This plaque recognizes Eldon Quick for the many volunteer jobs he did at the Rantoul Historical Society museum always telling short stories and jokes and stuff.” Want to purchase today’s print edition? Here’s a map of single-copy locations. Sign up for our daily newsletters here Champaign County coroner and village board member was a man of many talents was Rantoul’s chief of police for more than 17 years — the longest tenure of any of the village’s top cops was working at Zanders Grocery in Rantoul one day when Mr Quick arrived at the store with a delivery Quick he heard the Rantoul Police Department was hiring Quick applied and was hired as an officer in 1957 Brown would go on to become Champaign County sheriff Quick “led the department through the transition period in the ’60s a time of professionalizing law enforcement.” on how to professionalize law enforcement .. He was really the first chief” that led that every new village president would fire the police chief and appoint his own top cop himself a former longtime Rantoul officer who served as assistant chief under Mr It then became the practice for prospective police officer hirees to appear before a police commission an officer couldn’t be fired without cause Quick also took pride that he hired the first minority department member in 1966 a Black female dispatcher named Tony Brown Quick called him a few weeks before his death “He didn’t have the strength to stand up and sing especially with the church choir — something he loved “About a year ago he had a nasty fall and was all bruised up from head to toe As soon as they let him out of the hospital bruised face and all” he was back in church on Sundays singing with the choir Quick was also a regular at Thursday morning (6 a.m.) Bible study at Red Wheel restaurant in Rantoul Quick even had his funeral service planned out “He even had his own death certificate filled out except for the date and time,” Maxwell said where Jesus talks to Nicodemus about being born again Quick’s obituary noted that his greatest joy in life was “foremost his love of Jesus Christ.” “He was very much a Christian,” said Jim Cheek president of the Rantoul Historical Society Kathy Quick said her father took pride in living up to his last name “He never wanted to be even a minute late,” she said “That was funny because mom was always late.” Three children — son Richard and daughters Kathy and Patricia — survive Daughter Karen Haman preceded him in death In addition to serving as Champaign County coroner a post to which he was elected three times he was elected to the Rantoul Village Board in 1987 “I’m sorry that the family is going through this loss,” Smith said and we lost a great member of our community.” Smith said he made a point of visiting with Mr Quick as often as he could and called him “a great mentor to me.” He told me to always trust my instincts and go with my gut and don’t be afraid to go out and take risks.” Air Force in 1950 at the beginning of the Korean War His Air Force service brought him to Chanute Air Force Base in Rantoul He was honorably discharged after four of service with the rank of staff sergeant Son Richard said his fondest memories of his father was when they worked on projects together such as building his parents’ house and helping on Richard’s own house sat on a bucket and pulled staples from flooring from a remodel,” Richard said “He could install storm doors and lattice work and pour concrete Quick was a valuable volunteer at the historical society’s museum as well as a board member He had the skills to do a lot of carpentry work and he put it to use building his own house and doing project additions on the homes of his children He took the wall out and re-sided the side of the building So many things we needed done in those buildings,” he did it Quick retired from that work in about 2016 and a plaque is displayed at the museum thanking him for his service Dave Hinton is editor of The News-Gazette's 'Our Communities' section. He can be reached at dhinton@news-gazette.com Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: (WICS) — Rantoul City School District 137 (RCS) will celebrate the grand opening of its new state-of-the-art Pre-Kindergarten Center with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday The new center is located adjacent to Pleasant Acres Elementary School and represents a major investment in early childhood education for the Rantoul community This $6 million project includes eight spacious classrooms with adjoining restrooms a fully equipped multipurpose room for gross motor activities therapy and office spaces for service providers “We are thrilled to open a facility that reflects our district’s values and vision for the future,” said Superintendent Scott Woods “The PreK Center provides a strong educational foundation for our students in a space designed specifically for their growth and success—all without increasing local property taxes.” Funding for the new facility came from the sale of bonds paid through the voter-approved Champaign County-wide 1% sales tax RCS has temporarily housed its PreK program at Rantoul’s United Methodist Church the program will move into its permanent home this August community members are invited to tour the new facility and join in the celebration of this important milestone the regularly scheduled RCS Board of Education meeting will be held at the PreK Center LEFT: Reifsteck stands at the entrance to Auschwitz beneath the sign that says ‘Arbeit macht frei (Work Sets You Free).’ ABOVE: Reifsteck placed this paddle beside one of the tracks on which victims of the Holocaust were transported to concentration camps in Poland during World War II Those who took part in a March for the Living including Rantoul police Deputy Chief Christina Reifsteck stand beside one of the dorms at the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland Rantoul police Deputy Chief Christina Reifsteck holds a Miller Center on Policing and Community Resilience sign while she was in Poland Rantoul police Deputy Chief Christina (Bojanowski) Reifsteck placed this paddle beside one of the tracks on which victims of the Holocaust were transported to concentration camps in Poland during World War II “For me it was profoundly impactful,” Reifsteck said “It’s just made me more aware of my responsibilities to the very little patch of earth that I get to cover in this part of Illinois.” RANTOUL — A local law-enforcement official was among a delegation from three continents who participated in last week’s International March of the Living in Poland commemorating Holocaust Remembrance Day and the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp Rantoul police Deputy Chief Christina Reifsteck joined more than 60 leaders in law enforcement from the United States as well as 80 Holocaust survivors and families of Holocaust victims to take part in the march from Auschwitz to the Birkenau extermination camp “The whole concept is to remember those who died during the Holocaust and to keep bringing awareness so we won’t repeat that,” Reifsteck said She recently completed a master’s degree online from the University of Virginia we started Operation Never Again,” Reifsteck said “The whole concept behind the class was to look at the police battalions of the Third Reich and the role they played in that genocide and how we as current and contemporary leaders need to reflect on that to never be part of that bystandership.” The observance was a joint program by the Rutgers University Miller Center and the University of Virginia Center for Public Safety and Justice Reifsteck said she feels strongly that the world should never forget the Holocaust which resulted in the deaths of 11 million people it was profoundly impactful,” Reifsteck said Reifsteck received a scholarship to take part in the program “I lack the language to say how grateful and humble and thankful I am for it,” she said is of Polish heritage — her father’s side being “full Polish.” “We discovered where my grandma went to the university,” Reifsteck said participants were able to place paddles containing meaningful statements beside the railroad tracks that brought people to the camps Reifsteck’s said “Bojanowski-Reifsteck family (NY & IL) Rantoul Police Dept Reifsteck also saw the Jewish ghetto in Krakow and visited the Polish capital where part of the ghetto has been preserved “We happened to show up on the 82nd anniversary of the Jewish uprising,” she said “We went to the tomb where many Jewish people were killed ‘We’re not going to stand