It was a tale of two states Wednesday, when the four legislative leaders – one at a time – addressed members of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce at a conference in Springfield.… MORE
Category Archives: Politics
Central Illinois lawmaker will vote ‘no’ on a farm bill unless lawmakers include nutrition programs
The clock is ticking for lawmakers in the nation’s capitol to find common ground on a new farm bill before the November presidential election.… MORE
Bill to pause construction of carbon sequestration has passed an Illinois House committee
There is no shortage of discussion at the Capitol about carbon. It’s the subject of a bill which has passed an Illinois House committee.… MORE
Moratorium on building carbon sequestration pipelines passes Illinois House committee
There is no shortage of discussion at the Capitol about carbon. It’s the subject of a bill which has passed an Illinois House committee.… MORE
Bloomington Police achieves accreditation for the first time since 2019
For the first time since 2019, Bloomington Police received accreditation from the Illinois Law Enforcement Accreditation Program.… MORE
Lawmakers want answers from deadly COVID outbreak at LaSalle Veterans home
The top staff at the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs has changed out since the COVID outbreak which killed 36 people at the veterans home in La Salle in 2020 and 2021. … MORE
Unofficial voter turnout down in Central Illinois
By WMBD-TV CENTRAL ILLINOIS – Based on lists of registered voters, turnout was significantly down in primary voting across central Illinois for Monday’s primary elections. Only Woodford County showed an increase in number of voters from 2020: 6,847 to 6,109. These numbers are subject to change because of same-day registration, but here are the turnout…… MORE
Voters in three counties sign off on tax referendum for Olympia School District
By WMBD-TV BLOOMINGTON – Voters said yes to a proposal by the Olympia Community Unit School District 16 that sounded like a tax increase but was something that district officials said was not. Voters in McLean, Tazewell and Woodford counties all said yes to the measure that increased the rates for the educational fund and for the…… MORE
Tazewell County primary election results
By WMBD-TV TAZEWELL COUNTY – Results are in for the primary elections in Tazewell County. Tazewell County picks Bill Atkins, Tammy Stimson, Eric Schmidgall as Republican Candidates for District 3 Board Member race Tazewell County has voted for Bill Atkins, Tammy Stimson, and Eric Schmidgall to be the Republican Candidates for the District 3 Board…… MORE
Primary elections wrap up; results in McLean County
By WMBD-TV BLOOMINGTON – The Illinois primary election wrapped up Tuesday night – and no surprise it was President Joe Biden and Donald Trump winning in their respective parties. Mike O’Neal wins the GOP primary for McLean County Board District 2 Mike O’Neal has won the Republican primary to replace a retiring member of the…… 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…