The field stations department at the University of Illinois Springfield has hit upon a fun way to try to keep the area around Lake Springfield clean.… MORE
Restaurant owners frustrated with Pritzker’s reopening plan
With the prospect of waiting until June 26, many Illinois restaurant owners are wondering if their businesses will be able to stay afloat through the pandemic and Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s five-phase plan to reopen the state.… MORE
ISU President asks staff to prepare for budget reductions
Illinois State University President Larry Dietz is asking vice presidents and other staff to prepare budget scenarios for next year with both 10 percent and 20 percent reductions.… MORE
McLean County state’s attorney, sheriff release statement on ‘enforceability’ of governor’s orders
The McLean County state’s attorney and sheriff say the violation of the governor’s executive orders surrounding the novel coronavirus pandemic does not equate to a violation of the Illinois criminal code… MORE
Boating on Illinois waterways is once again permitted, but some are objecting to limits placed on the number of people aboard
Boating on Illinois waterways is once again permitted, but some are objecting to limits placed on the number of people aboard.… MORE
Pritzker staff member tests positive for COVID-19
A member of Gov. JB Pritzker’s senior staff has tested positive for COVID-19 and as of Sunday, the governor does not have the virus.… MORE
Illinois businesses worry about uncertainty in navigating Pritzker’s reopen plan
Illinois businesses can expect new guidance from the state laying out what to expect from Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s five-phase plan to reopen the state, but there could be changes.… MORE
COVID-19 comes to campus
The fist case of COVID-19 has been reported on the campus of Illinois State University.… MORE
Dispensary in Normal now offering recreational cannabis sales
The cannabis dispensary in Normal is officially open for adult-use sales.… MORE
6 more coronavirus cases in McLean County
McLean County has added six more cases of coronavirus, bringing the county total to 121.… 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…