here and take this anymore Reifsteck said that during one tour of the city a woman opened her window and told participants those attending were reminded that the world is seeing more antisemitism in recent years ambassador to Israel spoke at the event and had an uncomfortable conversation,” Reifsteck said ‘The world stayed silent during the Holocaust the world stayed silent again’” — referring to the 2023 attack by Hamas militants in Israel that resulted in more than 1,200 deaths and several hundred others being taken hostage and precipitated the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip Cloudy early with some clearing expected late Rantoul Township High School building and grounds director Tony Worthington Principal Todd Wilson and district secretary Terry Huckstep examine the contents of a time capsule taken from a 1951 cornerstone at the high school pulls the contents out of the time capsule held by Amerio were among the contents of a time capsule taken from the 1951 cornerstone of the Rantoul Township High School building Included was information about a fire that destroyed a small school across Sheldon Street from the high school building in 1919 RANTOUL — Looking ahead also meant visiting the past at Rantoul Township High School when a time capsule was discovered due to new-building construction Superintendent Scott Amerio said the removal of the 1951 cornerstone revealed the time capsule “The cornerstone was in a spot that was going to be covered up by a new part of the building,” Amerio said It will be relocated to a prominent place — at the gymnasium entrance — “so it’s visible.” The 74-year-old time capsule contained 1951 and 1926 yearbooks and a letter from CC Condit the superintendent when the 1951 gym was built Amerio said he doesn’t know why the 1926 yearbook was included Condit’s letter contained a history of Rantoul schools — “some first public schools who some of the first teachers were and when they would do major (milestones) like new buildings,” Amerio said The west wing of the current high school was built in 1920 and refurbished in 2003 Amerio said there are a number of familiar names to the Rantoul area in the 1951 yearbook — families who continue to live in the community Work continues on the renovation/addition at RTHS “They’re laying the block for the foyer area,” Amerio said “The office area on the first and second floor they’re mudding and taping all the drywall “They sprayed a moisture barrier over the block Once they get all the block laid they’ll put all the brick on the front.” Construction is slated for completion by the start of next school year Phase 2 of the approximately $7 million project will cost about $4.9 million The first phase was completed in the summer of 2023 Phase 2 involves expansion of the gymnasium lobby by about 25 feet to the north The concession stand and ticket booth plus an elevator will be in that area Offices and storage space will be located above the concession and ticket area when it is moved back to the north side The basement portion of the building will include the elevator lobby and storage space The second floor of the gym lobby will feature an open-air section similar to the west wing foyer with a high ceiling The project also includes expanding the east wing between 15 and 20 feet and adding a second floor that will include offices The remodel/expansion will result in an additional classroom The expansion is driven by the need for more room as enrollment has climbed to about 856 students since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic Phase 1 of the expansion/renovation involved the gutting and renovation of the front Smith said he has “talked extensively” with Village Administrator Scott Eisenhauer Operations Director Ryan Reid and Recreation Director Luke Humphrey on the sports dome idea RANTOUL — Mayor Chuck Smith said he hopes to bring to the village board in May or June a proposal to consider construction of a dome at the Rantoul Family Sports Complex “We’re booked solid for the next three to four years,” he said He said the complex is “holding its own,” with the goal for it to create an economic impact for the village and the rest of Champaign County Operations Director Ryan Reid and Recreation Director Luke Humphrey about adding a dome to be able to host events during colder months “They have concerns that we might not be able to do it,” Smith said Reid said the village is “not actively pursuing an indoor space but we’re not saying that we don’t want it either.” “We just know that the model we have now is working,” he said “We saw 1.2 million visitors in 2023 and believe we had pretty much the same in 2024,” although those figures are not yet available Eisenhauer said including a dome was part of the discussions for the complex from the outset “It was decided at the time that we wanted to focus solely on the outdoor complex and make sure that it was successful before we looked any further down the road,” he said He said officials began looking at what opportunities would exist for building an indoor facility about a year ago Initial designs have been created based on input from potential users on what they would like to see included I also have been very clear that any construction of an indoor space would have to be privately funded,” Eisenhauer said The village has approached potential sponsors about funding an indoor facility Only at the point of receiving sponsorship would the proposal to build the dome be brought to the village board there is a desire and a need for an indoor facility,” he said we have initial designs for an indoor facility but only upon securing a private funding source would we move forward with construction.” Eisenhauer said he believes there are entities that are interested in sponsorship “Certainly with the exposure that the outdoor complex brings to the community of over 1 million visitors and 30,000 cars daily going past our exit those exposures are attractive to a national brand,” he said Reid said the complex is currently operating slightly in the black Any money on the plus side is used for maintenance and saved for projects such as turf repair He said the village has had inquiries from teams who play there about building an indoor facility is an attractive destination — a place where people will travel for indoor sports Possibilities for a dome range from indoor baseball to soccer we’re in the middle of everything in Champaign County,” he said “We’re two to two-and-a-half hours away from three major cities (Chicago “I think a lot of youth recognize us as a major sports driver because of IHSA basketball the dome would be located on the southwest side of the complex He said the village would have to extend Broadmeadow Road to the dome but will have to do that anyway to accommodate hoped-for hotel growth Marriott is going to put some type of hotel here and they will bring a nationally known restaurant with them,” Smith said Dave Hinton is editor of The News-Gazette’s ‘Our Communities’ section. He can be reached at dhinton@news-gazette.com George Papametro holds one of the original letters from the marquee of the Home Theatre in downtown Rantoul on Tuesday He hopes the original letters can be reused on the new marquee ABOVE: George Papametro checks his messages in the theater portion of the old Home Theatre building in downtown Rantoul prior to fixing the roof TOP RIGHT: With her name up in lights on The Home Theatre marquee Stella Papametro is wished a happy birthday by her father RIGHT: Outside The Home Theatre in downtown Rantoul as it looked in 1943 when it was showing the movie ‘See Here Private Hargrove,’ starring Donna Reed George Papametro in front of the historic Home Theatre building in downtown Rantoul prior to repairing the marquee who fixed the downtown Rantoul theater’s marquee Outside The Home Theatre in downtown Rantoul as it looked in 1943 “Within 30 days I had the roof fixed and the marquee lit up As I’m going through doing the repairs and doing the work,” it might dawn on him what he should turn it into the old Home Theatre now has a working marquee the theater building has sat vacant for years since its closure who owns Thomasboro-based AG Electric as well as several Rantoul properties said he has spoken with retired neon lighting expert Dale Ihnen of rural Penfield about whether he can get the marquee’s neon signage to work again “He might come out of retirement and do it,” Papametro said “There’s still a long way to go,” Papametro said adding he isn’t sure what he might turn the building