Bring island life back home at ‘C-U in the Prairibbean’
By Hannah Preston, Interim editor-in-chief
July 22, 2019
Champaign-Urbana will experience a taste of the tropics with the 15th annual C-U in the Prairibbean concert featuring family-friendly music from award-winning tropical-rock band The Boat Drunks, preceded by performances from both The Tons O' Fun Band and the duo Jake and Jackson. The concert, hosted...
Yingying Zhang’s family gives statements after her killer is sentenced to life in prison
By Samantha Boyle, News Editor
July 18, 2019
At around 1:30 p.m. Thursday, the jury asked the court what would happen if a unanimous decision can’t be reached. At around 2:35 p.m., the court was informed a verdict had been reached. After just over eight hours of deliberation, the jury was unable to reach a unanimous decision in what the sentencing...
Verdict reached in Christensen trial
By Samantha Boyle, News Editor
July 18, 2019
After about eight hours of deliberation, the jury was unable to reach a unanimous decision on whether Brendt Christensen should be sentenced to death or life in prison. Therefore, the court will be imposing a life prison sentence. Around 2:35 p.m. today Judge James Shadid read the verdict from the...
Jury presents two additional questions as deliberations continue in Christensen trial
By Samantha Boyle, News editor
July 18, 2019
As the jury continues deliberations, two questions have already come up. The jury started deliberating Thursday morning at 9 a.m. and sent the first question around 9:45 a.m. asking about what the information about the number of jurors who agree each mitigating factor will be used for. Judge James...
Jury has questions for court during deliberations for Christensen’s sentence
By Samantha Boyle, News Editor
July 17, 2019
Since the jury started deliberations in Brendt Christensen’s sentencing, court reconvened to answer a few questions asked by the jury. The question was written down by the jury and brought out by a law clerk for both parties and the judge to look at and answer. Around 3 p.m. Wednesday, the jury’s...
Jury begins deliberations in deciding Christensen’s fate
By Samantha Boyle, News Editor
July 17, 2019
The closing statements in the case to find justice for Yingying Zhang were finished around 1:30 p.m. Wednesday. It’s been 767 days since her disappearance. On Wednesday afternoon, the jury left the courtroom to begin deliberations on what the appropriate sentence should be for Zhang’s convicted...
Testimonies on behalf of Christensen continue, defense case to rest Tuesday
By Samantha Boyle, News Editor
July 15, 2019
Kind, gentle, polite and well-behaved. These are all words used to describe Brendt Christensen, the accused kidnapper and killer of University visiting scholar Yingying Zhang, in court on Monday. Taking the stand for the defense on Monday were correctional officers from the Livingston County Jail, wher...
Pygmalion adds Rob Bell to 2019 lineup
By Hannah Preston, Interim editor-in-chief
July 15, 2019
After announcing their lineup earlier this summer, Champaign-Urbana’s resident music festival has announced yet another big name. This time, it’s the New York Times’ best-selling author Rob Bell. Bell is known for 10 books on topics covering life’s biggest questions to sex and humanity. He...
KAM’s files building permit to move to corner of First, Green
By Eunice Alpasan, Staff writer
July 13, 2019
The longtime Campustown bar KAM’s and self-declared “Home of the Drinking Illini” filed a building permit on June 28 to the city of Champaign which would relocate the bar to the corner of First and Green streets, according to city records. The building permit filed shows KAM’s would be moved to 102 E....
Illinois expects economic impact following marijuana legalization
By Rebecca Wood, Staff writer
July 12, 2019
Following 10 other states, Illinois legalized recreational marijuana use for those over age 21. However, unlike those other states, Illinois became the first to also legalize the sale and possession of it. Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker signed into action the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act o...
Day 4 of penalty phase sees defense continues to humanize Christensen
By Samantha Boyle, News Editor
July 11, 2019
Testimonies from friends and family of convicted killer and kidnapper Brendt Christensen were followed up on Thursday with witnesses who knew Christensen from his time at the University. Witnesses who testified include professors and other faculty members from the physics department. Some witnesses...
Christensen’s academic background revealed in testimony
By Hannah Preston, Interim editor-in-chief
July 11, 2019
After he was found guilty of kidnapping and murdering University of Illinois scholar Yingying Zhang, the penalty phase in Brendt Christensen’s trial continued Wednesday. Testimonies included Christensen’s teachers and professors, recounting his attitude in school throughout his life ranging from...
