Urbana Updates

 

The News-Gazette had a preview of one major transportation item on the agenda for tonight's Urbana City Council Committee of the Whole meeting (which appears to still be remote by Zoom):

A long-awaited reconstruction project for Florida Avenue in Urbana stands to be expanded, with much of the new higher cost potentially covered by a federal grant.

At Monday’s committee-of-the-whole meeting, the city council will be asked to sign off on a change in the city’s 2021 capital improvement plan to reflect a cost update for the Florida Avenue project — from the original $4.5 million to $12.03 million — due to an expanded scope of the project and higher construction costs.

Originally planned for the section of Florida between Vine Street and Lincoln Avenue, the new version would extend from Vine to the city line near Illinois Field.

That full article here with more details. For even more details, the resolution itself has spreadsheets for anyone wanting to figure out the various funding sources (summarized on page 2 and spreadsheets after). The agenda also continues the conversation on council goals (agenda item overview here).

A previous meeting on council goals was covered in a brief overview by WCCU here. Local activists claimed that there were Open Meeting Act violations on a local government blog here. Mayor Marlin responded to concerns on social media, arguing that the City complied with the rules, but the activists were disruptive:

"This meeting was the 5th city council goal-setting session held with city council and staff. It was held in person at Stone Creek Church in order to give space for working in small groups. It was publicly noticed and public input was held per the Open Meetings Act. Minutes were taken by the City Clerk. No formal action was taken at this session. The so-called media you reference were two private citizens who placed recording devices on tables and set up multiple cameras. They recorded throughout the meeting. The meeting was fully compliant with the Open Meetings Act." - Mayor Diane Marlin's facebook comment on 2/24/2022.

In the latest news on local gun violence, the City of Urbana is also looking at ways to use ARPA funding to interrupt the cycles of violence from WAND: 

The city is considering funding a temporary apartment or house for victims, paid for with federal COVID-19 dollars or possibly general funds.

"Looking at the ARPA funds that are coming into the community at the county level and at, of course, across each of the local municipalities as well," [Beverley Baker, chief impact officer for the United Way of Champaign County] explained.

This would ensure victims have somewhere safe to stay, while they make plans for the future. Advocates hope this will break the cycle of violence and help victims heal.

That full article here. The city's survey link here.

The retiring Chief of Police in Urbana was interviewed as part of the News-Gazette's Community Conversation on Gun Violence. That podcast segment is available here. Just after the 10 minute mark the Chief responds to a question about local shootings on the nature of the weapons evolving: e.g. from low quality and low rounds to firearms with automatic fire selector switches and far more round capacity. The latest of the Community Conversation series, Part 15, is available on the News-Gazette website here along with links to the previous parts and other related links. This includes an overview of Automatic License Plate Reader systems and policies in cities across Illinois.

There was some discussion about parking and entertainment in downtown Urbana. WCIA had summary of the issue last week:

The city of Urbana wants to turn a parking lot into a money-making opportunity – but surrounding business owners are divided.

They’re requesting proposals to use a downtown parking lot for arts and culture activities and to generate sales tax revenue. That lot is behind Rose Bowl Tavern – a music venue that began hosting outdoor events when the pandemic hit...

They said the outdoor shows drove a lot of people downtown – and that’s the city’s goal. But neighbors are concerned their customers won’t have space to park if they lose that city lot.

That full article here. Tom Kacich had a longer look at the issue and interested parties in the News-Gazette the day before that here. That article has already aroused at least one letter to the editor in support of the Rose Bowl using it as an entertainment draw to downtown. WDWS had an interview with Mayor Marlin on this issue and few others last week here.

Other Urbana Updates:

There were some news items that more broadly impacted or involved both Champaign and Urbana in a separate post here. It includes updates on the case against a local white nationalist terrorist, memorializing local COVID deaths, area staffing and other organizational news items.

• Urbana saw antisemitic pamphlets distributed, according to WCIA. More on this issue and local reactions on the recent UIUC Updates Cheat Sheet post. WCCU had more on other incidents in the region here.
• The Urbana Fire Chief is expecting to retire in early May, according to the News-Gazette. WCIA also had coverage here.
• The Urbana Police Department is also pushing for new hiring, from WCIA.
• Updates on the City's 2nd Poet Laureate and inaugural Youth Poet Laureate from Smile Politely.
• The city won an award for its budget process, according to WAND.
• Leaf collection week (April 4 - 8, 2022) information from the City website.
• Latest Park District COVID protocols from WCIA (from March 3rd, so check their news webpage for updates).
• Information on Urbana arts and cultural grants from Smile Politely.
• Carle is getting more grant funding for its local mobile clinics. From WCIA.
• Information on the upcoming UC Books to Prisoners Sale from Smile Politely.

UIUC Updates

The News-Gazette had some of the latest updates on COVID protocols on campus:

On the University of Illinois campus, you couldn’t have scripted a better day to partially lift the state’s indoor mask mandate.

The weather had bounced to a crisp 50 degrees, and a couple days previous, there was a welcome COVID-19 testing landmark: 0 new cases of the virus detected on campus for the first time in four months...

The UI campus is easing into this new shift in the pandemic. While plenty of K-12 school districts, like Champaign, went mask-optional this week, the UI is keeping face coverings required in its classrooms...

Masks are still required in health care facilities, like McKinley Health Center, campus counseling services and COVID-19 testing sites. Transportation areas like C-U Mass Transit District bus stops and Willard Airport are federally obligated to require masks.

That full article here. The University has its latest guidelines, including its guidelines on returning from spring break here.

This past month saw a lot of coverage of antisemitic messages and response from the campus and community. From WCIA last month:

Illini Hillel is responding to reports of anti-Semitic flyers placed across campus Sunday.

