A federal grand jury in Peoria has indicted a Texas man on charges he sexually exploited four youngsters in Central Illinois by producing videos or taking pictures of them having sex.… MORE
ISU Police seek to ease safety worries after latest gun crime
Illinois State University Police have issued a crime advisory intended to calm students’ safety concerns after another report of gunshots near campus.… MORE
Risk of strong earthquakes bolsters reason to take part in global Shakeout drill
The state’s emergency management agency says it’s important to know what to do if an earthquake breaks out. … MORE
Mulberry St. closing for water line work
NORMAL – The north lane of Mulberry St. between Linden St. and Constitution Blvd. will be closed Friday, October 20, 2017, and again from Monday, October 23 through Friday, October 27 (will open sooner if the work is completed early). The road closure is for water line installation at the Normal Water Treatment Plant.… MORE
Fort Jesse Road to close
Fort Jesse Road and Willow Street between Beech Street and Blair Drive will be closed to through traffic from 8 p.m. Wednesday to 6 a.m. Thursday for work at the Union Pacific Railroad crossing. … MORE
Olympia football coach resigns amid second winless season
Olympia High School will be looking for a new head football coach after this season.… MORE
ISU astronomer: NASA strikes gold in detecting star collision
A recently-revealed collision of two neutron stars is shedding new light on some of the mysteries of our universe, including how gold was created.… MORE
Easterseals Central Illinois announces grant awards
Easterseals Central Illinois has received three local grant awards supporting essential programs and services provided at its service centers in Bloomington and Peoria.… MORE
Emergency response test planned at Clinton plant
The Clinton Nuclear Power Station will be the scene of a first responder drill next month.… MORE
Rauner releases 2016 tax returns
Gov. Bruce Rauner paid nearly $23 million in federal and state taxes last year, according to his office which released his 2016 tax returns.… 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…