By WMBD-TV BLOOMINGTON – Community members packed inside the Mount Pisgah Baptist Church in Bloomington for “Hear Our Voices – A Rally For Democracy.” The Bloomington-Normal chapter of the NAACP hosted the event to encourage Black people to vote. Guests heard from speakers like Brian Peterson with Omega Psi Phi, and other leaders in the…… MORE
By WMBD-TV NORMAL – The clock is ticking for a national bus company to get a deal done that impacts bus drivers and bus monitors in Unit 5. At the latest school board meeting, Steven Dean, vice-president for the union representing the bus drivers and bus monitors, gave an update on their contract negotiations with First…… MORE
By Jake Fogal NORMAL – The Bloomington Purple Raiders are a secret no more. Having a chip on their shoulders heading into this rivalry matchup against Normal West, BHS hadn’t beaten their rivals since 2012. The Purple Raiders came into the matchup undefeated at 3-0, while the Wildcats were entering the game at 2-1. Bloomington…… MORE
Cut through the noise when you listen, watch, or read news. That is the advice of a University of Illinois Springfield professor who directs a graduate program in public affairs reporting.… MORE
Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch (D-Hillside), the first Black person to occupy that office, touched on race when he participated in a question-and-answer at the City Club of Chicago.… MORE
A federal judge invoked images from the 1917 race riots in East St. Louis, Illinois, on Thursday at the end of a trial in a case challenging the constitutionality of the state’s ban on assault-style weapons and large-capacity magazines.… MORE
By WMBD-TV SPIRNGFIELD – The Federal Bureau of Investigation Springfield Office is reminding everyone about the consequences of sending false threats against schools and other public buildings. According to a news release from the FBI, those who make hoax threats can face up to five years in federal prison, or face state or local charges.…… MORE
By WMBD-TV NORMAL -The Illinois State University Redbirds are “reliving treasured times” during their Homecoming Week. “When we thought about this year we thought about how Homecoming is all about making memories and revisiting those memories. So, we wanted to celebrate that,” Senior Director for ISU Alumni Engagement Stephanie Duquenne said. ISU encourages anyone sharing…… MORE
By WMBD-TV BLOOMINGTON – In honor of hispanic heritage month the Bloomington public library is displaying a photo exhibit “Celebrando en dos idiomas” or “Celebrating in Two Languages.” Latinos en BloNo founder Yolanda Alonso is the exhibitor. There are 20 portraits featured from various events of the Latino community within the Bloomington-Normal community. Alonso previously…… MORE
A federal judge on Thursday declared a mistrial after a jury deadlocked in their deliberations over whether former AT&T Illinois President Paul La Schiazza bribed longtime Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan via a no-work contract for the speaker’s political ally.… 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…