The Unit 5 school district was taken to task Wednesday night for the lack of minority teachers, and the superintendent is inclined to agree with the criticism.… MORE
Category Archives: Local News
District 87 transferring money to offset $2.5 million deficit
The tentative budget for Fiscal Year 2019 in District 87 is in the red.… MORE
Durbin pushes for federal help for rural EMS during visit to Flanagan
U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin used a Livingston County stop to push his bill to keep federal money flowing toward rural emergency medical services.… MORE
Chambers resigns as prosecutor to become a judge, county board to pick successor August 21
McLean County’s chief prosecutor, who’s been appointed to become a judge, has turned in his resignation, setting in motion the process to replace him.… MORE
LaHood: Human trafficking is real and it’s here
Human trafficking is not a vestige of some other time or place — or a bad movie.… MORE
McLean County panel shines light on next batch of solar farms
Meeting late into the night on Tuesday, the McLean County Zoning Board of Appeals backed plans for four projects that would generate electricity from the sun.… MORE
Former downtown arena chief seeks venue change in theft trial
The president and CEO of Central Illinois Arena Management, which used to run the former U.S. Cellular Coliseum in Downtown Bloomington, believes he can not get a fair trial in McLean County on charges he stole taxpayer money.… MORE
Local man charged with raping woman, beating her with metal pipe
McLean County prosecutors have charged a Bloomington man with sexually assaulting a woman and beating her with a metal pipe.… MORE
Pyle chosen to fill Unit 5 board vacancy
A Unit 5 board vacancy will be filled by an academic adviser at Illinois State University.… MORE
Qik’n’EZ in Normal closed for an extended period of time after fire
Firefighters swarmed a convenient store early Tuesday morning after smoke could be seen pouring out of the roof of the building.… 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…