By Dave Dahl SPRINGFIELD – We seek out the scary to be frightened and entertained at the same time, according to a University of Illinois English professor who also is a movie expert. He says you can’t go wrong by choosing one of Alfred Hitchcock’s works. “He just (knew) how to tap into what people…… MORE
By Dave Dahl SPRINGFIELD – While public education’s recovery from the pandemic is not over, Gov. JB Pritzker said Thursday there are victories to celebrate. Discussing the Illinois Report Card at a suburban Chicago high school, Pritzker says things are trending up. “Nobody is suggesting that the report card is somehow perfect,” he said. “It…… MORE
By Dave Dahl SPRINGFIELD – Most Springfield aldermen seem inclined to protect local businesses by sitting out any casino sweepstakes in the near future. But after an ongoing saga of attempts to convert a 30-story hotel downtown to mostly apartments and now this, Ald. Ralph Hanauer is frustrated. “it just seems like we don’t have…… MORE
Illinois State Board of Election’s top brass is dispelling any myths about election fraud ahead of the Illinois Gubernatorial election.… MORE
By IIS Radio SPRINGFIELD – There’s at least one mountain lion roaming Illinois right now and the State Department of Natural Resources is asking the public to leave him alone. There have been two cougars here recently. One was struck and killed on I-88 over a week ago. But another, outfitted with a GPS collar…… MORE
By USDA SPRINGFIELD – There were 6.9 days suitable for field work during the week ending October 23, 2022. Statewide, the average temperature was 49.4 degrees, 3.2 degrees below normal. Precipitation averaged 0.0 inches, 0.72 inches below normal. Topsoil moisture supply was rated 23 percent very short, 31 percent short, and 46 percent adequate. Subsoil…… MORE
By Dave Dahl SPRINGFIELD – If your child is in school, it’s likely his or her teacher is a white woman. So the Illinois State Board of Education is trying to make the faculty look more like the student body. Teacher mentors will convene teachers of color into “affinity groups” around the state, ISBE’s executive…… MORE
The day after the second and final debate for the gubernatorial campaign Tuesday, State Sen. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia) allowed himself a victory lap. He greeted supporters Wednesday at the Pizza Ranch, a Springfield buffet.… MORE
By IIS Radio SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Student Assistance Commission is urging eligible borrowers to fill out the newly released application for student debt relief. To qualify, borrowers must be under set income thresholds and have a federal pell grant or one of several federal loans. ISAC spokesperson Lynn Baker says everyone who thinks they…… MORE
By Dave Dahl CHICAGO – It’s impossible to tell whether any minds were changed during Tuesday’s gubernatorial debate, the second and final statewide debate put on by Nexstar Broadcasting and aired on its stations around the state, including WMBD Channel 31 in the Bloomington area. When asked what he believes the phrase “Black lives matter”…… 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…