The Illinois budget plan that passed the House this week – and that Republicans say is historically out of balance – got a re-vote on Wednesday after House Speaker Mike Madigan acknowledged a procedural error in Wednesday’s vote that was rushed through in less than two hours.… MORE
The Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts is kicking off its 10th anniversary season this weekend.… MORE
Bloomington-Normal is one of the best places to find a job after graduating college, according to a study by the American Institute for Economic Research.… MORE
With less than a week before the state legislature is scheduled to adjourn, State Rep. Dan Brady, R-Bloomington, said he’s cautiously optimistic a budget deal is imminent.… MORE
Bloomington’s city council has given the green light to a study of the city’s traffic light preemption system that emergency crews use to turn lights green when responding to calls.… MORE
The Republican party of Illinois has voted to stay the course of defining marriage between one man and one woman. … MORE
U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Channahon, said a measure that has passed the House will help address the shortage of emergency medical technicians.… MORE
If you are flying out of Chicago, officials recommend arriving at the airport three hours before your flight because of long security lines caused by an increase in travelers and a drop in the number of Transportation Security Administration agents.… MORE
An annual fundraiser in McLean County is retooling in hopes of getting a record turnout this year.… MORE
A local golf outing that’s raising money to combat a rare and often fatal disorder has sold out.… 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…