Executive Director Erez Cohen said dozens of students found bags with hateful messages Sunday. Some of those students are concerned for their safety...

“I think it’s important to know regardless of this intimidation tactic, our Jewish community is very strong and very welcoming,” Cohen said. “And if there’s anyone that is curious about what Jewish history is all about – what Jewish culture is all about – we would always welcome people at Hillel.”

That full article here. More response coverage from local Jewish students is available here from WCCU. More coverage from the News-Gazette here and here. WCIA also had a portion of the Chancellor's response here:

These messages are offensive, outrageous and they represent unacceptable attacks on members of our Jewish community. They are antithetical to our university values of inclusion and tolerance, and they are another disheartening example of the kind of anti-Semitic acts and expressions that are too common in our nation and right here in the community where we all live, learn and work… Sneaking around and delivering hateful, hurtful and racist messages in little plastic sandwich bags filled with gravel is a cowardly and craven way to spew hate and division in our community.

The full email is available here from the UIUC massmail system. The incident and the police investigation into it made news in regional and national news (e.g. this blurb in the Chicago Tribune and another in US News, also via the Associated Press).

WCIA also reported Illinois lawmakers speaking out against the messages and the Chancellor warning of increasing antisemitism:

The Anti-Defamation League reported antisemitic incidents increased in the Midwest by 84% between 2016 and 2020...

“What you see playing out in Urbana-Champaign, in Chicago, is kind of a microcosm of what’s going on across this nation of ours in this climate of intolerance where it just seems to be growing exponentially,” [U of I Chancellor Robert Jones] said.

The Anti-Defamation League notes college campuses are hotbeds for antisemitism because hatemongers are skilled in using academic language to express bigoted ideas to intellectually curious students.

That full article here.

The University's Chancellor has been highlighted in the news and interviews in the last month. The most detailed might be his interview with WGN that goes into his personal history, background, and what drives him to make the University equitable. Excerpt:

Jones’ high school was still segregated. Fort Valley is a historically black college. As a postgraduate, he experienced a defining part of his life. 

“Blatant issues and challenges around race. I won’t get into any details, but it was one of the most challenging periods of my academic career and I had to say to myself that I’m not going to let anybody define my future,” Jones said. 

That future took shape with its first step toward administration and away from science after becoming tenured at Minnesota as a research professor. 

That full article with video clip here. Illinois newsroom had an interview with Chancellor Jones earlier in February (with audio segment links) here.

Tom Kacich had coverage of UI President Tim Killeen's presentation on University enrollment and other topics a couple weeks back in the News-Gazette. Excerpts:

Killeen, Jones and other UI execs last week had their annual appearance before the House committee that oversees the UI appropriation — held remotely instead of in a crowded room in the Stratton Building across from the State Capitol — and it lacked some of the drama of past hearings...

In particular, Killeen asked for more money for student mental-health services, more faculty members and increased student aid...

There was a particular focus last week on the UI’s dismal numbers in attracting African American students. Last fall, there were 3,833 Black students on campus, just 6.8 percent of total enrollment. That was far less than the 17.6 percent of students who identified as Asian or the 11.2 percent who identified as Hispanic.

That full article here.

Updates on the University related to the Russian invasion of Ukraine:

• The University is working with students affected by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The News-Gazette had coverage of their efforts here. 
• The college of medicine is organizing relief efforts, according to their website.
• There was a rally in support of Ukraine by students and others on campus. The Department of Slavic Languages & Literatures had a brief summary and links to local news coverage here. More from WCIA here.

Other University Updates:

• Student elections coverage from WPGU (audio segment) here. The Daily Illini had some recent criticisms and shared some campus perspectives on Illinois Student Government here.
• Three faculty members in engineering were recognized by the National Academy of Engineering according to Illinois Newsroom.
• The University's new emergency management director was highlighted in the News-Gazette with a lot of information on his background here.
• Background on the new interim dean of the Carle Illinois College of Medicine here at UIUC from the News-Gazette.
• More on the new permanent dean of the Carle medical school coming in May, also from the News-Gazette.
• The last charges were dismissed against Sundas “Sunny” Naqvi, who initially was in the news due to a University sexual harassment case, but then got involved in a number of bizarre incidents over data.
• In an article missed in last month's UIUC update on the Cheat Sheet, there was an apology and some reconciliation between some of the campus Jewish community and an athlete who had apologized over slurs during a recorded video gaming session.
• A local University professor participated in the television gameshow Jeopardy. That blurb from WCIA. The Daily Illini had more here.
• At the state level, the governor is supporting increases to financial aid such as the MAP grant, according to Illinois Newsroom. Our local State representative made an appearance with the governor locally at an event on the subject.

School District Updates

The biggest news for many may be that masking has become optional in most schools over the past month, although not without some last minute changes, disparate enforcement, and confusion as lawsuits played out towards that end. Urbana schools, for example, required masks through the end of the State mandate and then on to Spring Break (regardless of court rulings that made it possible for some districts to make them optional even earlier).

Champaign / Unit 4:

In addition to contract negotiations with teachers (more below), Unit 4 has been struggling to retain its special education nursing staff. From WCIA:

Some special education nurses are planning on leaving the Champaign School District. They say the district increased nurse salaries an extra five dollars an hour, but they weren’t included.

Bridget Tribout says there are 13 special education students at her child’s school who need a variety of intense care, including feeding tubes, help walking and going to the bathroom. When she found out the nurses put in their two weeks notice to leave since they weren’t getting a fair pay, she tried to take action. Now, she’s lost on what to do and afraid if her child doesn’t get the treatment she needs it could be detrimental.

