By WMBD-TV BLOOMINGTON – The City of Bloomington announced plans for three prescribed burnings Tuesday. According to a press release, the Bloomington Parks & Recreation Department has prescribed burns scheduled for Tipton Park, Miller Dam and The Grove Park. Weather permitting, the burns will be held: Prescribed burns are an important tool of Bloomington’s Parks…… MORE
By Dave Dahl SPRINGFIELD – We’ve been hearing about the teacher shortage for years, and Alan Mather – a 33-year veteran of Chicago Public Schools – is trying to do something about it. The Golden Apple Foundation, of which he is president, is trying to elevate the profession. “Our ‘accelerators’ program, which is primarily for…… MORE
By Dave Dahl SPRINGFIELD – You probably can’t write the history of Illinois without including Native Americans, but a bill which has passed the state House wants to make sure. “This bill highlights the true DNA of our state,” said sponsoring State Rep. Maurice West II (D-Rockford). “The word Illinois is derived from the Native…… MORE
By WMBD-TV NORMAL – Equality Illinois and the Prairie Pride Coalition teamed up to host a LGBTQ+ Town Hall on Monday. It was held at First United Methodist Church in Normal. The town hall gave residents the chance to connect with State Sen. Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) and State Rep. Sharon Chung (D-Bloomington) about legislation that interests their community.…… MORE
By Dave Dahl SPRINGFIELD – State Sen. Doris Turner (D-Springfield) says her bill which could lead to a new state flag could do something many of us would think impossible. “It does get, I believe, people in the state excited about Illinois again.” The bill, which has passed the Senate, would create a commission to…… MORE
By WMBD-TV NORMAL – Rivian Automotive is expected to announce a reorganization plan that will move more employees to its Normal, Ill. and Irvine, Calif. locations. According to the Wall Street Journal, someone familiar with the plan said that the reorganization will relocate part of its engineering team to help speed up production. Part of the…… MORE
By WMBD-TV HEYWORTH – Some parents of students who attend Heyworth Jr. High School are upset about a book that they say sat on the shelf in a teacher’s classroom that talked about sexuality. The book in question is titled “This Book Is Gay” by Juno Dawson. Amazon lists the book for ages 14 to…… MORE
By WMBD TV BLOOMINGTON – The Bloomington Fire Department announced Friday that they received an award from the American Heart Association. According to a Bloomington fire press release, the department received the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline® EMS Gold-Plus achievement award for its commitment to offering rapid, research-based care to people experiencing heart attacks.Bloomington attorney thanks Bloomington Fire…… MORE
By Dave Dahl SPRINGFIELD – Responding to book bans, putting menstrual supplies in both men’s and women’s rooms – what about fixing the pension system? During a busy week for moving legislation, members of the Illinois Freedom Caucus – about a half dozen Downstate Republican representatives – say supermajority Democrats still have it all wrong.…… MORE
By Dave Dahl SPRINGFIELD – In another sign that the pandemic is moving farther into the past, hundreds of union members crowded into the Capitol Rotunda Thursday to rally for higher wages for home care workers. Members of Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Healthcare Illinois contend that higher wages, including the actual wage also being…… 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…