By Katherine Murphy NORMAL– With the sky lit by fireworks, a garage in Normal experienced the same thing. Normal Firefighters responded to the report of a fire in an attached garage on Wildberry Drive around 9:15 Thursday night. A passerby reported smoke coming from the garage and it took the fire department about 25 minutes…… MORE
Illinois State University President Larry Dietz participated in Gov. JB Pritzker’s Rebuild Illinois victory tour on Wednesday, expressing deep gratitude for the billions of dollars earmarked for higher education.… MORE
The McLean County Board’s Executive Committee will interview five people who are interested in filling a vacant county board seat.… MORE
Bloomington City Manager Tim Gleason has named a five member committee that will assist him in the search for the next police chief.… MORE
An area man is dead after a Wednesday morning crash in rural South Pekin.… MORE
Bloomington Police are asking for the public’s help in identifying a suspect involved in a criminal sexual abuse case.… MORE
Despite the legalization of marijuana in Illinois, one local Athletic Director is sharing how the new legislation will impact Illinois State University athletes.… MORE
A 10-year old program aimed to keep McLean County drug offenders in treatment and out of jail has received a certification from the Illinois Supreme Court.… MORE
Mayors of Bloomington and Normal have issued a joint statement expressing their hopes for what a working group will accomplish to guide the transit system’s future, while a pair of Connect Transit critics like what they see so far.… MORE
The mayor of Pontiac has announced his resignation.… MORE
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.” …
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…
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…
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…