Category Archives: WJBC Top Sports

Chiefs can’t score; fall to Lansing

Chiefs can’t score; fall to Lansing

The Peoria Chiefs got seven hits on Friday but failed to score in a 3-0 loss to the Lansing Lugnuts in the 1000th game scheduled at Dozer Park since it opened in 2002. MORE

Heartland Community College names new baseball, men’s soccer coaches

Heartland Community College names new baseball, men’s soccer coaches

By WJBC Staff NORMAL – Two new coaches have been named for Heartland Hawks baseball and men’s soccer. Brian Furlong will lead the HCC baseball team and Jonathan Titzel will head men’s soccer. Furlong comes to Heartland from Creighton University where he served as the director of baseball operations and most recently as pitching coach.…MORE

Brown finishes 10th in Trials

Brown finishes 10th in Trials

Downs native and Tri-Valley High School graduate Stephanie Brown came up short in her bid to make the 2016 United States Olympic team Sunday in Eugene, Ore.MORE

CornBelters tie game in ninth but fall in extras

CornBelters tie game in ninth but fall in extras

The Normal CornBelters, presented by Illinois Corn Farmers, tied the score in the bottom of the ninth, but gave up two runs in the twelfth to drop the second game of the series to the Freedom 6-4 on Saturday night. MORE

Local swimmers making Waves

Local swimmers making Waves

The Bloomington-Normal YMCA Waves program has been around awhile and has a storied history, but has perhaps never seen two rising stars quite like swimmers Grace Ariola, of Normal Community High School and Melissa Pish of Normal Community West High School.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…