WCIA spoke with one of those special education nurses over the phone. She didn’t want to go on camera, but said she put in her two weeks notice. She says the district’s four special education nurses are paid less than the building nurses, so she and another nurse are planning on leaving. Parents, like Bridget Tribout, are upset.

That full article here, which included the district's response and denials. Parents and teachers showed up to show their support for the nurses at a school board meeting, mentioned in another WCIA article here. As of 3/14/2022 there are still numerous Special Education nursing position vacancies on the district's website. 

Back in late January, Teachers voted to authorize a possible strike as negotiations continued with the District on a contract and the School Board's discussions on extending the school day. From WCIA:

As contentious contract talks continue, Champaign teachers have taken the next step toward walking off the job.

The teachers union on Wednesday night released the results of a strike authorization vote, saying members voted in favor of continuing strike discussions. Of the 733 teachers that voted, 91% voted to authorize a strike.

Another more formal vote – an intent to strike vote – would be needed next. That vote along with a state filing would start a countdown to when teachers could legally walk off the job. During that window of time, each side’s offer would be posted online for public viewing.

Full article here with the District responding with its disappointment. WCIA also had coverage of the context heading into the vote here. More on the initial reactions on the extended school day here as well as a solidarity rally with parents and teachers here. Additional coverage is available from Illinois Newsroom here. By late February the teachers union was still describing a stalemate with the district over the extended day, according to WCIA. Illinois Newsroom had an article on what parents might be able to do to deal with a sudden childcare emergency last month.

The following informational links and descriptions help highlight how the discussions have gone since then to the most recent updates from the News-Gazette:

• The union's next step towards a strike sets in motion a process that could see a strike as early as March 22nd, from the News-Gazette.
• "On Friday, the union initiated the next step toward a strike: the public posting process, where both parties have to submit their most recent contract offers to the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board within a week’s time." - News-Gazette 2/22/2022
• The paper reported an airing of frustrations at school board meeting by teachers and parents and the Superintendent's response here. The News-Gazette took issue with her blaming "the media" as part of the problem in an editorial here.

And finally, the public posting of contract offers, reported a few days ago in the News-Gazette:

The Champaign Federation of Teachers is willing to consider an extended school day in two years, according to their first publicly disclosed contract proposal amid tense negotiations with the district.

Unlike the district’s four-year proposal, though, they’d like to hammer out some details over the course of a proposed two-year deal before agreeing to the measure...

Both proposals were publicly posted for the first time as part of a process put in place by the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board, and both are on the district’s website at champaign schools.org. Union members voted in January to authorize a strike with 91 percent support, and initiated the posting process on Feb. 18.

WCIA also had coverage and included the contract offers on their website as well here. 

I don't know what the future holds, but the next Unit 4 Board of Education meeting appears to be on March 28 (regularly the 2nd Monday of each month). The Board has a "Bargaining Update" page here. The local union has updates on their facebook page here.

Other Unit 4 Updates:

• Updated masking rules for staff from the News-Gazette.
• WCIA had coverage of the new metal detectors installed at some Unit 4 schools.
• The "Yes" program appears to be getting a boost after two years of pandemic issues, according to WCIA.
• Coverage of Centennial High School's blood drive in the News-Gazette.
• Street pavers from around Central High School are available for anyone who wants a piece of local history. Blurb from WCIA here.

Urbana / District 116:

COVID Masking Updates from the News-Gazette:

As school districts around the state drop mask requirements, the Urbana school board voted Tuesday to keep its requirement, at least through spring break.

“If we see a big increase in positivity due to spring-break travel, it will be way harder to say, ‘Hey, we’ve taken our masks off, let’s put them back on,’” Superintendent Jennifer Ivory-Tatum told the board. “Once we take the toothpaste out of the tube, we cannot put it back...

Ivory-Tatum said she’s been in close contact with the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District, specifically about the new omicron BA.2 variant and its prevalence, and has gotten positive feedback about the district’s plan to move forward.

That full article with a lot of additional information available here. A preview of that decision before the board meeting highlighted some of the context going in, from the News-Gazette.

Urbana's school board also voted to approve metal detectors this school year. From WCIA:

The Urbana High School Board of Education approved on Tuesday the implementation of metal detectors for the high school.

The board voted 6 to 1 to bring a special kind of metal detector at the school. The detectors are specifically designed for weapons detection as opposed to detecting cell phones and keys.

Surveys among students and staff showed a majority of them wanted something to be done to increase security at the school.

Full blurb available here. An overview of the meeting and vote is available here. More meeting information is available at the District 116 updates page here.

A student's petition on pandemic measures got a lot of attention last month. From WCIA:

Lily Wells is a sophomore at Urbana High School. She says at first, the school district handled the pandemic really well. But now, she says there are not enough safety measures in place.

Wells posted a petition online asking for required COVID-19 testing, KN95 masks and transparency. When she woke up the next day, 20 signatures turned into 120. Right now, she has almost 200 signatures. She says the other students are supportive but they suspect funding will be an obstacle. School officials are set to meet with Wells to discuss what can be done...

A district spokesperson says the school district has many measures in place to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, including weekly surveillance testing. You can find the district’s COVID Testing Plan & Protocols by clicking here, its Back to School Plans here and the district’s COVID dashboard here. All of that information can be found on the district website.

Full blurb here.

District 116 was highlighting recent efforts to collect donations for Ukrainian refugees on their twitter and facebook pages today:

The City of Urbana is offering new opportunities to honor students for good citizenship. From WCIA:

A new program will help honor Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy and support young people in developing skill sets to exercise their rights and responsibility as citizens.

The Urbana School District, along with the City of Urbana, launched the Mayoral Recognition Program on Monday to recognize Urbana High School (UHS) students who make meaningful contributions in the community.

