SPlog

We are now in Tier 1 as part of Region 6 which means limited indoor dining is now allowed. While restaurants may choose to offer indoor dining, you can choose to support your favorite establishments …

Savoy 16, operating under new ownership based in Tennessee, is set to reopen this Friday, January 22nd, according to reporting from The News-Gazette. The theater will have to operate under Tier 1 mitigations. Though there …

And by kids, Parkland College Community Education and Giertz Gallery mean young people between the ages of 7 and eighteen. The Youth Art Competition entries are open until March 3rd, and winners will receive a …

Illinois Department of Public Health has announced that Region 6, which includes Champaign County and a variety of others surrounding us, will move to Tier 1 mitigations effective immediately. This means a few things, which …

The Unitarian Universalist Church of Urbana-Champaign is installing “Open Hearts: A COVID Memorial” on their grounds Tuesday, January 19th. There will be a small dedication ceremony, with remarks from Champaign-Urbana Public Health Administrator Julie Pryde, …

New year, same pandemic, but Rose Bowl Tavern has a few things lined up as far as streaming live music goes since it is still too cold out to host outdoor performances.  Here’s the schedule, …

Yesterday, the three superintendent candidates for Unit 4 gave presentations to the community. If you missed it, a recording of those presentations is available here. The district is encouraging community members to offer their impressions …

From the press release: The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD), in partnership with Carle Health, OSF HealthCare, Christie Clinic, Promise Healthcare, and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign will be hosting additional community-based COVID-19 vaccination clinics …

In a since-deleted Tweet, yesterday the University of Illinois wrestling program shared a photo of players in which one player, who appears to be Zac Braunagel*, prominently flashes a well known white power symbol. A …

From the press release: 2021 Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration to Reflect on Positions of Conscience The Rev. Dr. William J Barber II to speak as part of the MLK Advocacy for Justice Virtual Celebration, Sunday, January 17 at 3:00 pm.  CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Two longstanding Champaign County committees, Martin Luther …

Per a report in The News-Gazette, The Ice House located at 703 N. Prospect Avenue has closed for good. The bar underwent a change in ownership back in 2018. Here’s a review from 2018, and another …

Fiesta Cafe is 33 years old this week, and that pink building on First Street has brought C-U lots of tacos and margaritas over the years. Check out the reviews we’ve published of Fiesta Cafe here, …

Yes, Valentine’s Day. Time seems to keep marching on, while somehow also standing still.  Things are a bit dark right now, but I guarantee that flowers from Fleurish will bring a little brightness to someone’s …

After you’ve fully enjoyed next week’s inauguration, save some Champagne to toast Ashanti Files, the new City of Urbana Poet Laureate, who will be celebrated at a virtual reception on Thursday, January 21st starting at …

Hobby Webinars, a new series co-sponsored by the Urbana Arts and Culture Program and the Urbana Park District will “explore our friends and neighbors’ hobbies and also share our own.” These Zoom-based meetings will take …

Last month, Bentley’s started selling cocktails and cocktail-infusion kits. You must order your Bentley’s favorites ahead of time, and then pick them up to bring home and enjoy from the comfort of your couch. In …

The Burgersmith is a new food truck in C-U, dishing up — you guessed it — burgers. The truck is typically parked in near Tatman’s on Mattis Avenue in Champaign and Long’s Garage on Main …

The Champaign County Forest Preserve District recently added Heron View Forest Preserve, which is situated along the Sangamon River between Lake of the Woods and Sangamon River Forest Preserve.  It is currently surrounded by private …

Suzu’s Bakery in Downtown Champaign only opened in November, but it has already become a favorite among editors here at Smile Politely. Just a couple weeks ago I ordered an eight-inch soufflé cheesecake ($25) to …

Willard Airport (CMI) recently released the results of this economic impact study, which was made possible through the support of a variety of community partnerships. The study was conducted in 2019, and its findings showcase …

The Urbana Free Library is presenting (through Facebook) the music and poetry of Pete Shungu on Sunday, January 17th at 4 p.m. Shungu is “a trumpet player, hip hop MC, spoken word poet and educator …

Thursday, January 14th, is when early voting will begin for the consolidated primary in Champaign County. Both Champaign and Urbana have contested races on the ballot: Champaign- Township Supervisor Urbana- Mayor, City Clerk, Alderman in …

Located in the Lincoln Square Mall, Baldarotta’s Porketta & Sicilian Sausage makes bomb sandwiches like this meaty, delicious-looking Italian beef. On Facebook, Baldarotta’s shared more details about how they make the sandwich: THIS is how …

