Traffic impacts expected for Freedom Celebration
CHAMPAIGN, Illinois – The Champaign County Freedom Celebration will take place Monday at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and the events will affect traffic on campus. The first closures will begin around 8 a.m. Monday, when sections of Kirby Avenue and Lincoln Avenue on campus will close to accommodate the 5K and youth runs and the parade that immediately follows. Those routes will reopen at the conclusion of the parade, expected around 12:45 p.m. Then, around 6 p.m., traffic closures around the areas of State Farm Center and Memorial Stadium will go into effect to accommodate the evening fireworks program [...]
Stood up
A U. of I. student reported that he was scammed out of $100 by a person he met online. The student arranged a dinner date with a woman through a dating app. While the student was waiting at the restaurant, he received a text from the woman indicating that she needed money to pay for a babysitter. The student sent electronic gift cards but the woman never arrived for the date.
New academy trains social workers and police officers together
URBANA, Illinois – A new program at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign trains professionals who work at the intersection of law enforcement and mental health, and the one-week academy may be the first of its kind. Mental health emergencies often prompt community members to call 911 – either because the person experiencing the emergency is at risk of harming themselves or they are creating a public safety hazard. Historically, police officers have been the first responders dispatched to address the 911 call. While some police officers have crisis intervention training, none are mental health professionals or experienced clinicians. That’s why [...]
Fake warrants
A U. of I. student reported that he was scammed out of $2,950. The student received a phone call from a number that appeared to originate from a local police department. The caller said the student was wanted on warrants and needed to pay the caller to avoid arrest. The student complied with instructions to visit a local retail store, purchase gift cards and then give the gift card information to the caller.
Buyer goes missing
The student attempted to sell a $200 computer monitor online. An unknown person who claimed to be interested in the monitor instructed the student to send $100 via an online transaction, and then the unknown person would send back $300. The student sent the money and never heard back from the purported buyer.