Two Normal Town Council members, who attended their final council meeting Monday night, lamented that the divisiveness afflicting national politics has spread to the local level.… MORE
Category Archives: Local News
Town council backs north Normal hotel plans without tax breaks
The Normal Town Council unanimously approved plans Monday night for an extended stay hotel in north Normal, although Mayor Chris Koos said the town is not offering tax breaks for the developer to build Home 2 Suites by Hilton at Constitution Trail Center.… MORE
UPDATED: Jurors hear from Pam Zimmerman’s final client
A man the defense suggests should not have been excluded as the suspect in Pam Zimmerman’s murder took the stand Monday in the trial of Zimmerman’s former husband.… MORE
Three Bloomington men arrested on gun charges
Three Bloomington men have been taken into custody on gun charges.… MORE
Brady to host “Graduated Tax” town hall meeting
A local lawmaker wants constituents to be fully aware of Governor JB Pritzker’s plan to implement a graduated income tax system.… MORE
Pam Zimmerman’s former secretary testifies in murder trial
The Kirk Zimmerman murder trial kicked off its second week with testimonies from Pam Zimmerman’s former secretary. … MORE
Friends of BCPA, Children’s Discovery Museum launch major fundraising drives
Two prominent organizations in the Twin-Cities are kicking off major fundraising drives. One of them aims to encourage the arts, while the other is intended to show kids the doctor’s office is not such a scary place.… MORE
Fire station plan, subdivision changes set for “routine” Normal Town Council vote
A controversial plan that includes rezoning for a northeast side fire station in Normal is back on the town council’s agenda Monday night.… MORE
Selling the farm to help others thrive
A prominent McLean County chef, entrepreneur, and farmer is indeed selling the farm, but it’s because his business is growing, and he’s moving all operations to a much bigger farm.… MORE
Jurors see crime scene photos in Zimmerman murder trial
Jurors in the Kirk Zimmerman murder trial viewed more than 100 crime scene photos where his ex-wife was found in 2014.… 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…