into “I would say within the next six months it will be available to be rented out or something like that.” Papametro said it wouldn’t be financially feasible to again show movies there although it could house some type of live theater “I’m not saying there won’t be possibilities for Rantoul Theatre Group .. “I think for the moment I’m just going to use it for special occasions and then kind of wait and see after the streetscape is finished “There’s a lot of things happening in Rantoul Maybe someone would want to put (some) kind of business in there.” The village of Rantoul is giving downtown a dramatic makeover as part of the streetscape project Papametro said he has toyed with the idea of asking Chaz Ebert to visit the theater building in light of Mr Ebert used to visit the theater regularly when he and his parents were in town to watch The Panama Limited race through on the nearby Illinois Central tracks the marquee might feature a few special messages Papametro said don’t be surprised if it might feature a few “Go Cubs” signs from time to time He’s not averse to wishing people a “happy birthday” on the marquee The theater building isn’t the only property Papametro owns downtown he also bought the old Gery & Al’s sporting goods property which is now home to T&T Distribution and a sports card shop operated by Brad Swanson He and a friend own downtown properties that house a barbershop and Jamaica Tan plus two empty storefronts Rantoul Rural King will close for good on Sunday Sunday will be the final day of operation for Rantoul’s Rural King store is closing its doors and will consolidate operations with its Champaign location The company notified village officials Oct 1 that its board of directors had made the decision to close Only a small amount of merchandise remained Tuesday in the 88,000-square-foot building located in Rantoul Plaza Items that had not yet been sold were listed at greatly reduced prices A local store manager on Tuesday declined to comment on the closure other than to say that Sunday would be its final day open Village Administrator Scott Eisenhauer said the village has been recruiting companies to take over the Rural King site Village President Chuck Smith said earlier that after Rural King announced its planned closure store officials made it clear the decision was final and that no village incentives would convince the company to remain in Rantoul because village records showed the store did $5 million worth of business in Rantoul last year RANTOUL — Sunday will be the final day of operation for Rantoul’s Rural King store Retired farmer Steve Seim of rural Paxton said he and his wife regularly visited the store He was disappointed it was closing and said its convenient location and inventory were primary reasons they shopped there it was easier than Farm and Fleet,” Seim said It didn’t take as much time if I needed something He said he would shop there for clothing and many times for “parts — nuts and bolts and farm supplies Seim said he has been shopping at the Rantoul Rural King since it opened “I can remember when this was an Eisner’s grocery store back in the ’70s,” he said said she started seeing a change in the number of people coming in to her store located just three minutes away from Rural King and we’ve seen a boost in winter sales,” Wake said She said the store is making sure it has ample supplies who used to work for Rural King in both Rantoul and Champaign said people are upset the store is closing “They’re pulling a farm store out of a farm community,” she said “I feel it’s a big hit for the community.” Wake said she has emphasized that the store be “customer-friendly “I know almost everyone who comes through the door.” announced last fall that the chain was planning to open five new stores in 2024 as part of a long-term strategy to open 15 stores over the following 13 months Dave Hinton is editor of The News-Gazette's Our County section and former editor of the Rantoul Press. He can be reached at dhinton@news-gazette.com (WICS) — A large-scale fight erupted at Lincoln's Challenge Academy on Wednesday evening Rantoul Police were alerted to the altercation just after 6 p.m. discovering 70 to 80 cadets involved in the melee and approximately 30 to 40 officers from neighboring communities arrived to assist Several ambulances and the Rantoul Fire Department were also dispatched to the scene Three juvenile cadets were arrested and taken to a juvenile detention center two cadets over the age of 18 were arrested and face charges of aggravated battery and damaging state-supported property after a Rantoul police car was damaged No officers were injured during the incident At least three cadets required hospital treatment with one held overnight and the others released While this is not the first large fight at the academy with the last incident happening over five years ago The altercation may have stemmed from ongoing issues among the cadets It took officers about an hour to restore order Public Affairs Director for the Illinois National Guard "The incident at Lincoln’s Challenge is under the investigation of local law enforcement some cadets will be dismissed from the program." Leighton emphasized that the safety and security of the cadets are the top priorities ensuring communication with their guardians METCAD received a report of a female walking south in the southbound lanes of Liberty Avenue The caller reported the female was wearing all dark clothing METCAD relayed information from a second caller reporting they had hit a pedestrian in the roadway Illinois was fatally injured after being struck by a motor vehicle on Liberty Avenue near Chandler Road in Rantoul Officers along with personnel from the Rantoul Fire Department arrived on scene and provided medical care until Kristina M Sherman could be transported to Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana The driver of the vehicle remained on scene and is cooperating with the ongoing investigation Rantoul Police ask that anyone who has additional information to please contact police at (217) 333-8911 putts in on the 6th hole with one of the Chanute Air Force Base hangars behind him at Willow Pond Golf Course in Rantoul on Tuesday Willow Pond was the Air Force base’s golf course prior to the base closure in 1993 Kevin Applebee stands beside a pond at Willow Pond Golf Course in Rantoul purchased in 2013 from Ken Roessler of Rantoul on the 18th hole at Willow Pond Golf Course in Rantoul on Tuesday Willow Pond was the Air Force base’s golf course prior to the Chanute closure in 1993 putts in on the ninth hole while takes advantage of the warmer weather and playing a half-round at Willow Pond Golf Course in Rantoul on Tuesday everybody's planning on keeping it as a golf course.' At 2 p.m. Fridays, our Kathy Reiser answers reader questions. Put her to the test by clicking here or email kreiser@news-gazette.com RANTOUL — After 11 years of running a golf course on the former Chanute Air Force Base Kevin Applebee is looking for someone else to take the reins “I’m at an age where I want to retire,” he told The News-Gazette is for sale with an asking price of $1.85 million According to a listing by SVN North Star at Crexi.com the 180-acre property includes not only the 18-hole course and Applebee said he’s seen a lot of interest in the property everybody’s planning on keeping it as a golf course but there’s a lot to run in a golf course.” the course — originally known as the Chanute Air Force Base Golf Course — was designed by architect E Packard designed over 140 courses across the world including Brookhill in Rantoul and the Lincolnshire Fields Country Club course in Champaign He was also involved with remodeling the Champaign Country Club course The course was renamed in 1993 after the Air Force base closed with the company selling it to Ken Roessler in 1999 purchased the course from Roessler in May 2013 He previously reached a tentative agreement with the Rantoul Park District in 2015 to swap golf courses and take on ownership of Brookhill with the park district planning to convert much of Willow Pond into park land and no longer run a golf course “I have sold pretty much out of my other business in the area Rantoul police cars sit outside Lincoln’s Challenge Academy late Wednesday after a brawl there Rantoul police Chief Tony Brown said ongoing tension between different groups of cadets at Lincoln’s Challenge Academy boiled over Wednesday night Police Chief Tony Brown said the fight began in the academy’s cafeteria and it took more than an hour