Champaign To Consider Changing Housing Policy Advocates Call Discriminatory

“Hundreds of Champaign residents have signed a petition asking the City Council to repeal a measure they say discriminates against people with a criminal record.

The policy allows landlords to deny housing to people with certain prior convictions, unless they’ve been out of prison for 5 years.

The Champaign City Council will meet Tuesday night to discuss possible changes to the policy, which passed in 1994 as an amendment to the 1977 Human Rights Ordinance that prohibits all types of discrimination.”

(Christine Herman / Illinois Public Media)

Urbana council gives initial OK to $17M plan to renovate Landmark Hotel

$17 million seems like a lot to convert the space into a giant foam/ball pit but I guess I’ll trust the experts on this one.

(Adalberto Toledo / News-Gazette)

(Featured photo from Google Streetview, lol)

Mike Carpenter leaving local sports radio

As an avid consumer of local media, I listen to the Jeremy Werner Show and the Tay and Carp Show almost daily. With all due respect to everyone else, Carp is by far the best voice covering local sports. Instead of towing the University’s line to get access or scoops, Carp was often justifiably critical and never afraid to speak his mind about Illini sports, or anything at all.

At a station owned and managed by Stevie Jay, who appears to have the worst opinions in C-U, I can only speculate on the politics at play here. My guess is that they replace Carp with someone with no teeth, who will take whatever spin our semi-incompetent Athletic Department puts on things and present it at face value, without combing through the bullshit, as Carp did so well. Maybe I’ll be wrong. I hope I am.

We need more local media like Carp, not less. I’m sad to see him go, but excited for what’s next (Showers pod, anybody?).

The Downtown Champaign festival district (read: liquor zone) will happen every Friday until August 23rd

The News-Gazette appears to be doing PR for the “Fuck You!” pitcher

From yesterday.

(Matt Daniels / News-Gazette)

Monticello votes down solar energy by shocking 5-1 council vote

Imagine not wanting sustainable energy by such a large majority. This is the type of regressive attitude that we’re up against, folks.

(Steve Hoffman / News-Gazette)

Ugh.

That over’s looking good, though. All they have to do is beat Akron, Eastern Michigan, UConn, and then steal one against Rutgers or something idk.

Second kindergarten-readiness report finds similar ratio of kids unprepared

(Lyndsay Jones / News-Gazette)

Gov. Pritzker expected to sign bill into law Tuesday that would legalize marijuana in Illinois on Jan. 1

(Robert McCoppin / Chicago Tribune)

Fithian holding gun raffle to raise funds for new playground at park

A gun raffle! To pay for a playground! What!

(Noelle McGee / News-Gazette)