Blog

Drop in a question of your very own BY CLICKING HERE or by emailing Kathy Reiser at mailbag@news-gazette.com.

From restaurants to railroad crossing, it’s another busy week at Mailbag Central:

“Is the Hot Wok Express on University Avenue in Urbana closed for good? Loved that place!”

I’m afraid so. In fact, it’s been closed for a few months now, according to Coldwell Banker Realty Group’s Jeremy Brandow, who has the listing.

 “The owners previously sold the business but kept ownership of the building. They prefer to sell the property, but are open to discussing leasing it. I’m happy to answer any questions as well, at jbrandow@coldwellhomes.com.”

 Brandow said the property owners ran Hot Wok as a very successful business for many decades. It was built as a Popeye’s Chicken franchise in the late 1980s, and they’ve owned it as Hot Wok since the early 1990s.

“Does CN receive a cut from local automotive shops for performing front-end alignments? Seriously, the CN crossing at Leverett Road in northern Champaign County needs to be repaired!”

I drove to that Canadian National Railroad crossing, and the crossing bed itself looks fairly new and relatively smooth. But in spots, there’s a gap/drop of several inches where the asphalt apron ends and the crossing bed begins. That may account for the reader’s jarring experience.

The (boilerplate?) response from the CN Railroad, via spokesperson Michelle Hannan: “Safety is a core value at CN, and all rail crossings are regularly inspected. Should members of the public have any concerns with the condition of a crossing, they can contact our CN Public Inquiry Line at 1-888-888-5909 or send an email to contact@cn.ca.”

The Illinois Commerce Commission does have some regulatory oversight of railroad operations in the state, and ICC spokesperson Victoria Crawford told me that agency had “reached out to the CN to let them know about this crossing. They are aware and have repairs scheduled at this crossing and have indicated the work will be done within the next two months.”

Not sure why CN couldn’t have told us that directly, but … at least now we know, and via an authoritative source.

“We also encourage motorists and pedestrians who encounter unsafe conditions on the tracks to call the number on the blue signs posted at the crossing, contacting the railroad directly to report the problem,” Crawford said.

At every railroad crossing, a small blue “report problem or emergency” sign is attached to one of the towers on which the flashing red lights and/or gates are mounted. That sign always has a phone number and the crossing’s unique U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) number. The DOT number can help railroad or ICC staff zero in on exactly where the safety problem or other issue is, for quicker resolution.

“When is the Circle K at Kenwood Road and Springfield Avenue in Champaign set to close?”

In about a month, News-Gazette business writer Jana Wiersema reports.

“After a recent review of our operations, we made the business decision to sell the Circle K at 2315 W. Springfield Ave. in Champaign as part of a previously announced process to sell 36 Circle K locations across 14 states,” company officials said. “Following the store’s closure on May 17, we will continue to serve customers at our nearly 20 locations across Champaign County.”

Three stores in Rock Island, O’Fallon and Kankakee are also set to be sold and will close around the same time as the Champaign location, the company said.

“Wondering if the city might be able to address some confusing signage along southbound Third Street, near the campus-area post office.”

“As you approach the PO from the north, you see a one-way traffic sign posted at the mouth of the driveway north of The Rive apartment building — where that driveway meets Third Street — pointing in an easterly direction. It seems to point drivers into the post office parking lot,” the reader continued.=

The one-way sign does seem to suggest that it’s OK, or even recommended, for PO traffic to enter the parking lot from Third Street. But when you get up-close, a small “exit only” sign is posted on the PO driveway at Third Street; it’s bent and easy to miss until you’re halfway into the parking lot’s driveway.

So … can the city improve the signage?

Champaign Public Works spokesperson Kris Koester said the one-way sign regulates the alley/driveway behind the properties at Second and Third streets, as the full two-block length has angled parking that is one-way (eastbound) only. “We would not post a ‘do not enter’ sign for the private building; that would be up to them.”

I’ll check with the U.S. Postal Service in the coming days, to see if they might be able to improve the signage at their parking lot exit along Third Street.

“Loved the pre-Oscars story you did on the Chambana Film Society and its efforts to bring independent and art films to town. You’d hinted that more scheduling info would be available in the spring. Well … it’s spring! How ’bout an update?”

Nat Dykeman, the heart and soul behind the society’s flagship Savoy Lumière Film Festival, was more than happy to provide one. He says the event will return to the Savoy 16 + IMAX Theater in a few weeks. Its second year brings a lineup that is “bigger, bolder and brighter” — with 17 screenings running Wednesday, April 29 through Tuesday, May 5, and three additional screenings on the subsequent Fridays.

“In just two years since its founding, the Chambana Film Society has made a significant impact on the local film scene, hosting two festivals – Savoy Lumière and the CineSonic Music Film Festival – alongside dozens of screenings through its popular Savoy Arthouse series.

“As always, the festival highlights independent voices, with more than half of the films written and directed by the same creator – a testament to true auteur filmmaking. Nearly all selections are independently produced and financed, reinforcing the Chambana Film Society’s mission: To bring remarkable, often underseen films to appreciative local audiences,” Dykeman said.

Twelve feature films — seven feature documentaries and five feature narratives — will be shown during the festival, along with 65 short films. And many of the films have connections to local talent.

“Following last year’s opening-night spotlight on the locally produced Brim, which returns this year for a special encore screening the Friday before the main festival week, the 2026 edition once again celebrates homegrown talent.

He said opening night (April 29) offers a curated program of eight locally made short films. Bookended by two shorts featuring Matthew Green (Permanent Residence and Quiet Tonight), the lineup includes compelling dramas and a thriller, a short documentary by Jason Lindsey, and an animated music video.

The program also will feature the world premiere of Slots of Life, directed by Kevin Lau, as well as

When The Night Falls, a thriller/horror creature feature by Andrew Lamping, filmed in the Clifton, Ill. area and fresh off its March 5 world premiere in Alabama. (Who knew Iroquois County could be such a scary place?)

Nuisance Bear, winner of the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary Feature at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, will be the closing feature.

Dykeman says about 75% of the festival’s screenings are expected to include post-film Q&A sessions. “These conversations offer audiences a unique, behind-the-scenes look into the creative process and the stories behind the films.”

Single-session tickets are $12 each, and a 10-ticket pack sells for $100. A full-festival badge is $160. Festival badges are on sale now, with individual tickets coming soon. The society’s website is here, and tickets may be purchased here. Or check out the society’s social media spaces, at facebook.com/ChambanaFilmSociety and www.instagram.com/chambanafilmsociety.

 “On News-Gazette Radio, co-host Jim Rossow often calls editor Jeff D’Alessio ‘Junior.’ Is Jeff really that much younger than Jim?”

Rossow, The News-Gazette’s VP of News, loves to kid around — so I’m taking a big chance here, asking him to tell us in his own words how D’Alessio got his newsroom nickname.

“When D’Alessio took over the Illini basketball beat from Loren Tate in 1996, one of his frequent contacts — recruiting analyst Steve Wacaser — referred to him as ‘Junior’ and it stuck.”

D’Alessio’s first run at The News-Gazette started in 1994. He left for Sporting News in 2000 and later ran sports departments at Florida Today and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution before returning to Sporting News as editor in 2008. In 2013, he rejoined The News-Gazette as editor. 

“Despite his rise to stardom in our industry, he’ll always be Junior to many of us in the newsroom,” said Rossow, who at 61 has a slim age advantage on the 56-year-old D’Alessio.

News-Gazette Radio airs live from 4 to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday on WDWS AM-1400 and FM 93.9. It features the “movers, shakers and headline-makers” my colleagues and I write about in the newspaper every day.