to restore quiet To subscribe, please click here Want a copy of today’s edition? Here’s a map of single-copy locations Sign up for our daily newsletters RANTOUL — Five Lincoln’s Challenge cadets remained in custody Thursday morning following a melee Wednesday evening involving “70 to 80 cadets” that saw officers from multiple agencies called in to assist Rantoul police of Peoria were both charged as adults with aggravated battery and mob action McKay was also charged with criminal damage to state-supported property for allegedly damaging a police squad car Both are being held at the Champaign County jail Three others were detained as juveniles on charges of aggravated battery and mob action Rantoul police Chief Tony Brown said the fight began in the academy’s cafeteria Rantoul officers responded shortly after 6 p.m and immediately requested assistance due to the size of the fight “We detained probably about seven to eight people and a couple of them went to the hospital complaining about different injuries,” Brown said He said there has been ongoing tension between different groups of cadets Authorities from the Champaign County Sheriff’s Office University of Illinois and Urbana police departments Dozens of police cars ringed the academy just off U.S Rantoul Fire Department emergency medical personnel and several ambulances responded No police officers or other emergency personnel were injured He said this isn’t the first time Rantoul police have had to respond to fights at the academy that required calling in additional departments Lincoln’s Challenge is operated by the Illinois National Guard Brad Leighton said “Our focus is on the safety and security of the cadets and informing their parents or guardians.” Rantoul Police Chief Tony Brown said Albuquerque police arrested the youths for receiving or transferring stolen vehicles or motor vehicles conspiracy to committ third- or fourth-degree felony and larceny theft of a firearm (less than $2,500) two cadets told an officer who responded to the scene that they been attacked by Rijkse who punched them in the face and chest and choked them on Jan One allegedly played a role in starting the melee between 70-80 cadets — Rantoul City School District 137 (RCS) is set to celebrate the grand opening of its new Pre Kindergarten Center with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday located next to Pleasant Acres Elementary School at 1625 Short Street represents a significant investment in early childhood education for the Rantoul community The $6 million project provides a purpose-built space for RCS’s youngest learners The center features eight spacious classrooms with adjoining restrooms "We are thrilled to open a facility that reflects our district’s values and vision for the future," said Superintendent Scott Woods "The PreK Center provides a strong educational foundation for our students in a space designed specifically for their growth and success—all without increasing local property taxes." Planning and design were completed by ARCON Associates with construction led by Broeren Russo Builders and geothermal and mechanical systems installed by Veregy "The church has been a wonderful partner but we are looking forward to teaching and learning in a space specifically designed for our program," said Lori Bednarz "This new facility will allow us to better serve our students and their families." community members are invited to tour the new facility and join in the celebration of this important milestone the regularly scheduled RCS Board of Education meeting will be held at the PreK Center The RCS PreK program currently serves 175 students with the new center offering capacity to expand enrollment to approximately 230 students in the coming years RCS is a PreK through eighth-grade school district with an enrollment of 1,700 students With the opening of the new PreK facility and the start of the 2025-2026 school year opened 100 years ago to house dependent children a former child tenant of the Huling home in Rantoul became well known on television and in movies James Gammon in a Christmas photo taken at the Huling Home in Rantoul Wilson said the development corporation hopes to build between 50 and 60 affordable-housing units “depending on the placement and the cost.” RANTOUL — Plans to build numerous affordable-home properties on 7 acres on Rantoul’s northeast side have been delayed as planners wait for interest rates to drop administrator for Champaign County Housing Development Corp. the nonprofit agency in charge of the Mitchell Court project said that soon after the purchase was made in 2022 “We figured a $3.5 to $4 million project was going to cost us about $16,000 a month to pay it back,” Wilson said and we figured if we could keep (rent) around $550 a month for new apartments and that same money is now $27,000 a month to pay back We’d have to charge $850 to $900 a month or more to break even so it’s not affordable housing any longer.” The property lies east of the former Annabelle Huling Memorial Home at 106 N to near the Dairy Queen restaurant at 1103 Klein Ave Wilson said there is a significant need for affordable housing owns 101 residential units in Mitchell Court “I’ve got about 150 people on a waiting list wanting to move in,” Wilson said “I’ve had people living there since the mid-’70s.” rent for a one-bedroom unit there is $320 a month $355 for a two-bedroom unit and $385 for three bedrooms “affordable housing” means housing that has a value cost or rental amount that is within the means of a household that may occupy moderate-income or low-income housing Wilson said the development corporation bought the property from the Huling trust “because the trust was running out of money.” which opened 100 years ago and closed in 2020 Attempts to contact Mendoza by The News-Gazette were unsuccessful They would include two- and three-bedroom units with two and three bathrooms Wilson said the property is already zoned multi-family residential “Once we get the plans drawn up and have the money we’ll take it to the village for code enforcement to make sure it’s all up to par before we break ground.” Wilson said if interest rates don’t come back down one option might be state grant funding to develop the residential properties “I know they’ve given out affordable-housing grants before,” he said also known as the Annabel Huling Memorial Home it was reopened as a residential home for young boys and girls The home later closed and sat empty until becoming a detention home for teenage girls It was later opened as a day care center before closing in 2020 The brick building encompasses 10,000 square feet The home was named for a young girl who the Huling family adopted from an orphan’s home run by the Illinois Children’s Home and Aid Society bequeathed $50,000 to be used for a home to be built in Rantoul for dependents in the name of her daughter Some children lived there only a short time while others made it their home for as many as 14 years Some were children of parents who had fallen on hard times and could not afford to raise them the children got back with their families when times got better Among the children who lived at the Huling Home was actor James Gammon who went on to appear in numerous movie and television roles ranging from Cleveland Indians manager Lou Brown in the “Major League” films to the father of Don Johnson in “Nash Bridges,” which lasted for six seasons on CBS was born in Newman and came to live at Huling Home with his brother The Huling Home was initially started by the Champaign County Board of Supervisors using funds from the Madeline Huling bequest it closed and was known as the Beacon Therapeutic School a private organization that used it as a residence for children who needed psychiatric help The home closed again and sat empty until it was used as a nonprofit day care center until its closure in 2020 The Indian Hills subdivision in northwest Rantoul is believed to be near the location of Mink Grove An 1863 map of Champaign County shows Mink Grove just west of Rantoul and the Illinois Central Railroad tracks that bisect the village Archa Campbell is believed to be the first White settler to live in the Rantoul area enchanting name for a community in central Illinois To subscribe, click here. To submit a letter to the editor, click here. To pitch a ‘My Turn’ guest column, email jdalessio@news-gazette.com Sign up for our daily newsletter here The people of the northern Champaign County village were never given a choice is there any doubt what name they