Category Archives: Local News

Bloomington-Normal’s NAACP ACT-SO is competition ready

Bloomington-Normal’s NAACP ACT-SO is competition ready

By WMBD-TV BLOOMINGTON/NORMAL – The Bloomington-Normal NAACP ACT-SO Program is inviting people to support students at its local competition. This is the 14th year for Bloomington-Normal’s local competition. ACT-SO stands for Academic, Cultural, Technological Scientific Olympics. It’s a yearlong enrichment program with more than 30 competitive categories in subjects ranging from business, to performing arts and humanities.…MORE

Normal Police arrest person with knife late Thursday morning

Normal Police arrest person with knife late Thursday morning

By Jake Fogal NORMAL – Officers with the Normal Police Department apprehended a subject armed with a knife Thursday morning. NPD was called to the 200 block of Susan Drive around 11:40 a.m. for a person with a knife. The department encouraged the public to stay away from the area via it’s Facebook page Thursday…MORE

Connect Transit to detour areas of Downtown Bloomington

Connect Transit to detour areas of Downtown Bloomington

By Jake Fogal BLOOMINGTON – The Twin Cities mass transportation authority has announced detours that will impact Downtown Bloomington this spring and summer. Connect Transit is calling the long-term detours a move of safety while preserving the outdoor and dining experience in the downtown area. Connect Transit released the following statement on Wednesday. Effective Monday,…MORE

HOPE Physical Therapy celebrates 20 years of wellness

HOPE Physical Therapy celebrates 20 years of wellness

By WMBD-TV BLOOMINGTON – HOPE Physical Therapy is celebrating 20 years with an open house on Friday. Leann Powell initially created Hands-On Pain Elimination exclusively for pelvic floor physical therapy. Twelve years into her practice she began to offer therapy for additional chronic pain conditions. Manual techniques like cupping, dry needling and myofascial release are…MORE

Blogs

Labor Day – Expanding voting rights for all

By Mike Matejka Because of COVID, there is no Labor Day Parade this year.  It’s always a great event for our everyday workers to march proudly down the street and enjoys the festive crowd. If there had been a parade, this year’s Labor Day theme was to be “150 years of struggle: your right to vote.” …

Is federal mobilization the answer?

By Mike Matejka As President Donald Trump threatens to send federal marshals into Chicago, over the objections of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, recall another Illinois Governor who protested the incursion of armed federal personnel into the city.   Those federal troops, rather than calming, escalated the situation, leading to deaths and violence. Illinois poet Vachel Lindsay…

In these troubled times, to my fellow white Americans

By Mike Matejka Our nation is at a unique watershed in human relations. African-Americans have been killed too many times in the past before George Floyd, but the response to this man’s death is international and all-encompassing. I was a grade-schooler during the Civil Rights 1960s. I watched Birmingham demonstrators hosed and the Selma – Montgomery…

Workers’ Memorial Day – Remember those whose job took their life

Looking around our community, when we say employer, most will respond to State Farm, Country, or Illinois State University.   We too often forget those who are building our roads, serving our food, or our public employees. COVID-19 has made us more aware of the risk.  Going to work every day for some people means…