By WMBD-TV BLOOMINGTON – In honor of hispanic heritage month the Bloomington public library is displaying a photo exhibit “Celebrando en dos idiomas” or “Celebrating in Two Languages.” Latinos en BloNo founder Yolanda Alonso is the exhibitor. There are 20 portraits featured from various events of the Latino community within the Bloomington-Normal community. Alonso previously…… MORE
A federal judge on Thursday declared a mistrial after a jury deadlocked in their deliberations over whether former AT&T Illinois President Paul La Schiazza bribed longtime Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan via a no-work contract for the speaker’s political ally.… MORE
About two years before Andrea Luncsford appeared in a Peoria County courtroom charged in connection with the death of her one-month-old son, she was in another Peoria County courtroom where a judge terminated her parental rights for another child.… MORE
The Illinois Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday in actor Jussie Smollett’s appeal to overturn his conviction on disorderly conduct charges for falsifying a hate crime.… MORE
An engineer who spent decades designing weapons for one of the world’s leading gun manufacturers testified Tuesday that the assault-style weapons now banned in Illinois are intended only for civilian use and cannot be easily converted into military-grade firearms.… MORE
Around 4.6 million records associated with Illinoisans in over a dozen counties – including voting records, registrations and death certificates – were temporarily available on the open internet, according to a security researcher who identified the vulnerability in July. … MORE
The owner of a gun store testified Monday that Illinois’ ban on the sale of assault-style weapons and large capacity magazines has had a significant impact on his business and prevented his customers from buying items they would normally use for self-defense, hunting, target shooting or other legal activities.… MORE
By WMBD-TV The city of Bloomington teamed up with The Immigration Project and BN Welcoming to hold the “Divercity” event at Miller Park. From Asian to Indian to Mexican, the event celebrated diverse cultures and communities by showcasing different clothes, food and languages. Michael Hurt, the city’s diversity and inclusion officer, said Bloomington is a…… MORE
By WMBD-TV TAZEWELL COUNTY – Flu symptoms are hitting the greater Peoria area sooner than usual. Doctors cite the main cause due to changes in seasons and exposure to new germs. Tazewell County Health Department’s Health Education Specialist said washing your hands and listening to your body are the key ways to stay ahead of…… MORE
By WMBD-TV BLOOMINGTON – Discovering a bat in your home can be distressing by itself, but it can also present another risk: rabies. The McLean County Health Department has already received nearly 200 calls this year on bats in homes, and Cory Dawson, a Disease Intervention Specialist with the health department, said bats are the…… 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…