would have selected for their town Before it became a depot stop along the newly built Illinois Central Railroad the area was known informally as Mink Grove the Native Americans called the area Neipswah which was the term for an area where minks were abundant The first White settler — likely Archa Campbell who came here from New York state around 1848 and later became the first mayor of Urbana — called the area Mink Grove That name was never formally attached to the village because there was no village until 1854 That’s when the IC (now the Canadian National) came to Champaign County and established a stop near Mink Grove and called it Rantoul one of the first directors of the railroad who had died two years earlier performed as an accomplished lawyer interested in political and social justice It’s true that Rantoul likely never would have become the village it is today without the Illinois Central (and later the Chanute Air Force Base) But what would it have become if it were known as Mink Grove instead of Rantoul Before land speculators and railroads came to the county and gave many of the towns their names (Penfield pioneers called the settlements more poignant terms like Big Grove Not only was it descriptive of an idyllic place but it apparently was geographically accurate recalled Mink Grove as “a charming little oasis” and an “almost tropical luxuriance in the midst of a vast and monotonous prairie.” Campbell That there were minks meant that there was plenty of water in the area and that it was called a grove meant that there were plenty of trees The grove also contained some of the highest ground in the area making it an ideal setting for Campbell to build his log cabin and farm the rich Champaign County soil None of the early histories provide a precise location a late mayor of Rantoul and the author of a 1976 history of the village placed Campbell’s cabin “about where the First Baptist Church is now located.” That puts it in the northwest corner of the village 136 and a half-mile or so east of Interstate 57 wooded area that is prone to flooding and already has a few ponds and retention basins It would be the perfect site for a settlement named Mink Grove You would get no argument from Karen McCartney who has lived all but two of her 74 years in northwest Rantoul on a beautiful 2-acre piece of land known locally as “the hill.” Her father It was a place of peace and refuge for a man who had survived the infamous Bataan Death March and endured 3.5 years in a Japanese POW camp Bilek came back to Rantoul after the war — the same place he had entered the Army Air Corps in 1936 — and started a wholesale and retail business growing plants and flowers on the hill there were 12 greenhouses on the property — as well as the family home — that Bilek built on his own scavenging materials from anywhere he could Much of the glass and frames for the greenhouses came from the orchard that was being cleared to make way for Chicago’s O’Hare Airport It was a utopian setting for McCartney and her two brothers and the McCartney kids would launch a homemade dinghy and sail the seas of northwest Rantoul Her father built a three-level treehouse in the grove shooting past the trees and other obstacles Girl and Boy Scouts would have camp-outs on the property much like the Native Americans centuries earlier The Bilek kids found Indian arrowheads scattered about the hill and the surrounding bottomlands “My dad wanted us kids to roam and to learn He was always wanting us to learn things,” she said the land surrounding the hill was developed as the Indian Hills subdivision with street names like Neipswah village officials told Bilek that he had to come up with a name for the lane that ran up the hill the area always was known as ‘the grove,’ but my dad was the one who called it Mink Grove He named that street Mink Grove,” she said because this is where the minks used to come?’” McCartney said she never saw minks in the ponds or the lowlands although she saw plenty of fish and other wildlife discreet mammals aren’t still around Champaign County it seems like mink have made a resurgence in Illinois,” said Max Allen a carnivore ecologist at the Illinois Natural History Survey in Champaign mink can be found in most of the small waterways I document them relatively frequently with camera traps in Champaign County Minks “are widespread and occupy most of the streams in East Central Illinois,” said Adam Ahlers an associate professor at Kansas State University who once was a visiting scientist at the natural history survey here “Folks rarely see them unless they are looking for them as they are mostly nocturnal,” he explained in an email you’ll see a lot of mink roadkill on I-57 near bridges as this is the time males are dispersing across the landscape looking for females (this also happens to be a time when they are more susceptible to predation by coyotes because they are traveling through barren corn and soybean fields).” Ahlers said he used to live-trap mink on a landowner’s property between Rantoul and Champaign “He was an old World War II veteran and he told me that while he was attending UIUC prior to World War II he caught one male mink in a small drainage ditch near his house,” he said “He made enough money from that one mink on the fur market to pay for his entire semester tuition at UIUC.” a member of the East Central Illinois Fur Takers said he also believes that minks are making a comeback “From my conversations with older trappers the mink population is presently as strong or stronger than it was in the 1970s-80s,” he said “I have neighbors with chicken and duck ventures who have had their small flocks killed by mink in recent years.” It would be absurd — and absurdly costly — to change Rantoul’s name after 170 years But perhaps someday a new village will spring up northwest of Rantoul and the townspeople will want to be true to the geography Rather than name it for a Yankee who had never visited East Central Illinois they could name it for a furry little mammal that has been here for centuries Tom Kacich’s column appears weekends in The News-Gazette. He can be reached at kacich@news-gazette.com A rendering of a proposed Buzard Pipe Organ Builders facility at 700 Veterans Parkway in Rantoul Buzard Pipe Organ Builders plan to relocate to a new facility at 700 Veterans Parkway that will be built by Rantoul Warehouse Group and tonal associate Andrew Woodruff at Buzard Pipe Organ Builders in Champaign The front exterior of the Buzard Organ Building on Hill Street in Champaign on Friday our current facilities are so cramped that we simply can't fit any more people in the building and have them work safely And we have explored moving to other quarters in Champaign-Urbana six times in the last 10 years it has been found to be financially impossible.' Want to purchase today's print edition? Here's a map of single-copy locations. Sign up for our daily newsletter here RANTOUL — A longtime Champaign business led by a world-renowned organ builder could be moving to Rantoul in 2025 with the help of a couple incentives from the village The Rantoul Village Board of Trustees will vote at today’s 6 p.m meeting on whether to authorize a $400,000 Economic Development Administration revolving loan for Rantoul Warehouse Group LLC for construction of an approximately 45,000-square-foot building at 700 Veterans Parkway to house Buzard Pipe Organ Builders The new facility would allow the business to bring 20 employees to Rantoul and hire about four more woodworkers our current facilities are so cramped that we simply can’t fit any more people in the building and have them work safely,” he told The News-Gazette it has been found to be financially impossible The commercial rents in Champaign are very high The business wrote in its application that the addition of more craftsmen would shorten delivery times reduce costs and increase the return on investment for certain machinery According to a report from village planner Chris Milliken Rantoul Warehouse Group would build and own the facility with Buzard Pipe Organ Builders entering into a long-term lease at the location The proposed loan from the village of Rantoul has a 10-year term and a 2 percent interest rate Milliken wrote that the property will be the collateral and the village’s loan will likely be secondary to a bank loan that will also be used to help fund construction “The total estimated cost of construction and buildout of the building is $2.5 million,” he said The village board also will vote tonight on whether to