A 17-year-old male is in custody in connection with the shooting deaths of two men in an apartment in Normal Wednesday night.… MORE
Category Archives: Local News
District 87 chief: More Illinois schools should consolidate
District 87 Superintendent Barry Reilly said Illinois has too many school districts, but he has no desire to resurrect talks of merging with Unit 5.… MORE
Unit 5 sees modest enrollment rise, board raises lunch prices, picks new president
Unit 5 school superintendent Mark Daniel said he’s surprised preliminary enrollment projections show a slight increase for the next school year, instead of a decline.… MORE
Gunfire in Normal leaves 2 men dead, police think killings might be tied to drugs
Two men are dead and police are questioning a third man who might know what prompted an exchange of gunfire Wednesday night in the Lancaster Heights apartment complex.… MORE
District 87 elects new president, approves budget amendment
District 87 saw a shift in positions as the board elected a new president during its latest meeting.… MORE
Aging O’Neil pool barely staying afloat as city again shuts down kiddie pool
For the second straight summer, children won’t have a kiddie pool to escape the heat at O’Neil Park on Bloomington’s west side… MORE
IWU grad to speak at alma mater’s commencement
The co-founder of two life science companies will deliver the keynote address at his alma mater during Illinois Wesleyan University’s commencement.… MORE
Renner ‘likely’ to sign liquor sale restriction despite economic development concerns
Bloomington mayor Tari Renner said new restrictions the city council have approved to prevent liquor sales near daycare centers could cause what he calls “unanticipated consequences.”… MORE
Rep. Brady: McCann a ‘force to be reckoned with’ in governor’s race
At least one Republican is expressing concern that a third-party candidate could tip the scales in the governor’s race.… MORE
Legendary football star looks to make his mark off the field too
Green Bay Packers star quarterback Aaron Rodgers attracted a record crowd of about 1,100 people Tuesday night for the annual Evening of Stars fundraiser for the American Red Cross serving Central Illinois.… 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…