McLean County’s chief prosecutor said his office will review Judge Scott Drazewski’s ruling ordering a new trial for Donald Whalen before deciding what to do next in the 28 year old murder case.… MORE
Category Archives: Local News
Whalen to get a new trial
By Katherine Murphy BLOOMINGTON– A man convicted of killing his father in Downtown Bloomington almost 28 years ago will get another day in court. Donald Whalen was convicted of stabbing and beating his father William Whalen with knives and a pool cue at the Twenty Grand Tap in 1991. This morning Judge Scott Drazewski handed…… MORE
Ruling Wednesday on new trial request in 1991 Bloomington murder
A man convicted of killing his father in Downtown Bloomington almost 28 years ago will soon find out if he’ll receive a new trial. The judge in the case said he’ll announce his decision at a hearing Wednesday morning.… MORE
Report: Amazon, GM want stake in Rivian
The international news agency Reuters reported Tuesday that Amazon and General Motors are in talks to invest in Rivian Automotive in a deal that would value the U.S. electric pickup truck manufacturer, with a factory in Normal, at between $1 billion and $2 billion.… MORE
Lincoln’s 210th birthday celebrated across Illinois
One of Illinois’ most historic figures and an icon nationally is celebrating a birthday Tuesday.… MORE
Bloomington council creates tech panel, gives new life to Kroger project
Bloomington aldermen want to be ahead of the curve when it comes to technology.… MORE
Aldermen hear pleas for action to curb deadly violence
A Bloomington property owner and her husband appealed to the city council Monday night to take quick action against escalating violence on the near west side.… MORE
City, Kroger revive plans for northeast side grocery store
Plans for Kroger to move its grocery store at Landmark Plaza in Normal to a nearby location on Bloomington’s northeast side are apparently not dead.… MORE
Sheriff’s Police arrest pair for attempted robbery in Downs
Two people are under arrest for an attempted armed robbery that happened almost three weeks ago in Downs.… MORE
UPDATED: Bloomington mobile home fire ignited by owner trying to unfreeze pipes
Investigators believe a fire that destroyed a mobile home Friday on Bloomington’s southeast side happened when the homeowner used a portable propane torch to thaw frozen pipes.… 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…