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2 months ago | 
wcia.com | Jared Thomas
URBANA, Ill. (WCIA) — If you’re looking for a place to relax but don’t want to leave Central Illinois, the Ujima Retreat may be for you. The Ujima Retreat Center in Urbana is expanding and hoping to give people a taste of a luxury getaway not too far from home. They just celebrated their ribbon […]
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Mar 15, 2025 | 
wcia.com | Bradley Zimmerman |Jared Thomas
ST. JOSEPH, Ill. (WCIA) — St. Joseph will pay tribute to fallen Illinois State Trooper and village local Corey Thompsen with a street designation in his memory. The board approved earlier this week the naming of Peters Drive after Thompsen, who died in an on-duty motorcycle crash in October. The suggestion to designate a street in Thompsen’s memory was made by Timbra Hilton, a teacher at St. Joseph Middle School who taught Thompsen there 15 years ago.
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Feb 5, 2025 | 
wcia.com | Bradley Zimmerman |Jared Thomas
Posted: Feb 5, 2025 / 11:13 AM CST Updated: Feb 5, 2025 / 11:42 AM CST SHARE CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — Champaign firefighters responded to a fire in the downtown area Wednesday morning. The fire was reported around 10:48 a.m. around 210 South Market Street.
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Jan 25, 2025 | 
wcia.com | Jared Thomas
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — Cental Illinois firefighters were doing something a little different for a change at work this week. They took advantage of the cold weather to do ice rescue technician training. Several fire departments including Champaign, Danville, Decatur and more took part. Crews felt it was the perfect time to get out there for this training after the freezing temperatures.
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Jan 25, 2025 | 
wcia.com | Jared Thomas
CHAMPAIGN-URBANA, Ill. (WCIA) — Friday was the kickoff of the 9th Annual Champaign-Urbana Area Restaurant Week celebration. This year, the event has 60 restaurants participating, including places like Hamilton Walker, Sticky Rice, Neil St. Blues and more. One organizer said it’s a great way for people to get familiar with Champaign-Urbana and nearby communities. “We also saw quite a few restaurants from our outlying communities participate this year.
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Jan 23, 2025 | 
yahoo.com | Jared Thomas
MAHOMET, Ill. (WCIA) — The cold weather has been a struggle for many. But workers with the Champaign County Forest Preserve are loving it. It’s letting them put donations from the community to good use. They’re taking old Christmas trees and using them for fish habitats. From the Farm: Unfinished biofuels business The wind was whipping as Natural Resource Specialist Emily Williams got to work on a frozen lake at the River Bend Forest Preserve in Mahomet.
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Jan 22, 2025 | 
wcia.com | Jared Thomas
DANVILLE, Ill. (WCIA) — Despite the cold temperatures, a men’s homeless shelter in Vermilion County is still not open. Last month, the Danville Rescue Mission planned to allow people into shelter a few days before Christmas, but the president said there is still an issue. He said the shelter is struggling to find insurance both in the area and out of the state. He said it might be because of the building’s previous owners.
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Jan 22, 2025 | 
wcia.com | Jared Thomas
DANVILLE, Ill. (WCIA) — Class is now in session for barbers at Danville Area Community College. It’s a program that’s been in the works for a long time. Nine students are enrolled in the class this semester. Wednesday, they had their orientation, and they said they’re ready to fill a need in the community. “I came home, and I’m not gonna lie to you, I was on my tail, and I needed something to work and it’s like barbering found me,” said student Danielle Butler-Staple.
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Jan 21, 2025 | 
wcia.com | Jared Thomas
ILLINOIS, (WCIA) — Illinois State Senator Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet) is introducing a new bill that he says will help make voting smoother. It’ll require voters to start using a photo ID in order to cast a ballot. The 51st district lawmaker brought up Senate Bill 181 on Friday and is now hoping to get it passed. The full document is 87 pages long. Senator Rose said it’ll simplify the process. “It enhances the integrity of the ballot, enhances the voting process.
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Jan 20, 2025 | 
wcia.com | Jared Thomas
DECATUR, Ill. (WCIA) — Schools were off for Martin Luther King Jr. Day and a community center in Decatur used the opportunity to teach the younger generation about violence prevention. Two organizations partnered together to make it happen. Teenagers from different areas met on Monday to listen in on a seminar. Organization leaders said it’s time to put the guns down and set these kids up for success.
