By HOI ABC BLOOMINGTON (Heart of Illinois ABC) – The McLean County State’s Attorney’s office filed formal charges Thursday against a Bloomington man accused of shooting another man near the downtown area Tuesday night. The six felonies against Charles Bell, 33, include aggravated battery by firing a gun, a Class X crime carrying a maximum…… MORE
By Dave Dahl SPRINGFIELD – A bittersweet backdrop – the recent deaths of two Black transgender Chicago women – accompanied State Sen. Mike Simmons (D-Chicago) as he commemorated Transgender Day of Visibility at the Capitol Thursday. “In my role as Illinois’ first openly gay senator,” Simmons told a statehouse news conference, “I want to make…… MORE
By Dave Dahl SPRINGFIELD – For those paying attention to political commercials on television, State Sen. Sue Rezin (R-Morris) has a message for you: “We’re here today to discuss Gov. (JB) Pritzker’s meddling and blatant attempt to hijack the Republican primary by having his allies at the Democrat(ic) Governors Association run false ads on Richard…… MORE
By HOI ABC NORMAL – Electric vehicle maker Rivian Automotive is expanding its presence in Normal even though the company’s second factory will be built in Georgia. Rivian and town staffers confirmed Thursday it is leasing land at 301 West Kerrick Road in Normal for a nearly $30.4 million warehouse expansion. Rivian already has a…… MORE
Lincoln College students are largely stunned and scared after the abrupt news that the 157-year-old institution they call home is closing its doors.… MORE
A Bloomington man with a felony record remains in the McLean County jail on gun charges.… MORE
By Jake Fogal BLOOMINGTON-Bloomington police officers secured the arrest of Wilmer Marquez-Ayala of Bloomington on Wednesday for nine McLean county warrants. Marquez-Ayala’s warrants were issued on Wednesday as a result of a sex offense investigation that began on November 11, 2021. BPD learned that Marquez-Ayala had been sexually assaulting a juvenile for a year, leading…… MORE
By Dave Dahl SPRINGFIELD – In a case which should have the attention of medical providers and insurers all over Illinois, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois and Springfield Clinic have let their affiliations with one another expire. Lawmakers in the Illinois House Wednesday evening quizzed executives from both organizations. “I’m not so sure what…… MORE
By HOI ABC NORMAL – The Unit 5 School Board on Wednesday expelled two students for their role in a fight earlier this month at Kingsley Junior High School in Normal. The fight happened March 10 involving several female students, and Kingsley Principal Stacie France said in a letter to parents that family members “engaged…… MORE
By HOI ABC LEROY – A former teacher at LeRoy High School has pleaded guilty to grooming a student. Brandon Reynolds, 35, made an open plea, meaning there’s no agreement with the McLean County State’s Attorney’s office about a possible sentence. At the time of his arrest last October, authorities said Reynolds used a cellphone…… 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…