The program is open to any UHS student who commits to a minimum of 30 hours of volunteer service during the academic year. Students with 30 hours of service will receive a Certificate of Service from Urbana Mayor Diane Marlin, USD #116 Superintendent Dr. Ivory-Tatum and UHS Principal Nance. Students with 50, 75 or 100 hours of service will also earn bronze, silver or gold status and receive an additional recognition item. 

Full blurb here.

Independent Schools:

COVID updates: Safety measures ahead of Spring Break from WCIA.

The Academy High school is moving into a new building according to WCIA:

An independent, non-profit high school in Champaign will move up the road into a bigger building this summer to keep up with growth of the student body.

Academy High has been at 2302 Fox Drive since 2017. It will move a half-mile north to 2001 Fox Drive. The school has partnered with BLDD Architects to renovate 20,000 square-feet in the new building, taking into account feedback of parents, students, staff, and other stakeholders. The school has launched a four-year, $2.2 million dollar fundraising campaign to support the move and renovations. But fundraising is not expected to prevent students from starting in the new building this fall.

Full article here.

Other local school news:

• In a recent Illinois Public Media’s News, Brews and Beatz, there was a discussion on the need for schools to adapt to the culture of their students to be more effective and welcoming.
• Before the mask mandate ended, Illinois Newsroom had an overview of the varying quarantine protocols by the local districts after earlier CDC guidance.
• The CU Schools Foundation named its distinguished alumni from Unit 4 and District 116. From Smile Politely.
• Illinois Newsroom had an overview of the teacher and substitute teacher shortage in East Central Illinois here.
• Illinois Newsroom also had a general overview of the teacher and substitute teacher shortage in Illinois here. Another article specifically highlighted the regional superintendent for Champaign and Ford counties here.
• Illinois will be looking to employ tutors to deal with pandemic related learning loss, according to the Illinois Newsroom.

City of Champaign Updates

There was a lot of big news in Champaign City government this past month or so. A major blueprint to address local gun violence and outrage over Council member's comments dominated a lot of the local coverage. This post also covers updates on emergency services staffing issues and links to many other City government updates. Probably the most covered policy issue was the new Community Gun Violence Reduction Blueprint (fixed link / original link broken). From the News-Gazette last month:

City council members voted 7-0 at Tuesday night’s meeting to adopt a plan to reduce gun violence that has been in the works for months.

The plan will see the city spend an estimated $3.21 million annually in the form of grants and investments to address gun violence in the area.

“The primary objective of the blueprint is to identify the paths that frequently lead to interpersonal violence and homicide and closing them through early intervention,” the document says. “This will be done primarily by targeting high-risk offenders and at-risk youth, community mobilization, conflict mediation and providing outreach to ensure access to social services.”

That full article with a lot of additional details here. A full overview of the blueprint is available from the City's website here. The City Council's Study Session report on the blueprint is available here. The News-Gazette had additional coverage on issues like outreach at the street level:

Champaign will seek an entity to lead this street-outreach strategy through a request for proposals, which is “estimated to be finalized within the next several weeks,” Deputy City Manager Joan Walls said.

The city’s blueprint outlined a few key traits sought for street-outreach workers. They’ll likely be native to the community and have prior experience with gangs and street organizations. Interventionists could lean on their pasts to build relationships with at-risk youth who are most likely to perpetrate or experience gun violence.

The model takes after the methods of Chicago and Boston’s “CeaseFire” programs and Operation Peacemaker Fellowship, a 20-year violence-prevention program in Richmond, Calif., all of which used street interventionists to reduce firearm-related violence in their communities.

That full article here. And issues like Carle hospital's potential role in the changes:

Carle, which would be one of multiple organizations partnering with the city as part of the program, would cover half of the $800,000 two-year cost of staffing the hospital’s emergency room with a social worker around the clock. A grant from the city would cover the other half.

As the Level 1 trauma center for a broad area, Carle’s emergency room receives many of the victims of violence and all of the critically injured victims in the region, according to Allen Rinehart, vice president of inpatient hospital operations...

Through collaborating with the city, he said, Carle would not only have social workers available 24/7 in the emergency room to talk to victims and their families, it would also have a network of other organizations involved with the city’s program to make a rapid referral to head off potential retaliatory violence.

More at that full article here. And some of the organizational and staffing changes that have already begun:

[Rachel Joy], who currently serves as community-relations manager, has been named director of the new Equity and Engagement Department and chief equity officer, effective March 21.

The new department is actually an expansion of a current division of the city manager’s office — what has been called the Office of Equity, Community and Human Rights — and is being spun off into a new and larger department of its own as a reflection of the work that needs to be done, according to city spokesman Jeff Hamilton.

It will have three divisions, among them one that will oversee the city’s massive plan intended to address the root causes of gun violence and work partner agencies.

That article here. WCIA had a brief overview here as well.

In City staffing news, there has been a lot of recent news on staffing issues in emergency services in the last month. 

• A detailed example on the Champaign Police Department staffing issues from the News-Gazette, including comparisons to other local departments and analysis.
• The Champaign PD is hiring. Quick overview from WCIA.
• Staffing issues at METCAD, an intergovernmental dispatch service for many County and local emergency services, from WCIA. The City of Champaign plays a primary role in staffing the agency.

There was also a large outcry about a Champaign City Council member's admonishment of a couple of public speakers on gun violence in their neighborhood. Illinois Newsroom had a fairly objective overview of the incident here. Video of their last of the public comments and Council Member Alicia Beck's admonishment in the first of the Council Comments immediately afterward is available here. The opinions editor of the News-Gazette and the local GOP have depicted the admonishment as an attempt to silence local citizens. An example from one of Jim Dey's columns here. 

