A teenager and a Bloomington man face separate gun charges in McLean county.… MORE
Category Archives: WJBC’s Top Stories
Optimistic forecast for corn and soybean yields in Illinois
By USDA Corn: Planted area is estimated at 10.8 million acres, down 2 percent from last year. Harvested area, forecast at 10.55 million acres, is down 3 percent from 2021. Based on October 1 conditions, the Illinois corn yield is forecast at a record 210 bushels per acre, up 8 bushels from 2021. Production is…… MORE
McLean County Board approves 4 solar power projects, rewards administrator with pay raise
By 25 News BLOOMINGTON – The McLean County Board granted a special use permit for solar panels to be installed in Bloomington Township, and renewed permits for three other solar farms in the county. The board during its monthly meeting Thursday night also extended the contract of County Administrator Cassy Taylor for five years and…… MORE
Trio of Republicans says the influence of Mike Madigan extends past his run as Speaker of the House
A trio of Illinois House candidates – all Republicans from the Chicago suburbs – say the influence of Mike Madigan extends past his runs as Speaker of the House and chair of the Democratic Party of Illinois. … MORE
Bloomington man jailed in connection to July stabbing in Normal
By 25 News BLOOMINGTON – A 24-year-old Bloomington man is in the McLean County jail on attempted murder charges in connection with a stabbing that took place in Normal in late July. Normal Police say Zhane McGill was arrested after a lengthy investigation by its Patrol and Investigative Division, along with collaboration from the McLean…… MORE
Springfield ACLU hosts forum on state’s Pretrial Fairness Act
By Dave Dahl SPRINGFIELD – There will be no Jan. 1 jailbreak. Police can still arrest trespassers. Those are a couple of takeaways from a forum the Springfield chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union hosted Wednesday evening to, as organizers put it, be “myth busters” about the Pretrial Fairness Act, which come New Year’s…… MORE
McLean County Democrats support Unit 5 School District tax referendum
By 25 News NORMAL – The two major political parties in McLean County have now weighed in on a tax referendum for the county’s largest school district. McLean County Democrats meeting Tuesday night voted to accept the party’s executive committee recommendation urging voters to vote yes on the proposal, conflicting with the McLean County Republican…… MORE
Gas prices back on the rise in Central Illinois
Thanks to a cut by OPEC +, gas prices across Central Illinois are back on the rise.… MORE
Bloomington City Council OK’s $1.5M plan for water treatment plant upgrade
The Bloomington City Council is signing off on over a million-dollar makeover for the city’s water treatment plant.… MORE
‘Unattended cooking’ the cause of an apartment fire in Bloomington
By Neil Doyle BLOOMINGTON – Six people were displaced after a fire Tuesday afternoon at the Washington Senior Apartments in Bloomington. Bloomington fire crews were called around 4:30 p.m. to the apartment complex at 510 E. Washington Street. Authorities said the fire started in an apartment on the third floor and the cause was unattended…… MORE
Blogs
Labor Day – Expanding voting rights for all
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.” …
Is federal mobilization the answer?
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…
In these troubled times, to my fellow white Americans
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…
Workers’ Memorial Day – Remember those whose job took their life
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…