Public employees hired since 2011 must continue to wait for pension reform after Illinois lawmakers declined to take up the issue during the spring session. … MORE
Category Archives: Top Stories
McLean County Executive Committee approves $1.34 million grant for non-congregate shelter village
On Tuesday, Home Sweet Home Ministries is one step closer to helping the unhoused in McLean County.… MORE
Bloomington woman gets 10 years for DUI crash killing son
A Bloomington woman was sentenced last week to 10 years in prison in connection with a deadly crash last year that killed her 8-year-old son.… MORE
‘Clean Slate’ Act to seal nonviolent criminal records loses in race against time
The “Clean Slate” Act, which could have sealed thousands and potentially millions of nonviolent criminal records in Illinois, had bipartisan support but failed to pass in the final flurry of legislative action this spring, the sponsor says.… MORE
University of Illinois Board of Trustees hires new chancellor Charles Lee Isbell Jr.
The University of Illinois Board of Trustees has hired a new chancellor to oversee its flagship campus, as well as the vice president for the entire system.… MORE
Coroner identifies father and son shot in Pontiac
The Livingston County Coroner has announced a father and son were found shot to death in a Pontiac home Thursday.… MORE
Illinois’ $55.2B budget ‘incomplete,’ Civic Federation president says
Illinois’ latest budget misses the mark in several key areas, according to one independent nonprofit fiscal analyst. … MORE
Under bill, state highway cameras could be used to investigate human trafficking
A bill passed in this year’s legislative session would rewrite the definition of a “forcible felony” to allow Illinois State Police to use images obtained from automatic license plate readers in cases involving human trafficking and involuntary servitude.… MORE
Lucky Illinois resident claims $1.3M Cash Castle jackpot
An Illinois Lottery FastPlay game netted one lucky person a $1.3 million jackpot, the lottery said on Friday.… MORE
American Legion Post 2 holds annual D-Day remembrance ceremony
American Legion Post 2 held its annual D-Day remembrance ceremony Friday, marking the 81 years since Allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy, a turning point in World War II.… 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…