contribute $40,000 in Community Development Block Grant Economic Development funding to the project these funds would go toward costs such as outfitting the new facility and moving the company Village staff recommend approval of both incentives with Milliken noting that the project involves “significant investment in the former Chanute base area.” a principal with the Rantoul Warehouse Group said they hope to begin site work and do all of the utility tie-ins yet this year with foundations and slab work expected to take place in the spring The hope is that Buzard Pipe Organ Builders would be able to move into their new home in mid-2025 According to the business’ application to the village Buzard founded “Buzard Pipe Organ Craftsmen” in 1980 and purchased the Women’s Town Club hotel building at 112 W which tunes and services about 250 pipe organs from across the nation and also handles “major renovations of significant instruments.” the business wrote that it needs a wood shop that is “spacious enough to accommodate a sufficient number of workers and typical woodworking machines.” It also seeks spaces with high ceilings so that workers can “voice” pipes and a large “erecting room” that can facilitate construction on two organs at a time The business also believes that the new facility will allow for diversification into areas such as “church furnishings.” Buzard said that the building project would likely not be possible without incentives from the village and they believe our firm will be an economic engine for the community,” he said restores pipe organs mostly regionally but also increasingly throughout the country.” Buzard Pipe Organ Builders wrote in its application that the business has recently entered the market of relocating restoring and reinstalling “significant heritage English pipe organs to the US.” is currently housed in a rented warehouse and awaits restoration at the behest of a client from Chicago Building a new facility that includes warehouse space would allow the business to house such instruments on-site thereby eliminating additional costs and risks “A little bit of it is a leap of faith,” Buzard said "It's always been my goal to find a place which we can all be together under one roof of Chicago is shown where it came to rest Monday against the front porch of home in the 500 block of South Tanner Street in Rantoul after rear-ending another vehicle RANTOUL — Police are on the scene of an accident that left a heavily damaged pickup truck in the front yard of a single-story house in the 500 block Tanner Street this afternoon The truck reached the front porch of the house after a collision with another pickup truck near the corner of Tanner and Liberty (U.S Rantoul's football team celebrates a 21-15 victory over Pontiac on Sept Eagles celebrate in style after finishing off home victory Want to purchase a copy of our print edition? Here’s a map of single-copy locations. RANTOUL — It wasn't lost on Brett Trefren that Rantoul's football team hadn't won a game in 2,170 days That streak ended in style as the host Eagles beat Pontiac 21-15 at Bill Walsh on Friday night ending a drought that began after a 42-28 win against Bloomington Central Catholic on Oct What to know about Rantoul before the Eagles kick off their season Friday night against Charleston "To see the response from the players after putting the ticker back to zero I was so proud of them because they stayed so composed all game."  A 41-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback DJ Davis to Emarion White highlighted the Eagles' effort with Trefren hoarsely crediting the team's defense for its aggression and timely stops "We just played really gritty on the defensive side of the ball and offensively we just had our players make plays," Trefren said Trefren played for the Eagles under coach Shane Carter before graduating in 2011 helping the program achieve three wins apiece in his junior and senior seasons RANTOUL — Brett Trefren’s goals for Rantoul’s football team are simple ahead of the 2024 season Rantoul will attempt its second consecutive win when it hosts Prairie Central on Sept "We have to learn how to win," Trefren said "And I don't think that's something that we as a team have had to do but then Monday we've just got to focus back in and be ready to roll Here's how the third week of the prep football season unfolded around the area The accident was caused when Ixcotoyac-Martinez turned left onto Yates Street in front of Acosta RANTOUL — A Chicago man was injured Monday when a truck he was driving struck another vehicle Deputy police Chief Justin Bouse said at 1:10 p.m. was headed south on Tanner Street when he failed to slow down and rear-ended a vehicle in front of him that was turning left onto Yates Street Bouse said Acosta then lost control and went into the yard of a house in the 500 block of South Tanner Street a flagpole and landscaping and striking the front porch Bouse said Acosta was taken by ambulance to Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana with non-life-threatening injuries Bouse said there did not appear to be damage to the porch Acosta was ticketed with operating an uninsured motor vehicle and failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident (WICS) — A Rantoul man is wanted for leaving the scene of an accident with injury Officers were able to identify the driver of the vehicle as Jamie Diego-Martin last known address 600 block of St Andrews Circle the Rantoul Police Department was dispatched to the area of Champaign Ave (US Rt 136) and Chanute St for a motor vehicle versus pedestrian accident Officers arrived on scene and learned the 16-year-old male juvenile was crossing southbound in the crosswalk at this location when he was struck by a vehicle which was traveling westbound on Champaign Ave continued westbound without stopping after the accident The juvenile was transported to Carle Hospital with serious Through the use of the automated license plate readers and nearby video surveillance systems the police department was able to accurately identify the suspect vehicle officers located the suspect vehicle concealed in a garage in the 1500 block of Marcia Dr The suspect vehicle was damaged in a manner consistent with the accident The vehicle was seized by officers for further processing officers obtained an arrest warrant for Diego-Martin for Leaving the Scene of a Personal Injury Accident He is charged in Livingston County with nine counts of dissemination of child pornography (a Class X felony) and indecent solicitation of a child (a Class 3 felony) RANTOUL — The Fairbury and El Paso police departments arrested a 24-year-old Rantoul man this week on charges involving sexual crimes against children Moore was arrested at an establishment in Rantoul In Woodford County he is charged with 20 counts of dissemination of child pornography Moore allegedly was in communication with multiple minors and made arrangements to meet these children for sexual purposes Garrett allegedly sent multiple videos depicting child pornography with the victims ranging in age of about 3 years old to 13 years The Fairbury and El Paso police departments both being members of the CHAOS Task Force Assisting agencies included Rantoul Police Department Illinois Attorney General’s ICAC Task Force Livingston County State’s Attorney’s Office and Woodford County Sheriff’s Department Garrett will be formally charged in Livingston and Woodford counties Rantoul beat Monticello in a boys' basketball game at Rantoul on Tuesday Rantoul's DJ Davis (24) and Monticello's Nolan Buehnerkemper (22) in a prep basketball game at Rantoul on Tuesday Monticello's Nolan Buehnerkemper (22) and Rantoul's Tysean Moody (33) in a prep basketball game at Rantoul on Tuesday Monticello's Colton Vance (44) and Monticello's Gatsby Grant (24) and Rantoul's Eli Reichenbach (35) and Rantoul's Jayden Rice (1) in a prep basketball game at Rantoul on Tuesday Rantoul's DJ Davis (24) and Rantoul's Eli Reichenbach (35) try to take the ball from Monticello's Ike Young (21) in a prep basketball game at Rantoul on Tuesday Monticello's Gatsby Grant (24) and Rantoul's Levi Duitsman (3) in a prep basketball game at Rantoul on Tuesday Monticello's Nolan Buehnerkemper (22) and Monticello's Gatsby Grant (24) guard Rantoul's Kordell Glover (23) in a prep basketball game at Rantoul on Tuesday Rantoul's head coach Ryan Parker during a time out in a prep basketball game at Rantoul on Tuesday Monticello's head coach Kevin Roy during a time out in a prep basketball game at Rantoul on