SPlog

From the press release:  “The Mobile Museum of Tolerance is the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s newest educational initiative, bringing world-class learning experiences to communities across the state of Illinois. The purpose of the MMOT is to …

SOLHOT (Saving Our Lives Hear Our Truths) was founded by former University of Illinois professor Dr. Ruth Nicole Brown in 2006. SOLHOT creates spaces for Black girls to express themselves and connect with each other. …

Allerton Park and Retreat Center is launching a Sunset Drive-In Movie Series, featuring a different movie one weekend in April, May, and June.  Movies will be shown at The Music Barn on Friday and Saturday …

Were you living here in 1996? On April 19th of that year, Illinois recorded it’s largest tornado outbreak, with a total of 39. Two of those tornados ripped through Champaign County, specifically Ogden and south …

Common Ground Food Co-op is hosting a virtual beer tasting featuring Riggs Beer on Sunday, April 17th at 5 p.m. (through Google Meet). You can preorder your beer and Co-op pizzas (with Hefeweizen beer crust) …

The Urbana Teen Arts Council’s first multimedia exhibit, The Un-United States of America, was inspired by the current state of discord in our country. They may be too young to vote, but they’re not too …

This time around, The Idea Store is extending their popular Jewelry Jackpot sale over two weeks, each with a different focus. From the event page:  “The first week of the sale, May 4-8, we’ll have …

In its recent social media announcement, Illinois Theatre shared that “kitchen sink theatre” began “in United Kingdom following World War II as playwrights left the British drawing room setting to feature the hopeless outlook of …

The Carle Mobile Health Clinic will be parked at Illinois WorkNet at 1307 N Mattis from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. today with doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine for anyone 18 and older. …

NORDEN’s Little Red Hut will reopen Thursdays through Sundays, May 6th through May 30th. This actual, small, wooden hut is located in Downtown Urbana, just outside of CoLab. Different vendors will sell their wares and …

Let’s hear it for these five Parkland College Art students who made it into the 2021 Illinois Community College Juried Exhibition: Julian Akinsanya, Urbana Katy Geurts, Loda Alex Harmon, Champaign Grant Siegmund, Saint Joseph Sharon …

Similarly to pretty much every other festival, C-U Folk & Roots Festival was held virtually in 2020. Now that fall looks a little more promising with the continued vaccine rollout, they’ve announced the dates for …

This is not a drill! It’s going to be a beautiful, sunny day, and the sakura are officially in full bloom. If you can, get yourself over to Japan House to take a peek today. …

Today is National Beer Day, celebrating April 7th of 1933 when the Cullen-Harrison Act was enacted which legalized the sale of beer — an important step towards the end of Prohibition. If you’re planning to enjoy …

The Iron Post, located at 120 S. Race Street in Downtown Urbana, is facing an uncertain future. Sadly, longtime owner and operator Paul Wirth is suffering from a serious medical condition, which will “require long-term …

On Thursday, April 15th at 6:30 p.m., MTD will have a virtual Learn-to-Ride session for Champaign Unit 4 and Urbana District 116 families and students. The session geared toward students returning to in-person learning, those …

On this day in 1922, WRM (which would eventually become WILL-AM) first hit the airwaves, broadcasting from the U of I Electrical Engineering Lab. From their website: “The call letters stand for “We Reach Millions.” …

Richard Sowers, a professor of mathematics and industrial and enterprise systems engineering, has developed a model for a smart home that would use real-time energy pricing data to determine the best usage for household appliances. …

Illinois Men’s Gymnast Evan Manivong nailed his vault, then proudly whipped out his COVID vaccination card, which was tucked into his uniform. His epic flex has made national news. This is quality content. Evan Manivong …

Graze makes specialty curated grazing boards for Champaign County. This new business can create beautiful custom boards or boxes for customers with fruit, salami, cheeses, and other snacking accoutrements. Photo from Graze CU’s Facebook page. Photo …

The Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment at the University of Illinois are hosting a trash pick up event on Wednesday, April 7th from 3 to 5 p.m. We will meet at Boneyard Creek, behind …

If you live or work in Champaign County, and are at least 16 years of age, you are now eligible to receive a COVID vaccine regardless of health or employment. Now, how do you find …

Urbana School District has two contested races in the consolidated election, happening tomorrow, April 6th. Urbana operates differently than other area school districts, in that they have divided the city into sub-districts. Each sub-district then …

If you have a mail in ballot for the consolidated election in Champaign County, you can now utilize the drop boxes that were added throughout C-U during the 2020 election cycle. So many people used …

