Cheryl Silver

Peaches are served to a student at Booker T. Washington school in Champaign, Il on Monday, April 13, 2015.

Free and reduced-cost lunches served up at Champaign County schools

Post author:Cheryl Silver
Post published:April 21, 2015
Post category:Education Poverty

The number of children receiving free and reduced-cost lunches in Champaign County is on the rise as numbers across the country decline. Of the school districts that reported, more than 51 percent of children in the county are receiving free or reduced cost lunches, up 2 percent from 2014, according to state education data.

Read more about the article High demand for help depletes funds for local veterans

Darrell Hoemann

Bradley P. Gould, superintendent of Champaign County Veterans Assistance Commission at the VFW Post 630 Memorial Day ceremonies, May 26, 2014.

High demand for help depletes funds for local veterans

Post author:Cheryl Silver
Post published:July 25, 2014
Post category:Public Funds

Unable to pay her rent after losing her job, Air Force veteran Anna Robinson turned to the Veterans Assistance Commission in Champaign County last year. She brought her bill to the commission's office and received $744 in financial assistance that same day.

Read more about the article A tale of one meth lab

East Central Illinois Task Force in Mattoon, Ill.

Parts for cooking methamphetamine sit inventoried on the floor. Such parts are typical of the makeshift laboratories police are finding across the state.

A tale of one meth lab

Post author:Cheryl Silver and Thomas Thoren / For CU-CitizenAccess
Post published:October 22, 2013
Post category:Justice

Beginning in June 2012, drug task force agents tracked 78 occasions when people who had recently purchased pseudoephedrine arrived at Tena Logan's residence in Loxa, Ill., according to a written statement by FBI task force officer Scott Standerfer, in the case against Logan.

Read more about the article Meth use on the rise again in Illinois

Provided by Michael Pasley

Michael Pasley cooking meth at unknown date and location.

Meth use on the rise again in Illinois

Post author:Cheryl Silver and Thomas Thoren / For CU-CitizenAccess
Post published:October 22, 2013
Post category:Justice

This past summer, Tena Logan of Loxa, Ill., was convicted of conspiring to manufacture 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possessing it with intent to distribute. Earlier this year, Michael Pasley of Mattoon, Ill., was released from the Illinois Department of Corrections after serving more than two years for manufacturing meth.

Read more about the article Two decades of meth use

Darrell Hoemann

Recovering meth addict Michael Pasley talks about his journey near his workplace in Charleston, Ill., Sept. 11, 2013.

Two decades of meth use

Post author:Cheryl Silver and Thomas Thoren / For CU-CitizenAccess
Post published:October 22, 2013
Post category:Justice

Michael Pasley first used meth in his early teens. Two decades later, his use came to a quick end when he was arrested April 5, 2010, in Mattoon, Ill. The arrest came after he spent 22 straight days high on meth.