The night before voters decide his political future, State Representative Dan Brady said local governments should be prepared to assess the impact of State Farm’s decision to eliminate almost 900 information technology jobs from Bloomington.… MORE
Category Archives: Local News
Normal council bids emotional farewell to retiring city manager
Normal Town Council members sang the praises of their retiring city manager Mark Peterson, who is capping what Mayor Chris Koos said was a “flawless run.”… MORE
Bloomington man arrested after search turns up drugs including cannabis butter
A Bloomington man is held on a high bond after police say they found crack cocaine, marijuana, prescription drugs and cannabis butter during a search.… MORE
McLean County Sheriff: 40 underage drinking arrests in the last month
McLean County Sheriff’s Police say they’ve seen a surge in underage drinking parties recently.… MORE
Man from Normal faces child pornography charges
A man from Normal faces a $1 million bond following a weekend court appearance on charges he reproduced child pornography.… MORE
Rep. Bennett faces challenges in bid for permanent Daylight Saving Time
Now that most are out of the hangover from the beginning of Daylight Saving Time, should we never do that again?… MORE
Five Cub Scouts donate close to 600 books to promote literacy
Five second grade Cub Scouts collected close to 600 books as their first community service project of the year.… MORE
Unit 5 receives “early warning” designation from ISBE
The State Board of Education has released its annual financial report for fiscal year 2017, and one local school district has received an “early warning” designation.… MORE
Central Illinois Cannabis Community plans Walk for Awareness
The Central Illinois Cannabis Community is inviting the community to learn about the benefits of medical marijuana at its Walk for Awareness.… MORE
McLean County Health Department celebrates AmeriCorps volunteers
The McLean County Health Department is highlighting the AmeriCorps members serving the area during AmeriCorps week.… 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…