Rafael Magdaleno-Mendoza was taken into custody at the scene without incident
URBANA — A 51-year-old man has been arrested and charged with attempted murder after allegedly stabbing his wife Sunday night
Champaign County sheriff’s deputies responded to a third-party 911 call about a stabbing at a residence on Gurth Drive in Urbana Township at 8:01 p.m
The 54-year-old victim was stabbed during a domestic dispute involving her husband
and was taken to Urbana’s Carle Foundation Hospital
He was arrested and faced preliminary charges of attempted murder
aggravated battery and aggravated domestic battery
He was scheduled to appear in court this afternoon
The Champaign County Sheriff’s Office asks that anyone who has additional information please call 217-384-1213. Arrangements can be made for information to be shared privately. Anyone wishing to remain anonymous may also submit tips to Crime Stoppers by phone at 217-373-8477 (TIPS), online at 373tips.com or via the “P3 Tips” mobile app
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Champaign County Sheriff's deputies responded to a reported stabbing at a residence on Gurth Drive
involved a domestic dispute between a 54-year-old woman and her husband
was transported to Carle Foundation Hospital
She is currently listed in stable condition
Rafael Magdaleno-Mendoza was arrested at the scene without incident
He faces preliminary charges of attempted murder
He remains in custody pending his initial court appearance
and no further information is being released at this time
The Champaign County Sheriff's Office urges anyone with additional information to call 217-384-1213
In his first season on the Austin Peay men's golf team, junior Patton Samuels has qualified for the 2025 NCAA Men's Golf Championship as an individual and will compete at the Urbana Regional
hosted by Illinois at Atkins Golf Club in Urbana
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – In his first season on the Austin Peay State University men's golf team, junior Patton Samuels has qualified for the 2025 NCAA Men's Golf Championship as an individual and will compete at the Urbana Regional
Samuels is one of 45 individuals to qualify for the NCAA Men's Golf Championship and is one of three individuals from the Atlantic Sun Conference to qualify with Stetson's Gaspar Glaudas – who won the ASUN Championship – and North Alabama's Xing Lou
In his first season as a Governor under first-year head coach Easton Key
Samuels is the first Austin Peay men's golfer to qualify for the NCAA Men's Golf Championship as an individual without winning a conference title
Samuels is the first Gov to qualify for the NCAA Men's Golf Championship since 2014 when Marco Iten won the Ohio Valley Conference Championship and advanced to the Auburn Regional
which he won to claim a spot in the NCAA Men's Golf National Championship
Samuels led the Govs with a 70.14 scoring average
and 21 rounds at even or under par this season while also recording a counting score for the team in all 29 rounds played
He also posted a team-best 723-55-11 record against the field
which was good for a .929 winning percentage
Samuels won in his Austin Peay debut when he shot 15-under 201 to win the Golfweek Fall Challenge at True Blue Golf Club in Pawleys Island
His 54-hole score of 201 is tied for the fourth-best tournament score in Austin Peay history
Samuels followed the win in his APSU debut with a top-five finish in each of his first six tournaments as a Governor and has posted a top-five finish in 8-of-10 events this season
Samuels carded his best round of the season at Arkansas State's Bubba Barnett Intercollegiate
shooting eight-under 64 in the opening round to post the fourth-best 18-hole score in APSU history
Samuels also played to a perfect 4-0 record in match play during his first season at Austin Peay
Big 12 Conference Champion Oklahoma State is the No
1 team in the Urbana Regional with North Carolina
and Wright State making up the rest of the 13-team field
The following nine individuals also will join Samuels at the Urbana Regional: Hunter Thomson (Michigan)
The top five teams and the low individual not on those teams from each regional will advance to the National Championship
For more information on the NCAA Men's Golf Championship, visit NCAA.com.For news, updates, and results, follow the Governors men's golf team on Twitter and Instagram (@GovsMGO) or check back at LetsGoPeay.com
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The Fighting Illini's hunt for a national title begins
– The Fighting Illini men's golf program's hunt for a national title will begin at the NCAA Urbana Regional at Atkins Golf Club
