NORMAL– Mary L. Mattocks, 89, of Normal, passed away at 12:30 a.m., Saturday, April 20, 2019 at Heritage Health in Normal. Her funeral will be at 1:00 p.m., Wednesday, April 24, 2019 at Carmody-Flynn Funeral Home, Bloomington. Burial will be in Park Hill Cemetery, Bloomington. Visitation will be from 11:00-1:00 p.m., Wednesday at the funeral…… MORE
Shirley Koos BLOOMINGTON – Shirley Kaufman Koos, 74, of Bloomington, passed away at her Bloomington residence under hospice care. Her memorial service will be held on at 7 p.m., Sunday, April 28, 2019 at Carmody-Flynn Funeral Home, Bloomington with Rabbi Rebecca Dubowe officiating. The visitation will be held from 5:00 to 7:00pm Sunday at the funeral…… MORE
BLOOMINGTON- Matthew DeWayne Messamore, 60, of Bloomington, passed away at 8:00 a.m., Tuesday, April 16, 2019 at his home. His memorial visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m., Thursday April 25th at Carmody-Flynn Funeral Home, Bloomington. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the family. Matt was born December 3, 1958…… MORE
The defense in the murder case against Bloomington man Kirk Zimmerman believes the Bloomington Police Department may have contaminated some evidence.… MORE
Franklin “Jack” Tomlison, 84, Fairbury, died at 11:50 a.m. Friday, April 12, 2019 at Evenglow Inn, Pontiac.… MORE
PONTIAC – You may have already pulled that planter out of the shed and hooked it up to the tractor but is your guidance system properly set up? Maintaining the technology side of a farming operation will make for a much easier spring season. “As we had some time this winter, I’m hoping most guys…… MORE
Domingo G. Carranza, 87, Chenoa, died at 10:20 p.m. Friday, April 5, 2019 at his residence surrounded by family.… MORE
LEXINGTON- William J. “Bill” Volk, 53 of Lexington, passed away at 8:21 p.m., Thursday, April 4, 2019 at OSF St. Joseph Medical Center in Bloomington. His funeral will be at 11:00 a.m., Wednesday, April 10 at Carmody-Flynn Funeral Home in Bloomington with Rev. James Haffener officiating. Visitation will be from 4:00-8:00 p.m., Tuesday, April…… MORE
Fairbury – Delma L. Freed, 94 of Fairbury, died 10:59 pm, Thursday, April 4, 2019 at her residence in Fairbury. Funeral Services will be 10:30 am, Tuesday, April 9, 2019 at Trinity Lutheran Church, Fairbury with Pastor Tom Krieger officiating. Burial will follow in Chenoa Twp. Cemetery, Chenoa. Duffy-Pils Memorial Home, Fairbury is in…… MORE
Chenoa – Phyllis M. Allan, 82 of Chenoa, died at 3:43 am, Thursday, April 4, 2019 at her son’s residence in Chenoa surrounded by her family. Cremation rites have been accorded. There will be a memorial service at 7 pm, Friday, April 12, 2019 at Duffy-Pils Memorial Home, Chenoa with a private family graveside inurnment…… 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…