Good morning, Champaign.

Dr. Regina Parnell and Lt. Kaitlin Fisher traveled to Orlando for the International CIT Conference to exchange strategies with law enforcement and mental health professionals.

They met with peers from Illinois and Virginia and returned with new ideas to improve local crisis intervention + community support.

Fall festivals are taking place from mid-August to early November across Champaign, Urbana and nearby towns.

The events offer family fun with fish fries, parades, live music and carnival rides, and the Champaign-Urbana Jazz Festival will be held in October (full details are still being updated).

University of Illinois Springfield teams with Parkland College to launch the Transfer Drive program to help low-income students transfer to four-year schools.

The program will begin accepting students this fall with deadlines on Oct. 2 and Feb. 12 (spring 2027) while offering support and financial help.

Champaign Unit 4 Schools superintendent Geovanny Ponce, who began on July 1, plans to improve student achievement and teacher support by strengthening family communication and enforcing cell phone restrictions during class.

He said his approach focuses on visibility + professional development to build trust in classrooms.

Some Unit 4 families in Champaign faced long waits to complete school registration due to tighter residency checks; district staff have set up the RISE Center at Columbia today from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. + Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. to assist with documentation.

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency is hosting a free hazardous waste collection event on Saturday, Sept.26 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the southwest lot of State Farm Center — online registration opens Monday, Aug.17 with limited spots available.