where the Orange and Blue will host 13 programs and 10 individuals
competing for a spot in the field at the 2025 NCAA Championship
The 14th-ranked Fighting Illini will be the regions No
The 10 individual competitors in the field are: Hunter Thomson (Michigan)
The low five teams and low individual not on a qualifying team from each of the six NCAA regional sites will advance to compete at the NCAA Championship on the North Course at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad
Illinois is in search of the program's 16th NCAA Championship berth in the last 17 tournaments dating back to 2008
the Illini followed their win at Stanford by finishing first in stroke play at La Costa and advancing to the program's ninth NCAA Match Play
tied with Oklahoma State for the most in the nation since the format began in 2009
The other five regional sites are: Auburn (Auburn University Club; Auburn
Florida State (Seminole Legacy Golf Club; Tallahassee
Liberty (Poplar Grove Golf Course; Amherst
and Washington (Gold Mountain Golf Club; Bremerton
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It's national championship week in High School on SI's 2025 NCAA Tournament-style bracket to determine the best high school mascot in America
Vote below for the No. 7-seeded Morse Shipbuilders (Maine) or fellow 7 seed the Center Point-Urbana Stormin' Pointers (Iowa) to be crowned the 2025 high school mascot national champion
Voting for this matchup will conclude Monday
High School On SI voting polls are intended to be a fun way to create fan engagement and express support for your favorite high school athletes and teams
there are no awards for winning the voting
Our primary focus is to highlight the abilities and accomplishments of all the athletes and teams included in our poll
became a haven for shipbuilding in the early 1600s
so the choice of Shipbuilders for Morse's mascot was an easy one
Would they be in this position simply as the Pointers
But Stormin’ Pointers wielding lightning bolts are an out-of-this-world force to be reckoned with in the mascot universe
"the schools in the towns of Center Point and Urbana merged several years ago
Center Point's mascot was a Pointer and Urbana was the Cyclones
There was a strong desire to retain both mascots in some way
which led to the Pointer within the tornado
It was a great way to promote unity during the transition." The physical mascot's name is Stormin' Norman
To get live updates on your phone — as well as follow your favorite teams and top games — you can download the SBLive Sports app: Download iPhone App | Download Android App
-- Mike Swanson | swanson@scorebooklive.com | @sblivesports
Golf Headed to NCAA Urbana Regional4/30/2025 12:33:00 PM | Men's Golf
The Golden Eagles will make their sixth NCAA Regional appearance
Men’s Golf Selected As Five Seed At The Urbana Regional4/30/2025 11:21:00 AM | Men's Golf
Long Beach State is making a third straight NCAA Regional appearance after historic Big West three-peat
Troy Men's Golf Returns to NCAA Regionals; Trojans Headed to Urbana4/30/2025 12:44:00 PM | Golf (M)
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Mostly cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight
sales manager at Comfort Suites in north Urbana
on her industry: ‘You get to meet a lot of people
and sales manager Laura Raney both work the phones at the front desk of the Comfort Suites in Urbana
I get to meet people from everywhere that are going through so many different things.'
URBANA — Laura Raney comes from a big extended family
with her mother being the youngest of eight kids and her father the youngest of 14
She says that’s likely one of the reasons she’s always been a people person — a trait that serves her well as sales manager at Comfort Suites and Rodeway Inn
“I’ve always been drawn to people of all different nationalities,” Raney said
I get to meet people from everywhere that are going through so many different things.”
She’s also enjoyed getting to build relationships with repeat guests — to the point where
as soon as dates are announced for events like Ebertfest or the Christie Clinic Illinois Marathon
she recognizes some of the people who call in by first name alone
Raney also has a knack for helping guests navigate another major annual event: the Illinois High School Association’s boys’ basketball state tournament
“Imagine what it’s like to be responsible for all of these teenagers,” said local real-estate broker Todd Salen
who serves as a community host to teams during the tournament
And she helps (high schools) navigate that storm very well.”