The Urbana Arts and Culture Program has extended the Urbana arts grants deadline to 5 p.m. on Sunday, January 24th. You can learn more and apply for the grant here. Spread the word! The Urbana …

If you have a little music lover in your life, here’s a chance for them to learn to DJ at the January 24th (virtual) installment of Young Artist’s Studio with local artist Ja’Naea Modest AKA …

Dontiel Allison has a new name for his rap project: Sandman Slimm. You might recognize Allison, as he’s been in the scene for quite some time releasing music as Truth AKA Trouble. Plus, there’s his collaboration …

It’s hard to think about summer when it’s gray and cold outside, but the Champaign Park District is looking to fill seasonal positions, including aquatics, youth summer programs, and horticulture, as well as a few …

This year, Restaurant Week will feature takeout options. Restaurant Week 2021 will run from January 29th to February 6th. All the details about the event can be found on Visit Champaign County’s site. Here are …

On January 18th, Urbana-Champaign Books to Prisoners is hosting a Freedom Book Drive in honor of the MLK Jr. Day of Service. They are asking for donations of books with themes of Black freedom struggles and …

There’s a new event space opening up in the historic Trolly Barn at 804 N. Neil Street in Champaign, and it’ll go by the name that’s pretty familiar to many in C-U: Carmon’s. Per this post …

Champaign-Urbana Public Health District has announced upcoming COVID-19 vaccine clinics that will be open to Champaign County residents age 75 and older. The clinics will be held at the former Dress Barn at 1901 N. …

I recently did some bookshelf cleaning, and ended up with a pile of books to donate. I donated them to my neighborhood little libraries and to UC Books to Prisoners, but it had me thinking …

Scott Silven’s The Journey is the magical and unique performance experience to cure your winter blues. Brought to us courtesy of Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, which has joined co-commissioners from around the globe, …

Uniting Pride and Art Coop are partnering for the Kindness Queers program. The goal is to “spread kindness and cheer to LGBTQ+ youth in the C-U area.”  Here’s how it works.  If you are an …

Today is National Tempura Day. Celebrate by a ordering tempura dish (or two) from a C-U restaurant today. One of my favorite tempura dishes in Champaign-Urbana is this veggie tempura ($5.50) from Sushi Kame, pictured …

Family craft night just got better thanks to the Urbana Free Library’s free Family Craft Kit Program. January’s kit has everything you’ll need to make a smiling snowman. Just call  217-367-4057 to order your kit …

Illinois 15th District Representative Mary Miller was sworn into Congress just three days ago following her victory against Erika Weaver in November’s general election. Like many of her boot-licking pro-Trump Republican colleagues who refuse to …

A new year deserves some new reading material. And there’s no better placew to start than with our very own locally-grown literary journal, Ninth Letter. Volume 17, no. 2, Fall/Winter 2020-21 features new work from: …

In December, Royse + Brinkmeyer offered each of their tenants a $25 discount on their rent for the month. Tenants then had the option to donate that $25 to C-U at Home, to be matched …

DeShawn Williams was elected to the Champaign County Board, representing District 6, back in November. Now, he is stepping down to serve as Chief Deputy Treasurer, where he will work alongside newly elected Champaign County …

The 20th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Countywide Celebration will happen virtually on January 17th. The MLK Countywide Committee and the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Advocacy for Justice Committee have selected four community members …

On January 6th, at least 12 GOP senators and more than 100 House members plan to object to the certification of Joe Biden’s presidential win, even after approximately 1378 frivolous lawsuits (okay, more like 60) …

The Champaign County Clerk’s office sent out an email enumerating several of its accomplishments in 2020. Among them is incredible election management in a pandemic, at least in our opinion. Check out this list: We …

Willard Airport and 40 North have a new collaboration, Art on the Fly, that will feature the work of local artists at the airport. The work will be reproduced on vinyl and displayed at the …

Easter‘s Demonstration is coming to vinyl after a decade of existence. Though Kyle Lang did release a few singles surrounding Demonstration, the EP remains the only release of its kind in his catalog to date. The album sat …

The Public Art League (PAL), a non-profit in C-U that installs and promotes public art in the community, has announced they will be merging with 40 North. Per their email blast, which you can read …

As you may or may not have noticed, we’re taking a bit of a break here at SP to enjoy some much-needed downtime. That said, there’s still opportunities to post about things here and there, especially …

From our BEST 2020 feature: BEST business and artist collaboration: CU pARTners mutual aid program Artists and small business owners have found themselves especially vulnerable during the pandemic. But, as cu pARTners has proven, when they …