Two downtown buildings are a total loss from Saturday’s fire, but it could have been much worse, Pontiac’s fire chief said on Sunday.… MORE
![UPDATED: State Fire Marshall to investigate downtown Pontiac blaze](https://cdn.socast.io/6616/sites/389/2019/09/15033028/Wright-Fire-2-e1568536327374.jpg#aqua_resizer_image_not_local)
Two downtown buildings are a total loss from Saturday’s fire, but it could have been much worse, Pontiac’s fire chief said on Sunday.… MORE
By the time he returned with a fire extinguisher, it was already too late.
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A Democrat has emerged to challenge for the Illinois House seat held by nine-term Rep. Dan Brady (R-Bloomington).… MORE
Gov. JB Pritzker is thrilled about enrollment at Illinois State University. The school welcomed its largest freshman class in 33 years.… MORE
By Katherine Murphy BLOOMINGTON– Hy-Vee Fresh Commissary, based in Ankeny, Iowa, is recalling more than 6,000 pounds of ready-to-eat beef and chicken products due to mis-branding and undeclared allergens, according press releases from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Hy-Vee. The undeclared allergen is milk. The products were produced on Sept. 7 & 8, 2019.…… MORE
A high-profile lawmaker with McLean County roots is facing a re-election challenge.… MORE
The weather forecast is pretty good for the state’s farmers.… MORE
The state of Illinois is reminding parents that they may qualify for free or reduced-price school lunches. … MORE
A freshman lawmaker from Central Illinois is seeking a second term after making his mark opposing Gov. JB Pritzker’s agenda.… MORE
The Bloomington City Council will decide Monday night whether to form a committee that would come up with ways the city can implement the state’s new law legalizing recreational use of marijuana.… 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…