Regional Sup. Gary Lewis tells The News-Gazette that the 5-person selection panel will include himself; Asst Reg Sup. Donna Kaufman; former Urbana Sup. Preston Williams; former Champaign Unit 4 Schools Asst Sup. Deloris Henry & Education at Illinois' Giselle Martinez Negrette. news-gazette.com/news/heres-how…

Jefferson Middle School was placed on a hard lockdown after students reported seeing what they thought was a weapon in a passing vehicle. 'It was later believed to be a toy gun,' Champaign Unit 4 Schools communications chief Stacey Moore told The News-Gazette. news-gazette.com/news/hard-lock…

In calling off Wednesday’s meeting, board President Gianina Baker expressed frustration with Amy Armstrong and Betsy Holder, calling their actions “adventurist” and in violation of the board’s code of conduct. The News-Gazette story: news-gazette.com/news/as-expect…

He can’t say for sure which relative made off w/ the Cobra 38 Derringer pistol he kept at his mom’s home but a man provides deputies with 3 chief suspects: his sister, his nephew and his great-nephew. Latest in The News-Gazette series on guns reported stolen: news-gazette.com/news/meeting-m…

Our Illinois Men's Basketball/The News-Gazette panel: Deron Williams Don Freeman Eddie A Johnson Glynn Blackwell, Jerry Colangelo, Chris Gandy Nnanna Egwu T.J. Wheeler Deon Thomas Damir Krupalija, Bruce Douglas, Lowell Hamilton, G.Montgomery Robert Judson Jack Ingram Nate Mast & more. news-gazette.com/opinion/guest-…

Whether he wants the job or not—and Gary Lewis most certainly does not, he made clear in a letter to what’s left of the Champaign school board—the job of picking the 1st of 2 new members appears headed to the desk of the regional super. In The News-Gazette: news-gazette.com/news/local/edu…

1 elementary principal hire down, 2 to go for the HR team at Unit 4, which is also in the market for 71 teachers, 31 paraprofessionals, 19 special ed staffers, 18 coaches, 2 high school ADs and, of course, 2 school board members. The News-Gazette story: news-gazette.com/arts-entertain…

Jay Leno, the headliner of April's show at State Farm Center, requires host venues to provide round-trip service from Burbank in a “private jet in the form of a Hawker or Lear 55 or better,” according to his rider, obtained by The News-Gazette. news-gazette.com/news/meeting-m…

Technically, Shauna Green's contract calls for an extra $30K for making/winning the WNIT, not the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament. But given the latter's emergence as women's basketball's No. 2 postseason tournament, Illinois will pay out the 2 $15K bonuses. The News-Gazette story: news-gazette.com/news/meeting-m…

At Thursday night’s board meeting, Booker T. Washington Elementary Principal Jaime Roundtree was approved as Rantoul City Schools director of curriculum and instruction, effective July 1. The News-Gazette early story, to be updated: news-gazette.com/news/booker-t-…

From Oakland High School (5.9:1) to Danville's South View Elementary (37.0:1), student-teacher ratios for every area public high school, according to state report card data. In The News-Gazette: news-gazette.com/news/meeting-m…

At this time last year, there were 724 electric vehicles roaming the streets of Champaign County. The count as of March 2024, according to the state: 1,138, including an area-high 345 in Champaign's 61822 ZIP code. Complete list in The News-Gazette: news-gazette.com/business/meeti…

In Champaign County, 532 residents complied with terms of the Protect Illinois Communities Act, registering with IllinoisStatePolice a combined 2,206 assault weapons/attachments, .50 caliber rifles or .50 caliber cartridges. The News-Gazette story: news-gazette.com/news/meeting-m…

Like Zoom during pandemic, Flock Safety license plate readers have become must-have technology for police/sheriff’s offices, inc Champaign PD (62 cams), Village of Rantoul (36), Mahomet PD (12), LeRoy IL Police (10), Parkland College (6). The News-Gazette story: news-gazette.com/news/meeting-m…

The most terrifying on-screen villain of all-time? Thx for weighing in for The News-Gazette: Stephen Tobolowsky, Dee Wallace OFFICIAL, John Carpenter, John McNaughton, Cristina Escobar, Richard Brody, Sanford Hess, Kevin Greutert, Peter “I’m Not Patti Smith” Sobczynski, Matthew Patrick Davis. news-gazette.com/arts-entertain…

Most Big Ten schools are getting off cheap in 2024 — at least eight men’s basketball coaches failed to qualify for any year-end bonuses, while Purdue's Matt Painter and Illinois' Brad Underwood both cracked $300,000. The News-Gazette report: news-gazette.com/news/meeting-m…

At next week's meeting, Urbana Schools #116 board will vote on the appointment of Barkstall Principal Jessica Bradford as district director of curriculum & student learning. Unit 4 also losing BTW's Jaime Roundtree & Carrie Busey's Craig Keer. From The News-Gazette: news-gazette.com/news/third-uni…

10-year arrangement OK'd this week calls for 2 dedicated Carle Health Arrow ambulances and personnel to be stationed in City of Urbana service area at all times. From The News-Gazette: news-gazette.com/news/meeting-m…

Take Patrick Hughes' name off the list of Champaign Unit 4 Schools board candidates. This wk's chaos, he says in The News-Gazette, 'seems to unabashedly reaffirm the division and that is not something I can see myself pursuing any further. That is truly disappointing.' news-gazette.com/news/meeting-m…

Selecting one member for a school board seat would be a first for Regional Superintendent Gary Lewis, let alone two. “I’ve never heard of two being open at one time, so that’s different,” he said. Latest on Champaign Unit 4 Schools board saga, from The News-Gazette: news-gazette.com/news/regional-…