WGLT's Sound Ideas: Recent Episodes
Sarah Nardi
WGLT's Sound Ideas is our flagship news program. Every weekday, WGLT reporters go beyond soundbites for deeper conversations with newsmakers, musicians, artists, and anyone with a story to share.This 30-minute newsmagazine is produced Monday through Friday.You can also subscribe to the Sound Ideas - Full Episodes podcast.
There's rain ahead in the forecast, but weeks of drought increase fire risk for communities preparing their July 4 fireworks displays. WGLT talked to officials from the Town of Normal Parks and Recreation and Fire Departments to get the skinny on how they mitigate risk.
It took more than a week longer than expected, but Illinois lawmakers wrapped up their spring legislative session early Saturday with a budget and hundreds of measures that passed. The spending plan and bills now go to Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
A student foreign exchange program for Bloomington-Normal has returned after a delay that began with the COVID-19 pandemic. Organizers hope the program can grow to where it was decades ago.
2023 McLean County History Makers Willie and Charles Halbert were selected for their social justice activism and tireless advocacy for equity and inclusion.
Fathers in McLean County are often underrepresented or marginalized within organizations and programs that serve children and families, according to the results of a new survey.
A Bloomington City Council discussion about whether to apply prevailing wage rules to a private development if there are government incentives at stake is spreading beyond the apartment project in question. That's according to deputy city manager Billy Tyus who said in a WGLT interview the ongoing dialogue is not just about wages.
A social service agency with roots in Bloomington-Normal for more than a century has changed its name: Children's Home & Aid now is Brightpoin, which kicked off its rebranding campaign this week. Two of its leaders talked with WGLT about the changes.
WGLT's Lauren Warnecke stopped by the Corn Crib earlier this week as final preparations were being made for opening day, including Corny's Big Summer Blowout on Saturday night. A few staff members took a brief break in the shade to talk about what goes into creating great game day experiences.
Illinois State University has won a Department of Defense-sponsored rocket competition for the second straight time. The U of I Laboratory for Advanced Space Systems hosted the competition in Rantoul.
More women go to Illinois State University than men — a lot more. The same is true of Bradley University and Heartland Community College. It's part of a nationwide trend that began in the 1980s and has grown since then.
District 87 superintendent David Mouser said he supports an incentive plan to build a high-end housing complex in Bloomington, despite the potential loss of future tax revenue.
The McLean County Museum of History and Not In Our Town partnered to create an interactive website based on their long-running Social Justice Walking Tour. The D-I-Y tour includes locations pivotal to various social movements related to gender and racial equality, immigrant rights and organized labor.
U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin said Supreme Court justices can't argue that separation of powers shields them from ethics laws.
Catholic dioceses in Illinois failed to disclose hundreds of abusive clerics before the state opened what would become a yearslong investigation into sex abuse within the church, Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced Tuesday.
While the adoption of cover crops-- defined as an overwintering crop raised for the protection and enrichment of the soil-- and other agricultural conservation practices by farmers will not completely eliminate dust storms, widespread usage of sustainable conservation practices by farmers could reduce the chances of another deadly dust storm occurring.
Peg Shea of Bloomington says she's recovering well after being one of the first in the area to receive a new treatment for stroke patients.
Attorney and Lincoln historian Guy Fraker settled in Bloomington in 1962. He's been a key figure in documenting and promoting Lincoln's legal career in central Illinois, and fell into an avocation in land conservation by accident. Fraker is profiled as part of WGLT's series on the 2023 McLean County History Makers.
Robbie Osenga, the developer of a proposed $18.5 million housing project near downtown Bloomington, said he remains hopeful despite Monday’s city council decision delaying approval.
In two weeks, State Farm’s auto insurance customers in Illinois will see their rates go up again – for the fourth time in less than a year. Together they’ve raised the average cost about $200.
McLean County officials are studying the results of what they call an eye-opening survey on rural residents' level of satisfaction with their internet service.
WGLT talks to Alicia Whitworth from YWCA McLean County about expansion plans for its rape crisis center, Stepping Stones. The expansion is funded in part by a $200,000 grant from the state’s Human Services Capital Investment Grant program.
Bloomington singer-songwriter TyJon Charlie went solo a few years ago, dissolving his band the Unemployed Architects in lieu of a "one-man band" setup. TyJon Charlie is lined up to play in Bloomington and Normal as part of both cities' outdoor concert series.
Scenic designer and professor John C. Stark has retired after 32 years at the helm of Illinois State University's scenic design program. In this career retrospective, Stark notes crossing paths with legendary faculty at the beginning of his tenure and other notable memories.
It will be expensive to remove asbestos from the Normal Public Library. Estimates range from $3.5 million to more than $5 million if other improvements are done at the same time.
Faced with a litany of operational challenges, many rural hospitals in Illinois have shut down their labor and delivery units, leading to maternity care deserts. A 2022 March of Dimes report counts Woodford, Piatt, DeWitt and Iroquois counties as being among those deserts.
Experts in rural health care say significant, systemic changes are needed across a litany of issues — public and private insurance reimbursement rates, malpractice rates and staffing among them — for rural hospitals to survive.
Sarah Goldenberg didn’t know much about former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan when she answered a federal jury summons this spring that later became a front-row seat to Illinois’ biggest political corruption case in a decade.
The Democratic U.S. congressman talked about revitalizing both downtown Bloomington and Uptown Normal, saying there's an emphasis on "bringing our communities back together to this livable, central core."
With no centralized data, there's no way to definitively know how many families are homeschooling in Illinois. Anecdotally, Bloomington-Normal homeschool advocates say the numbers are up after the COVID-19 pandemic. But will they stay up?
The federal government has signed off on higher speed Amtrak passenger trains between Chicago and St. Louis, running through Bloomington-Normal, completing more than three decades of effort to bring high-speed rail to the state and the nation's passenger rail service.
A festive season finale at ISU features music by Béla Bartók, Antonin Dvořák and living composer Michael Torke.
Illinois Wesleyan University alum T.J. Newman spent 10 years working as a flight attendant. Now, her decade in the sky has helped her launch a successful career as a novelist.
Illinois State University is the first college in Illinois to launch a United Sound chapter. The nationwide program aims to reduce barriers to music participation for people with disabilities.
A bill moving through the state legislature to make the tax base larger for the Central Illinois Regional Airport also would increase the maximum tax rate that could support the facility. It has passed the Senate and cleared a House committee.
A Peoria-based nonprofit aimed at overdose prevention, called JOLT Harm Reduction, is expanding its services to McLean County.
Illinois State University’s interim athletics director Jeri Beggs said Monday that she does not want to be “just a placeholder” and that she plans to proactively help the department plan for the future.
The incoming CEO of Bloomington-based Heartland Bank and Trust says the $5 billion company will seek only growth opportunities that make sense to its core community bank mission.
Among flagship sports like football, basketball and volleyball, esports can get lost in the mix on a college campus. Part of that is due to its non-traditionally athletic design. But another is the sometimes unclear definition of esports.
Some student athletes can taken advantage of the transfer portal to help their academic careers - in addition to athletics. Illinois Wesleyan University senior Cody Mitchell will pursue a masters degree at Roosevelt University in Chicago near his hometown.
WGLT spoke with three local gamers and enthusiasts to find out why they like video games, and what the gaming scene is like in Bloomington-Normal.
Tree Corps looks beyond short-term, feel-good projects. Instead, it works to build an army of community volunteers, and help them plant 100,000 trees across McLean County within a decade. That’s being tackled as 10,000 trees a year, for at least 10 years in a row.
The ISU Planetarium is presenting “Mayan Archeoastronomy: Observers of the Universe” through May 6. The animated show is an imaginative look at how the ancient Mayans interpreted the night sky.
Joe McCauley Gallery's current exhibit highlights four artists with varying degrees of influence from Japanese art and culture, including a printmaker and textile artist working in central Illinois.
The director of the Normal Public Library recommends going ahead with asbestos removal that will cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, a recommendationthat will trigger a special meeting to hear from an architect and environmental firm about the work.
McLean County administrator Cassy Taylor said inmates who require 24-hour supervision are still getting the attention and treatment they need.
Illinois State University’s interim president said Wednesday that he’s canceled plans for a student fee increase for Athletics and pledged “closer oversight” of Athletics fundraising in the wake of a costly and widely condemned donor junket.
The Mid-Illinois Realtors Association (MIRA) will host its inaugural Fair Housing Affair from noon to 3 p.m. Sunday at the YWCA McLean County.
Cornell University professor Kate Manne will give the virtual keynote for Illinois State's Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies symposium Thursday. The talk explores philosophical foundations behind "mansplaining" and gaslighting.
City Manager Pam Reece said there is interest in the former Subway sandwich space in Uptown Station. The town issued a request for proposal a couple months ago after the business closed in October 2022.
The end of expanded federal nutrition benefits come at a time when central Illinois food banks already were struggling to ensure everyone is fed.
A new working group met for the first time Monday with the shared goal of improving food access among college students – possibly by bringing a grocery store to Uptown Normal.
Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington has encouraging enrollment data for the fall. IWU President Georgia Nugent said projections from deposits so far suggest IWU is on pace for 500 new first-year students.
For just one more week at the Coffeehouse in Uptown Normal, “Survivor Love Letters" is a collection of fine art, poetry, short stories and letters written to victims of sexual assault. Curator Kylie Ashton Maurer discusses how the project helped her and others heal.
Normal is a step closer to a new $5 million east side fire station, after the town council on Monday OK’d negotiating a contract for building the future firehouse at Shepard and Hershey roads.
Many of those who worked under Kyle Brennan say the rebuilding must acknowledge broader workplace-culture issues inside Illinois State University Athletics – problems that go beyond any single junket on a millionaire’s private jet.
The director of Ewing Cultural Center has some advice if you’re planning to visit the historic property in Bloomington to take prom photos this spring. The first tip: Call ahead to make sure it’s open for you.
The Gamma Phi Circus returns to CEFCU Arena with a new show called "Dance On!" Artistic Director Ivan Stoinev said the theme speaks to everyone's inclination to boogie—from infants to seniors.
New Illinois State University Interim Athletics Director Jeri Beggs has a large set of tasks following the departure of Kyle Brennan under a cloud. In this interview with WGLT's Charlie Schlenker, ISU Interim President Aondover Tarhule lays out his expectations for Beggs and tries to put the upheaval in context.
One of Illinois State University’s most famous alums – Jane Lynch – is back on campus to help theatre students tame their talent. Lynch will spend the next three weeks as a Visiting Artist in ISU’s School of Theatre and Dance, through May 5.
'80s rockers the BoDeans rose to national fame from Milwaukee's music scene. The band has changed through the decades, but they're still writing songs and committed to a unique sound rooted in American rock and roll.
Shortages of nurses, McLean County jail workers, and police officers are well known. The looming national shortage of firefighters is less known, but no less significant. That is true in Bloomington-Normal, too.
Pat Brady, a regular commentator on political news, told guests at the annual fundraiser for the McLean County League of Women Voters that a variety of factors contributed to the current state.
The university's alumni association will present a video that features professor Mike Wille cutting and designing a bat for former ISU and current Milwaukee Brewers infielder Owen Miller.
Veteran indie filmmaker Catherine Crouch comes to Heartland Community College for a Lesbian Visibility Week public screening and dialog about five short films. For two decades, Crouch has written, directed and produced films from a distinctly lesbian perspective.
Bradley Ross Jackson, a junior at Normal Community High School, recently graduated from the Disney Dreamers Academy, a four-day immersive learning experience, that was part of an all-expense paid trip to Disneyland.
As a member station, WGLT has opted to follow NPR’s lead and stop posting fresh content on Twitter.
