Public employees earn public salaries. Everybody is okay with that, yet in the case of Tony Smith, Illinois’ state school superintendent, lawmakers are figuratively flogging him in the public square over his compensation.… MORE

Public employees earn public salaries. Everybody is okay with that, yet in the case of Tony Smith, Illinois’ state school superintendent, lawmakers are figuratively flogging him in the public square over his compensation.… MORE
The state tax incentive program that helped Bloomington-Normal land Mitsubishi Motors three decades ago is about to expire just as the plant announces plans to stop production.… MORE
Efforts to cut off federal funding for Planned Parenthood are misguided, according to U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.).… MORE
Normal’s Town Council will vote Monday night on approving the land swap deal with Illinois State University.… MORE
By Andy Dahn BLOOMINGTON – Losing his vision during the Iraq War hasn’t stopped Steve Baskis from mountain climbing, skiing and traveling the world. The founder of the Blind Endeavors Foundation is now bringing his mission to Bloomington. The war veteran will hold an open house at Blind Endeavors Downtown Bloomington location on Aug. 7…… MORE
It’s not your father’s investment, and it’s not Kickstarter.… MORE
Saturday’s 38th annual St. Jude Telethon raised a grand total of $9,135,3939, up from $8.3 million last year.… MORE
A summer tradition is back in Bloomington at one of the city’s oldest institutions. … MORE
State farming organizations have joined forces to put Illinois at the forefront of the worldwide agriculture industry. … MORE
By Dave Dahl/Illinois Radio Network BLOOMINGTON – What a puzzle – how do insurance companies figure out what to charge you? A new Consumer Reports investigation says your credit score has an outsize role, more so than even your driving record. Missy Dundov, a spokeswoman for Bloomington-based State Farm, said “it is a factor, but…… 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…