Gov. JB Pritzker says the best way to avoid a stay-at-home order is to act as if there is one.… MORE
McLean County 7-day positivity rate above 14%
McLean County’s 7-day rolling positivity rate increased to over 14% as health officials announce 163 new cases of COVID-19.… MORE
Bloomington library additions expected to cost $20.8 million
The Bloomington Public Library unveiled its plans Monday night to renovate the 44-year old library on East Olive Street, while also revealing what it might cost.… MORE
Liquor licenses could be revoked after weekend crowds in Bloomington bars
It’s been less than two weeks when indoor dining restrictions were put into place by Governor JB Pritzker. At that time, Bloomington Mayor Tari Renner thought it was too much, and said they wouldn’t be cracking down in Bloomington.… MORE
Harvest 2020: Corn and soybeans all but complete
There is less to talk about this time of year for the USDA crop report.… MORE
Gov. Pritzker says the rise in COVID-19 cases is threatening hospital capacity
Gov. JB Pritzker says the current coronavirus rise is threatening the capacity of hospitals.… MORE
Second person charged with chair leg beating in Normal
A second person is charged for a beating in Normal last month in which the victim was found with a wooden chair leg lodged in his head.… MORE
McLean County Health Dept.: Two deaths and more than 500 new COVID-19 cases
Two more McLean County residents have died from COVID-19, while county officials announced the highest one-day positive cases since the pandemic began.… MORE
Former Gov. Edgar reflects on Illinois fiscal trouble Gov. Pritzker faces
If there’s one person who has even a little idea of the fiscal trouble Gov. JB Pritzker is dealing with, it’s predecessor Jim Edgar. And Edgar did not have a pandemic. Still, he thought he had it tough. … MORE
Normal’s town government plans no property tax hike next year
Like Bloomington, the Town of Normal’s share of homeowners’ property tax bills is expected to remain the same next year.… 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…