WPGU News Summary – Week of 11/01/21

Happy Monday, Champaign-Urbana!

Here is your weekly COVID-19 update:

The University’s COVID testing data reveals 20 new COVID-19 cases on campus over the past week, putting last week’s campus positivity rate at 1.16%. U of I students are now eligible to receive a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at either McKinley Health Center or CUPHD on campus.

Champaign-Urbana Public Health has administered a total of 254,981 COVID-19 vaccinations and fully vaccinated 117,946. Champaign-Urbana is holding mass vaccination clinics at the I-Hotel, at Walgreens and CVS pharmacies, and at select local school districts.

To combat the rapidly increasing number of COVID cases and to protect yourself from the flu, get your booster dose of the COVID vaccine and your flu shot. The shots work together, so be sure to get them on the same day (or get one shot 2 weeks after the other).

Here are last week’s top stories to start off your Sunday. Click the link under each story to listen to them on the WPGU News daily broadcast.

Spurlock Museum exhibit honors AIDS crisis victims 40 years later

By Owen Henderson

From November 2, 2021

A new exhibit opening at Urbana’s Spurlock Museum is named “Sewn in Memory: AIDS Quilt Panels from Central Illinois”. It features 19 quilt panels that were created by The Names Project AIDS Memorial Quilt in the 1980s to humanize the lives lost to the epidemic 40 years ago. Private tours are available now, though the museum plans to open the exhibit up to the public in January.

Continued contentions over ALPRs

By Justin Malone

From November 2, 2021

At last Monday’s town hall meeting, Urbana residents continued to voice their concerns about the proposed use of Automatic License Plate Readers in response to the gun violence issues in the area, which has just been declared by Governor Pritzker as a public health crisis. Residents were disappointed with the lack of time for public input and almost all asked the council not to buy the readers.

NCAA suspends Kofi Cockburn for first games of the season

By Jackson Janes

From November 3, 2021

Kofi Cockburn will be suspended from the U of I basketball season’s first 3 games following his violation of NCAA rules in June. After declaring for the NBA draft, Cockburn sold Illinois Basketball apparel and memorabilia one month before Illinois enacted legislation allowing Cockburn to do this. He will be returning on November 22nd at the game against Cincinnati.

Champaign celebrates LIFT program launch

By Beyza Vural

From November 5, 2021

Last Thursday, a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house celebrated the launch of Leading Individuals and Families to Transformation, or LIFT. The initiative focuses on providing trauma-informed care to African-American youth aged Kindergarten through 12th grade who are facing academic and personal challenges and to their families.

Weekend arts events include ‘Fun Home’, ‘Origin Story’, and the Jupiter String Quartet

By Nathalie Murillo, Kayla Mish, Emily Crawford

From November 4, 5, 2021

Last weekend, multiple performances were brought to Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. The play ‘Origin Story’ and the Tony Award-winning musical ‘Fun Home’ were performed last Thursday through Saturday and were the first musicals to be performed with an audience since March 2020. The world-famous Jupiter String Quartet had their first live performance since March 2020 last Thursday with a program titled ‘American Prism’