On the eve of his retirement announcement in late 2016, longtime Statehouse lobbyist Mike McClain wrote letters to longtime colleagues, expressing his appreciation for them.… MORE
Category Archives: Top Stories
McLean County crash leaves one dead
A Bloomington man allegedly fled the scene of a wreck that left one person dead.… MORE
Tri-Valley Vikings survive Saints in round one of IHSA football playoffs
By Jake Fogal DOWNS – Tri-Valley and Central Catholic are separated by nine miles in Central Illinois, but don’t meet very often despite the short distance between the two schools. Last time these two teams met came back in 2016, when Tri-Valley beat the Saints 28-6. The two Class 2A schools met again in Round…… MORE
Statewide effort planned to boost student math scores
Illinois education officials plan to launch a statewide initiative over the next several months aimed at boosting student performance in math.… MORE
Mother upset about lack of movement in the case of her son’s alleged killer in Bloomington
A mother grieves her son’s death as she watched on in court Thursday morning.… MORE
Utility assistance applications open for low-income Illinoisans
The state’s Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program is accepting applications for all households beginning Friday, Nov. 1. … MORE
Local man faces 14 felony counts for vehicle burglaries
A 27-year-old Bloomington man faces 14 charges related to several local vehicle burglaries.… MORE
McLean County court awarded federal grant to help families work through legal issues
The McLean County Circuit Courthouse will be able to put more funding to keep families together thanks to a new grant.… MORE
Woodford County electrical aggregation referendum
By WMBD-TV WOODFORD COUNTY – Voters in Woodford County will decided on Nov. 5 whether they’d like electrical aggregation in the future. “Even if you voted for the referendum, you can opt out of the alternative supplier offer if it’s not right for you,” said Jim Chilsen, a spokeswoman for the Citizens Utility Board, a…… MORE
Voters are going to the polls in even higher numbers a week out from election day
By WMBD-TV CENTRAL ILLINOIS – On a warm late October day, residents of Tazewell, Peoria and McLean counties lined out the door to cast their ballot a week out from election day. Tazewell County Some voters in Tazewell County say they went out and voted early to beat the lines. “I wanted to avoid any…… 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…