By Jake Fogal The City of Bloomington has announced lane closures near downtown Bloomington. Beginning immediately, two eastbound lanes of East Street, and the westbound lane of Washington Street, will be closed to all traffic due to water work. The lanes on East street and Washington street will be reopened as soon as work is…… MORE
By HOI ABC BLOOMINGTON (Heart of Illinois ABC) – Two incidents of shots fired and a burglary kept Bloomington Police busy over the weekend. Bloomington saw two incidents of shots fired on Saturday, January 29 – the first at around 7:10 p.m. in the 300 block of South Western Avenue, according to a release. Officers…… MORE
A 36-year old man is facing multiple felony charges in McLean County after investigators say he allegedly hit an Illinois State Police squad car while intoxicated.… MORE
By Jake Fogal BLOOMINGTON-Home Sweet Home Ministries is hosting it’s sixth annual Night in a Car on February 4th. The event will kick-off at 7 p.m. next Friday and continue until 7 a.m. the following Saturday morning. “Home Sweet Home Ministries is thrilled to have Night In A Car back for its sixth year. We…… MORE
By Dave Dahl SPRINGFIELD-Some Republican senators are calling again for stricter rules on ethics for lawmakers. The continued absence of a legislative inspector general is just one of the complaints from State Sen. Jil (cq) Tracy (R-Quincy). “Illinois has a long history of shady behavior from lawmakers,” Tracy said. “While their offenses are somewhat different…… MORE
By Dave Dahl SPRINGFIELD – Once again in Illinois, a major candidate for governor has to introduce himself to most of the state. The mayor of Aurora, Richard Irvin, has some challenges, according to University of Illinois Springfield political science professor Kent Redfield. “He has to present himself in a way that makes it look…… MORE
By Neil Doyle NORMAL – Illinois State University Athletics has received a $3 million gift commitment for the indoor practice facility project from entrepreneur Dee Miller, his wife Sheila Marshall-Miller ’94, and former Illinois State student-athlete and professional football player BJ Bello. “We are incredibly grateful to Dee, Sheila, and BJ for their commitment to…… MORE
By Dave Dahl SPRINGFIELD-The state – particularly its prisoner review board – needs to do better by its crime victims, according a top Illinois Republican. Saying this is another way that the Pritzker administration lets the bad guys win, House Minority Leader Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs) wants to beef up the law. “The wishes of…… MORE
By Neil Doyle NORMAL – Siddharth Bhumpelli, a sophomore at Normal Community High School, earned the highest possible ACT composite score of 36. According to a Unit 5 social media post, in 2021 only 4,055 out of 1.29 million students who took the ACT earned a top composite score of 36. That is less than…… MORE
By Neil Doyle BLOOMINGTON – Illinois lawmakers continue to meet virtually due to COVID-19. The House and Senate have cancelled almost all of their January session days, but committees are able to meet virtually. State Rep. Dan Brady (R-Bloomington) says there is a lot to accomplish, which includes a balanced state budget. He spoke with…… 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…