The fall semester at Illinois State University should look a little more “normal,” and that is a good thing according to Mayor Chris Koos.… MORE
Category Archives: Local News
Renner: Enough is enough
It wasn’t a typical Bloomington City Council meeting earlier this week.… MORE
Heart of Illinois community colleges take pandemic-related enrollment hit
The pandemic is taking a toll on community colleges in the Heart of Illinois.… MORE
Voters pick two finalists in race for Ward 7 Bloomington council seat
Two candidates declared victory Tuesday night to become the finalists vying for the Ward 7 seat on the Bloomington City Council.… MORE
Old Pantagraph building eyed for $18 million bus transfer center
Trustees overseeing Bloomington-Normal’s public transit system have picked their favorite site for an estimated $18 million transfer center in Downtown Bloomington.… MORE
McLean County’s top prosecutor says violent crime is down despite recent murder trials
The McLean County State’s Attorney says despite the recent uptick in murders in the area, crime stats are actually trending in the right direction.… MORE
State Rep. Brady: “I think we’re going to find ourselves creating amendments” when it comes to the crime bill
As Gov. Pritzker signed a sweeping criminal justice reform bill on Tuesday, one state lawmaker says some areas of the legislation “concern him greatly.”… MORE
Rolling positivity rate below 3%; McLean County adds 11 new cases of coronavirus
There are 203 active coronavirus cases in McLean County with local health officials Wednesday reporting 11 new cases.… MORE
McLean County’s top prosecutor says despite recent murder trials violent crime is down
The McLean County State’s Attorney says despite the recent uptick in murders in the area, crime stats are actually trending in the right direction.… MORE
New location picked for Connect Transit
Trustees overseeing Bloomington-Normal’s public transit system have picked their favorite site for an estimated $18 million transfer center in Downtown Bloomington.… MORE
Blogs
Labor Day – Expanding voting rights for all
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.” …
Is federal mobilization the answer?
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…
In these troubled times, to my fellow white Americans
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…
Workers’ Memorial Day – Remember those whose job took their life
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…