By HOI ABC NORMAL – Planners support a proposed truck stop and RV park in north Normal, but they’re not in favor of allowing builders to put up a sign that would soar above Interstate 55. Normal Planning Commissioners Thursday evening voted unanimously for rezoning 30.5 acres of farmland to build Loves Truck Stop and RV…… MORE
House lawmakers are discussing a new clean energy proposal.… MORE
By Dave Dahl SPRINGFIELD – He is not governor anymore and does not even live in Illinois anymore. But Bruce Rauner does visit Springfield occasionally to see friends and go hunting – doves, this week. In what he says is his first interview since leaving office in 2019, he tells WJBC News why he thinks…… MORE
A young Abraham Lincoln stands watch over Second Street in front of the state Capitol, but he was not born in Illinois. Ronald Reagan was. And it’s possible a young Reagan could join Lincoln and others outside the statehouse.… MORE
Illinois House Republicans say the supermajority Democrats’ game on ethics is like Mother Hubbard’s cupboard — empty.… MORE
By HOI ABC NORMAL – The Normal Town Council is making changes to its liquor code to allow alcohol to be served at the publicly owned Normal Theater and for outdoor events in Uptown. The council voted 6-1 favoring the changes. Council member Stan Nord voted no, claiming the town might face exposure in alcohol-related lawsuits…… MORE
By HOI ABC CHICAGO – Former U.S. Senator Adlai Stevenson III, whose family has roots in Bloomington-Normal, has died at his Chicago home. He was 90. Stevenson is the son of former Illinois Gov. Adlai Stevenson, two time Democratic presidential candidate, and United Nations ambassador Adlai Stevenson II, who was raised in Bloomington . The former…… MORE
A plan to phase out fossil fuels, promote renewable energy, and create jobs could come out of the Illinois House session Thursday. But not everybody is that optimistic.… MORE
Two new state laws require health insurers to cover more cancer screenings.… MORE
Gov. JB Pritzker says he’s deeply concerned about the abortion law passed in Texas.… 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…