Champaign County Emergency Management Agency

10/21/2026

Tonight our Search & Rescue Team trained on maps and using a compass. Technology such as a gps, phone or other devices don’t always work but some tools will work without power or internet. Hard maps are helpful in the field when looking for missing people or objects.

10/21/2026

The Urbana Police Department released new crime data on Oct. 2 showing an almost 16% decrease in violent and property crime citywide compared to last year, with property crime down 24% and violent crime down almost 6%. Violent and property crime fell from 1,258 to 1,061 incidents. Property crime dro...

10/21/2026

On top of Crime Prevention Month, it's also Cybersecurity Month! Prevent cyber crime by staying on top of your passwords and using two-factor authentication!

Learn more on identity theft prevention: https://champaignil.gov/police/resources/crime-prevention-and-safety/

[IMAGE DESCRIPTION: National Crime Prevention Month tip: Change passwords frequently to prevent identity theft. Text is accompanied by a graphic of a laptop with a warning symbol on it.]

10/21/2026

🎄 Give where you live. Spread joy where it matters most. ❤️

When you give to The Salvation Army North & Central Illinois, your gift stays local—helping provide food, emergency assistance, youth and senior programs, and support for neighbors in need.

This holiday season, help bring hope, warmth, and Christmas joy to someone in your community. 🎁

🛎️ Give to our Virtual Red Kettle: nciredkettle.org

Every gift makes a difference—right here in North & Central Illinois. ❤️

10/21/2026

10/21/2026

The Division of Public Safety held its annual awards banquet in April, and several employees and community members were recognized for their exceptional contributions to campus safety last year.

Among those recognized was Michael Larson, recipient of the Campus Emergency Management Recognition Award.

Michael Larson demonstrated exceptional leadership and a commitment to campus safety through his role as Director of Utilities Operations. Following a steam pipe break, he identified opportunities to improve communication and coordination between university departments and emergency responders. He worked closely with campus partners to review the incident, identify challenges, and strengthen emergency response procedures.

His efforts led to significant improvements in communication and coordination during subsequent emergencies, including a chemical spill and other facilities-related incidents. These changes have helped university departments and external partners respond more effectively to emergencies, making our campus community safer.

We are extremely proud of Michael and grateful for his leadership, initiative, and dedication to improving emergency preparedness and response across campus.

Congratulations on this well-deserved honor! 🧡💙

10/20/2026

Our new joint Cybersecurity Advisory with FBI – Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Secret Service, and international partners shares technical details, detection and response guidance, and mitigations for SafePay—one of this year’s most active ransomware groups. Since 2024, SafePay has affected businesses and (CI) worldwide, including 600+ organizations from multiple CI sectors.

SafePay actors gain initial network access through various means, including stealing or guessing passwords, exploiting virtual private network (VPN) services, and phishing tactics. Once inside the network, they establish control by taking over or creating accounts, use legitimate tools to move through the network, and disable security measures to avoid detection. They encrypt and exfiltrate data, then leave a ransom note on the victim’s system threatening to post the exfiltrated data on their dedicated leak site if the ransom isn’t paid. They may also pressure victims by phone calls.

Take action to protect yourself:

🔷 Regularly patch systems, especially VPNs, firewalls and other edge devices.
🔷 Restrict administrative tools and privileges to only those who need them.
🔷 Strengthen identity, credential, and access management policies and implement multi-factor authentication (MFA).

Review the full advisory for indicators of compromise (IOCs), tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs) and more using the link in the comment section below.

10/20/2026

Not to sound like a broken record, but above normal temperatures will continue through the end of the week with highs in the 70s and overnight lows in the 40s and dry weather.

10/20/2026

6% of parents whose children ride a school bus say their child has experienced a close call involving dangerous driving near a school bus or in a school zone. Behind that number is a child whose safety depends on motorists paying attention. Respect the stop arm. Give students time and space to travel safely.

10/20/2026

👏 When disaster strikes, Extension is there to help communities find answers.

Following a chemical fire in Frankfort, Indiana, Purdue Extension educators began receiving questions from residents and farmers about ash, crops, livestock, gardens, and potential health concerns.

To help meet those needs, Extension professionals turned to the Extension Disaster Education Network, connecting with colleagues and resources across the network to provide timely, research-based information to their community.

The response is a powerful example of how Extension’s local relationships, backed by a national network of expertise, can help communities navigate the uncertainty that follows a disaster.

Read more from Purdue University: https://hubs.li/Q04z2Rhx0