“Champaign County Board to talk about Olympian Drive,” News-Gazette, September 6
Champaign County Board members will discuss a broad range of topics at a Tuesday night committee of the whole meeting, including the controversial Olympian Drive project. . .
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The Olympian Drive discussion is a continuation of the debate last month on the approximately $30 million road project north of Urbana between the Canadian National Railroad tracks and U.S, 45.
Representatives of the highway department and the regional planning commission will make presentations, according to board Chair C. Pius Weibel.
“UI has newer, greener laundry facilities,” Pantagraph, September 8
Students at the University of Illinois will be doing their laundry in environmentally friendly washing machines and dryers this school year.
University assistant housing director Kirsten Ruby says the machines will save about $60,000 a year in electricity, gas, water and sewer costs annually.
“Urbana hoping for residential, commercial buildings on former Pell Farm,” News Gazette, September 6
The new owner of 160 acres of land in southeast Urbana plans to develop the land, although no specific projects are slated yet.
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Libby Tyler, Urbana’s director of community development, said development of the land is critical to the city’s future. Urbana estimates a residential and commercial development there could add about $2 million to the tax rolls, including $1 million for the school district.
“Champaign County confirms West Nile in samples,” Daily Illini, September 9
After a silent summer without the West Nile virus in Champaign County, the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD) has confirmed the virus in 14 mosquito samples from the area.
Aside from the samples, dead birds have been found around the county carrying the virus, according to a CUPHD press release. Although no human cases have been detected in the area, four cases were reported in DuPage and Cook counties, said Melaney Arnold, spokesperson for the Illinois Department of Public Health.
“Only slim majority wants Blagojevich retried,” Chicago Tribune, September 8
Rod Blagojevich launched into a media tear following his mistrial last month, complaining to any interviewer who would listen that prosecutors were persecuting him by continuing to pursue their corruption case.
Despite those protests, a slim majority of Illinois voters who twice elected Blagojevich favor a retrial of the former governor. But a sizable share of voters disagrees with prosecutors’ decision to bring him back to court to face corruption charges for a second time. . .