Illinois State University Athletics Director Kyle Brennan has resigned following questions raised by WGLT about spending on a donor trip to Indianapolis on one of Aaron Rossi’s private planes.
The international initiative known as Slow Art Day has garnered participation from more than 1500 galleries and museums worldwide. The goal? To encourage folks to take a short break from the hustle bustle and enjoy art. Bloomington was first in the world to organize a citywide event, taking place this Saturday.
University High School student Shreya Nallamothu played a key role in getting state legislation to protect child influencers.
Paige Robinson came to Illinois State University as a graduate transfer a year ago. The central Illinois native led the Redbirds in scoring and guided the team to a Missouri Valley Conference regular season championship.
The largest maple syrup producer in Illinois may not have a future as global climate change progresses.
Illinois State University basketball player Paige Robinson became the first Redbird drafted into the WNBA on Monday night.
There are likely to be more bank failures in the next couple years. That’s according to Ajay Samant, dean of the College of Business at Illinois State University.
Prosecutors may want to view the case against Donald Trump absent a political lens, but Illinois State University Political Scientist Lane Crothers said there is no way for prosecutors to avoid that framing.
Andrew Joon Choi makes his Illinois Symphony debut with chamber orchestra works highlighting three composers' global, cross-genre influences.
Hope Church has called a building at 1304 E. Empire St. home since 2018. But the fire safety requirements city officials say are necessary are set to displace the church.
Normal Mayor Chris Koos said the hefty margins of victory for moderates in school board and town council races and the Unit 5 referendum show the electorate rejects the negativity of recent years from the far right. Koos also ties McLean County results to state and national trends.
State Farm is outsourcing its IT operations to HCLTech. WGLT spoke with two experts on IT outsourcing to better understand why companies do this and what to be watching for in the coming year during the transition.
Bloomington native DaZ Exotic chats with WGLT about a one-night-only show at Nightshop. Expect beats from his latest album, but an interdisciplinary celebration of local artistry.
There are changes coming to plans for two large, mixed-use buildings on Uptown Circle in Normal. "We're in active discussions with two developers looking to do trailside east and trailside west," said Mayor Chris Koos.
CO2 pipeline developers with Omaha-based Navigator are talking with landowners in southwestern McLean County about setting up injection wells, part of a pipeline project that would carry liquefied carbon dioxide from Iowa and other Midwestern states to central Illinois.
Overdose-reversal drug Narcan will become more widely available after the recent decision by the Food and Drug Administration to allow over the counter sales of the life saving medicine.
Incumbents Amy Roser and Kelly Pyle, along with newcomers Alex Williams and Mark Adams, won seats on the board, according to vote tallies late Tuesday.
Incumbents Amy Roser and Kelly Pyle, along with newcomers Alex Williams and Mark Adams, won seats on the board, according to vote tallies late Tuesday.
Incumbents Amy Roser and Kelly Pyle, along with newcomers Alex Williams and Mark Adams, won seats on the board, according to vote tallies late Tuesday.
Normal Town Council incumbents Kathleen Lorenz and Karyn Smith, along with newcomer Andy Byars, defeated the opposition ticket of incumbent Stan Nord, Marc Tiritilli and Karl Sila in Tuesday's election.
Voters approved the Unit 5 tax referendum on the second attempt – a decision that district leaders say will avoid painful budget cuts starting next school year.
Emmy-nominated Vir Das — who’s been called India’s biggest comedy export — is the guest speaker for the April 11 Indian Cultural Dinner at Illinois State University.
WGLT talks to a Birth to Five Illinois expert to get some advice on how to find child care center and in-home provider options, what you should expect to pay, and how to evaluate the quality of a provider.
The mayor of Carlock, Rhonda Baer, says the potential closure of her town’s elementary school could be devastating to her community.
LGBTQ transplants moving to Bloomington-Normal from a large city may feel a bit of a culture shock. We talked to two about navigating the Twin Cities' queer community.
Veteran Twin City director Don LaCasse leads the Heartland Theatre Company in a new production of "Tiny Beautiful Things." The play follows advice columnist "Sugar" as she navigates various letter writers' traumas — and her own.
The youths will have the chance to showcase their business skills at Bloomington-Normal's first Young Entrepreneur Market on April 16.
Data from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) show Unit 5 tax rates are lower than average among peer districts in total property tax rate. That also would be true if rates that would go into effect after a successful referendum are compared to the most current data available statewide.
Six people living in tents along Constitution Trail in Bloomington have been given until Thursday to relocate. They are staying near the Home Sweet Home Ministries shelter, which doesn't have extra room; several residents say they were kicked out for breaking the shelter's rules.
Two Bloomington-Normal high schoolers are inviting you to participate in one of their Indian culture’s most important celebrations – Holi, the Festival of Colors.
The Democratic Party of Illinois says it’s spending an “unprecedented” $300,000 to try and swing school board races in favor of 84 candidates statewide, including four running for the Unit 5 school board on April 4.
The Heartland Community College Board of Trustees has two open seats on the ballot for the April 4 election. Two incumbents and one challenger are running. The terms are for six years.
As the April 4 election draws closer, McLean County election officials say voter turnout may be higher than expected. More than 6,000 people have already voted.
Aerospace engineer Emily Calandrelli headlines Illinois State University's 2023 Science and Technology Week. The MIT grad worked at NASA and now is an author and television host who makes science fun and approachable.
An estimated 600 people took part in a prayer vigil at Prairie Central High School on Saturday to mourns the deaths of students Drew Fehr and Dylan Bazzell, who died in a ski-related accident last Sunday.
Video of an arrest at the Normal Police Department has prompted a social media furor, and the incident has resulted in a lawsuit against the department. What civilian eyes may see as an injustice, though, can look perfectly reasonable to those familiar with law enforcement.
A new FFA program, Supervised Occupational Experience (SOE), has been introduced to offer students the chance to participate in career-building skills and career exploration opportunities that connect, no matter how indirectly, to the agriculture industry.
When students returned to school last year, it was clear the pandemic took a toll on learning.The state of Illinois invested in a number of strategies to help children recover. A major one was high dosage tutoring.It’s become something of a buzzword, but research shows it can be highly effective.Illinois State University is working on a program that the state plans to extend into next year.WBEZ's Susie An reports.
EatLocalBN.com compiles more than 400 restaurants in McLean County into easy-to-sort lists. They can be filtered by everything from location, price, and the type of food.
Unit 5’s non-citizen stakeholders are largely left out of the public debate over the tax referendum — the outcome of which will impact them just like everyone else. Non-citizens can’t vote in Illinois elections, although a bill in Springfield would change that.
The 50-year-old roller rink known as Skate N Place will close April 2. Remaining skates include theme nights, kids sessions and a tribute to the longstanding Twin City hangout.
Students in the Making an Exoneree class have reviewed 25 cases since 2018. Five of those defendants have been exonerated or released.
While Stan Nord’s actions have drawn particular attention due to his status as an elected official, they are not the first instance of community members attempting to use communication, or contact with the Normal Police Department to impact the electoral process.
A new study shows younger adults make up a much larger percentage of colorectal cancer patients than a few decades ago.
District 87 schools in Bloomington want to expand early childhood education, but there are some hoops to jump through to get a new facility.
A plan to expand the property-tax base for the Central Illinois Regional Airport – from Bloomington and Normal city limits to the entire county – has resurfaced in a new bill in Springfield. It’s drawing early opposition from the head of a group of small-town McLean County mayors.
OSF HealthCare and Illinois State University have announced a new partnership that leaders say will improve access to healthcare, meet social needs and boost economic development.
Despite reputation and results, Unit 5 schools will make cuts to its highly regarded music programs this fall if a referendum aimed at closing the district's $12 million funding gap fails a second time. Here's a look at the broad impact of cutting fifth grade band and orchestra.
An exhibit and accompanying film screening at University Galleries share Chicago's 1970s "Imagism" movement. Though not a formal collective, the imagists share some aesthetic distinctions.
Students who play junior high and freshman sports in Unit 5 could turn to club sports if those programs don't come back. But some parents say that's not a practical option for them.
The Normal Town Council election next month might sound a lot like the election in 2021, or the one in 2019, or even the one in 2017. The issues are similar and some of the faces are the same.
Chicago Farmer and the Fieldnotes kick off their 20th anniversary Midwest tour this week. The band makes a quick stop home for a set at the Castle Theatre on Friday night. Before heading out on the road, front man Cody Diekhoff stopped by our studios to chat with WGLT's Lauren Warnecke.
Andrew "Blaze" Thomas is now pursuing his master’s degree in history at Illinois State University. His thesis is an oral history of Black musicians talking about race, based on his interviews with Chicago-area talent. Thomas said it’s the first research of its kind.
The new album from Bloomington's Darius drops March 23. He says he thinks of "Perception" as therapeutic.
Unit 5 leaders spent much of Wednesday’s meeting — the last before the April 4 election — telling a tale of two districts: the one where a referendum passes, and another where it's rejected.
Heartland Community College President Keith Cornille said Gov. JB Pritzker's proposed budget would enable the college to grow existing programs without a need to raise taxes or tuition.
There are more “sides” than is typical in a Bloomington-Normal school board election. Yet all despite those political entanglements, each candidate also has deeply personal reasons for running, in many cases shaped by their own experiences with Unit 5.
WGLT’s Lauren Warnecke visits the WELL Summit, an annual gathering for Illinois women in educational leadership. Hundreds of women from across the state heard featured speakers Lauren Sisler and Cheryl Watkins, with a panel discussion and breakout sessions aimed at building comradery among women in a male-dominated part of the education sector.
Six weeks before he was indicted on federal tax-fraud charges, former Reditus CEO Aaron Rossi pledged a $3 million donation to Illinois State University Athletics to help build its new Indoor Practice Facility, WGLT has learned.
Jenna Smith is a nutrition and wellness educator with University of Illinois Extension based in Bloomington. She guides would-be food entrepreneurs and actually helped shape some recent changes to Illinois’ Home-to-Market law.
Normal Community High School’s Ricky King says he was blindsided to learn he’s Illinois’ new Bilingual Teacher of the Year. After all, the 2020 ISU graduate is only in his third year of teaching.
Clocks move ahead one hour this weekend to mark the start of Daylight Saving Time. This shift in time can greatly affect sleep disturbances for those who have Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia.
Community Players Theatre launches its latest family-friendly show with a witty and whimsical musical based on the ancient tale about the girl with the glass slipper. With no dancing mice in sight, CPT employs Rogers and Hammerstein’s 1957 score with Douglas Carter Beane’s updated book, created for the 2013 Broadway smash hit.
The 100th year of the "American Passion Play" will be its last. The production is the longest-running passion play in the country and runs four Saturdays in Bloomington before closing for good.
A litany of complaints filed with the city and the Illinois Housing Development Authority detail recurring problems over the past few years. Yet no punitive action has been taken against the multibillion-dollar company that owns Phoenix Towers.
Social equity craft growers get an extension to open, but financing their facilities is still a hurdle.
Marcus Pruitt, an Illinois State University journalism student, is getting attention for an essay about Black misrepresentation in the media in central Illinois and beyond.
Normal Mayor Chris Koos expects the increased tax revenue the town saw in the last year will continue into the future.
A Heyworth educator who colleagues call a student favorite, and a real innovator, could be Illinois’ next Teacher of the Year.
Incumbent De Urban is not seeking a full term in Ward 6. Jordan Baker and Cody Hendricks are running for that council seat. Hendricks teaches civics at Olympia High School in Stanford. Baker recently served as an aide to Republican state Sen. Jason Barickman.
