By HOI ABC EL PASO – War-ravaged Ukraine has received a potentially life-saving shipment from Woodford County. The El Paso Emergency Squad posted on its Facebook page that the former El Paso EMS ambulance was delivered and crossed the border into Ukraine. The ambulance has more than 200,000 miles on its odometer, and it’s filled with donated…… MORE
Electric-vehicle manufacturer Rivian Automotive (RIVN) is on track to build 25,000 vehicles in 2022.… MORE
The McLean County Coroner’s Office is releasing the identification of a 22-year-old Normal man who died in a car crash in late June.… MORE
By Jake Fogal BLOOMINGTON – Later this summer, American Idol finalist and Normal native Leah Marlene will headline a hometown concert alongside Idol contestant Fritz Hager at the Corn Crib. Marlene announced via her Facebook Tuesday that another music act will take the stage. That being former American Idol winner Maddie Poppe. Poppe won the…… MORE
By HOI ABC TAZEWELL COUNTY – Tazewell County Sheriff’s Deputy John Shallenberger has received a national honor for helping reverse a troubling trend of teenage drivers dying on local roadways. Shallenberger on Sunday received the Innovation in the Classroom Award at the National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO) Conference. He was selected by a…… MORE
By USDA SPRINGFIELD – There were 6.4 days suitable for field work during the week ending July 03, 2022. Statewide, the average temperature was 73.2 degrees, 1.2 degrees below normal. Precipitation averaged 0.36 inches, 0.64 inches below normal. Topsoil moisture supply was rated 11 percent very short, 33 percent short, 55 percent adequate, and 1…… MORE
A 19-year-old Bloomington man is behind bars in McLean County on gun charges.… MORE
A day after a shooting left six dead and 30 injured in Highland Park at a 4th of July parade, residents are looking for answers.… MORE
By HOI ABC NORMAL (Heart of Illinois ABC) – The Normal Police Department is trying to answer privacy concerns about Automated License Plate Readers before the town council votes later this month whether to buy the crime-fighting cameras. Police on Friday shared the guidelines they developed “in an effort to continue full transparency with the…… MORE
By Jake Fogal BLOOMINGTON – Gas prices continue to drop across the state as the latest gas report shows prices at the pump are down 14 cents over the past week. “As expected, and for the third straight week, average gasoline prices have fallen to their lowest level in over a month. The price of…… 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…