Bellflower, IL

(WAND) - A Champaign man has been sentenced to 30 years in prison after he admitted to raping a woman at knifepoint. Robert Perry, 31, will have to serve at least 25 and a half years after he pleaded guilty to aggravated criminal sexual assault Monday. The News Gazette reports...

GIBSON CITY – Second-year head coach Crystal Richard conducted her Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley High School volleyball team’s second week of practice. As the team practiced without masks on their faces, she said she is looking forward to a regular season in which high school volleyball teams are not “dealing with random policies and other limitations” due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

GIBSON CITY — Bill Kirby is expecting a big crowd — hopefully as many as 3,000 people — to be in downtown Gibson City on Saturday night to take in some live music, food and perhaps a beer or two. Last year’s inaugural Summer Bash, sponsored by...

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — A professor at the University of Illinois has been arrested and charged with sedition in Pakistan. Shahbaz Gill is a well-known politician in Pakistan who also works with the Gies College of Business. U of I officials confirmed that he did not teach classes last semester and was not scheduled to […]

Illinois State Police to Conduct Nighttime Enforcement Patrols. Pesotum – Illinois State Police (ISP) District 10 Interim Commander, Acting Captain Bryan Pruitt, announces the ISP will conduct Nighttime Enforcement (NITE) patrols in Champaign County during August. NITE patrols allow the ISP to focus on preventing, detecting, and taking enforcement action in response to impaired driving and occupant restraint violations especially between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — It took him 35 years, but Christopher Young finally received his bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Illinois in May. The 53-year-old Navy veteran and and former Champaign Police officer said he has been interested in space since a young age. “I blame Star Trek. Scotty was an […]

FARMER CITY, Ill. (WCIA) — A shoe drive fundraiser for a daycare starts on August 15 and will run through October 14. Carolyn Denno, a Farmer City resident, started the fundraiser to raise money to open Lighthouse Daycare. “I wanted to start this fundraiser to raise money to open a daycare in Farmer City,” Denno […]

CHAMPAIGN COUNTY, Ill. (WCIA) — People in Champaign County can now apply for assistance in paying their energy bills through the Champaign County Regional Planning Commission’s Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). Starting Wednesday, people can sign up for an appointment to meet with program representatives. Those meetings begin Sept. 1 and will take place […]

We know school is back in session but it still feels like summer when it comes to the weekend. Families can choose from a myriad of events and activities this week in Champaign-Urbana. We hope your family has had a smooth transition back to school this week, if you’re in...

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCCU) — In an 8-0 vote Tuesday night, the Champaign City Council approved the creation of a low-barrier homeless shelter at 119 E. University Ave. in Champaign. The Champaign City Council will be working with the city's Township on the project. This will be Champaign's first all-year-round shelter, helping those who are most vulnerable in the community.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill., (WCIA) — Many towns across the state of Illinois will start to see changes to their downtown areas, including Champaign.  It’s part of the Rebuild Illinois capital program. On Monday, Governor Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) announced a $106 million grant that will help revitalize 50 different […]

MAHOMET, Ill. (WCIA) — Most farmers have been checking corn yields with some pleasant surprises and some disappointments. Greg Johnson, grain originator for TGM Marketing at Mahomet, has been in many cornfields in the last couple weeks. “I typically try to take a survey of the corn in Champaign...

CHAMPAIGN, ILL. (WAND) - It's been a couple of years since federal student loan payments have been put on pause, but soon that will be coming to an end. "Signing into that would be my first step. It's been since college, I haven't even looked at my bill. Don't really want to but I know what it is and what I would have to do," said Demi Ramirez, college graduate.

GIBSON CITY – The Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley High School tennis team is enjoying some new digs in its first weeks of fall practice. The tennis courts were renovated with newly-surfaced courts along with some new nets and a new fence. “We’re very thankful to our community for supporting us in...

Farmer City, Ill., (WCIA) — One town is now one step closer to solving a months-long problem. Farmer City now has two new trucks for their public works department.  A fire destroyed their public works garage in February. They lost all five trucks and other equipment in that fire. Fred Graning, the street department superintendent, […]

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — A new event is coming to Champaign County next month that will provide both entertainment and charity. The inaugural Champaign County Balloon Festival is planned for Sept. 23 and 24 at Dodds Park in Champaign. There will be a group balloon launch with up to 16 participating balloons per day along […]

GIBSON CITY – The Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley Middle School softball team lost 3-1 to Lexington on Wednesday. Lily Sizemore hit 2-for-3 with a run scored for the Falcons (5-2) while Kolbie Eichelberger drove in GCMS’s lone run. On the mound, Isabelle Gawthorp allowed three runs – two earned –...

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — Firefighters are known for running into the face of danger, but their greatest health risk is heart disease. Experts said it’s the leading cause of death in firefighters. Champaign Fire Department Battalion Chief John Hocking recently had a close call. Hocking said he had been experiencing mild chest pains, and not […]

WHITE HEATH, Ill. (WCIA) Since late Tuesday, White Heath Water Works customers have been under a boil order. Kara Nigtlinger, an official on the board of directors for White Heath said the water is leaking somewhere, but at the moment they are unsure of where. Tuesday night Erik Berkman, Public works official, had to shut […]

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WAND) - The traveling show, Cirque Italia, is performing in Champaign this week. The Water Circus features high-energy acrobat acts that swing from ropes and flip over trapezes. The show is inspired by the element of water. The stage holds over 35,000 gallons of water and features fountains,...