By IIS Radio SPRINGFIELD – Illinois State Police are announcing a significant decrease in the backlog of FOID cards that need to be processed. ISP Trooper Jason Wilson says the FOID card backlog in November of last year reached nearly 139,000, but has now been whittled down to 7,800. Processing times currently average about 38…… MORE
By Neil Doyle BLOOMINGTON – Gas prices in Illinois are down three cents this week, averaging $3.49 a gallon, according to GasBuddy’s daily survey of 4,378 stations in Illinois. According to GasBuddy price reports, the cheapest station in Illinois is priced at $2.79 while the most expensive is $4.52. Gas prices in the state are…… MORE
By Dave Dahl SPRINGFIELD – It’s the right time for higher education to meet students’ needs for mental health, and the Illinois Community College Board has heard how technology is helping. Lincoln Land Community College vice president Lesley Frederick says the solution is two-pronged: telehealth and outsourcing. “Most of us in small colleges just don’t…… MORE
By Dave Dahl SPRINGFIELD – Here’s a twist on the “labor shortage” story. A recent report showed a sixteen percent jump in costs related to hiring people and other HR-related matters. And that’s if you can find people to hire. Illinois Manufacturers’ Association president and CEO Mark Denzler says there’s more to manufacturing than simply…… MORE
By Dave Dahl CHICAGO – In announcing the seizure of millions of dollars’ worth of stolen goods – enough to fill eight storage units, or four semi-trailers – Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul says it does not stop here. Raoul told reporters in Chicago Friday that the incident “hopefully keeps us from making the mistake…… MORE
By Dave Dahl SPRINGFIELD – Illinois’ economic performance continues. A monthly reading of the state’s activity, the Flash index, is up a tick from 105.4 to 105.5 as of the first of December. The index, authored by University of Illinois economics professor Fred Giertz, considers consumer spending, corporate earnings, and personal income. The month’s rise,…… MORE
A man remains behind bars in McLean County after TSA agents allege he attempted to bring a gun through airport screening at Central Illinois Regional Airport.… MORE
Bloomington police are asking for the public’s help in solving a “shots fired” incident late Thursday night.… MORE
By HOI ABC BLOOMINGTON – A local woman hit by a sport utility vehicle in north Bloomington on Thursday is recovering at an Urbana hospital, and coworkers at the McLean County Clerk’s office are optimistic about her recovery. Gracie Ayers of Bloomington was initially taken to a hospital in the Twin-Cities, then flown by helicopter…… MORE
By Neil Doyle BLOOMINGTON – Four snow leopards and a Sumatran tiger have tested positive for COVID-19 at the Miller Park Zoo in Bloomington. The big cats were showing symptoms about two weeks ago. As a result, the zoo closed the Katthoefer Animal Building to keep the animals isolated. “The care and treatment of the…… 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…