A fourth local taxing body is giving its blessing to the Town of Normal’s desire to add another 12 years to the life of Uptown Normal’s tax increment financing district.… MORE
A fourth local taxing body is giving its blessing to the Town of Normal’s desire to add another 12 years to the life of Uptown Normal’s tax increment financing district.… MORE
Gov. Bruce Rauner wants the death penalty back in Illinois. It’s part of a plan of action he has along with some gun control measures to increase public safety.… MORE
Bloomington aldermen enthusiastically endorsed plans by the local Boys and Girls Club to build a multi-million dollar clubhouse at Sunnyside Park on Bloomington’s west side.… MORE
A Bloomington alderman said it’s time for her colleagues to follow Normal’s lead and vote on a ‘welcoming city’ ordinance as a response to the Trump Administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration.… MORE
U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth of Illinois is calling President Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Iranian nuclear deal as reckless, but two Central Illinois Republican lawmakers are praising the move.… MORE
The Democratic candidate for Illinois Governor favors term limits for lawmakers holding leadership positions in the General Assembly like long-time House Speaker Michael Madigan and Bloomington’s Bill Brady, who’s the Senate Minority Leader.… MORE
In front of a standing-room crowd, council members in Normal decided to make the town a welcoming community.… MORE
Republican State Representative Dan Brady found himself sandwiched between two Democrats Thursday night, including a candidate who wants to defeat him in the 105th District this November.… MORE
A welcoming ordinance to be considered by the Normal Town Council Monday night offers what staffers believe is a “check and balance” on the police department’s cooperation with federal immigration agents.… MORE
State Sen. Jason Barickman, R-Bloomington, said the $250 million it might take to build a new veterans facility is a ‘huge expense’ and would take lots of cooperation to make a new facility happen.… 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…