State Farm Insurance offered so-called “hush money” to settle discrimination claims from African-American and other minority employees, according to prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who’s suing the Bloomington-based company on behalf of fired long-time worker.… MORE
The City of Bloomington is honoring a police and fire dispatcher for recently saving the lives of a child who nearly drowned and another person who was considering suicide.… MORE
The leader of school districts across central Illinois is announcing funding to address school administrators.… MORE
As cases of the new COVID-19 variant Omicron spread, local health officials report 303 new cases of COVID-19 since Friday… MORE
Just in time for the holidays, gas prices across Illinois have fallen in the past week.… MORE
By HOI ABC BLOOMINGTON – The Evergreen Memorial Cemetery in Bloomington is honoring fallen veterans this holiday season. Members of the community joined veterans Saturday to lay wreaths at the grave sites of those who lost their lives in combat. In all, they laid more than 800 wreaths, one for each veteran buried there. Cemetery…… MORE
By Dave Dahl SPRINGFIELD – The problems of being needy – to the point of homelessness – expand the farther you are from a medium-sized or big city. Getting things done, says Meredith Montgomery, takes money. “We’re looking at the opportunity to ask the state to appropriate money from the emergency relief funding to improve…… MORE
By Jake Fogal Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White announced Friday that expiration dates for driver’s licenses and ID cards have been extended an additional three months – from Jan. 1, 2022, to March 31, 2022. This extension does not apply to commercial driver’s licenses (CDL) and CDL learner’s permits. “During the pandemic, my office…… MORE
By WJBC Staff BLOOMINGTON – Bloomington public works is shifting crews, adding temporary help and scheduling additional overtime hours to catch up with the large volume of leaves and brush still to be collected throughout the community. The pickup process continues because of the volume of leaves that fell much later in the season, according…… MORE
By Neil Doyle BLOOMINGTON – A local agriculture cooperative is looking for donations to help the tornado victims in Mayfield, Kentucky. Bloomington-based Evergreen FS started collecting donations this week to help those who have been impacted. The company is asking community members to help fill a semi-truck trailer with several different items. “Primarily new clothing,…… MORE
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.” …
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…
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…
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…