In November 2023, the Fisher chapter of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows put its building at West Sangamon and South Third streets up for sale.
“I saw it on Facebook and said to my husband, ‘Let’s go look at it,’ knowing full well we were headed to North Carolina the next day for our son’s wedding,” said Debby Adams. “So we looked at it that night, he wrote the proposal at the airport, and when we landed in North Carolina, we found out we had it.”
Now, after two-and-a-half years of hard work, Adams and husband Todd Fugh have opened an antique shop at the space. The store, Owl & Pussycat, opened Friday.
The couple got the idea after buying Mid-Century Modern antiques for their Mid-Century Modern home.
“There were things that we just couldn’t leave behind, and we found that we had a lot,” Adams said. “So immediately, he was like, ‘Well, we can put a store down here and share our love for the treasures of the past with other people.’”
The shop’s name is inspired by the Edward Lear’s nonsense poem “The Owl and the Pussy-Cat,” published in 1871.
Adams has always loved cats, which are often featured in Mid-Century Modern decor, and her husband is drawn to owls.
The poem fits the couple perfectly and nods to their own love story, she said.
Adams and Fugh knew each other during their days at Blue Ridge High School and dated in college. They parted ways in 1994 and reunited in 2021.
“As soon as we saw each other, (it was like) no time had passed,” Adams said.
The historic building that houses Owl & Pussycat is nearly as old as the shop’s namesake poem. Adams said the structure was built in 1888 and has housed a car dealership, a general store, a pool hall and the Odd Fellows’ book exchange.
Adams and Fugh put a lot of work into the building, including the removal of paneling, plaster, false ceilings, carpet and interior walls.
They also put in new flooring, exposed the rafters and put in new windows in the upstairs loft, moved the staircase, retuckpointed brick, and put in new steps at the building’s front and side.
“As my husband likes to say, it’s the newest old building in town at this point,” Adams said.
She and Fugh did a lot of the demolition themselves, as he is a general contractor with knowledge of carpentry.
In addition to Owl & Pussycat, the building at 115 S. Third St. also houses The Gilded Bohemian, a short-term vacation rental located on the second floor.
The rental was one of the first ideas the couple had when they bought the building, and the space saw its first guest around March, Adams said.
“It was just something that was needed with the sports center in Rantoul,” she said, adding that they’ve also seen guests who were in the area for University of Illinois events and tractor pulls. Some have also put in advance bookings for the Fisher Sesquicentennial.
The rental, which sleeps up to eight people, reflects Adam and Fugh’s love of vintage decor as much as the store below.
“My goal was to make it look like it took me years to acquire everything in there, but I did it in a short time,” she said. “It’s meant to feel very nice, but comfortable.”
Business-focused nonprofit finds new leader
The Champaign Center Partnership has chosen Johnette Mitchell as its new executive director.
“We are excited for Johnette’s genuine energy and vision, along with her ability and experience working with businesses of all shapes and sizes,” said Kevin Hildebrand, chair of the organization’s board. “Her commitment to inclusive economic development and her strong relationships across the region make her an exceptional leader for Champaign Center Partnership as we continue strengthening all of our districts.”
Mitchell stepped into the role April 27 and replaces Jenna Manolakes, who announced her resignation at the end of 2025.
Mitchell has over 25 years of “award-winning leadership” in economic development, business-district revitalization and community empowerment, agency officials said.
She most recently served as vice president of treasury relationship management at First Mid Bank & Trust, managing a portfolio of almost 700 small businesses and nonprofits across East Central Illinois.
Her community involvement includes leadership within organizations such as the Illinois Black Chamber of Commerce, the Boys & Girls Club of Decatur and the Richland Community College Foundation.
Mitchell’s philosophy is that one person “can start the momentum, but it’s a connected community that builds, sustains, and transforms a city.”
Concert series expands
The city of Champaign’s Sound Bites concert series has returned at the Neil Street plaza in downtown. The free weekly series features live music from noon to 1:15 p.m. on Thursdays and has added after-work shows from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Thursdays, as well as Sunday shows, officials said.
A Sound Bites Lunch Club Card will be available at the plaza and provides discounts and exclusive offers on food, drinks and shopping that are valid on Thursdays during the Sound Bites season.
More information is available at visitdowntownchampaign.com/sound-bites.
Local businesses partner for Mother’s Day giveaway
On May 9-10, moms can stop by Hometown Grounds Coffee and Events, located at 123 W. Sale St. in Tuscola, to receive a free coffee and a free flower.
“In honor of all the incredible Mothers who give so much love, strength and care each day, Tina Kibler, Real Estate Broker with Keller Williams TREC, and Ellen Mathias with Petals and Plants Plus Florist Tuscola would love to honor you,” the coffee shop shared in a Facebook post, adding that the giveaway is “a small thank-you for all the countless ways mothers make life brighter.”
