FOOD & DRINK
Celebratory weekend keeps Champaign restaurants busy
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — Graduation and Mother’s Day made up the perfect recipe for restaurant crowds in Champaign this weekend. People headed to their favorite spots to celebrate on Sunday. It led to some huge crowds at places all over town. Neil Street Blues is one of those places where people were waiting outside the […]
Champaign flower shops flourish for Mother’s Day, graduation weekend
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — In light of University of Illinois graduation and Mother’s Day, florists across Champaign have been keeping busy this weekend. It’s been like Valentine’s Day — with much better weather. Owner Lisa Duitsman of Abbott’s Florist Shop said they’ve been 10 times as busy this week compared to previous ones. “A lot […]
It's Your Business | Inside Monticello's 'red house'
Email business news to Jana Wiersema at jwiersema@news-gazette.com. In 2022, Todd and Rhonda Thornton purchased a historic home at 315 W. Washington St. in Monticello. The couple have since been in the process of extensively restoring and renovating the property, commonly known as the "red house," for a couple of different uses — including short-term rentals, which are now available.
Prairie Fruits Farm and Creamery hosts soft opening for 2024 season
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — Prairie Fruits Farm and Creamery opened for the season on Saturday. The Champaign farm offers everything from goat activities to dinners. They kicked off their opening Saturday morning with a goat hike. They said it was a soft opening before they return to normal hours on Tuesday. The farm said they […]
Local dog heads to New York City to compete in the Westminster Dog Show
MONTICELLO, ILL. (WAND) - A local dog is going national to compete!. Tracey Felter Kaufman and her border collie, Chappie, qualified for dock diving at the Westminster Kennel Dog Club. The duo from Monticello is headed to New York City to compete. Tracey tells WAND News, "We are just going...
New restaurant planned at FieldHouse 219 location
MONTICELLO — A sports bar that is having its last hurrah today will reopen as a restaurant later this year. At its meeting on Monday, the Monticello City Council will consider liquor licenses for a new business opening at 219 W. Washington St. City officials said Bucks Pond Properties LLC has bought the property and will open a restaurant at the location this fall after “substantial renovation.”
Top of the Morning, May 10, 2024
Want to purchase today’s print edition? Here’s a map of single-copy locations. On Fridays, we’ll spotlight the men and women serving up cold ones and conversation in our neck of the woods. Let us know about your favorite bartender by emailing ltaylor@news-gazette.com. Dashae Stegall moved to Champaign...
Champaign franchisee hopes Jersey Mike’s is open at 30th and Broadway by end of July
QUINCY — The owner of the Jersey Mike’s franchise coming to Quincy hopes to have a staff in place to start making submarine sandwiches by the end of July. Scott Miller of SamCo Management, based in Champaign, owns seven Jersey Mike’s throughout Illinois. The first stores were in East Peoria and Springfield in April 2021. He since has opened stores in Bloomington (August 2021), Champaign (January 2022), Normal (December 2022), Rantoul (November 2022) and Danville (February 2024).
Welcome to NewsBreak, an open platform where diverse perspectives converge. Most of our content comes from established publications and journalists, as well as from our extensive network of tens of thousands of creators who contribute to our platform. We empower individuals to share insightful viewpoints through short posts and comments. It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency: our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. We strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation. Join us in shaping the news narrative together.