Salen nominated Raney for one of Experience Champaign-Urbana’s Brilliant Spirit Awards
which honor area individuals and organizations for “their contributions in making the greater Champaign-Urbana area a better place to live
The 48-year-old Champaign native will be honored alongside four other winners at Wednesday’s annual Toast to Tourism celebration
While the hospitality industry is a natural fit for an extrovert like Raney
Raney became a certified nursing assistant with Carle Foundation Hospital and the Windsor of Savoy
she switched to working in at-home health care
seeing patients pass away was “depressing,” which led her to switch to working in hospitality
Raney then managed the Historic Lincoln Hotel in Urbana — which recently reopened as Hotel Royer — but had to find a new job when it closed
which led her to join Comfort Suites a little over 15 years ago
Despite the differences between nursing and the hospitality industry
Raney said there are certain similarities — such as the importance of showing compassion
That level of care is on full display during the IHSA state tournament
he is assigned to a visiting team each year to help with “any specific needs they might have to make their stay more enjoyable.”
He noted that this can be a hectic time for teams
who don’t know if they’re coming to the tournament until the Monday night before the Thursday semifinals
The teams that win their quarterfinals that night then have several arrangements to make in a very short timeframe with the help of their hosts
Salen knows which hotel his team has been assigned by the IHSA
but he doesn’t know which team he’ll have until after Monday night
“I’ve been very fortunate as a community host the last four years to have my teams assigned to Comfort Suites
“Laura is a remarkable ambassador for our community
Each time that my teams have stayed at the hotel
there’s always “a huge sign” at Comfort Suites welcoming the student athletes
“You can imagine what it’s like to have 30-something 15-
17-year-olds attack the breakfast table,” Salen said
Raney makes things easy for teams and is “extremely patient,” he said
The IHSA tournament is “a goldmine” for the hotel
though she acknowledged that it also comes with some challenges
and there’s a lot of wear and tear that comes with it,” she said
I was a traveling parent — both my kids played traveling sports — so I can sympathize with the parents and the coaches on both ends
whether it’s traveling or booking the hotels.”
That sympathy played a role in how Raney handled a last-minute hurdle during this year’s tournament
A high school that was playing in the championship for the first time had been under the impression that the IHSA would cover all costs
who had been assigned as the school’s community host
was waiting for the team to arrive when an employee told him that the hotel had not been paid
who explained that the school had expected its travel agency to pay the hotel bill
but the agency hadn’t yet been paid by the school district
‘You have to have a payment method,’” Raney said
“Normally it’s a 72-hour cancellation policy for the entire group if we don’t secure a credit card or something.”
While she could have canceled the booking and opened up the block of rooms
Raney decided to wait for the school to get things in order
“Coming from my background as a parent who had kids that traveled in sports
there was no way I was going to cancel their block,” she said
just because I would want somebody to do that for me
The hotel finally received the payment about two hours before the team arrived
to kind of roll the dice and leave the rooms locked down for them
because they technically could’ve released those rooms at 6 o’clock Wednesday evening for nonpayment,” Johnson said
While Salen cited this story in his nomination
it’s far from the most dramatic thing to happen during Raney’s career in hospitality
one time a woman who had overdosed was found in a hotel bathroom
was able to revive her while the hotel waited for paramedics to arrive
And her boss called me and sent me a bunch of wine
There have also been people who have tried to skinny-dip in the hotel pool
an older man who got drunk and walked up to the front desk naked
and famous guests such as Pauly D from “Jersey Shore.”
“If you’ve never worked in a hotel and you just want to see what it’s like
The five community members who’ll be honored with Brilliant Spirit Awards during Experience Champaign-Urbana’s annual Toast To Tourism celebration
set for Wednesday at the Hilton Garden Inn in Champaign:
That’s why she was selected as a 2025 recipient of an Experience Champaign-Urbana's Brilliant Spirit Awards
The annual Illinois Marathon in Champaign saw a 10-year-old dog crash the race
Chex snuck away from his Urbana home and ran three miles
and crossing the finish line at Memorial Stadium
The Illinois Marathon has a no animal policy at races
"We’re going to find his owner," said an organizer after a crew found Chex's collar
He jumps on the kitchen table to find food
but is usually more low-key on the front porch with his owner
when Chex saw dozens of people running by his house
he hopped the fence and decided to get some exercise
He did this in front of the owner's face
There's no way for me to catch him," said Weiskamp
Chex finished a three mile run and found his way into the football stadium
You could tell that happy dog face he had."
