By 25 News BLOOMINGTON – McLean County voters chose 10 Republicans and 10 Democrats to the county board last month, meaning compromises must be made to pick their leaders. That hasn’t been a problem in the past because the board has been controlled by Republicans. However, their dominance has declined in recent years, and one…… MORE
Hancock Stadium potential site for future IHSA football championship games
By 25 News NORMAL – Bloomington-Normal leaders want to bring back the Illinois High School Association’s state football championship games for the next five years, but three other communities are also hoping to land the premier event that’s held each Thanksgiving weekend. ISU’s Hancock Stadium was the venue for the first 25 years of the…… MORE
Merger set to increase Morton Community Bank’s presence in the Twin Cities
By 25 News BLOOMINGTON – Morton Community Bank is acquiring a Springfield-based bank with branches in Bloomington-Normal. Holding company Hometown Community Bancorp Inc. announced Thursday it’s acquiring Marine Bank’s parent firm, which has 11 branches, two of them in the Twin-Cities. The merger is expected to happen during the second quarter of next year, pending regulatory approval and the…… MORE
Santa’s Station returns to Uptown Normal this weekend
By Jake Fogal BLOOMINGTON – After a two-year absence due to the pandemic, Santa’s Station is returning to Uptown Normal this month. The grand opening celebrations are scheduled for this Saturday at 12:30 p.m. Through Christmas Eve, visitation hours will also be available on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. On Saturday, Santa Claus, Mrs. Claus…… MORE
At the state Capitol, the sights and sounds of the season are in full force
By Dave Dahl SPRINGFIELD – The Rotunda of the state Capitol is starting to fill up with holiday displays. So far there is a tree, a Nativity scene, a menorah, and a poster from the secretary of state’s office explaining the First Amendment. If past is prologue, they’ll soon be joined by a poster from…… MORE
Bloomington man charged with assault and strangulation of a pregnant woman
By 25 News BLOOMINGTON – A pregnant woman reportedly beaten and strangled at the hands of her boyfriend feared for her life, McLean County prosecutors said in court on Tuesday. The state’s attorney’s office charged Trevor Kelly, 21, of Bloomington, with aggravated domestic battery by strangulation and domestic battery causing bodily harm, both felonies. According…… MORE
Teenager arrested in Normal associated with homicide in Champaign
By 25 News BLOOMINGTON – A 17-year-old has been moved from the McLean County Sheriff’s Office to the Champaign County Correctional Facility. Keshawn Brown was arrested Monday in Normal for charges related to an incident at Target. Tuesday he was charged as an adult with multiple Class X felonies related to a November 4th homicide…… MORE
A teenager and three adults arrested in Bloomington over the holiday weekend
By Jake Fogal BLOOMINGTON – Four people were detained by the police and are now being charged with several offenses. In response to a report of shots fired, officers were summoned to the 1400 block of West Graham street on November 23rd, at 5:30 p.m. The first arrest was made at that time. A 17-year-old…… MORE
Election petitions filed for nonexistent jobs to be decided on by the Town of Normal
By 25 News NORMAL – The final day to file nominating petitions for next spring’s municipal election took an unexpected turn in Normal on Monday. Two people filed petitions to become candidates for jobs that don’t exist, while a third person wants to become Normal’s town clerk, which is an appointed position. The filings are…… MORE
Well-known candidates on the ballot for Normal Town Council in 2023
By 25 News NORMAL – Voters in Normal will elect three town council members next spring, and the incumbents holding those seats have all filed nominating petitions before Monday’s deadline to get on the April ballot. Their challengers are not political newcomers, particularly Marc Tiritilli, who’s run twice for mayor, including the 2017 contest in…… 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…