Category Archives: WJBC's Top Stories
Heartland College hosts Workforce Equity Initiative open house
Heartland Community College. (Photo courtesy: Heartland) NORMAL, Ill. (WMBD) - On Thursday, an open house was hosted at Heartland Community College for the Workforce Equity Initiative.Prospective stud...
May 23, 2025
Lawmakers pass bills on AI community college instruction, food handling, school bus seat belts
State Sen. Sally Turner, R-Beason, is pictured on the Senate floor Wednesday. She passed a measure requiring certain allergen training for food handlers. (Capitol News Illinois photo by Jerry Nowicki)...
May 22, 2025
General Assembly passes bill to mandate anti-bias training for obstetric care providers
Sen. Willie Preston, D-Chicago, speaks on the Illinois Senate floor on Wednesday in favor of his bill to require anti-bias training for maternal health providers. (Capitol News Illinois photo by Jerry...
May 22, 2025
Union condemn Tailgate N’ Tallboys for allegedly not hiring local stagehands
Photo courtesy: Tailgate N’ Tallboys (Courtesy: Facebook) BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (WMBD) - A theatrical union is taking action to condemn an event organizer for allegedly not hiring local stagehands.T...
May 22, 2025
Illinois awards funding for Constitution Trail extension
Constitution Trail. (Photo courtesy: File) BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (WMBD) - The state of Illinois announced on Wednesday that it awarded funding for a trail extension project in Bloomington.Gov. JB Pritzker...
May 22, 2025 The main portion of the trail is located in Bloomington-Normal. (Photo courtesy: WJBC/File)
Housing development in Normal draws nearly an hour of public comment in council meeting
Town of Normal Council Chambers. (Photo courtesy: Town of Normal) NORMAL, Ill. (WMBD) - A majority of Normal residents who attended the Town Council meeting on Monday didn't approve of plans to build ...
May 21, 2025 Normal Town Council Chambers. (Photo courtesy: Town of Normal)
Local food pantries brace for SNAP benefit cuts
(Facebook/Home Sweet Home Ministries)PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) - Millions of Americans may soon lose food assistance program benefits as the reconciliation bill moves through Congress, while local food pant...
May 21, 2025
Bill banning carbon sequestration near Mahomet Aquifer clears General Assembly
State Rep. Carol Ammons, D-Urbana, watches as her bill to ban carbon sequestration under, above or through the Mahomet Aquifer, is voted on. (Capitol News Illinois photo by Jerry Nowicki) ADE AUBREYCa...
May 21, 2025
Illinois lawmakers push to ban ‘forever chemicals’ in firefighter gear due to cancer risk
The Illinois Firefighters Memorial statue is pictured outside of the Capitol in Springfield. (Capitol News Illinois photo by Jade Aubrey)By REILLY COOK & GRACE FRIEDMAN Medill Illinois News B...
May 20, 2025
In the fight for youth transgender health care, Illinois remains at the forefront
Connie Kathary, 18, loves to write stories, and plans to study creative writing when she goes off to college next year. (Capitol News Illinois photo by Carly Gist for the Saluki Local Reporting Lab)By...
May 20, 2025
