Electric vehicle maker Rivian confirmed on Thursday it’s looking for a site to build an additional manufacturing facility, but the company and Normal’s mayor said the local factory is the springboard for Rivian’s growth.… MORE
Category Archives: WJBC’s Top Stories
Salvation Army of Bloomington working with those impacted by historic flooding
More than a month after historic flooding in the Twin Cities, the Salvation Army of Bloomington is working with those impacted by the flooding.… MORE
Vaccine clinic at Grossinger Motors Arena ending next week
The vaccination clinic at Grossinger Motors Arena is shutting down operations next week.… MORE
Decatur man facing multiple money laundering charges in McLean County
A Decatur man faces multiple money laundering charges in the Twin Cities for his role in a burglary ring that operated across central Illinois in 2018.… MORE
Gov. Pritzker signs birth control bill intended for over-the-counter availability
Illinoisans will soon be able to get contraceptives directly from pharmacists – without a doctor’s prescription.… MORE
Reilly: Masking decision will come soon
By Neil Doyle BLOOMINGTON – As school districts across Illinois gear up for a new school year, the big question is will masks be required? Gov. Pritzker says individual school districts need to set their own policies. District 87 Superintendent Dr. Barry Reilly says they hope to have an announcement in the next week or…… MORE
High school football venue to be renamed for longtime coach
By HOI ABC NORMAL – Normal Community High School is honoring a longtime coach by naming the football field after him. The Unit 5 School Board Wednesday night approved renaming the venue Dick Tharp Field, paying tribute to the Ironmen’s head coach from 1968 to 1988. Tharp’s 158 wins is the most in school history. During…… MORE
Threshermen’s Parade planning full steam ahead
By WJBC Staff PONTIAC – Pontiac Mayor Bill Alvey says plans are moving forward for the Threshermen’s Parade. Earlier this summer, the Pontiac Area Chamber of Commerce had announced that it didn’t have enough resources to successfully mount the annual event. Alvey says the city is now partnering with the chamber and the project is falling…… MORE
Catholic Diocese of Peoria schools will allow parents to decide on masks and COVID vaccine
By Neil Doyle PEORIA – Parents and guardians in the Catholic Diocese of Peoria will decide whether or not their child will wear a mask or will be vaccinated against COVID-19 for the upcoming school year. “The Office of Catholic Schools (OCS) consulted the Archdiocese of Chicago, the Diocese of Belleville, the Diocese of Joliet,…… MORE
Reditus Laboratories reports a rise in Delta variant; CEO calls it “substantial”
Cases of COVID-19 are on the rise, and Reditus Laboratories recently identified 64 Delta variant cases during its sequencing run on July 16, and the company CEO called it “substantial.”… 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…