Green infrastructure solutions aim to protect water supply
URBANA, Ill. – A highway of subterranean pipes channel fresh water to and sewage away from Illinois’ homes, businesses, schools and parks. Pipes also carry runoff from rainstorms and snowmelt. This runoff includes pollutants swept away from parking lots, construction sites, and streets,...
Repair, renovate, restore: How communities support growth with TIF funding
URBANA, Ill. – Tax Increment Funding (TIF) provides a way for municipalities to spur economic growth and make infrastructure improvements in qualifying economically stagnant or physically declining areas, designated as TIF districts.
TIF districts reallocate property tax funds while...
New health care research provides solutions for today's health challenges
URBANA, Ill. – Cutting-edge research in health sciences plays a vital role in preventing disease, driving new treatments, and improving the way health care professionals and systems work and approach diagnosis.
“The amount of time it takes for those research findings to make it from the...
Small bug, big risk: Protect yourself from ticks this summer
URBANA, Ill. — When venturing in the woods this summer, don’t forget to protect yourself from a small, but dangerous creature likely lurking in trees, grass, and bushes.
Ticks are easy to pick up when visiting grassy areas, woods, prairies, wetlands, deer trails, and brushy areas. These...
Blistering heat, high humidity puts us at risk
URBANA, Ill. – June has been hot and muggy. Regardless what the thermometer reads, it just feels hotter.
Feels-like temperatures are calculated using the air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, and an understanding of how the human body responds to heat and cold. ...
Social equity is ethical priority for public administrations
URBANA, Ill. – Questions about social equity in public administrations have long been debated. Do today’s professional environments have greater challenges related to diversity, or have the tensions and struggles remained unanswered since before the country’s founding?
A free online...
When coal mines close: Help for transitioning communities
URBANA, Ill. – Illinois contains about 15% recoverable coal reserves and is the nation’s second-largest coal producer, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Five of the 11 remaining Illinois coal plants are scheduled...
Hackers attack US meat supply chain
URBANA, Ill. - Another international cyberattack may have a direct impact on your dinner table.
Over the weekend, hackers breached computer systems of JBS USA, the second-largest producer of beef, pork, and poultry in the country. Sunday, the company initiated a shutdown of many of its...
Keep an eye out for invasive jumping worms in the garden
URBANA, Ill. – After a long winter, Illinois gardeners are eager for the new growing season. While doing the usual preparations and tasks, home gardeners should be aware of an invasive species wriggling across the Midwest – the jumping worm.
Jumping worms are non-native earthworms that...
Smart Growth strategies take an intentional approach to community vitality
URBANA, Ill. – Rural communities facing economic challenges and population decline not only care about taxes, length of commutes, employment opportunities, and housing affordability but also seek to preserve the lifestyle and atmosphere that make their community special. Development in rural...
Eat more fruits and vegetables with the help of your local farmers market
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – For Illinois residents who fall within the one in 10 American adults who don’t eat the recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables, farmers markets offer the chance for consumers to up their fruit and vegetable intake while supporting local farmers.
The variety of...
Will you save a life? Register to support farm mental health efforts
URBANA, Ill. – America's farm families are paying a heavy mental toll as they deal with unpredictable weather, variable input costs, long work hours, and unpredictable commodity prices. A gap exists between farm families and the resources they need to keep them safe.
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