The context of the remarks appears to be in encouraging people to speak up for all communities dealing with gun violence, and not just when it shows up at one's own doorstep. Regardless of how the remarks themselves are being portrayed, however, it is hard to see admonishing any victims of gun violence as good politics. WCIA had statements from the Council members and Mayor assuring residents of their support for public comments here.

Tom's Mailbag has received questions on the possibility of censure or recall of City Council members (Tom Kacich notes that's not currently within the laws/statutes here). The editors of the News-Gazette chose to initially respond to the incident with an unusual opinion column on the front page, above the fold. Written by Jim Dey, his framing was seized upon and spread rapidly on local social media.

With local municipal elections still a ways away, it appears the current push is for demanding the resignations of Council member Alicia Beck for her comments and another Council member who seconded her remarks.

Other City of Champaign Updates:

• The City will be releasing its Annual Action Plan this week and will be looking for public input. From Smile Politely.
• The Champaign Police Department offered tips on avoiding many of the scams going around lately. From WCIA.
• Champaign PD also restarted its "coffee with a cop" events according to WCIA.
• WCIA also had coverage of city properties purchased by Habitat for Humanity of Champaign County. A listing of all the properties that were up for sale here.
• The City will be offering closed captioning on their television programming, also via WCIA.
• WCIA also had a blurb on Garden Hills "amenities" being developed.

Local Catalytic Converter Thefts

 

Champaign County Crime Stoppers has reached out to the community for help with the regular thefts of catalytic converters from parked cars in the area. From the News-Gazette this week:

Champaign County Crime Stoppers needs the public’s help finding thieves taking catalytic converters off vehicles.

Since January 2021, about 288 of the emissions-control devices have been stolen from vehicles at several locations throughout the county.

At more than one location, a suspect vehicle and two suspects were captured on surveillance video.

That full article here. More information at the local Crime Stoppers website here and specifically on the catalytic converter theft in their "Crime of the Week" post here. WCIA had similar coverage along with a list of ways to potentially deter these kind of thefts here.

A local catalytic converter theft victim has begun a data project attempting to track the local thefts. From WCIA:

“I believe that we have fantastic civil servants doing amazing work for us here in Champaign and Urbana. I don’t want them to think that they’re being besmirched in any way by this work,” Martin said. “But I think it’s important for us as residents to be able to collect our own data and to see what’s going on ourselves.”

Martin hopes to use the information to create a map of thefts and identify patterns.

That full article here. His appeal for crime data is available at the private Spotted in Champaign facebook group here.

The News-Gazette's Tom Kacich had an overview of the problem in a recent Tom's Mailbag column:

It's illegal in Illinois for a recyclable metal dealer to purchase a catalytic converter not attached to a car unless the seller is licensed as an automotive parts recycler or a scrap processor.

That said, there are "amateur recyclers" who will attempt to process the catalytic converters and sell the valuable metal — palladium, platinum and rhodium — to legal and illegal buyers, said Tom Yelich, spokesman for the Champaign Police Department.

He suggested a few ways to attempt to deter catalytic converter thieves...

That full Mailbag article here. Illinois Newsroom also looked at the market for stolen catalytic converters or the materials within them:

Scrap yards are wary of taking catalytic converters. And there’s no evidence yet of a local black market, according to University of Illinois Police Department spokesperson Patrick Wade.

“In Champaign-Urbana, if you take it to a scrap yard, you can get maybe $10 or $20 for a catalytic converter, so [the value] is not very high,” Wade says.

Scrap yards out of town offer more — $50 or $60, Wade estimates.

More information at that full article here.

The News-Gazette also had an article this month on the costs and complications for victims of these thefts a couple weeks ago as well:

She is one of many victims of catalytic-converter theft or damage in Champaign County’s latest wave of annoying crimes. Police reports suggest it’s been going on for several months.

The appeal to thieves of the emissions-control devices that have been standard in gas-powered engines since 1975 is not new...

Supply-chain logistics are making it difficult for the Toyota dealer to get parts from the factory, so that means Shaw’s business for installing after-market converters is brisk.

That full article here.

UIUC Updates

 

This post includes some recent updates from last month's U of I Trustees meeting, pandemic updates, winter storm updates, and more. WCIA had an overview of the latest U of I Trustees meeting here, with updates afterward. Excerpt:

University of Illinois trustees at their main meeting Thursday gave final approval to tuition, fee, and housing rates for the 2022-2023 school year.

Trustees heard comments from Interim Executive Vice President and Vice President for Academic Affairs Avijit Ghosh, repeating much of what he told a committee meeting Wednesday about why the hike is necessary...

U of I President Tim Killeen at Wednesday’s meeting said the decision came after “extensive conversations” and was “not taken lightly” by top school officials. Trustees did not shoot down the proposal on Wednesday, but some urged the administration to continue to explore financial aid opportunities.

That full article here with links to the proposed tuition, fee and housing rates. WCIA also had an additional blurb on the U of I trustees' approval for the library renovations. Excerpt:

The Undergraduate Library will be completely gutted soon. They’ll start construction to turn it into a new facility. The archives, special collections, and rare books will be moved there.

Some of the university’s oldest documents need to be stored in climate-controlled rooms. so the updated building will help preserve them and open up new teaching spaces...

The main library on campus will also be redesigned. The money will primarily come from donors, endowments, and a deferred maintenance fund.

Full blurb with video segment here. There was a similar blurb by WCIA here.

The Daily Illini had coverage of the University's recommendation and distribution of KN95 and N95 masks with the new Omicron variant:

The University began handing out one N95 mask per person for free at the start of the spring semester. 

These masks are being recommended and provided now because the Omicron variant is more infectious and N95’s are available...

