Senate President Don Harmon, D-Oak Park, observes action on the Senate floor during the last week of the 2025 legislative session. Harmon was the sponsor of a bill to reform the Prisoner Review Board. (Capitol News Illinois photo by Jerry Nowicki)

NORMAL, Ill. (WMBD) - A man was arrested in Normal for alleged child sex crimes on Wednesday, police say. Nathaniel L. Stokes, 35, of Champaign, faces charges of predatory criminal sexual assault and aggravated criminal sexual abuse. He appeared in McLean County Circuit Court on Wednesday. A future court date has not y...

SPRINGFIELD - Illinois is among a growing list of states that are issuing their own vaccine guidelines that could supersede those of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Gov. JB Pritzker issued an executive order this month directing the Illinois Department of Public Health to work with other state a...

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (WMBD) - The Bridge Project is on track to be completed by the middle of December, giving the homeless a place to get out of the cold. The Bridge Project is a non-congregate shelter for the homeless. The effort is led by Home Sweet Home Ministries in Bloomington. The shelter will provide a place to sl...

MCLEAN COUNTY, Ill. (WMBD) - The McLean County Unit Five School Board is making changes to high school sports. At Wednesday's meeting, board members unanimously approved adding boys' volleyball and girls' flag football for high school students in the 2026-2027 school year. More than 2,000 students participated in an in...

WASHINGTON, D.C. (WMBD) - Illinois' senior U.S. Senator and Democratic Whip, Dick Durbin, met with the Corporation for Public Broadcasting on Wednesday on the impacts of the Rescissions Act of 2025, or the so-called 'Big Beautiful Bill.' The bill rescinded $1.1 billion in previously appropriated funding for the more th...

SOCIAL CIRCLE, Ga., (WMBD) - Rivian Automotive Inc. held a groundbreaking event for a new manufacturing plant in Georgia on Tuesday. The event featured Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp among a slew of other state and local government officials who celebrated as the plant is expected to create 7,500 jobs by 2030 and 2,000 constr...

SPRINGFIELD - Illinois will release a new round of federal funding to build electric vehicle charging stations after the Trump administration initially sought to withhold it. The state on Wednesday announced plans to release $18 million it received after successfully suing the Trump administration for withholding the ...