John Wyatt Danenberger and Steven Nalefski are running to replace Julie Emig in Bloomington's Ward 4 that includes many of the city's older neighborhoods east of downtown.
Electric automaker Rivian has a big order to fill for Amazon. So when the assembly of one component began to create a chokepoint in the entire production process, the electric vehicle manufacturer with a plant in Normal outsourced the job to a not-for-profit called Peoria Production Solutions.
State Farm has finalized a $182 million auto policy rate hike in Illinois that is drawing fire from a nonprofit watchdog group. The Illinois Public Interest Research Group says the increase adds $58 to the average customer's annual bill.
Jonathan Alexander is the site manager of the Ellsworth-based Twin Groves wind farm, owned by EDP Renewables North America.
Biologists try to understand complex sub-molecular processes by creating movies in their heads. They're getting more help with that these days from Janet Iwasa, a biochemist at the University of Utah who uses 3-D animation software to visualize how cells and proteins work.
The mayor of Bloomington hopes a beefier ordinance covering vacant properties will improve the building stock in the city. Mboka Mwilambwe said in a WGLT interview the recently-passed rules increase fines for dilapidated structures and require vacant buildings be listed with the city.
An Illinois State University graduate student has been recognized for her research in how the body fights off bacteria with bleach that our body creates. Sadia Sultana won first prize at ISU's annual Three Minute Thesis competition at the Normal Theater.
Top officials at Rivian told investors over and over again Tuesday that they have a plan to become profitable – and that involves a much more productive manufacturing plant in Normal.
A new mental health crisis center has opened in downtown Bloomington with limited hours because of a staffing shortage. The McLean County Center for Human Services runs the crisis center. CEO Joan Hartman says the goal is to make it a 24/7 facility.
Several Unit 5 school board candidates opposed to the referendum say a pivot to more e-learning would save the district millions. District officials and teachers say it's not that simple.
Election season is in full swing. WGLT sat down with each of the candidates running for the District 87 school board. Here is what they had to say about some the issues they hope to address in the next term.
The allegations of ministerial impropriety, resignation of the senior minister, and announcement of an investigation into potential misconduct that has roiled Eastview Christian Church in Normal this week will have long-lasting consequences. According to experts in churches that have experienced similar tribulation, there may even be impacts to other congregations in Bloomington-Normal.
The end of February technically marks the end of Black History Month. But for a year-round reminder of the impact of Black entrepreneurship on Bloomington-Normal, look no further than the Gaston family.
Residents of a south Bloomington assisted living community gathered with family and friends last week to celebrate eight centenarians. Luther Oaks threw a grand birthday bash for the residents aged 100 and older, celebrating with desserts and a champagne toast.
Carle Health & Fitness Center in Bloomington has declared Feb. 28 to be Warren Salzman Day. In 2020, Salzman suffered a sudden cardiac arrest at the gym, but thanks to members and staff who intervened, he made a full recovery. To celebrate, the gym invites members and the community at large to an open house on Tuesday, where they can participate in health screenings and educational activities related to heart health.
As the seasonal increase in home sales picks up, Realtors say there are no signs the uber-competitive bidding wars will ease in Bloomington-Normal, even with a potential recession coming.
The draft of the strategic plan for Uptown South in Normal has a lot in it — a large footprint public building, housing, an Amtrak platform and so on. City Manager Pam Reece said you can fit quite a bit into those 7.5 acres south of the railroad tracks.
Newcomers to Bloomington-Normal can be a mirror to the community. The things they want, the things they value, offer insight to people already living in the Twin Cities — and they help each other have a better understanding of what it is to be part of the community.
Normal Community High School senior Myra Saulat hosts an art exhibition focused on teen artists of color, part of a school assignment called “The Impact Project.”
The long-standing Twin City tradition of feeding flapjacks to thousands is back for the first time since 2020.
Aaron Francis, a young entrepreneur who's about to open his third restaurant in Bloomington-Normal, says paying and treating his employees well is one of the secrets to his success.
U.S. Rep. Eric Sorensen, a Democrat from Moline, said he's also not sure how much benefit the pipelines will provide in reducing CO2 emissions.
Central Illinois congressman Eric Sorensen says he's optimistic Congress can come to agreement on a farm bill this year. The Democrat from Moline was recently appointed to the U.S. House Agriculture Committee.
As part of Chestnut Health's Medicaid Innovation Collaborative, Coretta Jackson helps at-risk McLean County residents with navigating a convoluted system that often leaves out the most vulnerable. This WGLT exclusive shares the highs and lows of community health work by spending the day with Jackson and meeting some of her clients.
Budget cuts are partly responsible for animating many new influencers looking to shape public opinion on the Unit 5 referendum, expanding the political playing field to include school board candidate slates, student-led organizing, and PTOs.
In an interview with WGLT, new Yes for Unit 5 chairperson Corin Chapman and group spokesperson Patrick Mainieri explain what they think they has changed from November to now.
The founder of a new student group at Illinois State University focused on cannabis says one of her goals is to continue work toward destigmatizing cannabis, even in places where it’s already legal.
The theater department at Illinois State University brings to life a satirical (mostly) true telling of local hero John Wesley Powell's 1869 expedition through the American West. Powell's journey with other erudite explorers is hilariously captured in the play, "Men on Boats." The play runs Feb. 17-25 in the Westhoff Theatre at ISU.
There’s a lot of confusion and uncertainty surrounding former Illinois State University President Terri Goss Kinzy’s abrupt resignation this week. But several faculty tell WGLT they’re pleased – and even excited – to see Provost Aondover Tarhule take the reins as ISU’s interim leader.
Charles and Jeanne Morris of Bloomington have earned the right to relax in retirement as Black History Month legends and McLean County History Makers. But they're not relaxed. They're anxious about this moment in American history.
Gov. JB Pritzker proposed a state budget Wednesday that anticipates continued strong revenue receipts even as federal COVID-19 stimulus funds dry up, allowing for increased spending across all levels of education and most of state government.
Former state Rep. Dan Brady is establishing a new routine in life without politics. Brady said he also is still recovering from a year and a half of a statewide campaign for Secretary of State.
Expectant parents in Bloomington-Normal are lucky. Some communities in Illinois have lost their baby unit at their local hospital, forcing a long drive at an … inopportune time.
A series of high-profile pedestrian and cyclist fatalities in the past year has prompted an Illinois State University group to prepare a report on vehicle and pedestrian safety planning near the campus in Normal.
Illinois Wesleyan University alum Sara Rodriguez won a seat in the Wisconsin State Assembly in 2020. Last November, Rodriguez was elected lieutenant governor as Democrat Tony Evers won reelection as governor. It’s an unlikely outcome for a neuroscience major and psychology minor.
We’re seeing public claims that a recession will not be that deep or prolonged, but there also have been large pre-emptive layoffs by big companies, suggesting major business employers are hunkering down for something more severe. How do you gauge the severity of a downturn?
A boost in immigration is one reason why an Illinois Secretary of State-funded adult literacy program is seeing a higher number of people seeking to hone their English skills.
A Bloomington pediatrician says new new aggressive guidelines for child obesity go beyond diet and exercise. Dr. David Milligan with the Carle BroMenn Outpatient Center says treatments and interventions for childhood obesity vary for each patient for many reasons.
Amid a nationwide increase in dangerous driving behaviors, Bloomington-Normal’s police departments say staff shortages have limited their ability to do traffic enforcement.
Insurance industry employment rose 1.83% last year, slightly under the projected number, but could have risen a lot more. The insurance sector is still not back to pre-pandemic employment levels.
In a first-ever collaboration, Bloomington-based opera company MIOpera teams up with the Illinois Symphony on Saturday for a Shakespearean evening of opera and orchestral music.
State Farm executive and Normal native Corey Schieler has been nominated for NFL Fan of the Year, an award given out to football super fans with a history of giving back to their communities.
The Bloomington and Normal public libraries have interactive activities lined up for kids celebrating Black History Month. WGLT took a trip across town to check them out and chat with the librarians who thought up two of the fun and educational programs.
The mayor of Normal said he's had it with lengthy traffic jams caused by freight trains. Chris Koos said this has been an issue before and the Union Pacific Railroad has addressed it, but there has been backsliding.
Donors to the popular outdoor attraction outside of Funks Grove say they feel blindsided by recent changes. The nonprofit's board president says the decision was the only way to avoid shutting the center down altogether.
The head of the Bloomington-Normal Economic Development Council, Patrick Hoban, says the slogan is the result of surveys that showed the community has much more to offer than newcomers realized.
Illinois State University will host a country music concert next week to help aspiring broadcasters follow their dreams. The concert Tuesday night at Braden Auditorium is a fundraiser for Camp Broadcast.
Bloomington-Normal is poised for prolonged healthy growth. But it will need help to make those dreams real, and changes at the state level could offer a boost to the Twin Cities.
In an extended interview with WCBU-WGLT, Illinois Agriculture Director Jerry Costello II discussed successes achieved in the space of agriculture during Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker’s first term, along with Costello’s goals for his next four years at the helm of the Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA).
Incoming College of Engineering dean Thomas Keyser and ISU Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Aondover Tarhule lay out what's next for the first department created at ISU in decades.
Larry Carius runs the popular Bloomington-Normal Restaurant Scene Facebook page, where 34,000 foodies follow openings, closings, renovations and more. There were 30 restaurant openings and 14 closings in 2022, according to Carius’ own tally.
District 87 schools will have a new social emotional learning curriculum at all of its grade schools starting next fall.
U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood, who represents parts of Bloomington-Normal, said he is not worried about the far-right members of his conference who withheld their votes until they received several concessions.
The lead developer of a proposed new subdivision says the west Normal location is a “beautiful site” in part because it’s infill development – making it less costly to build out the needed infrastructure. But it’s also required the plan to change in hopes of appeasing residents living in nearby neighborhoods.
This is National Gun Violence Survivors Week, and a fairly significant increase in shooting incidents in Bloomington in 2022 is causing concern for the police department.
The Bloomington High School Dance team will appear at the Universal Dance Association's national championship for the first time since 2016.
Destihl’s TourBus Concert Series continues Saturday with the Twin City debut of Nashville singer-songwriter Phoebe Hunt. Hunt tracks her journey from classical violinist to mystical indie folk band leader.
U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth said she wants any police reforms to include a required independent review of police-involved shootings.
John Penn, a labor legend who shaped working life for decades of McLean County residents, is finally taking some time off. He retired this week from LiUNA (Laborers International).
The convenience and popularity of wireless headphones is contributing to hearing loss, according to audiologist Dr. Natalie McKee of Bloomington-Normal Audiology.
Attorney Tom DeVore wants a judge to order state Rep. Dan Caulkins to return all donations linked to a lawsuit over the state's assault weapons ban.
Bloomington Deputy City Manager Billy Tyus said tax revenue is up and the public has said road improvements should be a priority.
Here’s the story of a strange strike in which everybody went to work, and everybody got paid, and everybody went to jail.
Homebuilders in Bloomington-Normal are playing catchup in meeting the growth of the last decade, the more recent expansion of the labor market, and projected future growth.
Curt Richardson of Normal found out as an adult that a fertility doctor had defrauded his parents decades earlier. Now, he's working to pass laws to "take some of that power back for victims."
Susan Naber, a paraprofessional at Brigham Early Learning Center, was nominated by Gov. JB Pritzker for a national education award for her work setting young children with disabilities on a path to school success.
A recent study that tied the use of gas stoves in homes to rates of childhood asthma — especially in Illinois — inadvertently brought gas stoves to the forefront of the culture wars.
A Chicago-based group with ties to central Illinois established to promote “regenerative” organic agriculture has issued a new study showing a link between regenerative farming, soil health and human health.
