On April 12, the Champaign County Community Coalition welcomed many wonderful speakers to engage with the community during its monthly meeting. Coalition members heard from Alliance for Inclusion and Respect about the upcoming Ebertfest, which celebrates films, genres and formats that have been overlooked by distributors, audiences and/or critics. Interim Urbana Police Chief Surles gave a powerful talk about the fentanyl crisis in Champaign County through the campaign, “One Pill Can Kill.” Police and public health professionals are working in tandem to address this ongoing concern in the community.
The Coalition was also honored to welcome US Attorney for the Central District of Illinois Gregory Harris to speak to us about his role in the position. Harris was nominated by President Biden on October 27, 2021, and unanimously confirmed by the US Senate on December 7, 2021. Harris shared information about how the Department of Justice (DOJ) has evolved over the last 30 years he has been involved. He focused on how proactive DOJ has become in trying to stop violence by addressing underlying causes, specifically with youth. He commended the work of the Champaign County Community Coalition because it is at the forefront of community outreach to address these causes. The Communications Division records the Community Coalition’s meetings for playback on CGTV and on-demand viewing.
