There's a small philosophical difference in how Mayor Don Gerard and former mayor Jerry Schweighart run city council meetings, but it's an important difference for those concerned about religious inclusion and the separation of church and state.

The city of Champaign on Friday will begin excavating a pipe near the Boneyard Creek that health care advocates allege is lined with coal tar residue that washes into the creek every time it rains.

The city repudiates the allegations, but they agreed anyway to remove a section of the pipe to avoid a lawsuit from Champaign County Health Care Consumers.

Within the past few weeks, the Champaign City Council has proven that elections are very capable of shaking up the political movement of even a small, non-partisan, local body.

The city of Champaign issued $3,135,017.42 worth of checks between April 29 and June 2.

OK, Midwesterners, time to stop complaining. It's been hotter.

The moral of the story is that, by winter 2011, the portion of University Avenue along the City Building that gets really tight should open up a bit. You'll see bumpouts west of Neil Street (where it opens up a bit already) protecting the on-street parking and making the pedestrian crossing shorter. And city officials hope the other changes they are making to the sidewalks and signals will improve safety for everyone, regardless of their mode of transportation.

Read on for all the details.

It seems this story is revisited every May. University of Illinois students are wrapping up final exams this week and seniors will be graduating this weekend. By next week, campus will seem like a relative ghost town.

But instead of tumbleweed, maybe a few plastic bags or cardboard boxes will be blowing down the street.

The majority of my time this week is going to be spent reading budgets, hearing presentations and suggestions about budgets and writing about budgets. And I do it so you don't have to.

But just in case you want to...