With so many “transplants” moving to Bloomington-Normal, WGLT wanted to gather some tips for safe winter driving. We got some help from Normal West driver's ed teacher Steve Price.
Interest rates are up significantly, and as homebuilders look at the approaching spring construction season, they will be faced with choices on how to finance construction and how long they think they'll have to wait before they can sell a new housing unit.Normal City Manager Pam Reece says the rate increases have slowed the construction market. But in this interview with Charlie Schlenker, Reece says the hikes have not stopped construction plans. Listen to the full interview above.
Town of Normal Finance Director Andrew Huhn said during a daylong budget workshop for the town council that a lot of the increase will be funded by projected double-digit revenue growth, mainly in sales and income tax receipts.
Sensors that workers wear around their waist can detect strained movement of the back and neck or repetitive motions that can lead to injury.
Bloomington and Normal issued a combined 244 permits for new home construction in 2022. That’s up 51% from the year before, with more building planned for 2023.
History connects people through time. And learning how the past links to the present is basic to understanding the human condition. In our series on transplants to the Twin Cities, WGLT has found history matters to several people who have moved to central Illinois.
Director Tom Dzurison debuts "The Lifespan of a Fact" at Heartland Theatre Company on Feb. 2. The play, based on a 2012 book of the same name, is about an overzealous "essayist" and the fact-checker of a struggling publication assigned to review his not-quite-true article.
About 50 people viewed the documentary film “The Central Park Five” on Wednesday in Braden Auditorium on Illinois State University's campus. The screening was part of a weeklong series of events hosted by ISU celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Illinois State University provost Aondover Tarhule says faculty are discouraged from allowing students to use the artificial intelligence platform ChatGPT as part of their coursework.
The 700 students at the Bloomington Area Career Center come from high schools around McLean County, including Unit 5 and District 87. If accepted, they choose from 17 programs such as welding, cosmetology, health careers and medical terminology, and EMT and fire science.
City and town council candidates gathered Saturday at the DoubleTree Hotel and Conference Center in Bloomington, at an event hosted by the McLean County Republican Party.
The Illinois Democrat said it will take bipartisan cooperation to keep the federal government from defaulting.
About 50 people viewed the documentary film “The Central Park Five” on Wednesday in Braden Auditorium on Illinois State University's campus. The screening was part of a weeklong series of events hosted by ISU celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Bloomington-Normal's public transportation system has received $15.8 million in federal funding in the last year to electrify its bus fleet.
State Sen. Sally Turner, a former county clerk, said she’s not seen evidence of election fraud in Illinois, but she said some voters may feel disenfranchised.
Twin Cities native Hilary Pacha started One Hope Project after her professional experiences in the nonprofit sector and her personal experiences seeking help for disordered eating.
State Farm plans to outsource some of its IT operations to an Indian IT services company, the companies announced Thursday.
A Bloomington family found a ring-tailed lemur in a garage, a long way from its native Madagascar.
Curator Troy Sherman is rounding the bend on his first year at University Galleries, and the first show he’s curated opens next week. The show is called “simplenothingsimplesomething” — all one word — and features a multimedia installation by Portland-based artist Avantika Bawa.
Normal Mayor Chris Koos is conditionally endorsing doing away with bus fares in the Twin Cities, but says he still wants to see a concrete proposal before fully committing.
Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Jesse Ray and the Carolina Catfish contains two members. But with their big, bluesy-rock sound, you'd guess there were at least four members.
Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Jesse Ray and the Carolina Catfish contains two members. But with their big, bluesy-rock sound, you'd guess there were at least four members.
An executive with HCLTech, the company State Farm has hired to outsource its IT operations, says it promotes an “employees first” culture and is taking steps to make Bloomington workers as comfortable as possible as they transition to their new employer.
McLean County Sheriff Matt Lane has joined dozens of Illinois sheriffs in refusing to enforce at least part of the state's new assault weapons ban.
The Unit 5 school board voted Wednesday to return to voters in April with a referendum asking for an increase to a key fund’s tax rate.
It started with a single simple case of nepotism. But an investigation by the state Executive Inspector General’s office shows a much more pervasive problem of preferential hiring practices and a startling lack of hiring policy within the division of the Department of Corrections tasked with keeping prisons safe and investigating alleged misconduct within the agency.
Sharon Chung, a Democrat, is the representative for the new 91st House District that includes a significant part of the Twin City area.
More people are commuting greater distances to work in Bloomington-Normal every day, with some traveling 60 to 90 miles to work here – and about a quarter of Rivian’s workers driving an hour to work each day. That’s according to an analysis of cell phone location data and tracking from Rivian itself.
There were at least 53 gunfire incidents in Bloomington-Normal in 2022, including five people who were killed and another 12 who were injured, according to police tallies and WGLT reporting.
A central Illinois lawmaker who was just appointed to an Illinois Senate seat says lawmakers don't deserve the pay raise they just gave themselves.
A picture may be worth a thousand words, but when the picture comes from a different culture or time, it's tough to figure out exactly what those words might be. Illinois State University scholar Lea Cline deals with that challenge every day.
Phoenix Investors doubled the facility's size as part of a more than $60 million project. Electric automaker Rivian has leased the existing building for storage, and plans to occupy the half-million-square-foot addition.
The head of Bloomington-Normal's bus system said his organization will forgo nearly $1.4 million in funding from the City of Bloomington and Town of Normal next budget year. Those are dollars for capital projects David Braun said Connect Transit doesn't need right now.
Gov. JB Pritzker was sworn in to his second term Monday with the state’s other constitutional officers, promising a bold and ambitious agenda for the next four years.
WGLT spoke with Normal Police Chief Steve Petrilli about staffing challenges, the department’s new license plate reading cameras, new police dog Olive, and more.
Community Players Theatre presents the company premiere of Lynn Nottage's Pulitzer Prize-winning play, "Sweat." The production runs Jan. 6-15 in Bloomington.
In an ultimate example of students going above and beyond, WGLT profiles two Normal Community High School students in January and February who transformed a sociology project into arts events at the Coffeehouse for all to enjoy. The catch? It’s got to make an impact.
The new president of the McLean County India Association wants to bring the group back to life after nearly three years of dormancy due to COVID-19.
The top federal prosecutor in central Illinois says his office is ready to bolster enforcement as part of a national environmental justice initiative.
The new $1.7 trillion federal spending plan just signed into law includes millions in earmarks for projects in McLean County, including Illinois State University’s nursing college, a new pedestrian and bike path along College Avenue, and a sewer project in Heyworth.
Last summer, Fitch Ratings projected Geico and Progressive would overtake State Farm in auto insurance premium volume in 2023.
The McLean County Nursing Home in Normal is seeing growth that has significantly improved the finances for the county-run facility.
It could be time to discuss one of the proposals in a 2019 Connect Transit special working group report, says Normal City Manager Pam Reece, because it's an unusual development — an organization asking for less money instead of more.
OSF HealthCare has launched a remote patient monitoring program for people with RSV. It's similar to the model the hospital system leveraged during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A group of Bloomington-Normal college students is trying once again to bring a grocery store to the Uptown Normal area.
Central Illinois congressman Rodney Davis says former president Donald Trump's endorsement of his opponent likely made the difference in his re-election bid.
Looking for last-minute gift ideas? Two new poetry collections by Bloomington-Normal artists may be just what you need for a cozy holiday at home.
Today, Ryan Denham talks to some more Bloomington-Normal experts to build sample itineraries for older visitors, foodies, and those who love craft beer.
Just this month, employees at a battery plant in Ohio voted to join the United Auto Workers (UAW) union – an apparent first for an electric vehicle or battery cell plant not owned entirely by the Big Three legacy automakers. The UAW would very much like Rivian to be next.
Bloomington City Manager Tim Gleason and Mayor Mboka Mwilambwe said 2022 has been a good year for the city with COVID largely in the rear-view mirror and the city starting to get past the 50% to 100% COVID-related cost increases in materials and projects.
For Bloomington-Normal’s many new residents, this year may be their first time hosting out-of-town visitors for the holidays. And yes, the weather may be frigid, but there’s still plenty of ways to show off your hometown – no matter how long you’ve lived here.
For those in need of a last-minute holiday gift — a stocking stuffer, gift card, or even a place to spend some Christmas cash — here's just a few options of the many in both Bloomington and Normal.
You may know White because his name is on your driver’s license or you’ve seen his tumblers at parades. But there’s a lot more to White’s legendary political career as it comes to an end.
Six years later, there’s increasing pressure to measure Rivian’s record by more than just its headcount. Some former and current workers tell WGLT the plant is a challenging and, at times, unsafe place to work.
The Bloomington Post Office on East Empire Street has a new machine for holiday shipping — but there's still a human element for every online purchase made.
The Illinois Symphony's popular "Holiday Pops in the Heartland" comes to Illinois State University's Concert Hall Saturday with a combined orchestra, joining players from Bloomington-Normal Youth Symphony, Springfield Choral Society and more.
Bloomington-Normal's next big thing in playgrounds is all but complete — a $5 million, 16-acre natural playground at Colene Hoose Elementary School in Normal.
Too often, the conversation turns too quickly to whether an aging parent should move into a long-term care facility, said Susan Real, executive director of the Bloomington-based East Central Illinois Area Agency on Aging.
Those living on Bloomington’s south and east side have a new state representative representing them in Springfield. His name is Dan Caulkins, a Republican from Decatur.
Back by popular demand, our series on unsung community servants called "More Of That, Please" introduces a family that provides warmth to those fighting cancer in memory of a loved one. They turned their mission into a longstanding holiday tradition called Covers of the Heart, delivering handmade blankets to the Carle Cancer Institute for the past 20 years.
Dennis Grundler says he wants to encourage early voting to improve his party's chances of winning future elections.
In a surprising move that has implications for not-for-profit organizations in central Illinois, State Farm is cutting back on its charitable giving in at least one area. The company website notes retirees will no longer be eligible for the company's charitable matching gift program, effective with the new year.
Bloomington-Normal residents will have their first Democrat representing them in Springfield in decades when the 103rd General Assembly is sworn in in January. But much of rural McLean County is still beet-red Republican. Three Illinois House Republicans will represent McLean County, including Bill Hauter of Morton.
We caught up with Kasey Wells, a Lexington scrap metal artist who campaigned for president in 2020 toting a large scrap metal elephant sculpture around the U.S.
Environmental experts say the Restoring America's Wildlife Act would be the most significant piece of conservation legislation in the nearly half-century since Congress passed the Endangered Species Act of 1973.
New McLean County Sheriff Matt Lane says his biggest priority right now is recruiting and retaining employees. And in one instance, that means literally taking a load off his deputies.
Passenger traffic is up 13.6% at the Central Illinois Regional Airport through the first three quarters of the year. Airport Director Carl Olson said ongoing recovery from the pandemic is not as fast as it was last year.
A nonprofit based in Lexington is searching for donations and volunteers to help with its disaster relief efforts across the country.
As a young rocker known for his searing guitar solos, Bloomington native Matthew Curry opened for some of rock music’s GOATs like the Steve Miller Band and Peter Frampton. His 2019 album “Open Road” marked a shift toward songwriting as Curry immersed himself in Nashville’s music scene. He plays Friday night at the Castle Theatre in Bloomington.
Chase Cavalera, aka the Local Tarzan, has become Bloomington-Normal’s unofficial go-to helper for those who spot an injured squirrel in their backyard or a pregnant opossum in their dumpster.
Verneice Prince from Bloomington-Normal is using her own experiences with homelessness to build and expand a nonprofit that helps those most in need, called Cruisin’ Outta Poverty Services.
