By Dave Dahl SPRINGFIELD – You may not be able to get a good job if you don’t have access to quality child care. That’s the gist of a report from the Council for a Strong America, made up of Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, Mission: Readiness, and ReadyNation. “Success in hiring and retention across…… MORE
Bloomington Firefighters called out to Sunday night house fire
By 25 News BLOOMINGTON – No one was hurt Sunday night after a house fire sparked up at 905 W. Olive St. in Bloomington. According to Bloomington PIO Frank Friend, neighbors called them around 9:45p.m. when they reportedly saw smoke coming from the back of a three-story house. This is located a few houses away…… MORE
Normal Community student makes history as recipient of national award
By 25 News NORMAL – A student at Normal Community High School is receiving attention on the national stage for his work advocating for racial and social justice. According to a release from the Bloomington NAACP, Bradley Ross Jackson received an NAACP Image Award for Youth Advocacy Friday night, becoming the youngest recipient of the…… MORE
Woodford County man charged with sexually abusing teen
By 25 News WOODFORD COUNTY – A Woodford County man is charged in a sex abuse case dating back to the summer of last year. A grand jury indicted Jordan Hamilton, 26, on one count of aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a girl who was between 13- and 17-years-old between early June and early August…… MORE
McLean County man guilty of harassing juror in domestic violence trial
By 25 News BLOOMINGTON – A Heyworth man will spend about a month in the county jail for harassing jurors in his domestic violence trial. Steven Abdullah, 32, and his wife reportedly yelled at jurors and held up signs when they came back for a second day of deliberations in February of last year. One…… MORE
Federal suit alleges Normal Police used excessive force and made false arrest of woman in fire probe
By 25 News NORMAL – A woman has filed a federal lawsuit against “unknown” Normal Police officers alleging they violated her constitutional rights by using excessive force and falsely arresting her while investigating an apartment fire in early February. The lawsuit says college student Taylor Brown agreed to answer officers’ questions at the police department…… MORE
Illinois Municipal League shares legislative wish list for 2023
By Dave Dahl SPRINGFIELD – The state quit giving municipalities a ten-percent slice of the state income tax a number of years ago. And the cities, towns, and villages of Illinois have not stopped asking for it back. Restoration of the Local Government Distributive Fund – LGDF – again tops the list of priorities the…… MORE
El Paso mother seeks justice after school bus driver grabs her son
By 25 News EL PASO – A mother in the El Paso-Gridley School District wants justice after a school bus driver grabbed her son’s head, which was caught on video. The bus driver was disciplined, but the district says she is still driving in McLean and Woodford Counties. The video shows the driver yelling at…… MORE
McLean County man heads to prison for trying to produce child pornography at his home
By 25 News BLOOMINGTON – A Chenoa man has pleaded guilty to a felony charge for videotaping two young teenagers using a bathroom at his home two years ago. Curtis Cleary, 40, was sentenced to six-years in prison after pleading guilty to attempted production of child pornography. Prosecutors said Cleary placed a phone and an…… MORE
Illinois gaming now a multi-billion dollar industry
What was once just a couple of riverboats, Illinois gaming is now a multi-billion dollar industry.… 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…