You can sign up for Master Gardener classes through UI Extension

Maybe after that you’ll be able to talk to plants. Who’s to say? It could happen.

Watch Mother Nature’s “Off Deez” music video

Champaign-Urbana’s favorite hip-hop expats have been quiet for a while. They came back with a J.I.D. remix yesterday.

It’s good. Stream it here:

Someone is opening a new hat store in Urbana

(Patrick Singer / Smile Politely)

Why does someone keep opening hat stores in Champaign-Urbana in the year 2019?

Are hat stores in-demand? Am I missing something here? Rumors Hat Shoppe (now closed, located on Chester Street in Midtown), outside of being one of Champaign’s most unique places to spend money, was hardly flooded with customers.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the idea of a unique business (or any local business for that matter), and I only wish them the best of luck and many patrons, but I also don’t understand how one would invest in this concept. Twice. Do people really want hat stores? Champaign-Urbana is weird.

According to KenPom rankings, the Illini are the best 11-loss team in the country

I-L-L!!!

C-U at Home will be open for emergency warming

Located at 70 E. Washington in Champaign.

Who wants to pay for the Champaign Showers bus wrap?

Slide in my email and let’s build.

Resident asks Champaign City Council for probe into CorruptCU.com claims

(Adalberto Toledo / The News-Gazette)

Champaign’s Urban Outfitters Closes

(ChambanaMoms)

This is neat

Current Illini wide receiver (and Champaign Centennial alumnus) Dominic Stampley shared a pretty cool moment on Twitter yesterday.

Nick Rainey and Virgil Grider are Champaign heroes

I can’t link their picture or else I will get a very angry email from The News-Gazette‘s attorney, but here’s a nice story about some nice downtowners doing a nice thing.

(Jim Rossow / The News-Gazette)

Meet the IL Startup Helping NASA and Boeing Detect Errors in Their Software

Here’s a neat feature in Chicago Inno about Runtime Verification, a start-up based in Urbana.

(Jim Dallke / Chicago Inno)

The Shame of College Sports

A good but old (2011) read, especially for those who live in a Big Ten college town like ourselves.

(Taylor Brance / The Atlantic)