Disregarding the announcement by the NCAA that it would soon change its rules regarding college athletes being allowed to be compensated, Illinois lawmakers are moving forward with legislation that would keep a paid college athlete on the field. … MORE
Bloomington Police are probing a Halloween hold up on the city’s southwest side.… MORE
Two additional educators in Central Illinois have seen their teaching licenses suspended.… MORE
When the Illinois General Assembly resumes its fall veto session the second week of November, it’s possible lawmakers will get around to voting on vaping. They are laying the groundwork, though, with a committee having heard both pro and con on a ban on not only flavored vapes, but flavored tobacco, too.… MORE
Police are releasing little information about a robbery that happened Halloween night in Bloomington.… MORE
Within a week of his arrest on bribery charges and subsequent not guilty plea, state Rep. Luis Arroyo’s colleagues in the Illinois House will meet to discuss if he should be removed from office.… MORE
Health officials are reporting the death of a third Illinois resident who had recently vaped and been hospitalized with a severe lung injury.… MORE
The Blue Ridge school board has unanimously approved a three-year contract with teachers and staff.… MORE
The National Weather Service has reported record snowfalls for this time of year in Peoria and Springfield.… MORE
A bill to essentially phase out ethylene oxide in Illinois has passed the House – with the minimum sixty votes needed.… 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…