The union that represents corrections officers at Pontiac prison is calling for the Illinois Department of Corrections to hire more officers after a Pontiac prison inmate stabbed a corrections officer two weeks ago.
At the time a senior at Illinois State University in 1975, Carol Rofstad was discovered outside her sorority house on Dec. 22, badly beaten and suffering from hypothermia. She died on Dec. 24.
Less than a month after winning an uncontested new term in office, State Sen. Jason Barickman of Bloomington said Monday he'll resign instead of taking office again next year.
The board unanimously reelected Republican John McIntyre as chair, while Democrat Elizabeth Johnston was chosen vice chair as part of an agreement the two parties brokered after the Nov. 8 election when 10 Democrats and 10 Republicans won board seats.
Chestnut Health Systems and the McLean County Center for Human Services plan to coordinate care for their clients by placing staff at each other's facilities and sharing electronic medical records.
A group interested in urban planning wants Bloomington-Normal to promote more infill development to help address the current housing shortage.
Bloomington-Normal and ISU have submitted a bid to the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) to host the state football title games from 2023 to 2027, said Crystal Howard, president and CEO of the Bloomington-Normal Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Lawmakers on Thursday passed a long-awaited amendment to the SAFE-T Act criminal justice reform’s provisions that will eliminate cash bail when the calendar hits 2023.
The holidays are officially here, and two long-standing Twin City traditions are just the thing to take your family’s ho-ho-ho to the next level. WGLT's Lauren Warnecke visited Community Players and the Bloomington Center for the Arts as they made final preparations for their holiday revues.
It's not unusual for members of a minority party to serve on transition teams for newly-elected statewide officeholders in Illinois. It's far less common to have a defeated opponent in a particular race on the team. But that's what has happened.
Bloomington's city manager said the heating and cooling units at Grossinger Motors Arena should have lasted four to nine years longer than they have.
Longtime central Illinois business veteran Denise Moore is opening the second Minority Business Development Center in the area, after launching an office in Peoria around a year ago.
McLean County judges say they want to be consistent in how they hold bond hearings when cash bail ends in January. The county has assigned one judge to handle all bond hearings.
The frenzied Bloomington-Normal housing market has cooled off, though a local Realtors group says rapidly rising prices might not level off until the middle of 2023.
This story is part of WGLT’s ongoing series Welcome Home, helping Bloomington-Normal's newest residents learn about the community as it exists, and empowering them to make it the home they want it to be.
The merger of Bloomington-based Heartland Bank and Trust and Springfield-based Town and Country Bank, announced in August, is part of an ongoing national trend.
Those involved in the Central Illinois Bridge Academy say the new program for adolescents with mental health concerns is going very well. The academy, which opened Sept. 12 in space shared with MarcFirst just off Shepard Park in Normal, has 16 junior high and high school students.
Mayor Mboka Mwilambwe said the presence of two universities and a community college in the Twin Cities offer a counter to the potential impression given to businesses by the referendum's defeat.
Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Donald McHenry urged the nation to get its domestic house in order during addresses this week at Illinois Wesleyan and Illinois State universities, as part of the Adlai Stevenson lecture series.
In Illinois, the average price for a Thanksgiving meal for 10 is expected to jump 13% this year, to $65.53, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation’s latest Thanksgiving Cost Survey.
Scientists at the Peoria Ag Lab have been working to develop a healthier alternative to butter. They want to replace saturated fats with plant-based and other natural oils that mimic the taste and texture of butter.
State Sen. Jason Barickman said Illinois voters punished Republicans in the midterm election, in part, because of the GOP stance on abortion. He said his party needs to acknowledge there are instances in which abortion should be legal and be willing to say what those legal conditions are.
For over 25 years, the students and teachers at Washington Elementary School in Bloomington have shared a Thanksgiving meal together. Here's what they're thankful for this year.
You’ve heard a lot about the global supply chain over the past few years. This is a story about the Bloomington-Normal supply chain.
Congress this year passed a new law that means employers can no longer force their employees into arbitration to resolve claims of on-the-job sexual harassment or assault. The electric automaker Rivian wants to do it anyway.
Bloomington's Darrin Thompson parlayed his joy for music into a joyous debut EP titled "Milk & Chinese Food."
"Sometimes when things come to a head, if you will, and there's concerns, it becomes really an opportunity for the university to look at what we're doing well and what we're not doing well," said ISU Chief Equity and Inclusion officer Doris Houston.
With a third work, Jacques Ibert’s 1956 “Hommage a Mozart,” Saturday evening's concert creates a chronology of three generations of canonical composers.
It has almost been a year since Stephen Sondheim passed away, which makes Illinois Wesleyan's production of "Sunday in the Park with George" very timely.
Ashley Farmer says the book she and co-author Sarah DeYoung wrote explores the practicalities of managing pets during emergency situations.
About 1 in 6 McLean County residents smokes. Public health administrators challenge smokers to try to kick the habit for at least one day.
WGLT's My Playlist is a recurring series where you get to know a Bloomington-Normal resident by learning what they would put on their life playlist. This episode's featured guest is Kate Browne.
A Bloomington attorney is helping parents who lost their children to state protective services based on false allegations. Alan Novick says the road to exoneration is long and costly.
Student test scores continued to fall last year, but new data shows Illinois’ students are on the path to recovering from the learning loss that occurred during the pandemic.
Illinois' drug laws don't go far enough to stop the fentanyl epidemic, say two Republican lawmakers who want tougher penalties against drug sellers.
RSV is not uncommon and health care authorities say most children will have gotten a cases of the virus before they're 2 years old, but a Bloomington-Normal pediatrician said the trend has been toward older children having more serious issues with the virus.
Those who campaigned for Workers’ Rights Amendment are cheering its apparent passage, including support from McLean County voters.
Illinois has five permanent household hazardous waste collection sites, but none in central Illinois. McLean County could be the first.
Gold star families and veterans gathered in Bloomington on Veterans Day to dedicate a new memorial for nine central Illinois soldiers who died in combat.
A film screening Tuesday evening at the Normal Theater highlights stories of women making a difference in the fight against global climate change.
An Illinois lawmaker says the state needs a single government agency to simplify regulation of the legal pot industry.
The unofficial start to the holiday season returns to Bloomington this week: The Baby Fold's Festival of Trees. It opens Thursday and runs through Saturday.
The reasons Illinois specialty farmers are slow to embrace hops production include a high risk for crop failure — no federal crop insurance is offered to cover hops production in Illinois — and an underdeveloped statewide market for their harvested crop.
Illinois Wesleyan University political scientist Tari Renner says Democrats drew the central and western 17th Congressional District to help their party, but the absence of a nationwide "red wave" in Tuesday's midterm election helped Eric Sorensen defeat Republican Esther Joy King in their race for Congress.
A second shift of workers is now making electric vehicles at Rivian’s plant in Normal, even as global supply chain issues continue to be the “largest source of uncertainty” for the company.
As of October, 4.5 million Ukrainians had registered as war refugees in various European Union countries for temporary protection. They are disproportionately women and children.
Unit 5 school district leaders said Wednesday they are disappointed the education fund tax referendum did not pass on Tuesday. Superintendent Kristen Weikle tells WGLT they knew it would be a close vote, but hoped for passage to allow the district to eliminate an $11 million deficit that is growing each year.
Normal Mayor Chris Koos said the town is keeping a flat property tax levy and reducing the tax rate because elected officials don't want to contribute to a rise in the overall tax rate homeowners pay — and he thinks the levy will stay flat even if required pension payments rise.
Unit 5 leaders say tough days are ahead, after voters rejected a referendum that could have tackled the district’s nearly $12 million budget deficit.
WGLT checks in with Community Players Theatre, which celebrates its a milestone in 2023. The volunteer-led theater has managed to stay open continuously since 1923 — including during the pandemic.
Heartland Theatre Company's latest production tells the story of four women who made waves during the French Revolution — and paid the ultimate price. Lauren Gunderson's dark comedy, "The Revolutionists," is being performed through Nov. 19 in Normal.
Heartland Theatre Company's latest production tells the story of four women who made waves during the French Revolution — and paid the ultimate price. Lauren Gunderson's dark comedy, "The Revolutionists," is being performed through Nov. 19 in Normal.
This year's Red Cross Evening of Stars keynote speaker plans a night of magic, comedy and some hard life lessons when he addresses a gathering in Normal. Jon Dorenbos is a former pro football player who turned to magic when he was a kid to take his mind off his mother's murder. Dorenbos' father killed her.
It's election season and you probably know the drill: People start running for office, they create talking points and repeat those talking points until the election is over, right? WGLT wanted to do things a little differently this year.
The owner of the popular Lake Bloomington restaurant says she wasn't convinced right away to rebuild after the business was destroyed by fire.
The McLean County Museum of History is about to rededicate a memorial honoring the 336 McLean County men and women who gave their lives for freedom during World War II.
The central argument for a Unit 5 education fund referendum is that district revenue has not kept pace with costs since the last referendum in 2008, that the district has, in effect, squeezed all the blood it can out of the existing turnip by tightening its belt and using resources efficiently and needs help. The numbers support the case.
Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker dangled the promise of free college for low- and middle-income students during a campaign stop Wednesday at Illinois State University.
Months after a federal judge struck down a settlement agreement to improve deficiencies in treatment and counseling for mentally ill inmates, a new court filing claims Black inmates in Illinois are far more likely to be segregated and are less likely to receive counseling.
The four candidates running to represent the west side of Bloomington on the McLean County Board have different philosophical approaches and different ways to approach the same issues.
Camila Graunke, a graduate of Illinois State University's Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts, is settling into her new role as Hispanic outreach director. She's been in the post since July, when longtime civic leader Socorro Alvarez retired after three decades.
Marijuana is too expensive in Illinois, according to Republican state Sen. Jason Barickman of Bloomington, who says he'd support lowering taxes on legal cannabis in the state.
WGLT speaks with Yolanda Alonso, founder of Latinos en BloNo, a new Spanish-language blog focused on community events.
The candidates running to represent central and near-east Bloomington on the McLean County Board have different top priorities – from bolstering the county’s HR practices to green energy to supporting law enforcement. But they share a pragmatic view of bipartisan governing.
The city of Lexington is asking voters to increase its sales taxes by a half-cent on Nov. 8. Mayor Spencer Johansen says the city faces rising costs due to inflation. For example, he says the power bill for the city water plant this year is 55% higher than what the city paid all last year.
Democrat Alexi Giannoulias, Republican State Rep. Dan Brady and Libertarian Jon Stewart are competing to be the next Illinois Secretary of State to replace Jesse White, who has served six terms in the office.
The Town of Normal is making Smart Cities technology a big priority. The City of Bloomington has been less vocal on that front, but also is leveraging new tech. Smart Cities technology, broadly defined, is supposed to make city operations smoother for the public and more efficient for the municipality.
Two Republicans and two Democrats are vying for two seats on the McLean County Board that represent north Normal: incumbent Jim Rogal and Krystle Able represent Democrats in the race, while Jerry Klinkner and Steve Harsh are on the Republican ticket.
Student Jakai Martin said they understand the investigation is still underway, but wished the university would have been more proactive in condemning homophobia and hate crimes in general.
The Bloomington City Council voted Wednesday night to invest nearly $2 million in keeping the city's police department technology updated, including body cameras, tasers, and digital evidence storage.
A New York-based for-profit company would be the majority owner of OSF HealthCare's planned psychiatric hospital in Peoria. The company was cited for multiple health and safety violations at a similar facility in Washington state.
Through an insightful new display of tradition, personal stories, and history, a Bloomington-Normal soccer club is showcasing diversity and the global connections of the sport.