The masks were reserved for the health care system, but now they are available to everyone. 

That full article here. University staff were also in the news over their vocal concerns about pandemic safety measures with University guests and students. More on that from Illinois Newsroom here.

Illinois Newsroom had an overview of the mental health access issues on campus, including shortages of mental health workers. Excerpt:

Despite a growing need for mental health services in the community, the director of the Counseling Center at the University of Illinois says the resources remain underfunded and understaffed.

The University offers numerous services for mental health and counseling, but many students have complained that they’re ineffective and inaccessible, and with the rise of COVID-19 the Counseling Center has been left with not enough licensed counselors to match the needs of the students on campus. 

[Director Carla McCowan] hopes to hire more counselors to help meet the demand from students. According to the International Accreditation of Counseling Services, the nationally accepted ratio of students to counselors is 1,000-1,500:1, excluding trainees and interns, in order to best meet needs.

That full article is available here with a lot of additional information.

Other University news:

• WCIA had coverage on the passing of former UIUC dean Clarence Shelley.
• The recent severe winter weather caused classes to go remote again according to the Daily Illini. More recent Cheat Sheet winter weather updates here.
• The Illinois Student Government condemned a recent visit by former Attorney General Jeff Sessions to campus on the first day of Black History Month, put together by college Republicans. From the Daily Illini.

Winter Weather News

There were numerous closings and cancellations in the area. More information on recent closings from Illinois Newsroom here. For the latest local weather updates during this storm, check out the WCIA Winter Storm LIVE Blog or the Champaign County Emergency Management Agency twitter feed.

The severe weather also caused the University of Illinois to move to remote classes. From the Daily Illini:

The National Weather Service issued a notice that Champaign County will experience a winter storm with winds of up to 35 mph and an expected total snowpack of 5 to 15 inches from 9 p.m. Wednesday to 6 p.m Thursday. 

While the University will not be closed and classes will not be canceled, the University will shift classes and essential services online from Wednesday through Friday due to the snowstorm.

“Our goal is to reduce the number of people on the campus to allow limited staff to provide essential support services to our students and to let F&S safely clear sidewalks, streets and parking lots,”said Chancellor Robert Jones in a Massmail.

That full article here. More recent University updates on the Cheat Sheet here.

C-U at Home is adjusting its One Winter Night event for the recent severe winter weather according to WCIA:

Despite the winter weather, C-U at Home is still having its One Winter Night event on Friday, but with changes.

The event is a homeless simulation and sleeping outside in cold temperatures is a reality of our friends without an address, which is why C-U at Home will be continuing with their event. 

With heavy snowfall on Wednesday and Thursday, followed by extremely cold temperatures on Friday and Saturday, the downtown area will be limited to the parking lot north of The Venue CU, which will serve as the event headquarters. C-U at Home said this adjustment will allow them to check on participants more often and give participants better access to warming and the night’s other activities.

Full article here.

During this current storm there was an expansion of warming center hours. CU at Home had also temporarily expanded its warming center hours due to colder temperatures a couple weeks ago as well.

The addition of low barrier shelter service was also in the news this past month. From WCIA:

Advocates for people without an address in Champaign-Urbana hoped the launch of low-barrier shelters this week will allow officials to hone-in on how to best serve people who are struggling and aren’t quite ready to make a change.

C-U at Home and five other local agencies (City of Champaign, the City of Urbana, Cunningham Township, the Champaign County Board, and the Champaign County Regional Planning Commission) have chipped in time and money to establish the shelters – one for men and one for women – at New Covenant Fellowship Church and First Presbyterian Church in Downtown Champaign. The churches will serve up to 25 men and 10 women.

The “low-barrier” moniker means people cannot use drugs or alcohol on-site. However, they will not be turned away if they are dealing with something like alcohol or drug abuse or a mental health problem. C-U at Home earlier had problems with that group causing problems at its main shelter on East Washington Street, leading to the need for this new church-based project.

That full article here.

City of Champaign Updates

 

WCIA had some additional coverage and updates on the City of Champaign's Gun Violence Reduction Blueprint (more on that in last month's Champaign updates Cheat Sheet post here and gun violence updates here). Excerpt:

We’ve reported about the new $6.2 million plan, called the “Community Gun Violence Reduction Blueprint.”

However, investing in early intervention and restoration of under-served communities as a way to reduce crime is not new. In fact, the plan was tailored after two out-of-state programs with a successful track record.

We took some time to learn about those to get an idea of what’s to come in Champaign and the lessons other cities learned along the way.

That full article here with video segments. Smile Politely's editorial board had an overview of the blueprint and their take on its various parts. WAND had coverage of the city's end of the year data on gun violence in 2021:

Champaign police data includes the following; 

259 shooting incidents in 2021, a 37% increase from 2020.
142 shooting incidents with property damage, a 19% increase from 2020. 
77 individuals struck by gunfire, a 35% increase from 2020. 
16 homicide victims by gunfire, a 60% increase from 2020. 

That full article here.

A Champaign firefighter was now recovering at home after injuries in a recent fire had sent him to the ICU. From a brief update according to WCIA:

A firefighter who was hurt during a house fire on Wednesday has been released from the hospital.

A spokesperson for the Champaign Fire Department says they will continue recovering at home.

The fire happened on Flora Drive, off of Springfield Avenue. Officials say the firefighter’s self-contained breathing apparatus mask became dislodged and the firefighter breathed in smoke-filled air.

Full blurb here. More on the fire and injury from the News-Gazette here.

Two Champaign Police officers were recognized by the Fraternal Order of Police for their actions and efforts surrounding the death of Officer Oberheim in the line of duty. From WCIA:

The Illinois Fraternal Order of Police State Lodge recognized two Champaign-area police officers for their roles during and following the shooting that claimed the life of Officer Christopher Oberheim.

