CHAMPAIGN (WCIA) -- Illinois basketball tips off its season Monday night hosting Eastern Illinois at State Farm Center. The Illini open the season in the Associated Press Top 25 rankings for a program record fourth-straight season, coming in at No. 25. Meanwhile the Panthers are in year three of the Marty Simmons era, coming off a 9-22 season. These two teams also played in the season opener last November, with the Illini posting a 30-point win.

It's the time of year again for one Central Illinois community to show its charitable spirit. The Tolono Fire Protection District has started taking donations for its Hero Tree.

Champaign County Forest Preserve used Giving Tuesday to raise money for a new path.

Amanda and Matthew discuss during 9am's trending segment

WCIA - We are continuing our Holiday coverage here on WCIA. So we talked about an event in Cumberland County called Toledo Christmas Around the Square. So we invited the founder of Autism Acceptance in Cumberland County Illinois, Kathy Yocum to talk about the event as well as an all inclusive baseball team.

Almost 50 small businesses across the state were inducted into the Illinois Made program, as state leaders honor the local businesses they believe help make Illinois incredible for both residents and visitors.

Scores from around Central Illinois, with highlights of Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin taking on Unity and Central hosting Peoria Richwoods.

A species of bird native to Hawaii is on the verge of extinction and wildlife experts in central Illinois say there are only a handful of them left on the planet.

Phone updates come with plenty of new features and tricks. But one of them has some iPhone users on edge.

For Giving Tuesday, law enforcement agencies across Champaign County gave back with a little friendly competition.

Students at a Mahomet grade school are making sure families get what they need in time for the holidays. 

The Illinois Department of Transportation is happy with the progress on their biggest project ever in Central Illinois: the I-57 and 74 interchanges.

The Danville Fire Department is investigating after a vacant house caught fire Monday evening.