Latest news with #AgTechWeek
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Champaign agriculture business prepares for effects of tariffs
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — The agriculture industry in Illinois is preparing for what tariffs could mean for their businesses. Earlier this week, President Donald Trump made a post on Truth Social suggesting farmers increase their production to be sold inside the United States. Trump also said tariffs will go on external products starting April 2. AgTech Week underway in Champaign-Urbana For Total Grain Marketing in Champaign, they've got their eyes on possible retaliatory tariffs from China, Mexico and Canada. 'Some days, we think this is going to work out soon and for the better,' said Greg Johnson, a Grain Originator at Total Grain Marketing. 'The farm community is pretty optimistic, but on days when it sounds like the trade negotiations may not be going as well and the tariffs may be with us for a while, that's obviously not a good situation.' Johnson said the three countries on the receiving end of Trump's tariffs are also some of the biggest consumers of Illinois Ag products. Mexico is the biggest buyer of Illinois corn, Canada for ethanol and China for soybeans. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Three new principals approved by Urbana School District 116
URBANA, Ill. (WCIA) — The Urbana School District 116 will welcome three new employees in principal positions this July. Parkland College welding lab evacuated due to smoke Tuesday evening, the school district's Board of Education unanimously approved the employment of the following administrators for the 2025-26 school year: Sean Smith Assistant Principal at Urbana High School effective July 1, 2025 (replacing Melissa Kearns) Derek Ely Associate Principal at Urbana Middle School effective July 1, 2025 (replacing Imani Carr) Lidiya Wang Principal, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School tentatively effective July 23, 2025, pending approval of the 2025-26 school year calendar (replacing Michelle Turner) Smith graduated from Urbana High School in 2010 and started his career in education as a paraprofessional at Jefferson Middle School in 2017. He earned a master's degree in special education and transitioned to Edison Middle School as a special education teacher in 2019. In 2023, Smith became the Dean of Students and Athletic Director at Edison. He then began his role as Associate Principal there and earned a master's degree in educational leadership in 2024. AgTech Week underway in Champaign-Urbana Ely currently serves as an Assistant Principal at Champaign Central High School. He previously served as the Dean of Students at Champaign Central and as a physical education and health teacher at the READY Program school in Champaign. Wang previously served as the Principal of the Pavilion Foundation School for three years. Before that, she was an Assistant Principal at Circle Academy in Urbana. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Champaign Co. EMA offering severe weather preparedness tips
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — The Champaign County Emergency Management Agency (CCEMA) is urging residents to brush up on their safety knowledge during Severe Weather Preparedness Week in Illinois. The week, lasting from March 3-7, encourages state residents to stay prepared for occurrences of severe weather. After experiencing 142 tornadoes in 2024, Illinois currently ranks third in the country for tornadoes per square mile behind Mississippi and Alabama. AgTech Week underway in Champaign-Urbana Additionally, almost 20% of all tornadoes across the state happened at night, including the EF-3 tornado that touched down near Robinson on March 31, 2024. The CCEMA is relaying information from the National Weather Service (NWS) about taking the necessary precautions to stay safe during these weather incidents. The NWS is urging residents to not rely only on outdoor storm sirens for information because they are not designed to be heard indoors. Some other sources people should use include: Weather alert radios Local radio and TV broadcasts NWS websites Smartphone apps including FEMA and Red Cross (make sure emergency alerts are enabled) Wireless emergency alerts on smartphones On top of this, making an emergency plan for your home, workplace, school and travel can be essential to safety as well. The NWS encourages residents to identify safe shelter locations for tornadoes and other severe weather instances. People are urged to choose two meeting places in case they get separated from family or coworkers. Additionally, while traveling, people should know the names of the counties and cities they visit. Illinois residents are encouraged to learn how to use a fire extinguisher, administer CPR and shut off electricity, gas and water in their homes. Inspecting your home for hazards like weakened trees, cracked windows and worn roofing is important as well. A good way to minimize wind damage is to reinforce roofs, upper floors and garages when constructing and renovating. Parkland College welding lab evacuated due to smoke Having an emergency supply kit can be essential as well if severe weather causes power outages, especially if they last for several days. The NWS said kits should include the following items: Bottled water Non-perishable food Flashlights and extra batteries Extra clothing and blankets A spare set of keys and cash Medications and a first aid kit Personal hygiene items Pet supplies A weather alert radio or portable AM/FM radio The CCEMA has updated its siren activation protocol for Champaign, Urbana, Savoy and the University of Illinois. Going forward, sirens will activate for severe thunderstorms if the warning includes the term 'destructive.' This designation was used for the June 29, 2023, storms. A destructive damage threat is defined as having hail at least 2.75 inches in diameter (baseball-sized) and winds of 80 mph or higher. 'Warnings with this tag will automatically trigger a Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) on smartphones in the affected area,' CCEMA said in their news release. Other county municipalities that have updated their siren protocols include Fisher, Tolono, Sidney and Pesotum. To put all this information in one place, the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) and the NWS have developed a Severe Weather Preparedness Guide covering tornadoes, severe storms, lightning and flooding. This guide is available at For more severe weather safety information, visit the following: NWS Lincoln Ready Illinois Facebook Ready Illinois X (formerly Twitter) Champaign County EMA Facebook Champaign County EMA X (formerly Twitter) Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
