One of Gov. JB Pritzker’s top legislative initiatives stalled in the General Assembly this week when the chair of the House Higher Education Committee refused to call a vote on a bill that would authorize community colleges to offer four-year bachelor’s degree programs in select, high-demand career fields.… MORE
The community is invited to participate in a reentry simulation on Thursday.… MORE
In the same place you can get a cup of coffee or a new pair of shoes, people at a local mall were given something you don’t see everyday.… MORE
The remains of a Bloomington soldier are returning home after more than 80 years.… MORE
The Children’s Discovery Museum in Normal announced Wednesday it will be using a $1 million gift to build a new agriculture exhibit next year.… MORE
A woman who was found dead in the Illinois River earlier this week has been identified.… MORE
A Senate committee passed a bill this week that would give specialized training on human trafficking and establish coordination across multiple state agencies and partners.… MORE
After nearly three hours of debate before a packed hearing room, a House committee on Wednesday voted to advance a bill that would impose new requirements on homeschooling, fueling a heated discussion over parental rights and government oversight in Illinois.… MORE
The U.S. Department of Justice has opened a wide-ranging investigation into Illinois’ treatment of people with developmental disabilities, examining whether the state provides adequate resources for community living and protects residents from harm in public institutions.… MORE
A man from Normal medaled in the Special Olympic World Winter Games in Turin, Italy.… 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…