Local News in Champaign County
Community news from our local sources
Champaign County 150 storiesWiden to Greater Champaign
All eyes on defense as Illini look to tackle Salukis
Illinois (1-1) head coach Bret Bielema has been pushing the idea that the team can’t get beat by Duke twice following its 31-27 loss on Saturday. A second loss to the Blue Devils wouldn’t show up in the standings but would be manifested through a lack of improvement this weekend…
West Nevada packs a punch, plays with heart
Under the porchlight of The Treehouse, West Nevada spoke with The Daily Illini about how it came to be. What initially started as a few small-town musicians seeking community has since grown into a band with its own place in Urbana’s local music scene. West Nevada includes Ray…
Rantoul/PBL soccer wins 4-2 over Fisher/GCMS
FISHER – The Rantoul/Paxton-Buckley-Loda soccer team rallied from a 2-0 deficit to defeat Fisher/Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley 4-2 on Thursday. “I feel like I did a good job of motivating them (at halftime),” Rantoul/PBL head coach Samuel Casco said. “I told them the past is the…
Cultura Pesá strums the sounds of Puerto Rico at KCPA
As Hispanic Heritage Month kicks off, the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts opened its doors Wednesday evening for a celebration of Puerto Rican culture. Cultura Pesá took to Stage 5 as part of the campus-wide celebration, “Celebrating Latin America & the Caribbean” for…
CU-made thriller ‘Dark Soul River’ to premiere at Virginia Theatre
On Saturday, thrills, psychology and theology will be brought together at the Virginia Theatre for the premiere of “Dark Soul River,” a directorial debut from Vijay M. Rajan made in collaboration with Rantoul’s Flyover Film Studios. The film centers around the Kaw Valley Killer,…
Illini best Panthers 3-1 in battle of Interstate 57
Illinois (6-3) took care of business Wednesday, beating Eastern Illinois (1-8) in four sets at McAfee Gym in nearby Charleston, Illinois. It may not have been an A+ showing for the Illini, who lost the second set, but they bounced back in the closing two sets of the match.…
Column | Illinois’ Big Ten games to look forward to
Illinois just released its conference schedule for the 2026-27 season. In 18 games, Illinois will play every Big Ten team once, with only Northwestern having two matchups. The Big Ten made its mark last season at the NCAA tournament, with 12 teams making the cut. Illinois…
New top target Dixon on pace for historic season
After pass catcher Hank Beatty left for the NFL after last year, Illinois was left looking for a new top target. Just two games into the season, senior wide receiver Collin Dixon is taking up that mantle. Dixon has as many touchdown catches this season (5) as he’s had in his…
Insomnia Cookies closed for failing food safety inspection
Insomnia Cookies in Champaign was closed at 10 a.m. Wednesday for failing its food establishment inspection, according to the Champaign-Urbana Public Health Department’s incident report. The two violations listed were improper disposal of sewage and lack of an accredited…
Column | Top storylines to follow from Illinois’ 2026-27 Big Ten schedule
The 2026-27 basketball season is on the horizon, and Illinois now has its complete regular season schedule after it announced its Big Ten slate on Wednesday afternoon. The Illini will see every Big Ten team once over the course of the three-month schedule with the exception of…
Column | Previewing Illinois’ non-conference schedule
Illinois’ 2026-27 non-conference schedule was released Tuesday, and one thing stood out. There are only two power conference opponents, and neither of them were ranked in the final AP Top 25 poll from last season. That may sound like a low number, but last season, Illinois had…
Stilettos on Steel rides with companionship, finds sisterhood
From Illinois to Indiana, members of the Stilettos on Steel Champaign chapter ride throughout the region, propelled by their shared value of deep sisterhood and support. The chapter is a part of a nationwide organization with 184 chapters. The organization was founded in 2010 as…