Main and Satellite jail buildings, safety issues, and pandemic updates. The agenda packet with safety inspections on both facilities is available here. The full meeting video is available here.

Yesterday's Environment and Land Use Committee (ELUC) had Part 1 of a 5 part presentation on waste management issues in the County (agenda here, waste presentation PowerPoint here, and video here). There was also an interesting overview of what the County has to do to get back in compliance on its "noxious weed" responsibilities.

The rest of the January meeting calendar is available here. Main County website with additional information here.

Candidate Guide and Upcoming Consolidated Primary

Local municipal elections are coming up with the Consolidated Primary Election on TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2021 (there will be early and mail in voting options!).

This is the non-partisan Candidate Guide put out by the Champaign County Voters Alliance (CCVA) in partnership with the Champaign County League of Women Voters (LWVCC). Both organizations are non-partisan and make no endorsements of candidates or parties.

Link to the Guide: http://votechampaign.org/guide.php

Main page / voter resources: http://www.votechampaign.org/

About the guide: http://votechampaign.org/about-guide/

Important dates from the County Clerk's Office:

More election information from the County Clerk elections webpage: https://champaigncountyclerk.com/elections