Now, let's leadoff with Democrats trying to turn voters' attention back to reproductive rights -- with two weeks to go until Election Day. Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker appeared alongside 17th Congressional District Democratic candidate Eric Sorensen on Tuesday in the Quad Cities. Sorensen is running against Republican Esther Joy King in the 17th District, which includes much of Bloomington-Normal.
Democrats have never held a majority on the McLean County Board. It's a 10-10 split now, and they'd like to get over the edge to a majority. Republicans, of course, really don't want that to happen.
City Manager Pam Reece said the Vision Zero-Go Safe Plan to eliminate auto collisions with walkers and bikers is one the themes to emerge from a recent strategic planning session.
A group of musicians called the Invincible Czars tours the country providing a live score for "Nosferatu" screenings, including one next Thursday, Oct. 27, at the Normal Theater.
Democrat Sharon Chung and Republican Scott Preston have attracted big money in their run for the Illinois House. Bloomington-Normal hasn’t seen a House race this competitive or costly in modern history.
In an interview with WGLT, Pratte talks about how he got interested in the zoo profession, his plans for the Miller Park Zoo, and why he chose Bloomington as his next stop.
The candidates running to represent south Bloomington on the McLean County Board say they’re pleased with recent mental and behavioral initiatives and look to build on those successes if they’re elected.
The Illinois State University Board of Trustees on Friday approved a naming rights deal for Redbird Arena. The venue will now be known as CEFCU Arena, with the Peoria-based credit union paying ISU $3.1 million over the next decade.
Anthony Nelson has a tough job. Grossinger Motors Arena, until recently, has been managed by outside firms and consistently lost money.
Bloomington Mayor Mboka Mwilambwe says the city's move to merge operations between the arena and Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts will help the downtown venues run more efficiently, but it's too soon to project whether the arena will be able to reverse years of financial losses.
Despite county clerks being swamped with Freedom of Information requests about election security, no one from the public showed up to a question-and-answer session and voting machine demonstration in Bloomington.
The McLean County Board will vote on a planned 90% tax levy cut to the University of Illinois Extension in November.
The number of open manufacturing jobs in Illinois has nearly doubled since before the pandemic. Leaders in the manufacturing industry are touring the state to showcase the types of jobs manufacturers are trying to fill.
Retiree Barb Dallinger and university archivist April Anderson-Zorn will explain via a virtual Zoom talk that ISU didn't always have school colors — and why the institution made the change after student activism.
Renaldo Hudson, who was formerly incarcerated for 37 years, will speak to students Thursday morning at Heartland Community College in Normal.
Diabetes is the seventh-leading cause of death in the U.S and one in three American adults has pre-diabetes. That's when your blood-sugar levels are higher than normal.
Shannon Epplett is an enrolled member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians and an instructional associate professor who designed — and teaches — a theater class that highlights contemporary film, live performance and social media by contemporary Native Americans.
Work by St. Louis-based photographer Jess T. Dugan blends photographs and text in an exhibit at University Galleries. Called "I Want Your to Know My Story," the show journeys through portraiture and still life with a queer lens — but it's not about queerness.
"What we typically find in a drier year ... we typically have really nice pumpkins," said Rader Family Farm's Adam Rader.
In the fast-paced televised debate ahead of the November election, the governor and state senator traded barbs while ducking questions.
Property assessments are used to figure how much property tax home and other property owners must pay. The assessment is supposed to be about a third of the market value. As most people probably know by now, sale prices of homes are going way up in central Illinois.
Normal Mayor Chris Koos says he's pleased with the picture created by the annual financial trends report for the town, noting that revenues are strong in income tax, sales tax, and on-line sales tax reimbursement.
Longtime Central Illinois musician and bandleader Marc Boon said his marriage that brought kids into his orbit for the first time melted the selfishness away.
The first students in a peer support recovery program at Heartland Community College are sharing their experiences with mental health and substance abuse problems to help others.
Longtime Central Illinois musician and bandleader Marc Boon said his marriage that brought kids into his orbit for the first time melted the selfishness away.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said he's open to tweaking the Safe-T Act that will do away with the cash bail system in the state starting in January. "The Safe-T Act is about keeping people safe all across our state, keeping murderers, rapists, and domestic abusers in jail, not letting them buy their way out, which is the system that we had," he said.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said he's open to tweaking the Safe-T Act that will do away with the cash bail system in the state starting in January. "The Safe-T Act is about keeping people safe all across our state, keeping murderers, rapists, and domestic abusers in jail, not letting them buy their way out, which is the system that we had," he said.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker said he's open to tweaking the Safe-T Act that will do away with the cash bail system in the state starting in January. "The Safe-T Act is about keeping people safe all across our state, keeping murderers, rapists, and domestic abusers in jail, not letting them buy their way out, which is the system that we had," he said.
Simran “Sim” Sandhu of Normal, who works at the Illinois Farm Bureau, has launched a scholarship to help drive more young people of color into the agriculture industry.
Simran “Sim” Sandhu of Normal, who works at the Illinois Farm Bureau, has launched a scholarship to help drive more young people of color into the agriculture industry.
Simran “Sim” Sandhu of Normal, who works at the Illinois Farm Bureau, has launched a scholarship to help drive more young people of color into the agriculture industry.
The first students in a peer support recovery program at Heartland Community College are sharing their experiences with mental health and substance abuse problems to help others.
The first students in a peer support recovery program at Heartland Community College are sharing their experiences with mental health and substance abuse problems to help others.
The first students in a peer support recovery program at Heartland Community College are sharing their experiences with mental health and substance abuse problems to help others.
Chestnut Health Systems has announced a $430,000 federal grant to open a dental clinic on Bloomington's west side.
Chestnut Health Systems has announced a $430,000 federal grant to open a dental clinic on Bloomington's west side.
Chestnut Health Systems has announced a $430,000 federal grant to open a dental clinic on Bloomington's west side.
Bloomington state Sen. Jason Barickman says the recent indictment of another senator, Emil Jones III, shows current ethics laws do a poor job of holding lawmakers accountable to the people they serve.
Bloomington state Sen. Jason Barickman says the recent indictment of another senator, Emil Jones III, shows current ethics laws do a poor job of holding lawmakers accountable to the people they serve.
Bloomington state Sen. Jason Barickman says the recent indictment of another senator, Emil Jones III, shows current ethics laws do a poor job of holding lawmakers accountable to the people they serve.
Acclaimed director John Carpenter talks to WGLT about finding his second career as a musician, including the score for the new film "Halloween Ends."
Acclaimed director John Carpenter talks to WGLT about finding his second career as a musician, including the score for the new film "Halloween Ends."
Acclaimed director John Carpenter talks to WGLT about finding his second career as a musician, including the score for the new film "Halloween Ends."
The “Halloween” movies take place in fictional Haddonfield, Illinois. Clues sprinkled throughout the movies reveal that if Haddonfield really existed, it would be located near Pontiac right along Interstate 55. Other hints suggest it’s something of a doppelganger for Bloomington-Normal.
The “Halloween” movies take place in fictional Haddonfield, Illinois. Clues sprinkled throughout the movies reveal that if Haddonfield really existed, it would be located near Pontiac right along Interstate 55. Other hints suggest it’s something of a doppelganger for Bloomington-Normal.
The “Halloween” movies take place in fictional Haddonfield, Illinois. Clues sprinkled throughout the movies reveal that if Haddonfield really existed, it would be located near Pontiac right along Interstate 55. Other hints suggest it’s something of a doppelganger for Bloomington-Normal.
There’s a lot more to the Bloomington-Normal real estate market than single-family homes. The commercial market includes office space, retail, industrial, and big apartments. And it's on its own cycle, typically following the residential market but several months behind.
There’s a lot more to the Bloomington-Normal real estate market than single-family homes. The commercial market includes office space, retail, industrial, and big apartments. And it's on its own cycle, typically following the residential market but several months behind.
There’s a lot more to the Bloomington-Normal real estate market than single-family homes. The commercial market includes office space, retail, industrial, and big apartments. And it's on its own cycle, typically following the residential market but several months behind.
One Unit 5 teacher who had her resignation rejected says she feels like a hostage now, working for the district.
One Unit 5 teacher who had her resignation rejected says she feels like a hostage now, working for the district.
One Unit 5 teacher who had her resignation rejected says she feels like a hostage now, working for the district.
The pro-referendum community group calling itself Yes For Unit 5 stepped into public view Monday. It aims to sell the community on a referendum that would finally address Unit 5’s multimillion-dollar budget deficit.
The pro-referendum community group calling itself Yes For Unit 5 stepped into public view Monday. It aims to sell the community on a referendum that would finally address Unit 5’s multimillion-dollar budget deficit.
The pro-referendum community group calling itself Yes For Unit 5 stepped into public view Monday. It aims to sell the community on a referendum that would finally address Unit 5’s multimillion-dollar budget deficit.
The 2022-2023 budget summary shows the district spending nearly $216 million, but drawing revenue closer to $202 million. Expenses are up about 1.5% from the previous year.
The 2022-2023 budget summary shows the district spending nearly $216 million, but drawing revenue closer to $202 million. Expenses are up about 1.5% from the previous year.
The 2022-2023 budget summary shows the district spending nearly $216 million, but drawing revenue closer to $202 million. Expenses are up about 1.5% from the previous year.
Heyworth resident Keith Factor is the man behind Clothes By Keith. That's the outfit now selling his custom-made ice tie-dyes in places like New York City, southern California — even London and Italy.
Heyworth resident Keith Factor is the man behind Clothes By Keith. That's the outfit now selling his custom-made ice tie-dyes in places like New York City, southern California — even London and Italy.
Heyworth resident Keith Factor is the man behind Clothes By Keith. That's the outfit now selling his custom-made ice tie-dyes in places like New York City, southern California — even London and Italy.
Like so many other traditions, the annual Illinois Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Children’s School reunion was cancelled the last two years because of the pandemic. Former residents, called “Homers,” were finally able to get together last weekend to share doughnuts and memories about the years they called ISSCS their home.
Like so many other traditions, the annual Illinois Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Children’s School reunion was cancelled the last two years because of the pandemic. Former residents, called “Homers,” were finally able to get together last weekend to share doughnuts and memories about the years they called ISSCS their home.
Like so many other traditions, the annual Illinois Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Children’s School reunion was cancelled the last two years because of the pandemic. Former residents, called “Homers,” were finally able to get together last weekend to share doughnuts and memories about the years they called ISSCS their home.
The Main Street Water Main project is big, more than 5,000 feet in length. Two stretches of Main Street would see pipes replaced — between Division Street and Virginia Avenue, and from Beaufort Street to College Avenue.
The Main Street Water Main project is big, more than 5,000 feet in length. Two stretches of Main Street would see pipes replaced — between Division Street and Virginia Avenue, and from Beaufort Street to College Avenue.
The Main Street Water Main project is big, more than 5,000 feet in length. Two stretches of Main Street would see pipes replaced — between Division Street and Virginia Avenue, and from Beaufort Street to College Avenue.
Like so many other traditions, the annual Illinois Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Children’s School reunion was cancelled the last two years because of the pandemic. Former residents, called “Homers,” were finally able to get together last weekend to share doughnuts and memories about the years they called ISSCS their home.
Like so many other traditions, the annual Illinois Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Children’s School reunion was cancelled the last two years because of the pandemic. Former residents, called “Homers,” were finally able to get together last weekend to share doughnuts and memories about the years they called ISSCS their home.
Like so many other traditions, the annual Illinois Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Children’s School reunion was cancelled the last two years because of the pandemic. Former residents, called “Homers,” were finally able to get together last weekend to share doughnuts and memories about the years they called ISSCS their home.
