By HOI ABC BLOOMINGTON – District 87 School Board member Fitzgerald Samedy is free on bond following his arrest last weekend for drunken driving on Bloomington’s east side. DUI charges were upgraded to felonies because he’s a repeat offender and his driver’s license had been revoked, according to court documents. Saturday evening, Bloomington Police said…… MORE
By Neil Doyle HUDSON – The owner of Green Gables says she and her family are devastated after a fire tore down the iconic establishment Monday afternoon. Amy Tague says Green Gables has been in her family since her grandparents bought the property in 1952. “The grief is setting in for sure. It is a…… MORE
By A.J. Harris BLOOMINGTON – Police are investigating a shots fired incident that happened Monday morning on Bloomington’s east side. At approximately 7:56 a.m., Bloomington Police Officers were dispatched to the 1200 block of Orchard Road for a shots fired call. Upon arrival, officers found physical evidence that a shooting had occurred. The circumstances behind…… MORE
By HOI ABC CARLOCK – Fire ripped through a large metal shed in rural Carlock Thursday afternoon destroying several vehicles inside. Several area departments were called to aid the Carlock Fire Protection District in fighting the blaze at 8540 U.S. Route 150, about 1 1/2-miles east of Carlock. The call came in about 12:55 p.m.…… MORE
By Dave Dahl SPRINGFIELD – When the state held its annual police memorial ceremony Thursday, it was a constitutional officer with no connection to the deceased whose words moved the crowd to applause. “While I will say thank you, and God bless you and keep you safe,” said comptroller Susana Mendoza, “rather than words, I…… MORE
By HOI ABC BLOOMINGTON – A Bloomington Police officer rescued a man from a burning west side home Wednesday evening. The man is hospitalized with burns, but the officer is fine, according to Bloomington Police Lt. Clayton Arnold. Bloomington Fire Department Battalion Chief Gavin Pitcher said firefighters saw fire and smoke coming from the back…… MORE
By HOI ABC DWIGHT – A section of Interstate 55 was closed Monday evening after police chased the driver of a stolen ambulance from Chicago to Dwight. Illinois State Police said the chase ended about 6:30 p.m. when the ambulance stopped and a suspect was taken into custody. Authorities said I-55 was closed in both…… MORE
By HOI ABC BLOOMINGTON – McLean County Sheriff’s Deputies will soon be wearing body cameras, following the lead of many other police agencies. The county board Thursday night unanimously approved a nearly $328,000 contract with Axon Enterprise Inc. for 53 body cameras, enough for all of the department’s officers. Sheriff Jon Sandage said his deputies…… MORE
By HOI ABC BLOOMINGTON – Police say a man was shot and killed Friday night in what is being investigated as a homicide. Just after 11:30 p.m., Bloomington police responded to the 400 block of East Mill Street for a disturbance call. Police say just before arriving on scene, gunshots were heard in the area.…… MORE
A Bloomington man with a felony record remains in the McLean County jail on gun charges.… 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…