By Dave Dahl SPRINGFIELD – A Kankakee County judge, presiding over a consolidated group of more than sixty lawsuits by state’s attorneys, says the state’s law to eliminate cash bail effective Sunday is unconstitutional. Early reaction to the ruling is conflicted as to whether any part of the “pretrial fairness act,” part of the overall…… MORE
By IIS Radio SPRINGFIELD – The GED is getting a new name come January. Starting in 2023, the GED certificate will be called the State of Illinois High School diploma says Community College Board spokesperson Matt Berry. “This is important because often a high school equivalency can have a stigma that it’s less than or…… MORE
By IIS Radio SPRINGFIELD – Illinois State Police are urging the public to stay off the roads during the winter storm. The combination of snow, high winds and bitter cold will make driving difficult says ISP Trooper Haylie Polistina. That’s why they would like to see everyone stay home if they can. If you do…… MORE
By Dave Dahl SPRINGFIELD – The red-shirted forces of Moms Demand Action gave State Rep. Denyse Wang Stoneback (D-Skokie) a standing ovation Tuesday, when she summed up her opinion of the National Rifle Association: “A money-making operation from gun manufacturers based on half of the text of the Second Amendment,” she said during a House…… MORE
By Dave Dahl SPRINGFIELD – To all of you who asked for a white Christmas: Thanks a lot. Cold, wind, and snow will belt virtually all of Downstate Thursday and Friday. Some areas could get about four inches, with a six-inch snowfall possible northeast of a line from Bloomington to Paris. Ed Shimon, the warning…… MORE
It took a performance hall on the University of Illinois campus to hold all of the people who wanted to pay their respects to Scott Bennett, the state senator who died of complications from a large, undetected brain tumor Dec. 9.… MORE
A high-ranking state official – who says he is a two-time survivor of gun violence – is in favor of outlawing assault weapons in Illinois.… MORE
By Dave Dahl SPRINGFIELD – Carbon capture could be a way of the future for utilities, and Springfield appears to be on the leading edge. That’s because it has its own utilities. Groundbreaking was Thursday for a federal-and-state funded plant. The US Department of Energy’s Lynn Brickett tries to convey how big a deal this…… MORE
By 25 News NORMAL – It is grassland for now, but there are big plans for a 39-acre lot in North Normal. Developer Fairlawn Capital is planning to build ‘Carden Springs,’ a sprawling luxury housing development of nearly 500 units, ranging from single bedroom apartments to three-bedroom townhomes. Rent will start at $1,500 per month…… MORE
By WJBC Staff BLOOMINGTON – State Sen. Jason Barickman (R-Bloomington) announced on Monday his retirement from the Senate at the end of his current term, which expires Jan. 10, 2023. Barickman has served in the General Assembly for 12 years. He currently represents the 53rd District, which covers parts of McLean, Livingston, Woodford and Ford…… 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…