Op-Ed

Our Opinion section is mostly populated with our weekly Editorial Board offerings, but every once in a while someone with an opinion to share will reach out with a pitch. We’ve published articles on the foul smells emanating from Kraft, the emu, school district issues, jail …

In a huge win for the environment, native pollinators, and gardeners across the state, Illinois recently passed HB5296, also known as the Native Homeowner’s Landscaping Act. In summary, this bill: Provides that an association shall …

From around May to October, it is construction season in the Midwest. This summer local drivers dealt with a number of closures around town like the Springfield Avenue viaduct and a large scale sewer project …

Reported crime in Urbana during 2022 and 2023 was the lowest it’s been for ten years, but you wouldn’t have known it from the recently proposed more than $4 million increase in Urbana’s police budget …

In 2018, the Champaign County Board sold the Champaign County Nursing Home. In 2023, that facility was shut down by the private market entity that bought it. In five short years, our once publicly-run elder …

The article was written with collaboration from the Urbana Schools Action Coalition.  It’s been over 5 years since a significantly low point for Urbana School District #116 (USD116). The resignations and removals of those in …

Like so many others in Champaign-Urbana, I’m a proud dog parent. We adopted our first dog in early 2023. He’s a former stray, and based on his timid and shy behavior at the time we …

“He calls first thing in the morning just to say good morning,” said Blaine Lee, whose son was arrested in Urbana on a gun charge and has been in jail for two years. “Usually, he …

The housing problems facing Champaign-Urbana residents are nothing short of a crisis. For renters in particular, the price of living in our community is out of control. While landlords and owners may blame inflation, even a …