"He rewarded himself right away with whatever he could scrounge out of the kitchen when we weren't looking so yeah
it was a great day for Chex," he added
The Illinois Marathon organizer said Chex will be awarded a medal for this weekend’s race
but I had a "wuff" time getting an answer
Men’s Golf to Compete at NCAA Urbana Regional4/30/2025 7:49:00 AM | Men's Golf
Cougars earn NCAA Regional appearance for fifth consecutive year
11th time under Director of Golf Jonathan Dismuke
the Illinois State men's golf team will compete in the Urbana
hosted by the University of Illinois on their Atkins Golf Club Course from May 12-14
Joining the 136th-ranked Redbirds in the 13-team field include Oklahoma State (#2 Nationally)
The NCAA Regional Appearance is ISU's first since they appeared at the 2022 NCAA Bath Regional in Bath
and this season is the fifth time that the team has qualified to the Regional
ISU advanced to the regional by virtue of winning the 2025 MVC Crown
coming back from a one-stroke deficit coming into the final round to win the tournament by three strokes overall
Barger and McCulla were both named to the All-Missouri Valley Conference team
GoRedbirds.com and the Illinois State Redbirds App: Your sources for Illinois State tickets
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– The 2024-25 season continues for Kentucky men’s golf junior Jack Schoenberger who was selected to play at the Urbana Regional as announced on Golf Channel Wednesday
Schoenberger will head to Atkins Golf Club
where he will tee it up in the 54-hole regional tournament for a chance to advance to the 2025 NCAA DI men’s golf national championship
“We are excited for Jack to play in his first ever NCAA Regional,” head coach Gator Todd said
“He’s been a great leader for us and has played consistently at a high level all year long.”
The Urbana Regional is one of six across the country and features 13 teams and 10 individuals
Five teams and the low individual on a non-advancing team will move forward to the final site at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad
who is in his first season at Kentucky after transferring from Belmont
led the Wildcats with a 71.97 scoring average this season and 16 rounds of par-or-better
134 ranked player in Division I in the Scoreboard powered by Clippd rankings
native was at his best this spring collecting four consecutive top 10 finishes including two top 5s
He led the Wildcats with seven top 20s in his 11 starts this season and a 94.5 percent counting score rate
Schoenberger tied for fourth at the Mason Rudolph Championship earlier this month
finishing at 11-under par to tie the sixth-best 54-hole tournament total at Kentucky dating back to the 2001-02 season
He carded a second round of 65 (-6) as a part of that finish
tied for the fourth lowest 18-hole score at UK since 2001-02
Schoenberger then followed that up with another top 5 in his very next start at the Mountaineer Invitational
where he opened with a 66 (-6) in round one and persevered through difficult conditions to finish the tournament in a tie for fifth at 4-over par
He has 53 rounds of par-or-better and was the winner of the Joe Feagnes Marshall Invite in September of 2023 while playing at Belmont
Fans can follow live scoring from the 2025 Urbana Regional on Scoreboard powered by Clippd
For the latest on UK Men’s Golf follow the Wildcats on X and Instagram @UKmensgolf, and online at ukathletics.com.
Photo by: Andy Mead/YCJPack Headed to Urbana for NCAA Regional4/30/2025 4:07:00 PM | Men's Golf
Top five teams at Urbana Regional will advance to NCAA Championships
Photo by: ACCMen's Golf Lands 2 Seed In NCAA Urbana RegionalApril 30
Cowboys Garner Top Seed For NCAA Urbana Regional April 30
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In today's deep dive, we’ll hear from Diane Marlin as she wraps up her time in office
and from mayor-elect DeShawn Williams as he prepares to become Urbana's new mayor
217 Today is produced by Stephanie Mosqueda
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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
This week's Kathy's #Mailbag already is stuffed
Champaign County Highway Engineer Jeff Blue said: "Urbana Township replaced the rotted-out culvert at that intersection
The gravel backfill will be replaced with asphalt this summer."
