The fifth annual “Reaching Out for Answers: Disability Resource Expo” was held Saturday in Urbana’s Lincoln Square Village. The expo aims to provide services for those who have physical, developmental, emotional or mental disabilities. It was designed to raise awareness and to remove the stigma surrounding the disabled. The areas the event covered ran the gamut from vendors to legal services in the Champaign-Urbana area for those with disabilities.

Wednesday’s meeting of the Urbana-Champaign Big Broadband project, or UC2B, policy committee raised concerns about the process of selecting a business planning consultant.

h2. Urbana

Champaign Unit 4 School District’s summer employment program received direction from the Champaign City Council to find alternatives to fund the program during Tuesday’s council meeting. The council vote implies that the council wants the Summer Youth Employment Program to continue, despite a city budget that may not be able to support the program for a second year.

As state support for the University dwindles, a focus on scholarships has quickly risen to the forefront of University fundraising initiatives. Access Illinois, a three-year extension to the Brilliant Futures Campaign which will be ending Dec. 31, will seek to raise $100 million for the sake of providing scholarships to deserving students that aren’t financially capable of otherwise attending the University. Although the Brilliant Futures Campaign has already accomplished its goal of $2.25 billion over its eight-year period, concern has risen over whether the money is actually available to assist lower income students.

Urbana City Council has begun discussions on the feasibility of adopting a stormwater utility fee, after a presentation given to the council Monday night.

After Urbana pulled its funding earlier this summer, the Champaign County Convention and Visitors Bureau has been in financial trouble. The Champaign City Council will weigh this issue among others at Tuesday evening’s study session meeting.

Tuesday kicks off the election season, as it marks the first day candidates from established political parties can start circulating petitions to be on the ballot.

Bicycle lovers can get excited about the prospect of having more bike paths in Urbana. After finishing up the bike lane project on Philo Road, the city of Urbana plans on creating a multi-use path on High Cross Road starting in a month.

Despite moving indoors due to inclement weather, Champaign residents stayed to learn about the city’s findings concerning a potential health and pollution concern.

Sometimes, city council debates just go around in circles.

People of all sexual orientations came together to celebrate Saturday night at Urbana’s Lincoln Square Mall, where Champaign-Urbana’s second annual Pride Fest was held.