By MAGGIE DOUGHERTY Capitol News Illinois mdougherty@capitolnewsillinois.com Article Summary Illinois American Water, the state's largest private water utility, is seeking a $142 million rate increase, which would raise typical residential water costs by around $14 per month. Aqua Illinois, the second-largest private...

By WMBD TV BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (WMBD) - A former Chiddix Junior High School teacher will go to trial in mid-September for allegations he groomed a minor. Brandon Knapp, 44, will next appear in court on Sept. 9 for a pretrial conference and then possibly go to trial on Sept. 14 on two counts of grooming, charges that coul...

By WMBD TV PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) - The body of a man was found in the Illinois River on Tuesday, according to Coroner Jamie Harwood, who said his office is trying to learn the man's identity. The man, whose age is unknown, has been fingerprinted and we are waiting for results, Harwood said. The man was found near the Bob...

NORMAL, Ill. (WMBD) - The Baby Fold has begun construction on a new, state-of-the-art sensory room, designed to help Hammitt School students learn to self-regulate. Hammitt School is an extension of Baby Fold, serving kids with emotional or social challenges. They aim to meet kids where they are to provide them with wh...

By NAOMI TAXAY Medill Illinois News Bureau news@capitolnewsillinois.com Article Summary As of July 1, the state's definition of cyberbullying was expanded to include AI-generated digital replicas, forcing districts across Illinois to update policies and procedures. The Illinois State Board of Education is also require...

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (WMBD) - A performance that will blend medieval and modern fighting will come to Bloomington next month. ARMORED MMA, which features fully armored athletes fighting inside a mixed martial arts cage, will be performing at the Grossinger Motors Arena on Aug. 15, said Gina Volk, the Bloomington Arts &...

By WMBD TV EAST PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) - East Peoria Mayor John Kahl hoped to reassure residents on Monday that a property the city is about to buy will not be used for a data center or solar project. During Tuesday's East Peoria City Council meeting, Ordinance 4915, which will approve the $5.2 million purchase of land be...

By WMBD TV NORMAL, Ill. (WMBD) - The Normal Town Council Monday night unanimously approved adding a new technology to their traffic lights that could ultimately save lives. Called the Emergency Vehicle Preemption Test Project, it will add small transmitters on both traffic signals and emergency vehicles. It allows firs...