Working parents face serious challenges coming out of the pandemic, but access to quality childcare and public transportation are not unique to the COVID-19 era.
Working parents face serious challenges coming out of the pandemic, but access to quality childcare and public transportation are not unique to the COVID-19 era.
Working parents face serious challenges coming out of the pandemic, but access to quality childcare and public transportation are not unique to the COVID-19 era.
A noted central Illinois jurist has taken aim at the criminal justice system, some rulings by the current Supreme Court, and the negative effect on the nation from the oft-recurring use of fear to shape political ends in the U.S.
A noted central Illinois jurist has taken aim at the criminal justice system, some rulings by the current Supreme Court, and the negative effect on the nation from the oft-recurring use of fear to shape political ends in the U.S.
A noted central Illinois jurist has taken aim at the criminal justice system, some rulings by the current Supreme Court, and the negative effect on the nation from the oft-recurring use of fear to shape political ends in the U.S.
State Rep. Dan Brady of Bloomington is the only Republican seeking statewide office to get the endorsement of the Illinois Education Association (IEA), the largest union in the state.
State Rep. Dan Brady of Bloomington is the only Republican seeking statewide office to get the endorsement of the Illinois Education Association (IEA), the largest union in the state.
State Rep. Dan Brady of Bloomington is the only Republican seeking statewide office to get the endorsement of the Illinois Education Association (IEA), the largest union in the state.
One Unit 5 teacher who had her resignation rejected says she feels like a hostage now, working for the district.
One Unit 5 teacher who had her resignation rejected says she feels like a hostage now, working for the district.
One Unit 5 teacher who had her resignation rejected says she feels like a hostage now, working for the district.
The W.D. Boyce Council for the Boy Scouts of America will honor retired judge Paul Lawrence and his wife Helen Ogar, a retired attorney, for their various community volunteer efforts.
The W.D. Boyce Council for the Boy Scouts of America will honor retired judge Paul Lawrence and his wife Helen Ogar, a retired attorney, for their various community volunteer efforts.
The W.D. Boyce Council for the Boy Scouts of America will honor retired judge Paul Lawrence and his wife Helen Ogar, a retired attorney, for their various community volunteer efforts.
WGLT spoke with Mike Matejka, a longtime local labor historian, and Chuck Carver, the president of the union, AFSCME Local 1110, that represents certain service workers at Illinois State University.
Director Tom Mitchell makes his Heartland Theatre debut with 'Suddenly Last Summer,' the Normal troupe's season opener. Mitchell finds relevance in Tennessee Williams' timelessly salient themes — and encourages newcomers to avoid dated interpretations cemented on film.
Melinda Fischer retired as the winningest coach in Illinois State University history and one of the most successful ever in college softball.
Community Players Theatre kicked off its 100th season Thursday with a new production of Robert Harling’s “Steel Magnolias.” The show runs two weekends through Sept. 11 at Community Players Theatre in Bloomington.
The Illinois Symphony Orchestra (ISO) will change venues this fall, moving its main concert series in the Twin Cities to Illinois State University’s Center for Performing Arts after nearly two decades at the downtown Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts.
Opposition to the Workers Rights Amendment is being led in part by the Illinois Policy Institute, a libertarian advocacy group that supports many conservative causes.
Bloomington-Normal Trades & Labor President Adam Heenan took a break from Labor Day parade planning to talk about union support for the Workers Rights Amendment.
McLean County’s new supervisor of assessments says the hot housing market means more people might have questions about how their homes are being assessed this year.
Teachers in Bloomington-Normal hope they will make more progress this school year on how kids interact with each other. Last year, many kids weren't used to being in a classroom, doing things together, or taking teacher direction. That resulted in increased conflict and tempers, and sometimes emotional withdrawal.
Health experts have identified access to care, mental health and healthy living as priorities in McLean County's new community needs health assessment. The plan is based on health data compiled over the last several years.
A celebration of life for late Illinois State University graduate student Jelani Day on Saturday night resembled a spiritual revival, a rally, a memorial and a party with music, food and dancing.
This month's My Playlist guest, Candice Byrd, describes herself as a quirky, natural, mixed kind of vibe Gemini.
Director Tom Mitchell makes his Heartland Theatre debut with 'Suddenly Last Summer,' the Normal troupe's season opener. Mitchell finds relevance in Tennessee Williams' timelessly salient themes — and encourages newcomers to avoid dated interpretations cemented on film.
This is the last weekend to see "Crowns" at the Normal Activity Center. It's a production of the Bloomington-based Coalescence Theatre Project. You can find tickets on the theatre's website.
With steady new construction, the opening of trendy businesses and even a slight population increase, Lexington in northern McLean County has found itself in a bit of a renaissance.
An array of issues, ranging from biofuels and renewable energy to livestock protection and trade agreements, faced Democratic incumbent U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth and Republican challenger Kathy Salvi during Wednesday’s Illinois Agricultural Legislative Roundtable candidates forum.
Bloomington's city manager said a search for a director of both the arena and the Center for the Performing Arts is taking longer than hoped, and it might be time for a new approach.
Illinois candidates for governor talked agriculture policy at an ag sector roundtable Wednesday consisting of more than 100 industry leaders. The session was held in McLean County at Shuler Farms in rural Lexington.
The Bloomington Fire Department says its new portable heart monitor enables paramedics to bring the hospital emergency department to your side, wherever you are.
Illinois' new legislative watchdog is six months into the job and he says he's not found evidence of wrongdoing.
Over the next five years, the Diverse Corn Belt project will be conducting research to discover opportunities that can be created from diversified farming systems and investigate the impacts of transformed crop rotations.
More Mexican laborers who helped get Rivian’s electric vehicle plant ready for production will finally get the overtime pay they were owed but never received.
Illinois State University has closed the sale of its former Shelbourne Apartment complex in Normal for $1.1 million. The buyer says they will renovate the apartments rather than tear them down and start over.
An interview with Democratic incumbent state Sen. Dave Koehler of Peoria. He'll face Republican challenger Desi Anderson in November in the 46th District, which includes parts of Bloomington-Normal.
An interview with Republican candidate for the Illinois Senate Desi Anderson of Carlock. She'll face Democrat Dave Koehler of Peoria in the November election. The 46th Senate District includes parts of Bloomington-Normal.
Mississippi Heat bandleader Pierre Lacocque gives a nod to his maternal grandmother and his wife on the band's new album "Madeleine."
Through Aug. 26, 60 artists and more than 70 artworks are part of an eclectic exhibit at the McLean County Arts Center. At first, they might not appear to go together, but the pieces that make up “The Painter’s Pedagogy” all have a connection to Harold Gregor.
Nomal's city manager expects the developer of a controversial addition to the Wintergreen subdivision off Beech Street near Interstate 55 will make changes to satisfy neighborhood objections.
Unit 5 leaders are asking voters to expand the district’s taxing authority for one fund, but promising the overall tax rate will go down.
One of the co-founders of the Multicultural Leadership Institute has been named Normal’s 2022 Citizen of the Year. Sonya Mau was recognized at Wednesday’s Town of Normal Appreciation Reception.
Unit 5 is asking voters for more taxing authority while promising the total tax rate would fall. The Unit 5 school board has decided to ask voters for $20.5 million more property tax dollars for its education fund. Superintendent Kristen Weikle and district business manager Marty Hickman said Unit 5 would not apply the 88-cent rate increase all at once.
The first film in the “Understanding Horror” series is “Night of the Living Dead" on Aug. 25 at the Normal Theater.
Banned Books Week is Sept. 18-24 and, according to bannedbooksweek.org, five of the top 10 books targeted for censorship deal with LGBTQ+ issues. As an early kick-off to the initiative that celebrates intellectual freedom, the Bloomington Public Library is partnering with two other organizations for a special book club on Aug. 15.
State Farm denies allegations raised in four race discrimination lawsuits filed in recent weeks against the insurance company. Three women and one man claim they were fired after they reported discrimination and a hostile work environment.
Nearly a year ago on a sunny late summer afternoon, a cascade of sharp cracks sounded in the Landings Mobile Home Park in Normal. Ronald Reiner, 66, a resident of the Landings, had taken his handgun and started shooting. Police responded with everyone on the shift, including school resource officers. When it was over, three people were dead.
McLean County's mental health initiatives are getting national attention. The National Association of Counties has tabbed McLean County and about a dozen other counties and cities to share ideas through the new Familiar Faces Initiative.
The product of a national coalition of police leadership, researchers and professional organizations, the 30x30 Initiative is aimed at encouraging police departments across the country to have 30% percent of their recruits be women by 2030.
Bloomington's Public Safety and Community Relations Board is getting ready to bridge the generation gap, bringing on its first teen member.
McLean County courts hope to use data on juvenile offenders to reduce adult crime and punishment in central Illinois. The effort has two prongs — improving interventions for troubled children, and a potential specialty court for offenders aged 18 to 25.
Garrett Scott, a longtime Normal Town Council member, speech pathologist, and chess educator who helped thousands of school children learn and play chess, has died. He was 78.
Eleven new restaurants have opened or are in the process of opening in Bloomington-Normal.
A graduate of Illinois Wesleyan University will soon be on her way to Vienna, Austria as a Fulbright Scholar for the upcoming school year.
Girls in Bloomington-Normal will get the chance to hone their STEM skills through its Tech Astra summit this fall.
McLean County is getting more legal marijuana tax money than just the amounts going to Bloomington and Normal. The YWCA of McLean County will receive more than $282,000 for its Labyrinth Outreach Services that helps women coming out of prison reintegrate into the community.
State water testing shows Normal, Heyworth and Saybrook have detectable levels of PFAs, or so-called forever chemicals. The Illinois EPA says the levels in those communities are nothing to be concerned about.
Normal First United Methodist Church music director Nander Novaes will play a solo recital of classical guitar works, starting at 7 p.m. Friday. The concert features Brazilian composers — with cookies to follow.
Two shows this summer are collectively aimed at reducing barriers to art with works made from unique materials. “Within Reach” runs through Aug. 12, followed by a solo exhibition called, “Have Your Cake,” from Aug. 22 through Oct. 7.
The head of the Bloomington-Normal YMCA says the organization is exploring several ways to improve access for people without transportation to get to its new facility on Bloomington's east side. Executive director B.J. Wilken said the Y has bought a bus that can deliver children to the $24 million facility that is set to open later this month.
The head of the West Market Street Council says the group continues to work on plans to acquire the former Fox Plaza West shopping center to open a grocery store in the west Bloomington neighborhood. Those efforts stalled recently when the property failed to sell at an auction.
Dr. Hudson Riehl says parents have to process their own feelings before they can help their children.
A chemical and agricultural behemoth has bought a St. Louis-based startup company that works closely with Illinois State University, where researchers have worked to domesticate the weed pennycress into a cover crop and oil seed plant dubbed CoverCress.
Normal-based Midwest Food Bank is sending aid to flood-ravaged Kentucky while also addressing the quieter emergency of food insecurity amid inflation.
Normal Mayor Chris Koos would like to see the community develop guidelines for a shovel-ready industrial park, something the Economic Development Council has begun to talk about. But during a WGLT interview on Sound Ideas, he shied away from specifying what the town should provide to make it happen.
The first cohort of people representing a partnership between Rivian and Heartland Community College has graduated with skills in electric vehicle maintenance. Eight graduates might not seem like a lot, but Heartland provost Rick Pearce said more will assuredly come.
Lauran Bryant painted the mural of a gnarled and craggy mulberry tree a dozen years ago when Uptown Normal was torn up and in the middle of a revitalization plan.
