State Representative Dan Brady said Bloomington-Normal Airport Authority officials have asked state lawmakers to consider allowing the taxing body to expand its tax base to all of McLean County.… MORE
Category Archives: Scott Laughlin
Illinois developing new ID to meet federal travel requirement
Illinois is developing a new identification card that state officials hope will meet federal guidelines to get on an airplane next year.… MORE
Community colleges avoid Rauner budget ax
Community college officials are breathing a sigh of relief after seeing Gov. Bruce Rauner's proposed budget.… MORE
Cab company owner worried about Uber’s impact in Bloomington-Normal
A local cab company owners said he hopes his business can withstand the competition as Uber drivers flood the market with their low-cost service.… MORE
Bloomington families grateful for St. Jude
Cancer is an unspeakable topic for many, especially for parents who can't imagine their child being afflicted with the disease.… MORE
Renner apologizes for online rant, but not to the blogger
Mayor Tari Renner said he was reacting as a protective father when he unleashed a verbal tirade online against a conservative blogger.… MORE
Radio Bloomington kicks off St. Jude Radiothon
All the money raised during the two-day event benefits St. Jude operations in the Midwest, including its regional affiliate at Children's Hospital of Illinois in Peoria.… MORE
Davis calls for ground troops to combat ISIS
U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis said he's come around to the idea of ground forces to fight ISIS.… MORE
Illinois Wesleyan professor: Tea Party more complex than portrayed
An Illinois Wesleyan professor who studies race relations says the Tea Party often gets a bad rap.… MORE
Unit 5 superintendent floats idea of internship program
Unit 5 Superintendent Mark Daniel has an idea that he says will give students hands-on job training and alleviate overcrowding – get them out of the classroom.… 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…