By WJBC Staff BLOOMINGTON – Elmo Quinn, a longtime local business owner and 2019 recipient of the WJBC Don Munson Spirit of McLean County award, died Wednesday at the age of 82. Owner of the Quinn Shell gas station just north of downtown Bloomington, it was operated by the family for 72 years before it…… MORE
By Dave Dahl SPRINGFIELD – Given the abundance of possibilities, you would think it would be difficult to select Illinois’ official state nut. State Rep. Sharon Chung (D-Bloomington) says that’s not the case. “The wood of the black walnut tree is highly valued by furniture makers for its durability and attractive color, and the nuts…… MORE
By WMBD-TV BLOOMINGTON – The Bloomington Police Department reported the total number of DUI arrests made over St. Patrick’s Day weekend. According to a Bloomington police press release, officers actively patrolled for impaired drivers from March 17 to March 19. Officers arrested seven impaired drivers. One of the arrests was made after a crash caused…… MORE
By WMBD-TV PEORIA – Aaron Rossi, the former CEO of Reditus Labs, appeared in Tazewell County Court in relation to the case with his ex-business partner Dr. James Davies. Rossi and his former attorney, Michael Evans, were expected to be called to the stand, but that did not happen. At the center of the argument is…… MORE
By Jake Fogal and Blake Haas FAIRBURY – According to a newsletter to the school community, two Prairie Central High School students have died in a skiing-related accident. A letter from Prairie Central Superintendant Paula Crane was released earlier this morning saying the accident happened Sunday in Colorado. According to the Daily Leader in Pontiac,…… MORE
By Jake Fogal MCLEAN COUNTY – Estimates of corn and soybean production for 2022 are being released by the USDA’s National Agriculture Statistic Service. According to the State of Illinois, the top five counties in the US for corn output overall are in Illinois. McLean County lead the country in corn production with roughly 71…… MORE
According to a newsletter to the school community, two Prairie Central High School students have died in a skiing-related accident.… MORE
By WMBD-TV MCLEAN COUNTY – McLean County is one of five counties participating in the Illinois Soybean Association’s Broadband Breakthrough Program. The goal is to get high-speed internet in rural parts of the county. The county is in the middle of a 16 to 18 week research process. The intent is to explore what bringing broadband…… MORE
By WMBD-TV BLOOMINGTON – District 87 School Board approved cutting seven Professional Educator Licensed employees and Educational Support Personnel. Anyone hired after Jan 1. is automatically a reduction in force for the district; meaning their term will end at the end of this school year. This year those positions included, but were not limited to…… MORE
By WMBD-TV BLOOMINGTON – A juvenile has been charged with threatening family members with a firearm on Friday. According to a Bloomington police press release, officers were called to the 800 block of East Douglas St. for gun threats. After speaking with the juvenile male, an arrest was attempted before he fled the scene. He…… 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…