Featured Stories

UPTV to Broadcast Freedom Celebration Parade

Submitted by JasonL on July 3, 2017 - 3:48pm

Urbana Public Television will broadcast the Champaign County Freedom Celebration Parade for the 7th straight year in 2017. The event has quickly become one of UPTV viewers' most anticipated programs. The parade is not broadcast live on UPTV, but can be seen at the following times:

Wednesday, July 5th - 2:00PM, 3:30PM, 7:00PM, 8:30PM

Thursday, July 6th - 3:00PM, 10:00PM

Friday, July 7th - 2:00PM, 9:00PM

Saturday, July 8th - 10:00AM, 6:30PM

Sunday, July 9th - 8:00AM

UPTV is avaialble locally on Comcast channel 6, AT&T U-verse channel 99 and i3 Broadband channel 6. The video will also be made available on-demand via UPTV's YouTube channel. For more information on the Champaign County Freedom Celebration visit their website at july4th.net.

Farm Credit Supports Urbana's Market at the Square

Submitted by JasonL on July 1, 2017 - 12:00pm

Farm Credit and Link Up Illinois continue to support the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) program. In Illinois, SNAP benefits are loaded onto a card called LINK. Customers may then use their LINK card at the farmers market to purchase eligible items including produce, meat, dairy, honey, bread, and food-producing plants.

Farm Credit Illinois' Beth Bolger was at the July 1st Market to present a check for $5,000 in support of the SNAP Double Value program. Watch UPTV's video coverage on their YouTube channel.

Urbana's Market at the Square is open every Saturday 7AM-Noon from May until November. For more information visit www.urbanamarket.org.

Two Urbana Road Projects Suspended Due To State Budget Impasse

Submitted by Visitor (not verified) on June 30, 2017 - 3:21pm

The failure of the Illinois General Assembly to pass a budget by today (June 30) has led to the suspension of two major road construction projects in Urbana. Work will likely remain halted until a budget or stopgap budget is approved.

The state-bid projects that have been halted by the Illinois Department of Transportation include:

• MCORE Project 1: Reconstruction of Green Street between Wright Street and Busey Avenue, an $8.3 million project. Most of the Green Street pavement has been removed and vehicles won’t have access until the street is fully reconstructed. Major work in front of the Illini Union had been slated to be completed by Aug. 25, just three days before University of Illinois classes resume, but that timetable is now threatened by the shutdown. Pedestrian crosswalks could be constructed across Green Street if the shutdown is an extended one, but city engineers have concerns about allowing pedestrians through a construction zone.

City Hires New Public Arts Coordinator

Submitted by Visitor (not verified) on June 28, 2017 - 4:47pm

Rachel Storm The City of Urbana will soon add a new team member to the Community Development Department.

Rachel Storm will begin work as the City’s Public Arts Coordinator on August 7th. For the past eight years Rachel has worked at the Women’s Resources Center in the Office of Inclusion and Intercultural Relations at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, currently serving as Assistant Director. Rachel has also managed her own local arts programs for the last six years including Outta the Mouths of Babes and Girl Radio, Inc.!.

Rachel holds a Master’s degree in Educational Policy, Organization, and Leadership from UIUC and is currently working to complete her Ph.D. in the same field.

In her new role, Rachel will oversee the marketing and administration of Urbana’s public arts programming, collaborate with the Public Arts Commission, and work to recognize Urbana as a city where artists thrive and are valued.

Marlin Testifies Before Illinois House Against Property Tax Freeze

Submitted by Visitor (not verified) on June 23, 2017 - 2:50pm

TESTIMONY of Diane Wolfe Marlin before the Committee of the Whole, House of Representatives, Illinois General Assembly June 23, 2017

Good afternoon. My name is Diane Wolfe Marlin, Mayor, City of Urbana, Illinois. I would like to thank Representative Carol Ammons for offering me this opportunity to speak with you about the impacts of a proposed property tax freeze and other state budget proposals on our city.

I would like to provide some context for my remarks. Urbana is a community of approximately 42,500 people, home of the University of Illinois, two regional medical centers, and the County Seat of Champaign County. As a result of these and other major public service functions, approximately 30% of our land area is exempt from property taxes. Our two largest employers are the University of Illinois and the health care sector.

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