Creel was recognized for his actions on May 19, 2021 after he and Oberheim were shot while responding to a domestic abuse call. Despite being seriously wounded, Creel returned fire toward the suspect who shot him, killing the suspect. The FOP Valor Award was presented to Creel for “his heroic actions and high degree of courage under fire.”

Wright was recognized for supporting his fellow officers in the aftermath of Oberheim’s death. Upon learning of the shooting, Wright took the day off without pay and, at his own expense, delivered coffee and breakfast to every agency investigating the shooting. The FOP Fraternalism Award is presented to an FOP member whose leadership inspires others and brings positive change.

Full article here. Monticello's plans for an Oberheim park in honor of the fallen officer and Monticello resident had a recent preview on their facebook page. Coverage from WCCU here. Background on the Monticello park plans and the Oberheim foundation involvement from the News-Gazette here and WAND here.

More Champaign city news:

• Illinois Newsroom had a brief overview of the City of Champaign's LIFT program in cooperation with Unit 4.
• The deadline for Chief of Police applications was extended according to WCIA.
• Illinois Newsroom highlighted a CU Citizen Access article on the drop in underage drinking enforcement.
• The Champaign Public Library plans to expand its teen area. From WCIA.
• A brief update on repairing the suspected DUI damage to water control structure in Champaign from Tom's Mailbag last week. WCIA had coverage of the incident where the car ended up in the retention pond near Green and Locust streets here.
• The City Council appears to be in support of a new five-year agreement with Visit Champaign County and its efforts to bring tourism and other economic development to Champaign according to the News-Gazette.
• The Champaign Park District is offering scholarships for recreation programs according to Smile Politely.
• The Champaign Park District's Executive Director was profiled recently in the News-Gazette.
• A local developer and community booster, Craig Rost, passed away. WCIA had coverage here.

City of Urbana Updates

Urbana's police chief announced his retirement this past month. WCIA had coverage of his announcement a couple weeks ago.

Urbana is the latest Central Illinois city to search for a new police chief after chief Bryant Seraphin announced his retirement on Thursday.

Serpahin will step down on March 25. He’s been with Urbana Police for 27 years and has been chief since 2018. He became interim chief upon the retirement of Sylvia Morgan in 2018 and was sworn in as the permanent chief in 2019...

[Urbana Mayor Diane Marlin] said Thursday she plans to appoint Deputy Chief Rich Surles as interim chief. Surles has been with Urbana police for 25 years. He said he will not be a candidate for the next permanent chief.

Full article here. WAND had additional coverage and background on Chief Seraphin here. More on local police concerns about morale and staffing in a separate Cheat Sheet article here.

The Urbana City Council approved plans for a new fire station according to WCIA:

Some Urbana firefighters would be out of a cramped, old building in a couple years if the city council goes along with a plan to build a new fire station.

The project revolves around Fire Station Two at 2103 South Philo Road. The initial plan involved expanding the station using open space immediately south at 2201 South Philo Road. The city purchased that land in 2017, giving it a footprint of one-half acre to work with.

But now, officials are pivoting to a plan to build a new station across the street. “Additional flexibility is sought in terms of the design of the replacement of the fire station, as well as the size and additional facilities that might be included,” said City Administrator Carol Mitten in a memo to council. “Therefore, the City recommends purchasing the larger parcel at 1501 East Mumford Drive,” for $905,000.

Full article here. In another article WCIA highlighted Mayor Marlin's comments on the proposal:

“These new stations will give us much more opportunity to protect the health of the firefighters themselves,” she said. “The chemicals that they encounter in fires these days are much different from what they were exposed to 50 years ago.”

Mayor Marlin said if everything goes to plan, construction will begin next year. The new station may be finished by the end of 2023. Both new stations will likely be constructed at the same time.

That article here. A recent 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.

In other Urbana city news:

• Tom Kacich had some information on those new "flashing yellow arrow" lights along University Avenue in his Tom's Mailbag column here.
• Local coverage on a Habitat for Humanity home in Urbana from the News-Gazette. More information on Habitat for Humanity of Champaign County here.

C-U Police Struggling with Morale and Staffing

 

 

Local law enforcement recruitment, retention, and morale have been an ongoing issue in Champaign and Urbana. Lately there has been a slew of retirements in leadership positions as well. WCIA had an overview of recent retirements of area police chiefs:

Urbana Police Chief Bryant Seraphin announced his retirement Thursday. He’ll be leaving in March. That makes him the fourth Central Illinois Chief to announce they’re leaving in less than a year.

Champaign County Sheriff Dustin Huerman has been in his position for over three years. During that time, he’s watched three police chiefs retire or resign.

It started in July, when Decatur Police Chief Jim Getz retired. The next day, Champaign Police Chief Anthony Cobb said he was resigning. Then Kenny Winslow, the Springfield Police Chief, announced his retirement. Finally, Urbana Police Chief Bryant Seraphin said he would retire.

Full article with video segment here. 

The News-Gazette and other area outlets have also been highlighting a lot of feedback from police officers and former leadership in local law enforcement about their concerns. They generally focus on: 

• a lack of public appreciation and/or vilification.
• the extreme dangers of the job, especially with various firearm factors.
• viewing many accountability and reform policies by local government officials as undermining police or outright anti-police.

Prior to the pandemic, the local Citizens Police Academy had an extensive class that covered many aspects of local law enforcement, especially the dangers involved. The split-second decisions when firearms could present themselves in any interaction, it was argued, didn't lend itself well to second guessing after the fact. While emphasizing the danger to police while having to scrutinize every subtle gesture, even if just adjusting one's pants, it also highlighted the danger to the public. After all, who can feel safe with someone constantly making those split-second decisions about whether you continue to live? Especially if their fear and anxiety is disproportionately higher with someone of your race or simply very obvious from their speech and body language.

