Crowd's spirits soar along with airplanes, temperatures

RANTOUL – It was a hot day at the old airbase on Saturday, as the planes looped and swooped, signaling the opening of the first Chanute Air Festival.

Despite temperatures also swooping high at 90-plus degrees, a few thousand spectators braved the heat, shunned the shade and turned their eyes to the sky to catch a variety of small aircraft doing death-defying stunts.

Also on this date

• There's nothing routine about going back to school
• State fund helps pay for death penalty cases
• Champaign schools' support staff union ratifies new contract
• Putting faces to the names
• Peace advocates gather for first crusade
• Farmers differ on bill, but all want safety net
• Urbana firm handles commercial, industrial recycling
• It's your business: Skateland hoping laser tag is big draw
• Obituaries

» More