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Story category: civil rights
Citizens Demand Answers, Action after Champaign Police Shooting
Story air date: Wednesday, October 21, 2009
It wasn’t on the agenda, but the October 9th shooting death of Kiwane Carrington in a confrontation with police was the major topic at Tuesday night’s Champaign City Council meeting. Council members heard some three hours of comments from a skeptical and sometimes angry public. AM 580’s Jim Meadows reports.
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civil rights • crime • government • Champaign • race/ethnicityTent City Supporters Look for a New Home; Champaign's Not So Sure
Story air date: Monday, July 27, 2009
The Safe Haven Tent Community will leave the back yard of the St. Jude Catholic Worker House by the end of July. But Safe Haven and its supporters hope to convince Champaign city officials that semi-permanent housing is better than no housing at all --- and that they should be allowed to stay somewhere in the city. AM 580’s Jim Meadows reports.
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civil rights • community life • government • Champaign • Urbana • urban planningAfter the Gateway Studios Evictions: What About Next Time?
Story air date: Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Last week’s sudden closure of a residential hotel in Champaign forced dozens of people to look for a place to live on short notice. It also forced the City of Champaign into action – not just to condemn the Gateway Studios for lack of utilities, but to help arrange housing for those residents, most of them low-income. Housing advocates see the evictions – and a similar incident at the Autumn Glen apartment Complex in Rantoul – to call for changes in housing policy in Champaign and Urbana. Former Urbana alderman Danielle Chynoweth has brought a proposal to the Champaign and Urbana city councils to offer cash assistance for relocation to people left homeless by condemnation – the landlord would be held responsible for that money. She spoke with AM 580's Tom Rogers.
The head of Champaign’s Neighborhood Services department, Kevin Jackson, told AM 580’s Jim Meadows last week that while rental help is available from agencies, some of it is based on the applicant’s background. Jackson says the city is open to discussion on permanent policy changes.
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Story categories:
civil rights • economy • government • Champaign • Urbana • urban planningPossible Answers for Problems Facing Black Men
Story air date: Wednesday, October 01, 2008
The words “at risk” are often pinned on African-American males for several reasons. They’re considered less likely to finish high school, more likely to have been in prison, and subject to greater health problems and shorter life spans. Now, recently signed legislation has set up a state task force to study these problems and report on possible solutions. And for the past four weeks, Illinois’ Task Force on the Condition of African-American Males has been gathering community input at town hall meetings around the state. The task force held one of its meetings in Urbana. AM 580’s Jim Meadows reports.
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Story categories:
civil rights • community life • economy • government • Illinois • politics • race/ethnicityGay Adoptive Parents in a Straight World
Story air date: Wednesday, May 07, 2008
More and more gay couples are adopting children. The Urban Institute estimates that 65,000 adopted children are already living in households with same-sex parents. Brandon Bowersox and Kevin Johnson make up one of those households. More than a year ago, they adopted a baby, Garrett (left, with Kevin). Kevin and Brandon say they enjoy being parents. But being gay can make parenthood problematic and frustrating. AM 580 intern Terrell Starr talked with Brandon and Kevin about the joys and dilemmas of adoption and the challenge they face as a gay adoptive couple.
