By HOI ABC BLOOMINGTON – A decades-old McLean County murder case is now receiving national attention as it is set to premier on a true crime television series. In 1999, Barton McNeil was found guilty of the murder of his three-year-old daughter. He was sentenced to 100 years in prison without the possibility of parole.…… MORE
After the LaSalle County coroner confirmed the body found in the Illinois River Sept. 4 was Jelani Day, his mother Carmen Bolden Day shared shared what she endured during the search for her son in an emotional interview.… MORE
By Heart of Illinois ABC BLOOMINGTON – Bloomington’s city manager continues to get glowing reviews from elected leaders, who are scheduled to vote Monday night on giving him a raise. Tim Gleason, who used to run city governments in Washington and Decatur, received the highest performance ranking for his work in Bloomington. The city council…… MORE
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is adopting CDC recommendations for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.… MORE
By Neil Doyle NORMAL – Due to a driver shortage, Connect Transit will be temporarily reducing services starting next week. Connect will reduce service frequency starting Sept. 26 to provide greater stability in service schedules, rather than missing trips due to a shortage of qualified operators, according to a news release Thursday. What does a…… MORE
By HOI ABC BLOOMINGTON – Bloomington Police went to Minnesota this week to return a murder suspect to the Twin-Cities where he’ll stand trial. Kentrell Brown, 18, faces three murder charges for the shooting March 7 that killed Natwan Nash, 26, of Bloomington. Nash suffered multiple gunshot wounds at an apartment complex in the 2400…… MORE
By Dave Dahl SPRINGFIELD – Thursday was a day for lawmakers to replay the game films of the Illinois Department of Employment Security’s data breach and massive fraud in the early weeks of the pandemic. It was not difficult to discern where State Rep. Dan Caulkins (R-Decatur) stands on the Pritzker administration’s performance. “When Gov.…… MORE
By Neil Doyle CLINTON – After a modified version last year due to COVID-19, the Apple ‘n Pork Festival is making a full return this weekend in Clinton. The festival features dozens of food stands, live entertainment, and a flea market. Joey Long is the director of the C.H. Moore Homestead Museum in Dewitt County.…… MORE
By Neil Doyle CLINTON – DeWitt County Coroner Randy Rice has identified the person that drowned in the Clinton Lake. Alan W. Bell, 65, of Clinton, was pronounced dead Tuesday at 10:40 a.m. at the Valley Mill Fishing Access, according to Rice. Rice says the truck that Bell was driving went partially down an embankment…… MORE
By HOI ABC BLOOMINGTON – Relatives of a Central Illinois nursing home resident who died from COVID-19 last year can pursue their lawsuit in McLean County Court, rather than the nursing home’s preference to try the case in federal court. Eleven residents of Bloomington Rehabilitation and Health Care Center died during a COVID outbreak early…… 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…