{"id":2378049,"date":"2026-04-17T19:35:13","date_gmt":"2026-04-17T19:35:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2378049"},"modified":"2026-04-17T19:35:13","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T19:35:13","slug":"kathys-mailbag-april-17-2026-arts-entertainment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/kathys-mailbag-april-17-2026-arts-entertainment\/","title":{"rendered":"Kathy’s #Mailbag, April 17, 2026 | Arts & Entertainment"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Drop in a question of your very own BY CLICKING HERE<\/a> or by emailing Kathy Reiser at mailbag@news-gazette.com<\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/strong><\/strong><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/em><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

From restaurants to railroad crossing, it’s another busy week at Mailbag Central:<\/p>\n

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\u201cIs the Hot Wok Express on University Avenue in Urbana closed for good? Loved that place!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

I\u2019m afraid so. In fact, it\u2019s been closed for a few months now, according to Coldwell Banker Realty Group\u2019s Jeremy Brandow, who has the listing.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cThe 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<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0Brandow said the property owners ran Hot Wok as a very successful business for many decades. It was built as a Popeye\u2019s Chicken franchise in the late 1980s, and they’ve owned it as Hot Wok since the early 1990s.<\/p>\n

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\u201cDoes 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!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

I drove to that Canadian National Railroad crossing, and the crossing bed itself looks fairly new and relatively smooth. But in spots, there\u2019s a gap\/drop of several inches where the asphalt apron ends and the crossing bed begins. That may account for the reader\u2019s jarring experience.<\/p>\n

The (boilerplate?) response from the CN Railroad, via spokesperson Michelle Hannan: \u201cSafety 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<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

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 \u201creached 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Not sure why CN couldn\u2019t have told us that directly, but \u2026 at least now we know, and via an authoritative source.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe 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,\u201d Crawford said.<\/p>\n

At every railroad crossing, a small blue \u201creport problem or emergency\u201d 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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

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The Circle K at Kenwood Road and Springfield Avenue in Champaign is set to close on May 17. Pictured on April 13, 2026.<\/p>\n

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“When is the\u00a0Circle K at Kenwood Road and Springfield Avenue in Champaign set to close?”<\/em><\/p>\n

In about a month, News-Gazette business writer Jana Wiersema reports.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter 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,\u201d company officials said. \u201cFollowing the store\u2019s closure on May 17, we will continue to serve customers at our nearly 20 locations across Champaign County.\u201d<\/p>\n

Three stores in Rock Island, O\u2019Fallon and Kankakee are also set to be sold and will close around the same time as the Champaign location, the company said.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWondering if the city might be able to address some confusing signage along southbound Third Street, near the campus-area post office.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cAs 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 \u2014 where that driveway meets Third Street \u2014 pointing in an easterly direction. It seems to point drivers into the post office parking lot,\u201d the reader continued.=<\/p>\n

The one-way sign does seem to suggest that it\u2019s OK, or even recommended, for PO traffic to enter the parking lot from Third Street. But when you get up-close, a small \u201cexit only\u201d sign is posted on the PO driveway at Third Street; it\u2019s bent and easy to miss until you\u2019re halfway into the parking lot\u2019s driveway.<\/p>\n

So \u2026 can the city improve the signage?<\/p>\n

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. \u201cWe would not post a \u2018do not enter\u2019 sign for the private building; that would be up to them.\u201d<\/p>\n

I\u2019ll 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cLoved the pre-Oscars story you did on the Chambana Film Society and its efforts to bring independent and art films to town. You\u2019d hinted that more scheduling info would be available in the spring. Well \u2026 it\u2019s spring! How \u2019bout an update?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Nat Dykeman, the heart and soul behind the society\u2019s flagship Savoy Lumi\u00e8re 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 \u201cbigger, bolder and brighter\u201d \u2014 with 17 screenings running Wednesday, April 29 through Tuesday, May 5, and three additional screenings on the subsequent Fridays.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIn just two years since its founding, the Chambana Film Society has made a significant impact on the local film scene, hosting two festivals \u2013 Savoy Lumi\u00e8re and the CineSonic Music Film Festival \u2013 alongside dozens of screenings through its popular Savoy Arthouse series.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs always, the festival highlights independent voices, with more than half of the films written and directed by the same creator \u2013 a testament to true auteur filmmaking. Nearly all selections are independently produced and financed, reinforcing the Chambana Film Society\u2019s mission: To bring remarkable, often underseen films to appreciative local audiences,\u201d Dykeman said.<\/p>\n

Twelve feature films \u2014 seven feature documentaries and five feature narratives \u2014 will be shown during the festival, along with 65 short films. And many of the films have connections to local talent.<\/p>\n

\u201cFollowing last year\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

The program also will feature the world premiere of Slots of Life, directed by Kevin Lau, as well as<\/p>\n

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?)<\/p>\n

Nuisance Bear, winner of the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary Feature at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, will be the closing feature.<\/p>\n

Dykeman says about 75% of the festival\u2019s screenings are expected to include post-film Q&A sessions. \u201cThese conversations offer audiences a unique, behind-the-scenes look into the creative process and the stories behind the films.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u2019s website is here<\/a>, and tickets may be purchased here<\/a>. Or check out the society\u2019s social media spaces, at facebook.com\/ChambanaFilmSociety<\/a> and www.instagram.com\/chambanafilmsociety<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Jeff D\u2019Alessio on \u2018News-Gazette Radio\u2019 on WDWS in Champaign on Monday, Feb. 23, 2026.<\/p>\n

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\u00a0\u201cOn News-Gazette Radio, co-host Jim Rossow often calls editor Jeff D\u2019Alessio \u2018Junior.\u2019 Is Jeff really that much younger than Jim?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Rossow, The News-Gazette\u2019s VP of News, loves to kid around \u2014 so I\u2019m taking a big chance here, asking him to tell us in his own words how D\u2019Alessio got his newsroom nickname.<\/p>\n

“When D’Alessio took over the Illini basketball beat from Loren Tate in 1996, one of his frequent contacts \u2014 recruiting analyst Steve Wacaser \u2014 referred to him as ‘Junior’ and it stuck.”<\/p>\n

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.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“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.<\/p>\n

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\u201d my colleagues and I write about in the newspaper every day.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n