University of Illinois schools will no longer ask applicants about their criminal past until after they’re accepted into the university. … MORE
Category Archives: WJBC’s Top Stories
Report: Illinois’ cigarette smuggling getting worse
Nearly 20 percent of the cigarettes smoked in Illinois were purchased outside of the state.… MORE
Salvation Army ‘Christmas Campaign’ behind schedule
A local organization has an update on its Christmas fundraising campaign and so far donations are behind where they were last year.… MORE
Food stamps in restaurants, gender-neutral bathrooms among 250 new laws coming to Illinois on Jan. 1
More than 250 laws take effect next month in Illinois, changing the rules for everything from vehicle trade-ins to bathroom signs.… MORE
Illinois’ sports betting not expected until after Super Bowl
The state’s sports wagering program won’t be ready for the Super Bowl, but it might be ready for March Madness. … MORE
$400,000 Lucky Day Lotto jackpot won in Peoria
If you bought a Lucky Day Lotto ticket in Peoria, you may want to check your ticket. A gas station in Peoria sold a $400,000 winning Lucky Day Lotto ticket in Monday’s midday drawing.… MORE
Local man arrested after shots fired incident in Normal
A man from Normal was arrested Monday morning after multiple shots were fired near an apartment complex.… MORE
Peoria Diocese launches special prayer service for beatification of Fulton Sheen
The Diocese of Peoria is holding a special prayer service to move forward with the beatification of Archbishop Fulton Sheen.… MORE
Illinois FOID card law spared emergency void in court challenge
A three-judge panel denied a request from a gun-rights group for an emergency suspension of Illinois’ Firearm Owners’ Identification card law.… MORE
Cannabis jobs boon expected as Illinois’ medical industry prepares for recreational sales
Gov. J.B. Pritzker expects cannabis cultivation jobs to double as the cannabis market opens for legal recreational sales beginning Jan. 1. … 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…