Ordering takeout has been a great way to support local restaurants — and skip out of cooking dinner. This weekend, I put in our usual order at Sticky Rice: vegetable egg rolls, chicken pad Thai, …

Editor’s Note: This is a developing story and details might change after our initial publishing time. This is such a sad sight to see. Li’l Porgy’s, located at 1917 W. Springfield in Champaign, appears to …

There are three contested races for Urbana City Council. Voters in Wards 2, 4, and 6 will have a choice to make on their ballot, and those elected will serve a four year term. Local …

URBANITE, a dance showcase that we highlighted as the best annual dance program of the decade, returns on Saturday, May 1st in a big way. They’ll be staging their next showcase at Memorial Stadium, in …

There are three contested races for Champaign City Council this time around, all for district seats. Voters in Districts 1, 3, and 4 will have a choice to make on their ballot, and those elected …

On Thursday, April 15th, the University of Illinois Press will be hosting a free, two-hour Zoom-based symposium from 4 to 6 p.m. CST. As per the announcement, “[the] panels will cover marketing and usage of …

Last Friday, El Progreso opened up a brand new location on Cunningham Avenue, moving half a mile from their old Urbana location in the Commerce Centre plaza at Five Points. The sign on the new …

Donald Schleicher, the current conductor, will be retiring after 26 years at the University of Illinois. William Eddins has been appointed to the position in a visiting capacity for the 2021-2022 academic year, and will …

Last month, the organizers of Pandemics as of a Portal to Change announced an open call for artist submissions. As the project continues, teen and adult artists will each have an opportunity to learn more …

For the third year, Carle Illinois College of Medicine has invited everyone from middle school students to healthcare providers across the state to pitch ideas for solving health problems. They’ve selected 20 finalists, who will …

A few weeks back, I stumbled upon this story published in Vice, written by Ernie Smith, about why Channel 37 doesn’t exist. On its face, it doesn’t appear to look like a story that is centered for …

Yesterday, Brooklyn Vegan posted a series of videos from 1990s punk/emo bands performing at the Fireside Bowl in Chicago, one of which happened to be C-U outfit Braid. There’s a whole slew of acts they have …

Yes, the University of Illinois is a major force in our community, but let’s not neglect the influence of Parkland College. From their website:  “Parkland College enrolls approximately 20,000 students annually. Our campus is a …

Finding Yingying, a documentary by Jiayan “Jenny” Shi, will be available to screen on Vimeo for free April 2nd through 9th (5 to 8 p.m. only). On Tuesday, April 6th, you can catch a conversation …

Ye Olde Donut Shoppe has some Easter-themed treats, including these Peeps®-topped doughnuts. They also have some “Easter basket” ones, with coconut and those little malted chocolate eggs in the middle of the doughnut hole “basket.” …

Today is Trans Day of Visibility, and Uniting Pride of Champaign County has left a basket of trans awareness goodies at Flying Machine Avionics for you to grab. Take a ribbon, a sticker, a bracelet, …

Miga’s Facebook page announced the grand opening of Sakanaya Downtown which will open in the former Miga restaurant location. The Sakanaya Downtown will feature some Miga favorites and also new dishes from Sakanaya. The opening …

Legacy Pizzeria announced today that they will be closing, effective immediately.  Legacy opened in November 2020.   Top photo from Legacy Pizzeria’s Facebook page. 

On April 1st, Krannert Art Museum will be reinstating its Thursday night after hours, offering KAM fans even more opportunities to enjoy its collection.  Find out more, or schedule your visit here. Top image from …

Champaign County Safe has received a large donation of masks, and they are available to individuals and businesses in Champaign County. These reusable fabric masks can be picked up at several locations; the list is …

Ever wondered where poets get their ideas? Join poet and 40 North Volunteer ACE Award winner Jim O’Brien for the April 7th Poems from Prompts workshop via Zoom. Can you think of a better way …

It’s spring cleaning time, and surely you have some random monitors, digital cameras, extension cords, ink cartridges, or any number of items on this list that are cluttering up your space.  The spring Residential Electronics Collection …

Election day is April 6th, but you don’t need to wait until then to cast your vote in the the consolidated elections. This week nine additional early voting locations opened, so you have many opportunities …

Babies and Brunch is happening at Prairie Fruits Farm again. This year you’ll have to make a reservation ($16) for a Saturday in April. Your ticket gets you parking, entry, and a locally baked good. …