Longtime multimedia reporter Kathy Reiser is the author of Kathy's Mailbag, which runs in full every Friday on news-gazette.com and in part in Saturday's News-Gazette. Submit your questions here.
Bartlett relaxes outside his office at the cottage in Leal Park
The Urbana Park District has announced the hiring of Rachel Lenz to succeed Tim Bartlett as executive director
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URBANA — The Urbana Park District has announced the hiring of Macomb Park District Executive Director Rachel Lenz to succeed its retiring director
“I’m thrilled to be joining the Urbana Park District
a community where the words ‘You Belong Here’ are lived out with heart and purpose,” Lenz said
“This belief — that every person has a place and a voice here — is something I hold close and am committed to advancing.”
Lenz has led the Macomb Park District since 2017
parks and tourism administration and is also an NCAA women’s college basketball official
Bartlett has served as Urbana Park District executive director since 2014 and recently announced plans to retire after 33 years with the district
“I am grateful for the leadership and impact Tim Bartlett has brought to this District
and I look forward to building on that strong foundation,” Lenz said
said that she is looking for someone to buy the business and take over her lease
and the building is for sale separately by the owner
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
URBANA — A popular neighborhood bar that has had several recent ownership changes is once again on the market
said she is looking for someone to buy the business and take over her lease
“I have decided not to renew for personal reasons that (don’t) have anything to do with the bar,” Graham said
“The space has a very nice setup for a music venue or a restaurant
Great local establishment that has been around for many years.”
She added that it would be ideal if she could find someone to take over the business before her lease ends in July
The property itself, located at 1309 E. Washington St., is listed with Littlefield Group: Keller Williams Realty
with a current asking price of just under $500,000
Boomerangs previously closed briefly in mid-August to “restructure
Then-co-owner Stuart Candlin said much of the restructuring “involved our debts and liquidating overstock to free up operating capital.”
but that closure once again turned out to be temporary
with Graham buying it and reopening in November
“I feel that it could thrive with the right person/people with lots of ambition and fresh ideas,” she told The News-Gazette
"We are focusing on getting this (new location) up and running
And as soon as this where we want it to be
then we'll make an announcement on when we'll be reopening in Lincoln Square."
Email business news to Jana Wiersema at jwiersema@news-gazette.com
"The skeleton crew and limited menu will probably last through this weekend
with a return to a more normal crew and menu starting the beginning of next week."
'We appreciate everyone that has supported our business'
Scot Grap moved to C-U from Milwaukee 10 years ago and worked for Goldy’s Bar and Grill at Country Fair before getting out of the bar business to sell appliances for Dick Van Dyke Appliance World for a time
East Urbana’s Boomerangs Bar & Grill is for sale
“it will stay in business for a good long time.”
According to the Coldwell Banker Commercial Devonshire Realty sales listing
“This well-established neighborhood watering hole and grill has been in operation for decades
and current ownership is looking into their next business venture
"Current ownership has established the business as a live music hotspot in Champaign-Urbana with great food specials including Wing Wednesday and Fish Fry Friday.”
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Ohio (WKEF) -- Ben Cors qualifies for NCAA tournament after first place finish at Atlantic 10 Conference Championship
Cors’ first place finish in the Atlantic 10 Conference Championship last week earned him the 8th seed in the Urbana region in Illinois
He is just the third UD golfer to win the individual title in the A-10 championship
The senior said he hoped to keep his momentum going into regionals
just continue to do what I've been doing
some of the guys just go into the Masters and playing those events try not to think of it as any other tournament," said Cors
UD men’s golf has never qualified for the tournament
but head coach Gip Hoagland said Cors has been a role model for the younger guys on this team and hopes they can build on his success
So for them to be able to see not just the result
but to see the process from day one when they got here
he's one of the hardest workers I've ever had
a guy from Dayton can make it' and the next thing for them
let's just make the team get there," said Coach Hoagland
and family as he learned which region he’d be competing in
“It would mean the world to me and the world to all the people that supported me through the years and
mean a lot to my family and friends and represent the university," added Cors
Horizon League champions Wright State are also competing in the Urbana region as the 13 seed team
The regional championship will be held May 12-14
Cors must win his individual region to advance to the national championship in Carlsbad