Property taxes will not rise for Normal residents as the town aims to build a new fire station at the tune of almost $5 million on the city’s east side.… MORE
Category Archives: Local News
Pritzker visits ISU to discuss investments in higher education
By Neil Doyle NORMAL – The governor made a stop Tuesday in the Twin-Cities to tout his budget proposal and investments in higher education. Gov. Pritzker’s 2023 budget proposal includes $2.2 billion for higher education. He spoke during a news conference at the Bone Student Center. “Supporting higher education is key to empowering Illinois’ next…… MORE
One cat dead after apartment fire in Bloomington
By Neil Doyle BLOOMINGTON – One cat is dead after an apartment fire Monday morning in Bloomington. Fire crews were called around 11:30 a.m. to the 700 block of Bell Street. When crews arrived, flames were seen in the front and side of the building. Firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze in about 20…… MORE
Over $22K raised for barn owner who lost ten horses in a fire over the weekend
A GoFundMe campaign has raised over $21,000 after 12 horses died in a barn fire over the weekend near Bloomington.… MORE
Prices at the pump on the rise amid tensions overseas
With the price of oil on the rise, the average gasoline prices in Illinois have risen 10.9 cents per gallon over the past week.… MORE
Pritzker: State appealing recent ruling regarding wearing a mask at school
By Dave Dahl SPRINGFIELD – After a Sangamon County judge kicked off everybody’s weekend by tossing Gov. JB Pritzker’s school mask mandates, the governor and attorney general began an appeal. “Masks, for most people, anyway, have been about doing what’s right,” Pritzker said Monday morning. “Nowhere is that more true than in schools, which are…… MORE
12 horses dead after barn fire outside Bloomington
By HOI ABC MCLEAN COUNTY – 12 horses are dead and another one is in veterinary care after a fire ripped through a barnyard Saturday night. The owner of the site, Kristy Doyle, confirms the fire happened east of Bloomington along Route 9, about three miles east of the Central Illinois Regional Airport. 10 horses…… MORE
Organization abandons plans for $180,000 outdoor fitness court in Normal
Normal won’t be getting a $180,000 outdoor fitness court after some misinformation influenced a town council member who initially voted for the project.… MORE
NFD: Sprinkler system put out a vehicle fire inside Rivian plant in Normal
A vehicle fire inside Rivian Automotive remains under investigation after the vehicle caught fire late Friday night.… MORE
Family Relief Plan issued by Gov Pritzker aimed at initiating tax breaks
By Jake Fogal BLOOMINGTON-Governor JB Pritzker is touting his Family Relief Plan since his annual budget address on Wednesday. Thanks to a $1.7 billion surplus in the current state budget, he’s proposing one billion dollars in tax breaks for Illinois residents. One of those tax breaks is a one year suspension of the state tax…… 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…