03-05-2025
It's Your Business I Equine therapy business does more than just (mini) horse around
May 3—Sarah Nixon didn't grow up on a farm. But as a someone who had the opportunity to live and work on one while recovering from trauma, she found caring for livestock to be "profoundly healing."
And when she encountered miniature horses at an auction in Arthur, a lightbulb went off in her mind.
"I knew that there was something incredibly special about them and the potential they could have to connect with children who had experienced trauma or may be at risk for trauma," Nixon said.
She later entered the Carle Illinois College of Medicine's first Health-Make-A-Thon in 2019 and was awarded funding to help bring her idea to life.
Six years later, Nixon and her two American Miniature Horses, Chiron and Shifa, have servd over 1,000 children in the Champaign-Urbana area as "Miniature Horse Power."
While the business's primary focus is serving kids at risk of "adverse childhood experiences" in the Champaign County area, Nixon said Chiron and Shifa have greeted clients of all ages, including residents at Amber Glen Memory Care in Urbana.
Nixon uses the two miniature horses to teach children about subjects such as wellness, "mini-horsemanship", nutrition, leadership and mindfulness.
"Because mini horses are so small and unintimidating, they're much more approachable for children, especially children who have grown up in an urban environment and may have had limited interaction with animals," she said.
Additionally, she and the two minis often visit the University of Illinois campus to help students who are dealing with "exam-time jitters."
"It just changes their whole focus," she said. "It gets them away from the anxiety of needing to cram for exams and (allows them to) just chill and be in the moment."
For more information on Miniature Horse Power, call 917-830-5640 or email .
The Main Scoop is opening a new shop that will be located at The Yard on Broadway in Urbana.
"Right now, Drew Smith is leading the charge on when the first hall opens, but we hope to open alongside Smith Burger and anyone else that is ready to go at that time," said co-owner Jessica Hanson. "We are targeting a June opening at this time."
The ice cream shop is one of several restaurants that will be located in , a new development underway at the former Broadway Food Hall at 401 N. Broadway Ave. in Urbana.
The Main Scoop currently has locations in Mahomet, Monticello, Rantoul and West Main Street in Urbana.
"Our downtown Urbana location WILL remain open," Hanson said. "We are excited to service two different audiences and locations in the C-U area."
The business also plans to open a new shop in Paxton at 201 E. State St.
The Champaign Public Library will hold the Young Entrepreneur Program Pitch Competition from 2 to 5 p.m. today in the Robeson A/B room.
The event, which is open to the public, is the culmination of an 11-week workshop and mentoring series led by the library's business specialist, Lauren Gramly. Students also received advice from local business leaders and entrepreneurs, library staff said.
During Sunday's event, 11 high schoolers will present their business ideas in hopes of winning seed money, with $5,000 awarded to the first-place winner.
"Watching these students develop their ideas and grow over the past 11 weeks has been inspiring," Gramly said. "I'm so impressed by their dedication, and I'm excited to see their hard work pay off at the pitch competition."
Central Illinois Natural Health Clinic has announced plans to move its Danville location from 1012 W. Fairchild St. to 800 Oak St., with the new location housed within the Illume Counseling and Wellness Center.
Clinic officials expect the move to be complete by May 12 and do not anticipate any interruption in services. The clinic will continue to offer its "signature services" at the new location, including naturopathic medicine, nutritional counseling and chiropractics.
"Twenty years ago, we opened our doors with a vision of bringing holistic health options to Danville and the surrounding communities," said Dr. Andrew Peters, founder and director of the clinic. "Today, we're thrilled to not only celebrate this milestone anniversary but also to announce our move into a new facility that will allow us to better serve our patients for years to come."
Peters will also continue to see patients in the clinic's Urbana facility at 302 W. Elm St.
Illinois American Water has announced plans to build a new water storage tank on Market Street, just north of Interstate 72.
Company officials said the elevated tank will "enhance the overall water delivery system" in Champaign, improve fire protection, and replace a 78-year-old tank located on Market Street south of the interstate, near the Market Place Shopping Center.
Company officials said construction on the approximately $4.5-million project is expected to kick off in late 2025, with completion estimated to be late 2026.
"The new tank will nearly double the existing tank water storage volume of 1 million gallons to better support the Champaign community that has grown and expanded greatly over the past 80 years," said Director of Operations Luke Esteppe.