Tuesday Monticello's Ike Young (21) and Rantoul's DJ Davis (24) in a prep basketball game at Rantoul on Tuesday Monticello's Gatsby Grant (24) and Monticello's Tyler Blythe (23) and Rantoul's DJ Davis (24) in a prep basketball game at Rantoul on Tuesday Monticello's Tyler Blythe (23) and Rantoul's Holden Cargo (30) in a prep basketball game at Rantoul on Tuesday Rantoul's Tysean Moody (33) in a prep basketball game at Rantoul on Tuesday Rantoul's Tysean Moody (33) and Monticello's Carter Foran (4) in a prep basketball game at Rantoul on Tuesday Monticello's Carter Foran (4) and Rantoul's Levi Duitsman (3) in a prep basketball game at Rantoul on Tuesday Monticello's Matthias Rudolph (31) and Rantoul's DJ Davis (24) in a prep basketball game at Rantoul on Tuesday Monticello's Ike Young (21) drives around Rantoul's Eli Reichenbach (35) in a prep basketball game at Rantoul on Tuesday Rantoul's Eli Reichenbach (35) and Monticello's Tyler Blythe (23) in a prep basketball game at Rantoul on Tuesday Monticello's Tyler Blythe (23) watches hands go for the ball he passed in a prep basketball game at Rantoul on Tuesday Rantoul's fans accompany the cheerleaders in a prep basketball game at Rantoul on Tuesday Rantoul's band members watch form the balcony in a prep basketball game at Rantoul on Tuesday but the finish was better than most you'll see all season as the Eagles earned a gritty win over Monticello Blue Ridge’s first win of the season came before a home crowd Will Karkos is the new director at Willow Pond Golf Course in Rantoul The course was bought by a Connecticut-based firm in December The 25-year-old Karkos said he’s loved golf most of his life RANTOUL — A sure sign warmer weather is coming: When golf courses start making noise about season-opening preparations Rantoul’s Willow Pond Golf Course announced the public can meet Will Karkos and people can “learn more about what’s to come this year.” bought the 180-acre Rantoul course in December from Kevin Applebee Concord also owns two golf courses in Connecticut Like everyone but winter-weather-lovers and polar bears people are ready for warmer weather and green grass An effort to partner with an area restaurant operator to run the food operation did not materialize He learned to play the sport from his father at 10 years of age and later became a member of the golf team at East Catholic High School in Manchester “I’m still having trouble beating him,” he said of his father and he expects him to make the trip to Rantoul in the summer for a visit “This will be my third golf course I’ve worked at,” Karkos said having been assistant golf professional at Tallwood Country Club in Hebron and working in outside operations at Redstick Golf Club in Vero Beach One of the changes at Willow Pond is the addition of a pro shop counter While golfers used to check in at the Willow Pond bar “It will create more of a golf scene,” Karkos said We’ll definitely have a wider variety” of those items Karkos said people are ready for golf season “We’ve gotten calls” from golfers asking when opening day will be “We had some gentleman actually show up the other day” asking about opening One thing Karkos has noticed: People are friendlier in the Midwest than the Northeast Karkos said the majority of the Willow Pond employees are back although a few of the older ones have retired he’ll be involved in a little of everything at Willow Pond from running tournaments to giving lessons and clinics Karkos hails from a place that has had a lot of success The University of Connecticut has won the last two national titles and knocked Illinois out of the NCAA tournament last season He saw Illinois defeat Iowa State in an NCAA Sweet 16 game last year I usually don’t have a ton of time” to fish Willow Pond is one of two golf courses in Rantoul and for years was operated by the Air Force Rantoul Park District operates the community’s other course — Brookhill Left to right: John-Paul Buzard and Julio Crispin Crispin is a principal with Rantoul Warehouse Group which is building Buzard Pipe Organ Builders' new home at 700 Veterans Parkway in Rantoul Buzard Pipe Organ Builders and Rantoul Warehouse Group broke ground Thursday on Buzard’s new location at 700 Veterans Parkway in Rantoul Buzard Pipe Organ Builders and Rantoul Warehouse Group broke ground on Buzard's new location at 700 Veterans Parkway in Rantoul on Thursday A rendering of Buzard Pipe Organ Builders' future location at 700 Veterans Parkway in Rantoul 'It's always been my goal to find a place which we can all be together under one roof John-Paul Buzard moved his organ-building and -restoration business out of his basement and into the former Women’s Town Club hotel building at 112 W He plans to make another big move later this year: consolidating all of their operations including those at Hill Street and another property on North Hickory Street into a new 45,000-square-foot facility that will be built at 700 Veterans Parkway in Rantoul “The buildings at Hill and Hickory Streets have served us well for a long time but we’ve simply outgrown them,” Buzard said “It’s always been my goal to find a place which we can all be together under one roof Buzard Pipe Organ Builders and Rantoul Warehouse Group held a groundbreaking ceremony for the new facility building Thursday afternoon Representatives from the village of Rantoul including Village Administrator Scott Eisenhauer The Rantoul Village Board previously voted in November to approve a $400,000 revolving loan for the project along with a $40,000 Community Development Block Grant Rantoul Warehouse Group will build and own the facility Juan Torrente with Rantoul Warehouse Group said they expect construction on the estimated $2.5 million project to be complete by July 1 “It’s going to be a very beautiful building,” he said expansive facility will enable it to hire more employees and work in spaces specially made for the unique needs of its practice he said in addition to increasing efficiency having all of the operations at one location will help his business “regain nurture and grow our family-style culture.” He added that it’s a testament to his team that they have “produced some of the world’s finest pipe organs” within the limits of “inadequate facilities.” it has been found to be financially impossible." Champaign school board hopeful Tony Bruno started his Election Day by taking his kids — Firyal A sea of campaign signs welcomed voters to Champaign’s Leonhard Recreation Center on Tuesday’s Election Day That's Unit 4 school board candidate Christy Arnold after casting her vote and incumbent Chuck Smith are running in the April 1 election for Rantoul village president Patterson 'While (closure is) in the realm of possibility I think that we need to sit down and see what all the options are out there Champaign will have five new school board members and the City of Champaign Township needs to come up with a new funding model for its Strides Shelter that doesn’t involve raising property taxes Those were among the headlines from Champaign County’s consolidated election after the 18,531st and final vote was tallied around 11 p.m Turnout was up by 2,000-plus from the same consolidated election four years ago: 15.1 percent of 122,628 registered voters have had their ballots counted so far — and there are more to come County Clerk and Recorder Aaron Ammons said that all ballots from Election Day and early in-person voting have been counted and he expects as many as 2,000 vote-by-mail ballots to arrive over the next two weeks That will boost a vote-by-mail total that was already considerably higher than in 2021 — 4,956 compared with 3,043 — and a voting option Ammons has championed "I’m confident that VBM will grow each election and make our elections more efficient and cost-effective," he said many of the highest-profile races ended Tuesday night with comfortable margins When the final round of votes were tallied Sam Hall had leapfrogged incumbent Chuck Smith and now leads 579 to 573 in a too-close-to-call race Hall said that while he expected the race to be close he didn't think it would come down to single digits He's feeling "anxious" as he waits for the final results "Obviously I can't get them in there any sooner According to Jim Cheek of the Rantoul Historical Society the village has never had a Black mayor before "I was the first to get married in my family an assistant research biostatistician at the University of Illinois led 11 Champaign school board candidates in votes amassed She’ll claim one of a pair of two-year terms