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 WMBD-TV NORMAL – Gov. JB Pritzker was at Heartland Community College on Tuesday to highlight his proposed investments for increased access to community college. Pritzker’s FY 2024 budget calls for a $100 million increase in Monetary Award Program (MAP) grants, from $601 million to $701 million. It’s the largest increase in state history and a…… MORE
By WMBD-TV NORMAL – There’s been another celebrity sighting in Central Illinois. Actor Henry Winkler was spotted in Uptown Normal on Monday. According to the Uptown Normal Facebook page, Winkler was in town for a speaking engagement, then he grabbed some refreshments at The Coffeehouse in Uptown after he shopped at the Children’s Discovery Museum’s store.…… MORE
By WMBD-TV BLOOMINGTON – Miller Park Zoo will begin to see major upgrades as construction got underway on Monday. According to Miller Park Zoo Facebook, the sidewalk outside the Wallaby Walkabout and Guanacos and River Otters will be replaced. While this construction will render half the park unavailable to the public, Miller Park Zoo is still…… MORE
By WMBD-TV NORMAL – Two local teachers have been selected as finalists for the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) 2023 Teacher of the Year award. According to an ISBE press release, the two finalists are Ricardo King Jr. from Normal Community High School and Dr. Katherine Bruemmer from Heyworth Junior-Senior High School. King is…… MORE
By WMBD-TV NORMAL – Rivian is taking on more debt and selling $1.3 billion dollars in bonds. The electric automaker says this is a result of weakening demand and higher production costs. Currently, Rivian has $11.5 billion dollars cash on hand. That is lower than $13.2 billion from last quarter. The company has been losing…… 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…