Champaign, U of Illinois brace for St. Patrick's Day

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) - The city of Champaign and the University of Illinois plan to follow the blueprint used last year to contain Unofficial St. Patrick's Day problems.

Champaign Mayor Don Gerard said he again plans to use an emergency order to limit bar hours during the March 6 celebration. He said things "went pretty darn smooth" last year.

A federal grant will allow city police to work extra hours, too.

University of Illinois Deputy Chief of Police Skip Frost told The News-Gazette in Champaign (http://bit.ly/1E3buaB ) his department doesn't anticipate radical changes, either.

Unofficial St. Patrick's Day was created by a bar owner two decades ago because St. Patrick's Day is during spring break. Many students drink through the day and attend parties across campus. Deaths occurred during the 2001 and 2006 events.

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Information from: The News-Gazette, http://www.news-gazette.com