By Neil Doyle BLOOMINGTON – Emergency crews responded Sunday morning to a house fire on Bloomington’s east side. Firefighters were called just before 7:30 a.m. to 53 Prenzler Drive for reports of a fire on the first floor of a two-story house. The fire was located in the center of the home and was quickly…… MORE
By Dave Dahl SPRINGFIELD – Decades after forming its own trade association, Illinois wine is largely still a hidden gem. “Oh no, “ says Lisa Ellis, executive director of the Illinois Grape Growers and Vintners Alliance, meeting in Springfield. “Our producers are small, without those massive budgets and major distribution channels, So we continue to…… MORE
By 25 News MCLEAN COUNTY – A former Normal Police officer who pleaded guilty to official misconduct for stealing $12,000 from a home in 2019 has reached a settlement in a federal lawsuit filed by the theft victim. Terms of the settlement between Lindsey Holzhauer and former officer Brian Williams were not disclosed in the…… MORE
By 25 News LINCOLN – A retired Lincoln Police chief, and more recently the chief of security at the Logan County Courthouse is being remembered for his dedication, his bravery and heroism. Robert “Bob” Rawlins, 63, suffered a medical emergency while on duty at the courthouse, and died just before noon on Tuesday, said Logan…… MORE
By Dave Dahl SPRINGFIELD – Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza is proud of the state’s rainy day fund, but she wants a commitment to regularly put money into it. “Under current law, the fund is supposed to receive annual deposits when state revenue estimates grow by more than four percent,” Mendoza told a House committee. “However,…… MORE
By Dave Dahl SPRINGFIELD – Wednesday was a beautiful day to be outdoors, and that was fitting for Gov. JB Pritzker’s announcement of $60 million in parks grants statewide. The money comes from a program called OSLAD – Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development. Some of the money will go to disadvantaged areas. “This means…… MORE
By 25 News MCLEAN COUNTY – Authorities have identified the victim of a Tuesday morning crash on Interstate 55. Cory Geist, 25, has been identified as the driver who died in a two-vehicle crash on I-55 Southbound near LaGrange Road, or mile post 146 near McLean. It was just before 2:00 a.m. when Geist’s box truck…… MORE
By 25 News NORMAL – Electric vehicle-maker Rivian Automotive expects it won’t be losing billions of dollars much longer. Company executives released fourth quarter and full-year results on Tuesday, also predicting Rivian will become profitable in 2024 while ramping up production at its plant in Normal. Rivian said it lost almost $6.8 billion in 2022,…… MORE
By 25 News NORMAL – A man who worked for a Rivian Automotive contractor at the electric vehicle plant in Normal is suing his former employer claiming not enough was done to stop racial discrimination and harassment against him. In the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court on Monday, Cornelius Richardson citied several incidents of…… MORE
By Dave Dahl SPRINGFIELD – Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch (D-Hillside) says it’s important for the legislature to maintain a relationship with the White House, so he was only too happy to participate Monday in a roundtable with members of the Biden administration and other Black statehouse speakers. The speakers in Illinois, New York, Maine,…… 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…