By HOI ABC LIVINGSTON COUNTY – A man has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for predatory sexual assault in a deal that Livingston County’s chief prosecutor said spares the victim from having to testify in open court. State’s Attorney Randy Yedinak said Jeremy Coates, 39, of Frankfort, sexually assaulted the child in Flanagan…… MORE
It will be at least two months before the Illinois Innocence Project learns what evidence they can present in the case of Barton McNeil, the Bloomington man convicted of killing his daughter in 1998. This is because both the state and McNeil’s counsel agree a 3rd stage evidentiary hearing is necessary.… MORE
By Dave Dahl SPRINGFIELD – Most or all top Republicans in Illinois say the state needs a Gov. Richard Irvin. So much so that when the subject came up at an unrelated news conference Thursday, House Minority Leader Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs) twice – committing a “Freudian slip” – referred to “Gov. Irvin.” The support…… MORE
By HOI ABC NORMAL – Electric vehicle maker Rivian has issued its first-ever vehicle recall over concerns of a sensor for the front airbag malfunctioning in certain R1T vehicles. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says the Occupant Classification System on R1Ts produced between September 21, 2021 through April 12, 2022 may not deactivate the airbag when…… MORE
By Dave Dahl SPRINGFIELD – Let’s take a minute to step away from the discussion of whether abortion should be legal and ask for a doctor’s perspective. When somebody says, “Abortion is health care,” what do they mean by that? Dr. Michelle Brown of Chicago is legislative chair of the Illinois chapter of the American…… MORE
By HOI ABC BLOOMINGTON – Leah Marlene sang her way to top five on American Idol. Now, Normal West is hosting a community watch party for Marlene on Sunday. There will be a pre-party on Normal West’s front lawn with food trucks, games, face painting and more. The community will then gather in the school’s…… MORE
By HOI ABC NORMAL – Rivian Automotive said it lost $1.59 billion in the first quarter of this year even as the company works to ramp up production of electric powered vehicles at its plant in Normal. “As we produce vehicles at low volumes on production lines designed for higher volumes, we have and will…… MORE
By Dave Dahl SPRINGFIELD – Arguably, few jobs are more stressful than farming, and the current wet conditions don’t help. “People in agriculture are independent. They don’t like asking for help. They think they can do things on their own,” said State Rep. Tim Butler (R-Springfield). “They need support, they need help, just like the…… MORE
By HOI ABC BLOOMINGTON – District 87 School Board member Fitzgerald Samedy is free on bond following his arrest last weekend for drunken driving on Bloomington’s east side. DUI charges were upgraded to felonies because he’s a repeat offender and his driver’s license had been revoked, according to court documents. Saturday evening, Bloomington Police said…… MORE
By Neil Doyle HUDSON – The owner of Green Gables says she and her family are devastated after a fire tore down the iconic establishment Monday afternoon. Amy Tague says Green Gables has been in her family since her grandparents bought the property in 1952. “The grief is setting in for sure. It is a…… 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…