Latest news with #CozadNewVentureChallenge
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Mahomet Village Board set to vote on grocery tax decision
MAHOMET, Ill. (WCIA) — Grocery taxes will be eliminated statewide next year, but some government offices within Illinois believe they shouldn't be. For this reason, Mahomet is voting to either keep or remove them. Mahomet Village Administrator Patrick Brown said if they lose out on this money, things could possibly look a lot different for them. U of I's Cozad New Venture Challenge announces winners Some community members said they're just hoping for the best. 'If I was honest, I was probably a little bit ambivalent,' said Andrew Powell. 'I'm just a realist; some things just have to go up.' Powell is one of many people in Mahomet who is on both sides of the field. Brown and his board will soon be deciding on whether they would like to remove or keep their grocery taxes. 'The idea here is it's not a new tax imposed,' Brown said. 'It's just keeping the existing tax structure in place.' This proposal comes after Governor JB Pritzker announced he'll be eliminating the grocery tax statewide. It'll go into effect January 1, 2026. Two red, one yellow placard posted in Champaign Co. after health inspections Now it's up to cities, towns and villages to create their own ordinance. Brown said they'll be losing out on $350,000 if they were to remove the tax. 'In the last few years, we've hired about a new police officer every year to kind of bring us the level that we need to manage today's problems in law enforcement,' Brown said. 'Without $350,000, if we saw a reduction, we would have to cut $350,000 somewhere else.' He also said they want to keep the tax rate at 1%, but some people in the village like Powell said it's only so much that can be done. 'I think about how it affects everyone in my life,' Powell said. 'Obviously, I'm not looking to see things go up, but I'm also mindful that when I vote and I'm engaged in the local process, I have to also let go and trust the people that are empowered in these positions that are helping us in our town and trust that they're striving to do the right thing for us.' Another community member said taxes are already high enough, which is why he feels it isn't a good move to keep the grocery tax. The village board will vote on the proposal on April 22. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Hundreds of UI students present new business ideas, innovative inventions
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — Hundreds of U of I students are taking the next steps in their entrepreneurial careers, and it all started last Wednesday at 'Demo Day,' part of the Cozad New Venture Challenge. 200 teams presented a variety of inventions to judges. Some of the products ranged from medical devices, to new apps, robots and other technology, all aiming to solve problems for many. U of I's Beckman Institute focused on impacting lives through science One team of Carle Illinois College of Medicine students wanted to help children who experience migraines since their research showed the same medicine that helps adults doesn't always work the same for kids. 'Our research found that there are about seven million children who are suffering from migraines across the U.S.,' Maharshi Pandya, a fourth-year medical student, explained. He, alongside Dhruv Patel, created unique green light classes to make a change over time. 'It modulates neuropathways in a way that might create less pain,' Patel said. Protesters gather in Champaign for 'Hands Off' rally From medical devices to balloon arches. Harmony Pham, a master's student, wanted to make it easier for business owners and families to create their decor. 'I bought a balloon set from Amazon for my son's birthday, I felt it's not a good one,' she explained. So, she took matters into her own hands and created AI software to generate ideas. Her work was on display at the Cozad event, but she didn't want to stop at just decorating local spots. She also wants to expand to another service and create DIY products; that way people can make arches using her balloons and follow along with a tutorial video. But, if medical inventions or creative decor aren't your things, maybe a new app is. 'Our company is WeightLine. We created a device you can attach to gym equipment and that'll track the usage and occupancy of the gym,' Richie Novak, a freshman studying finance, said. Illinois football moms hit the practice field He helped create the app with Charles Deng, a freshman in mechanical engineering. They hope the app helps gym owners and gym-goers alike. That way, they know what equipment is being used the most and when people work out more often. Many of the presented inventions are still in their experimental phases. Once the judges go through Wednesday's presentations, a top winner will be announced on April 17. There are a variety of prizes for other participants as well, including thousands of dollars. You can find the full list at this link. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