This is a charged and emotional life-and-death subject where objectivity may be extremely difficult. If you're generally critical of police, it may be useful to run through a thought experiment of "what if they're right" to better understand their perspective. If you're more critical of activists, the same thought experiment of "what if they're right" can similarly help. Whether one agrees with them, either in whole or in part, it can be helpful to at least understand their concerns better.

Below are some excerpts and links to articles of recent local law enforcement input on these subjects:

Champaign Deputy Police Chief Nate Rath spoke about the morale issue and other views on policing throughout his career in a News-Gazette commentary: 

I’ve been a police officer for 25 years, and the sentiment toward officers by those involved in crime has never been worse or more evil. Some sections of public sentiment are equally as troubling toward law enforcement. Criminals seem to care even less for others than they have in the past and hold the rule of law and those who uphold the law in especially low esteem.

The prevalence of illegal firearms in the possession of people who by law cannot possess them is at a critically high level. Criminals are illegally carrying guns to hunt people down to settle disagreements, and others are illegally carrying guns to protect themselves should they be attacked. Social order and civility have eroded to a point that gun violence is occurring anywhere at any time...

I retire in a few weeks, and I will miss my law enforcement family. I have the utmost respect for every one of you. While underappreciated and often second-guessed, you show up day after day to put your lives on the line and better this world.

His full commentary is available here. Some of the language may indicate the influence of some of the "warrior" training and "othering" in some popular law enforcement seminars. Most of the commentary attempted to humanize officers and encourage appreciation for the difficult and deadly situations the work puts them in.

Similar sentiments were expressed to the News-Gazette by former Urbana Police Chief Sylvia Moore: 

“I cannot begin to place myself in the shoes of the current law enforcement officers since I have been retired for over three years. All I can tell you is that it makes me sick to think that 2021 saw a record number of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty. A world where officers have become prey for those with evil intentions and a point to prove.

“You ask if the mass exodus of officers is coincidental to the all of this. Absolutely not. If it makes sense financially and in regard to their families, they are leaving the profession they once chose willingly and not looking back.

“And why not? While there will always be ‘bad apples’ in every profession, the past few years have seen officers being villainized merely for wearing the uniform. And isn’t that exactly the opposite of what so many are fighting for? To be judged fairly and on their own merits?

More at the News-Gazette article here (part of its series on gun violence here). That link also includes commentary from the former Chief Deputy Allen Jones of the Champaign County Sheriff's Office. He focused his criticism on recent criminal justice reform legislation he deemed anti-police and a lack of local government support:

“It is concerning that the negative effects from the passage of the anti-police bill HB 3653 — including lack of support for policing, unfunded mandates, decertification of officers and the future removal of cash-bail requirements — are now factoring into the decision-making process for these very talented leaders. I am concerned that these factors are driving high-quality people out of the profession and deterring many others from joining it.

“Qualified candidates exist, some even within the current agencies, and they will continue to serve and lead as best they can. However, city/county/state leadership need not just speak about supporting police, but actually show it.”

Former Urbana Police officer Bob Fitzgerald and Champaign Police officer Katherin Thompson also have comments available at that same News-Gazette link.

Champaign County Sheriff Dustin Heuerman reiterated many of the same safety concerns in the News-Gazette and WDWS interview: 

It’s not just private citizens who are concerned for their safety these days, Champaign County Sheriff Dustin Heuerman said. Law-enforcement officers are as well — on duty and off.

“It’s a tough time to be a police officer. It’s a tough time to be a corrections officer,” he told host Brian Barnhart on Wednesday’s “A Penny For Your Thoughts” on WDWS 1400 AM...

He said though some think police need to crack down by conducting safety checks for drugs and weapons like they do for potential impaired drivers, as a private citizen, he doesn’t want to be pulled over for no reason any more than anyone else does.

Full coverage and links to that here.

Guest commentary by a well known local attorney, Bryan Freres, also stressed the importance of public appreciation for those who wear the uniform. Excerpt from the News-Gazette:

1. Thank a cop.

Being a police officer is a difficult and dangerous job. They are the front line dealing with the violence. They consistently deal with people who are at their worst or who are facing the worst in others. The stress is immense.

Despite that, a phone call brings them rushing to our aid. We are blessed to have excellent law enforcement in our community. While we all should expect high standards and accountability from our officers, we should also be extremely grateful for their service.

Community support is a big deal. A random thank you or gesture of appreciation may be a small thing, but the gratitude and support adds up and helps morale. And thank a cop’s spouse, too, while you’re at it. The stress and dangers of the job don’t end simply because an officer is off the clock.

Full commentary available here. 

Wherever one falls on policy issues with accountability, reform, or gun control, the illegal weapon concerns only seem to be growing. From an WCIA article on the types of weapons being seen in the area:

Area law enforcement continues to see cases involving guns modified to be fully automatic or so-called “ghost guns” – guns assembled without a serial number.

The latest case in Champaign County involves a 17 year-old who allegedly committed a robbery last Friday in Champaign with a type of handgun that can be built at home. State’s attorney Julia Rietz said the gun was also modified to be fully automatic. Rietz is planning to charge the teen in adult court based on the nature of the crime and his previous run-ins with police.

That full article here. Perhaps one of the more universal concerns on both the law enforcement side and the community activist side pushing for more accountability of the equation, is the fear of firearms emerging in any interaction. Also the frustration of feeling afraid of people you shouldn't have to fear suddenly ending you in a split-second decision out of the best or worst of intentions.