ST. LOUIS - There's a good chance you'll encounter more motorcyclists on the roads as temperatures continue to climb. You may even see some weaving in and out of traffic. To get to their intended destinations faster, motorcyclists may consider "lane-splitting." Perhaps you have even been that motorcyclist in the past. The American Motorcyclist Association defines "lane-splitting" as "the practice of riding a motorcycle between clearly marked lanes for traffic traveling in the same direction." The AMA also endorses it, but that doesn't mean it's legal just anywhere. Motorcyclist or no ..read more

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) -- For Wednesday's Community Spotlight, Max Gauble of the Bottenfield Elementary School cross country team and his mom Lindsay sat down to discuss why he signed his team up for Friday's 5K in Champaign. The team is raising money for the Brain Aneurysm Foundation. 10-year-old Max said his father had a ruptured brain aneurysm last February, so he was inspired to help find a cure. "I'm very proud of him," Lindsay said. C-U leaders warn of marathon traffic disruptions Max said he has never done a 5K before, but he and his team have been practicing twice a week and are up to ..read more

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) -- Drivers on Interstate 74 will soon see signs honoring a late Champaign state senator. IDOT will hang the signs up along portions of I-74 between Route 45 and the Indiana state line Thursday, according to State Senator Paul Faraci (D-Champaign). Faraci, a friend of Bennett and his successor in the Illinois State Senate, announced he is holding a dedication ceremony for the new signs Thursday morning at 10 a.m. in Oakwood at the village hall. He passed the legislation for the signs last year. Family and friends of Bennett will also be in attendance ..read more

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) -- The Champaign Park District will be temporarily closing the Douglass Park playground next week ..read more

CENTRAL ILLINOIS (WCIA) -- Air pollution is a major problem in the U.S. and one advocacy group has ranked Illinois cities and counties for the cleanest air. The American Lung Association released its annual State of Air report for 2024 on Wednesday, studying two common pollutants in the air -- ozone levels and particle levels-- across the United States. The organization used data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from 2020 to 2022 for the report. They found that 39% of Americans live in an area with at least one unhealthy levels of air pollution of short-term particle pollution, ye ..read more

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) -- Edison Middle School in Champaign celebrated their revalidation as a National AVID Demonstration School with a cupcake celebration on Tuesday. It is one of less than 300 schools in the country to hold the certification. The program helps prepare students for their future by planning ahead and staying focused in school. It's been in the district for at least 20 years. The school got a National Demonstration certification from AVID, Advancement Via Individual Determination, thanks to the hard work of both staff and students ..read more

PAXTON, Ill. (WCIA) -- Last week, Paxton Main Street announced the upcoming debut of their "First Friday" Summer Concert Series. Now, they've announced their first band. Kicking off the first of four free performances will be the Everingham-Pittman Band. The energetic classic rock group will mark Paxton's first ever "First Friday" concert on May 3 ..read more

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) -- Hundreds of UIUC students gathered in Champaign on Wednesday to protest the University for what they describe as its "complicity" in the war in Gaza. Students started rallying at Alma Mater in the afternoon, before travelling to Green Street for a protest and then a 'community event' across from Swanlund Administration Building. As of around 2 p.m., protestors have arrived at Swanlund with hopes to talk to administration. The protest was organized by a student group ActNow4Palestine. They are demanding the University to divest from BlackRock, an asset manager company ..read more

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