NORMAL – Three candidates are all vying for the title of Mayor for the town of Normal. Council member Chemberly Harris, Incumbent candidate Chris Koos and Council member Kathleen Lorenz are the three people residents of Normal can vote on in the upcoming consolidated election. Below is why the candidates are running, the issues they…… MORE
Raoul joins motion to block dismantling of U.S. Education Department
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and 20 other state attorneys general are asking a federal judge to immediately halt President Donald Trump’s efforts to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education.… MORE
Appellate court takes its show on the road, heaving two cases on ISU’s campus
More than 100 people listened as two teams of attorneys laid out their cases regarding two decade-old convictions.… MORE
Jim Karch named new director of engineering for Bloomington
The City of Bloomington announced Monday that Jim Karch has been named the city’s new Director of Engineering.… MORE
After public pressure, Illinois commits $8M to repair deteriorating site where Lincoln launched political career
Nearly a century after the Civil Conservation Corps reconstructed the once-thriving village of New Salem where Abraham Lincoln spent his 20s working odd jobs, studying law and winning his first election, the historic site just northwest of Springfield has fallen into disrepair.… MORE
Tazewell County Animal Control low on supplies, seeks donations
The Tazewell County Animal Control is asking the public for additional supplies ahead of an expected increase in animals coming to its shelter in the spring.… MORE
NORMAL, Ill. (WMBD) — United Faculty of ISU could go on strike as soon as April 4 after the union filed an intent to strike Monday. Keith Pluymers, an associate history professor and bargaining team member for the union, wrote in a statement to WMBD that even though progress was made, some items the United Faculty of…… MORE
Pritzker vetoes bill that would have required warehouse workers to know their quotas
Gov. JB Pritzker issued a rare veto Friday of a bill that would require warehouse workers in Illinois to know quotas they must meet at their jobs.… MORE
McLean County superintendents talk the proposed 1% Illinois Schools Facility Tax
On April 1, thousands of Illinoisans will cast their ballots for mayor, city council members and referendums impacting their community.… MORE
Billions were pledged, but many Illinois university construction projects stalled
Buildings on Illinois’ college campuses were falling apart when lawmakers approved $2.9 billion for higher education construction as part of the 2019 Rebuild Illinois capital plan. The funding brought hope for long-overdue upgrades, but the slow rollout has left colleges in limbo. … 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…