The other will likely go to Justin Michael Hendrix whose 5,026 votes put him comfortably ahead of Roselle Bhosale (4,367) and Mark Holm (3,037) Of the seven candidates competing for three four-year terms Christy Arnold (5,286) and Tony Bruno (5,261) led the way They’ll likely be joined by Grace Kang (4,579) on a board that returns Amy Armstrong and Betsy Holder "I am thankful for the trust the community has placed in me and ready to get to work as a Unit 4 school board member," Arnold texted early Wednesday morning I have been clear about the need for change and the results of this election send a strong message that our community is ready for bold action "I am committed to bringing accountability transparency and professionalism to our district I will work to implement effective solutions that ensure every student receives the high-quality education they deserve Addressing a school board that even Superintendent Shelia Boozer has called dysfunctional Bruno said early Wednesday: "Our community has thrown the culture of secrecy and petty infighting in the trash "We will embrace transparency and academic excellence We will provide a public square for criticism and open thought We will give the voters what they voted for." The rest of the vote totals among the four-year hopefuls: Charles “Jarrel” Young (3,129) Ronald Baker (2,797) and Karl Geissler (2,199) — Appointed City of Champaign Township Supervisor Kyle Patterson Phillips said that he is grateful to those who supported his campaign but the the hard work to improve Champaign continues," he added "I chose to run because the current administration’s approach to the unhoused crisis wasn’t working I remain committed to finding ways to support our local businesses address the challenges facing our unhoused community and once again make downtown Champaign a vibrant place to live the other vote Patterson hoped would go his way didn’t township voters overwhelmingly defeated a proposed property-tax increase to fund the low-barrier Strides Shelter beyond October A nearly identical referendum in the November general election failed by a margin of 57-43 percent with 17,389 voters coming out against the measure and 13,083 in favor When asked how likely it is that the shelter might close He also said that a likely next step is to "huddle up with our partners and see how we can make it through the next few years." — Two other more modest referendums to raise property taxes passed Tuesday — both involving fire protection districts in the neighboring towns of Ludlow and Thomasboro The school district shared in a message to the community that it remains "committed to supporting our students staff and school" and plans to put another referendum on the ballot in two years we will sell bonds that will generate just under a year’s worth of local tax dollars," officials said we will re-evaluate our budget and make difficult but necessary decisions regarding potential budget cuts We will continue to be excellent stewards of the taxpayers’ funds finding ways to provide a quality education on a diminishing local tax base from the 1980s." The question on the ballot asked whether voters would OK raising the property-tax rate to 3.2273 percent which would generate nearly $400,000 in additional revenue annually a property owner with a single-family home valued at $100,000 would see their annual tax bill go up by $333 — In the lone contested Champaign City Council race amassing 861 votes to District 3 incumbent Jamar Brown's 633 "I am humbled and grateful to be the first woman of color to be elected as the District 3 City Council member," Clayborn said "My campaign was centered on being the people’s campaign and the voice of District 3 will be strong as I intend to be a hardworking council member making a meaningful impact on the constituents of our district I look forward to collaborating with my colleagues on the Council and serving the people of Champaign." Clayborn and Brown each previously interviewed to fill the seat after it was vacated by Danny Iniguez in May 2024 and council members voted in June to appoint Brown incumbent Village President John Brown rolled but we're not giving up hope yet," said Niccum who has served as a village trustee since 2005 He added that it's too early to say whether he might run for trustee or president during the next go-round "I did an awful lot for the citizens of Savoy in the last 20 years I was kind of their watchdog on the board." who was unsuccessful in his 2022 bid to unseat Ammons as county clerk Stuber is poised to become Tolono's first African American mayor a distinction also soon to be held by Urbana's DeShawn Williams "Although there may be some who didn't vote for me specifically because of the color of my skin there is not a single person who did vote for me because of the color of my skin," Stuber told The News-Gazette "The people of Tolono have elected me because of my qualifications to lead and their belief in my ability to lead them into a bright future of economic prosperity and a rebirth of true small town community values Stuber added that he is excited to work with the village's residents "to build a community we can all love." — The Republicans-vs.-Democrats showdown in Champaign Township could still be in play had the top three vote-getters for four township board openings — Jessica Shortz (1,297) Sanford Hess (1,267) and Rob Ore (1,232) — in a tightly bunched group Close behind: Republican Donna Giertz (1,230) Democrat Alan Joyce (1,225) and three Republican incumbents — Jim McGuire (1,209) Bryan Wrona (1,145) and Ben Timmer (1,140) Democrat Leah Taylor leads incumbent Norm Davis Democrat Kevin Flynn leads incumbent Nicole Miller one of several area towns about to welcome a new village president (Jim Page) who ran unopposed Republicans claimed all three trustee seats: Steve Peters (351 votes) — Villa Grove has a new mayor — and the old mayor is a fan Days after Cassandra Eversole-Gunter took to Facebook to tout Derek Rasmussen as "the only mayoral candidate that has been attending" city council meetings and "making an effort to understand the current goals and plans for the city," he won handily Rasmussen's 287 votes topped the totals of both Bruce Allen (136) and Dale Ewing (39) Rasmussen is a Champaign County sheriff's deputy and has been with the Villa Grove Fire Department for nearly 17 years His career also includes two-and-a-half years with the city's police department and about four years as an EMT He feels "optimistic" about his current lead and is "looking forward to the future." "The city has currently been in some discussions about some development on the north end of town so the main goal is going to be to keep that ball rolling try to speed it up a little bit," Rasmussen said He said the focus is on a variety of housing types Rasmussen would also like to procure a K-9 for the Villa Grove Police Department John "Corky" Clark won a tight supervisor's race his 151 votes seven more than Dale Knowles' total — Among the county mayors and village presidents who had a more relaxing Tuesday with no opponent running against them: Arcola's Jesus Garza Newman's Dennis Kibler and Tuscola's Dan Kleiss — The biggest news of the night in Ford County: Voters awarded Gibson City's mayor another four years in office, as our Dave Hinton reports here — Two Danville city council incumbent aldermen were defeated and Danville Area Community College's sitting board president was re-elected Tuesday night. Click here to read Jennifer Bailey's report — More from Jennifer Bailey: Hoopeston elected a new mayor Georgetown re-elected the incumbent and a Westville trustee won a three-man race to lead the Vermilion County village — In a three-candidate race for Bement village president followed by Bob Wells (90) and Cory McQueen (63) — Winning uncontested races for mayor or village president: Cerro Gordo's Kevin Frazier Hammond's John Drummond and Monticello's Larry Stoner in-person and vote-by-mail ballots counted in Champaign County and about 2,000 mailed ballots still outstanding All early and in-person votes have also been counted in Danville and Douglas Average turnout in those seven jurisdictions was 18.2 percent defeated city council member Sarah Sarantakos here's a look at how candidates on ballots throughout the area are spending part of their Election Day Never before had voters in Champaign’s District 3 elected a woman of color to represent them on the city council And never before had the towns of Rantoul and Tolono voted in an African American village president