On campus: Dining services at Newman Hall closed
The dining hall at Newman Hall closed indefinitely on Oct. 20 following a failed food inspection by the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District. The dining center’s food provider, Upper Crust, received a red placard, indicating immediate threats to the public due to health code violations.
Jenn LaMontagne, director of marketing and communications for St. John’s Catholic Newman Center, wrote in an email to The Daily Illini that staff were notified of the inspection results before lunch on Oct. 20. She said employees immediately worked to provide alternative food sources, including prepackaged meals from local restaurants.
President of Upper Crust Jack Dawson wrote in an email statement to The DI that the company is actively working with CUPHD and Newman Hall to address the issue. Upper Crust presented an action plan to CUPHD to address the issues; the plan was approved over the weekend.
CUPHD is set to reinspect the dining facility Tuesday. If Upper Crust passes the inspection, the Newman Hall dining room will fully reopen.
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On campus: Local law enforcement executes search warrant near Campustown
Local law enforcement carried out a search warrant at 57 E. Springfield Ave. Thursday morning as part of an ongoing investigation into a reported sexual assault earlier that morning.
UIPD stated it called the Champaign Police Department SWAT team, the Champaign County Sheriff’s Office and the Champaign County Street Crimes Task Force to assist in their response due to the potential for weapons on scene.
“We have no reason to believe this incident involves anyone affiliated with the University of Illinois or posed an active threat to the community,” UIPD wrote in a Facebook post.
UIPD said officers detained eight individuals during the investigation and arrested three others on unrelated charges.
In C-U: ICE confirmed in Urbana Monday, immigration group says
Immigration and Customs Enforcement vehicles were spotted in Urbana on Oct. 20, according to Charlotte Alvarez, executive director of The Immigration Project.
In an email to The DI, Alvarez wrote that there is no confirmed information indicating any arrests in connection with the sighting.
The Immigration Project is a non-profit organization providing legal and social services to community members concerned about ICE operations in central and southern Illinois.
Alvarez could not provide further information about the sighting. Neither the Urbana Police Department nor ICE has responded to requests for comment.
If ICE is reported on campus, the University advises its employees to immediately refer the agent either to UIPD or the Office of University Counsel, depending on the agent’s request. There have not been any confirmed sightings of ICE on campus.
In Illinois: Murder trial for former central Illinois sheriff deputy begins
The murder trial of Sean Grayson, a former Sangamon County sheriff’s deputy who shot and killed Sonya Massey while responding to her 911 call at her home in Springfield, Illinois, in 2024, began last week in Peoria County.
Grayson faces three counts of first-degree murder in the fatal police shooting.
The former deputy took the stand in his own defense Monday. He testified that Massey had a pot of boiling water on the stove, and he believed she was threatening to throw it on him. This is when he opened fire and shot her.
Prosecutors called nearly a dozen witnesses during the first week of testimony, including Grayson’s former partner, who testified he did not fear Massey on the night of the shooting; he said he was instead afraid of Grayson.
After the defense finishes calling witnesses, the judge expects closing arguments to take place on Wednesday, followed by jury deliberations.
In the U.S.: U.S. plans to deport Abrego Garcia to Liberia
The U.S. government organized a plan to deport Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a 30-year-old man mistakenly deported to El Salvador in March, to Liberia as soon as Friday.
Since his return to the United States in June, ICE has been working to send Abrego Garcia to various countries in Africa, as it cannot re-deport him to El Salvador.
Abrego Garcia returned to the United States from El Salvador in June. His return was prompted by the Supreme Court’s order to the Trump administration to bring him back. He has since sued the Trump administration in the state of Maryland, where he has lived since he was a teenager.
Abrego Garcia’s lawsuit argues the Trump administration is illegally using the deportation process to punish him for the embarrassment of his earlier, wrongful deportation.
In the world: Suspects arrested in connection with Louvre robbery
Paris law enforcement officials arrested two suspects Sunday in connection with the Oct. 10 theft of crown jewels from Paris’ Louvre museum, the Associated Press reported.
The Paris prosecutor said investigators made the arrests over the weekend. The prosecutor added that one of the men taken into custody was preparing to leave the country from Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport.
The thieves spent less than eight minutes stealing $102 million worth of crown jewels in the heist at the world’s most visited museum, per AP. French officials said the intruders rode a basket lift up the Louvre’s facade, forced open a window, smashed display cases and fled Sunday morning.
It’s not yet clear if any of the stolen jewels were recovered during the arrests.
