Normal Town Council members received an earful from property owners who will foot the bill to pay for the rising cost of police and fire pensions.… MORE
Prosecutors: Man acted in self-defense against machete-swinging attacker
A Bloomington man who died from a stab wound on Saturday may have been trying to attack someone with a machete when he suffered his fatal wound.… MORE
Bloomington Police investigating weekend home invasion
Bloomington Police are looking for leads to solve a weekend home invasion on the city’s far southeast side.… MORE
Heartland College seeks president with budget savvy, communications skills
Heartland Community College’s fourth president will take over next summer, and it’s hoped that person will be an empowering leader who inspires trust, is able to foster a culture of open communication, and yet make difficult decisions in the best interests of the college.… MORE
Jason Barickman reflects on recent veto session in Springfield
State Senator Jason Barickman and the rest of Illinois lawmakers recently emerged from the veto session in Springfield and many noticed that members of the GOP didn’t always agree with the State’s Republican governor’s wishes.… MORE
WJBC Voices: Remember the Mitsubishi Motor plant in 1996?
Remember the Mitsubishi Motor plant in 1996? That news made The New York Times and a car plant representative stated that they were “surprised and horrified by the manner that the incident had been brought to the public’s attention.… MORE
Sen. Brady fears election year may further complicate budget talks
State Senate Minority Leader Bill Brady said as difficult as ending the budget stalemate was, the challenges may be greater to form a spending plan in an election year.… MORE
State kicks off year-long bicentennial celebration on Illinois’ 199th birthday
A year-long celebration has begun to ring in Illinois’ 200th anniversary of becoming a U.S. state.… MORE
EDC head: IWU small business center to remain viable despite funding dispute
The head of the Bloomington-Normal Economic Development Council is confident he can come up with alternative funding sources, perhaps from the private sector, to pay for Illinois Wesleyan University’s Small Business Development Center.… MORE
Fell Avenue north of Emerson Street to close
Effective December 4, Fell Avenue just north of Emerson Street will be closed to thru traffic for sewer maintenance work.… 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…