Joey Wright

1 week ago | news-gazette.com | Joey Wright

Grabbing a bite with Joey WrightBlack Dog Smoke and Ale House in Urbana is back in business. The restaurant’s original location — which serves a slightly different menu than its location in Champaign — has been positively received since ending a five-year hiatus in early April. “It’s all still barbecue, but it is a different menu than the one we have in Champaign,” owner Michael Cochran said. “It’s actually been going pretty well. It’s been received very well.

2 weeks ago | news-gazette.com | Joey Wright

Grabbing a bite with Joey WrightThe Yard in downtown Urbana is closing in on opening day. Owner Drew Smith is targeting June 11 as the first day of business for the food hall, which will launch with Smith Burger, The Main Scoop and Public House 1833. Watson’s, Columbia Street Roastery and Fernando’s will soon follow inside the building which once housed Broadway Food Hall. And myriad attractions inside the building include nearly 20 television screens, an arcade, a turfed area and cornhole boards.

2 weeks ago | news-gazette.com | Joey Wright

PEORIA — LeRoy was a quiet place on Saturday afternoon. Much of the town (pop. 3,467) was in Peoria making noise for the LeRoy softball team as it bid for its first state championship against Carrollton at at Louisville Slugger Sports Complex. But it was Carrollton that made school history with its first state title, riding three hits from Brookelyn Eilerman, three RBIs from Megan Camden and six strikeouts from Lauren Flower to a 10-0 win in five innings despite LeRoy's energetic showing.

3 weeks ago | clutchsportsil.com | Joey Wright

CHAMPAIGN — The Eureka baseball team’s bid for program history featured plenty of twists and turns in its penultimate game. But the Hornets were eliminated from contention for their first state title by a 6-5 loss to Sacred Heart-Griffin in a Class 2A semifinal on Friday afternoon at Illinois Field. “We wanted to get this one and get into that final game,” Eureka coach Dane Wear said. That’s everybody’s goal, everybody’s dream.

3 weeks ago | news-gazette.com | Joey Wright

PEORIA — A moment Emily Mennenga will never forget helped the LeRoy softball team make history on Friday afternoon. Mennenga's walk-off single in the 10th inning — which scored courtesy runner Sophia Trenkle — gave the Panthers a 2-1 win against Dakota at Louisville Slugger Sports Complex in Peoria to advance to the Class 1A state championship game for the first time in program history.