Monument Square District will host it's Annual Holiday Open House November 8th, 9th & 10th. Over 20 locally owned and operated specialty shops and fine eateries are participating. 

For more information about these events please click here!
Click here for information on Urban Loft Tours.

​The Champaign County Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau is encouraging residents to shop local and shop small for the holidays by offering gift wrapping as an incentive.
The Chamber will open its gift-wrapping station starting on November 1st in conjunction with downtown Urbana’s ‘Holiday Open House Preview’ and will continue Monday through Friday 9 AM to 4 PM until December 23rd. The gift-wrapping station will have special hours on Small Business Saturday, November 30th and will be open noon to 6 PM.
Shoppers that purchase items at a small Champaign County business can bring those items to the Chamber office to be wrapped. The wrapping will be free to those with a receipt form a local business, up to three items per person. People at the wrapping station will be verifying and checking receipts to verify that items are purchased locally.
The wrapping station will be staffed by the Chamber and gracious volunteers. If you would like to volunteer your time or donate gift wrapping supplies, contact the Chamber at 937-653-5764 or email info@champaignohio.com.

Article & Photo by Christopher Selmek of Urbana Daily Citizen

Urbana native Matt Ropp has come home again and just opened a barber shop on Tuesday, North Locust Barber Shop, at 109 N. Locust St. According to some on his social media feed, people have been getting their hair cut at that location for at least 50 years, although it had been closed almost two years before Ropp set about restoring the property.

“I’m from here, and I got my first haircut in this shop,” he said. “It was available for rent and I guess I just always had an interest in cutting hair in my hometown. I had a successful shop in Troy and I just handed it over to a guy I worked with and moved home.”

Graduating from Urbana High School in 2008, Ropp joined the Army and was a human intelligence analyst until 2014. His service includes four years at Fort Lewis, Washington, and one year in Afghanistan, then following his discharge from the Army he went to college for several years at Boise State University in Idaho.

Ropp said many of his international business credits wouldn’t transfer when he moved back to Ohio, so instead of retaking many of the same courses he decided to attend the Ron West Barber College in Dayton and open his own place in Troy.

“I was in the shop in Troy for a year-and-a-half by myself and I was slammed, and I thought getting a second guy in there would help because some of my customers would start going to him, and that’s not how it happened,” he said. “Everyone wanted to stick with me, so it turned into trying to get him his own customers, because he was sitting there doing nothing. Now that I’m gone they don’t have a choice but to go to him, so he’s slammed already.”

Ropp said he was inspired to become a barber because his brother, 10 years older, is a barber in Urbana and he was always around it. While in the Army, Ropp judged the buzz cuts of his fellow soldiers and one of his friends commented that he should consider becoming a barber.

“It kind of just came naturally,” he said. “It wasn’t too difficult, because I’ve always been artistic and a creative person. I think it’s a form of art … Older guys get just the basic trim haircuts, but then there’s the young kids who get it really short at the bottom to really long on top with a line in it, or certain designs in it, and beards are back in style so we do a lot of beard trims and straight razor work and stuff like that.”

Ropp expressed gratitude to his father, Kenny Ropp, for being there to help paint, watch his daughter, or assist in any way while he was preparing the shop.
Ropp said he has been moving chairs and equipment while continuing to work at the Troy shop, which he handed over to its new owner Saturday, Oct. 12.

North Locust Barber Shop will provide men’s haircuts and shaves. Business hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday. The store is closed Sunday and Monday.
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Click here to read the full article on Urbana Daily Citizen.

Today, McGuire Farm & Excavating officially broke ground on the site for Urbana's new Cobblestone Hotel (pictured below). The Cobblestone Hotel is coming to the intersection of 68 & 55 on the south end of Urbana in the Spring of 2020. McGuire Farm & Excavating is excited to get the project started, and we can't wait to see the progress at the site over the next several months!

Officials ceremoniously broke ground at the Cobblestone Hotel site back in June. To learn more about the Hotel and what it means to the city of Urbana, click here.

Dr. Jessica Kile of Urbana Dental Smiles and Darby Dental Smiles recently  received a major award and induction into a prestigious fellowship for her work in the area of dental implants. Dr. Kile recently completed a fellowship with the Midwest Implant Institute, a program designed to further the education and skill set to complete extensive surgeries necessary in more difficult cases. 

This fellowship involved a 2 year training program followed by 250 additional hours of implant specific continuing education that must be documented. Once completed, Dr. Kile presented many of her cases along with documentation to existing fellows. Honored fellow and lecturer, Dr. James Rukowski, commented after her presentation on "how impressed he was at the level of expertise she has and the level of cases she’s able to take on at such a young age and that implant dentistry is in great hands for the future." 
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This award is an outstanding accomplishment in her professional career and Champaign County is lucky to have world class care available right here in both Urbana and Mechanicsburg. Interested in learning more about Dr. Kile and her offices, check out their website! 

Chamber accepting applications for Leadership Champaign County program
The Champaign County Chamber of Commerce extends an invitation to community members to apply for their leadership development program, Leadership Champaign County. The program encourages participants to broaden their perspectives, enhance their leadership skills, and learn from other leaders who are active in the community. Participants gain knowledge and skills that are necessary to be an effective leader in their community and within their organization.
The Leadership Champaign County program offers participants in-depth, “behind the scenes” looks at local government, education, and healthcare, among other exclusive opportunities. Participants tour farms, factories, and other local facilities while learning from business owners and community leaders about a wide range of topics. Hands-on activities throughout the program sessions encourage group collaboration and leadership development.
The program meets the third Thursday of every month from September - May. Each full-day session features a different topic; topics include Agriculture, History and Heritage, Education, Economic Development, Government, Healthcare, and Quality of Life.
Applications are available on the Chamber’s website and will be accepted through September 5. Interested parties are encouraged to contact the Chamber with any questions by calling 937-653-5764.
The class of 2019 graduated in May and contributed “Little Free Libraries”, a self-guided walking tour of Scioto Street, a county bike route, and a community photo bank among other community service projects.