In recent years, economic development efforts in Bloomington-Normal have focused on workforce development and creating a standard incentive package for prospective new businesses to locate in McLean County. That's about to change.
The state’s first electric vehicle coordinator says access and equity are guiding principles as she gets to work promoting a new rebate program and helping to decide where chargers are placed.
You might not think opera and the #MeToo movement have much in common, but MIOpera director Tracy Koch says the latest production of "Carmen" is about a woman who takes control of her own life. WGLT stopped by a rehearsal to talk to Koch and learn more about opera's sultriest leading lady.
The Bloomington-based blues-rockin' band Old Smoke continues its music evolution despite key band member Adam Humphreys moving to Georgia.
The Illinois Shakespeare Festival is back to pre-pandemic operations with “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)” opening the season in June and, through Aug. 5, a rotation of “King Lear” and “Much Ado About Nothing” — both well worth seeing.
Are these robust prices squeezing new and beginning farmers — defined by the USDA as producers with less than 10 years experience in the field — out of the land market?
Illinois State University already recycles, tries to reduce food waste, and is swapping out lighting fixtures for lower energy LED fixtures. Elisabeth Reed, the director of ISU's Office of Sustainability and member of the Presidential Sustainability Council, said ISU's first Sustainability Strategic Plan plan offers a road map to do more.
Bloomington City Manager Tim Gleason estimates the price tag for a new downtown streetscape at $25-30 million. That's not to say anything like that has been decided, but now that the O'Neil Pool Project and the Bloomington Public Library expansion are under way, Gleason said it's time to pay a lot more attention to the city's core.
Inflation affects different parts of the economy in different ways. It can be especially hard on retirees who live on a fixed income, and people already struggling to make ends meet.
A majority of Illinois counties, including McLean, have high COVID transmission, based on new CDC data.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the cost of pet food has risen by almost 10% in the past year. Pet services, including veterinary visits, are up by almost 8%.
The attraction to flexible hours and sizable commissions lured even teenagers into the profession, including 18-year-old Gavin Devore of Bloomington.
Inflation is hitting people with low incomes in Bloomington-Normal, and the social service agencies that support them.
Chestnut Health Systems in Bloomington is exploring other ways to provide medically-monitored detox treatment without the need for 24-hour nursing care.
What happens when you get a bunch of teenagers in a room, feed them pizza and talk about art? As you might expect, they all have different ideas, but eclecticism and imagination have come together for “In Living Color" at University Galleries.
There’s the magic of theater, and then there’s theater about magic. Community Players latest production, “Matilda The Musical,” has both. The production runs through July 31 at Community Players, with antics galore and a few optical illusions that will, above all, remind you of the power kids have.
Normal Police and the McLean County Sheriff's Department both saw big increases in drunk driving arrests last year. The sheriff's office saw DUI arrests jump 72%, while Normal Police saw a 30% hike, according to the Alliance Against Intoxicated Motorists.
So far this year, the Town of Normal has approved plans for 80 new single-family homes to help address a 4,000-unit housing shortage in Bloomington-Normal. But City Manager Pam Reece said those have all been within existing subdivisions and don't address a lack of upscale apartments — until recently.
David Myers wife Cheryl was diagnosed with Alzheimer's at the age of 47. Following her death, Myers has dedicated himself to raising awareness for the disease.
For years, conservationists have promoted cover crops as ways to fix nitrogen in the soil and prevent soil erosion. Farmers haven't been leaping for joy because it costs money and labor to plant and then to scrape the cover crop off the field in time for spring planting. Incentives to plant cover crops through conservation grants barely offset that.
The American Academy of Pediatrics is now recommending babies be breastfed until age 2 - a hard ask for many American mothers.
Federal prosecutors are expanding their criminal case against Aaron Rossi, adding several charges that accuse the Reditus Labs CEO of lying about being a physician and stealing from his former employer.
A petition effort in Normal is aimed at potentially changing the town council’s at-large representation system to one that is district-based. It's raising questions among some residents regarding the timing and political point of origin.
“Thor: Love and Thunder,” one of the biggest summer blockbusters, is now in theaters. WGLT's Psych Geeks (from ISU's Department of Psychology) are back to talk about finding the humanity in a story about a God.
WGLT's My Playlist is a new recurring series where we get to know a Bloomington-Normal resident by learning what they would put on their life playlist.
Agronomists, farmers and researchers met at the Illinois State University Farm in Lexington on Tuesday to discuss Lake Bloomington-Evergreen Lake (LB-EL) watershed planning efforts, along with farm conservation practices that can help reach watershed goals.
A consumer advocacy group says newly disclosed data show that auto insurers made excessive profits during the pandemic – and that it’s proof that Illinois needs to regulate the industry more tightly.
Sabrina Cavanaugh has directed her passion for women's rights into recent protests supporting Roe v. Wade.
Jeremy Butler left policing to become a professor and has written a book about police control tactics.
An advocate for more bike and pedestrian travel in Bloomington-Normal is cheering the state's proposal to add bike lanes, crosswalks and other accommodations along Empire Street in Bloomington.
Rivian founder and CEO RJ Scaringe has confirmed layoffs are being considered as the electric automaker looks to “grow sustainably” in the face of a changing economic landscape.
Nomad Theatre is theater that moves to site-specific locations for performances. And just in time for summer viewing, the Patio Plays are back and making their way around Bloomington-Normal.
New Illinois State men's basketball coach Ryan Pedon says he's not shying away from the school's quarter-century drought since the program's last NCAA Tournament berth It's also been 25 seasons since ISU won the Missouri Valley Conference tournament.
A leader in the Prairie Pride Coalition in McLean County said Tuesday the Supreme Court decision overturning legal abortion means LGBTQ+ people need to be vigilant about their rights.
WGLT's Eric Stock and Ryan Denham discuss what races the Newsroom is watching on primary election night and how redistricting will impact McLean County voters.
State Sen. Jason Barickman from Bloomington-Normal acknowledges that he strikes a different “tone” than some of his fellow Republicans, including state Sen. Darren Bailey.
Donald Trump was just the second Republican presidential candidate in the last 50 years to lose McLean County. But the defeated ex-president still has sway over some GOP candidates seeking office in McLean County.
Meghan Leonard is an associate professor at Illinois State University who has studied the courts.
Carolyn Moon is a reproductive rights activist from McLean County and a former Planned Parenthood of Illinois board member. She spoke to WGLT's Charlie Schlenker after Friday's Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade.
Great Value Jesus band leader Noah Renken-Kapatos says the borderline gaslighting of fundraising emails from former President Donald Trump inspired the name of the Bloomington band's new album.
Bloomington Mayor Mboka Mwilambwe says two city council wards will need significant adjustments during redistricting. Ward 8, which takes in the east side Grove subdivision areas near the airport and Old Farm Lakes subdivision, had significant growth in the last decade and now includes more than 10,000 residents.
In total, CDC data shows 2.4 million reported cases of STIs in 2020, even with the caveat that the coronavirus pandemic hindered surveillance of these illnesses.
For some mothers, the birth of a baby can result in the development of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. Nicki Petersen and Catherine Carroll have become advocates for maternal mental health.
Barring any last-minute congressional action, the federal COVID-era waivers that reimbursed school districts for all student meals will expire June 30 — although for some districts, the waivers expired on the last day of school.
On today's episode, you'll hear an interview with Normal City Manager Pam Reece. Plus, a report on changes coming to school meal programs. And a new episode of Food Trek introduces you to a farmer from Normal.
The estimated price of the Uptown Underpass Project in Normal could go up by 25% because of inflation.
Barry Reilly is retiring after more than 30 years with Bloomington District 87 schools.
Becky White says she was a nine-year employee, working at the college as an adjunct professor and tutor.
The maker of Butterfinger, Crunch, Tic Tacs and other candies has announced a second major expansion in Bloomington in less than a year. Ferrero plans to add 200 jobs as part of a $214 million expansion.
The American Red Cross has announced its keynote speaker for the 27th annual Evening of Stars event. The special guest is Jon Dorenbos. He played 14 seasons in the NFL.
This year's 10-Minute Play Festival at Heartland Theatre Company includes eight plays chosen from submissions from all over the country.
One year after much of the economy reopened and expanded jobless benefits ran out, many manufacturers still can't find enough workers. Business leaders from across the state are trying to figure out how to rebuild and retrain the post-pandemic workforce.
Thousands of Corvettes will fill the Illinois State University campus this weekend as Bloomington Gold returns to its hometown for its 50th anniversary.
In Rica Rountree's case, mandated reporters alerted the state’s child welfare agency of potential serious abuse. They sounded the alarm bell repeatedly, only to have those alarms ignored or not thoroughly investigated by the agency tasked with doing so. Instead, the investigator who mishandled Rica’s case was promoted.
Charlie Schlenker talks with state Sen. Jason Barickman about policy choice in the debate over guns. Barickman is a Republican from Bloomington-Normal. Barickman says he acknowledges the system is imperfect and society needs to find ways to do better. This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
The Illinois Shakespeare Festival opens this weekend and fulfills a long-awaited promise with the return of “The Complete Works of Shakespeare (Abridged).” The festival favorite, originally scheduled for 2020, finds ISF veterans Thomas Quinn and David Kortemeier batting the Bard’s witty banter around one last time, this time with ISF newbie Adonis Perez-Escobar as their trusty side kick.
Applications are open for a scholarship to help students pursuing a career in education. The Mary Rohrscheib teaching scholarship will award $1,000 to the winning applicant for school expenses.
$500,000 in pandemic relief money from the Town of Normal will help a not-for-profit agency that offers service to those with disabilities get a new facility and expand programs.
Folk-rocker (and WGLT Summer Concert headliner) Lilli Lewis writes about the homeless people and others she describes as "invisible" on her new album "Americana." She said these are the folks who helped picked her up when she was nearly homeless after running away from home.
An Illinois political scientist and former Chicago alderman tapped into his 50 years of experience for his latest book examining the challenges Americans face in making the U.S. a multiracial and multiethnic democracy.
The head of nursing instruction at Illinois Wesleyan University says she hopes a recent negligent homicide conviction of a nurse in Tennessee won't deter students from pursing nursing careers.
Energy will cost about $89 a megawatt hour starting this June, up from $29 per megawatt hour last year.
Americana singer-songwriter Carsie Blanton once defined professional success as selling out concert venues. That definition changed when success grew into something different and far richer than she had imagined.
Bill Lally explains the reality of confronting assault-style rifles like the one used in the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas.
Observers of the Russian invasion of Ukraine worry the conflict could broaden through folly, error, or inadvertent escalation. Some compare the network of allied countries in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to alliances that contributed to the cascade of events that lead to World War I. Finland and Sweden have asked to join NATO, which would reduce a geographical buffer between Russia and NATO and, some worry, increase a likelihood of conflict between two nuclear powers, through U.S. commitments to mutual defense in NATO.
Teachers in Bloomington-Normal are speaking out against the idea of more guns in schools.
McLean County is putting out a call for Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) to help children navigate the foster care system.
WGLT's Ariele Jones talks to Cindy Youngren, the frontwoman for Peoria-based Flamenco band Tambora, which will open the WGLT Summer Concert on June 18.
Julie Webber has spent over two decades studying school shootings. She says things aren't getting any better — yet.
An Illinois State University student who comes from a family of firefighters wants to find more people his age who want to pursue firefighting as a career.
Griffin Burns, Colton Walsh and Noah Anderson took over the store in early 2020 after former owners Mike and Becky Williams put it up for sale ahead of their retirement.
McLean County State’s Attorney Don Knapp says his legal experience as both a prosecutor and a civil attorney give him a unique blend of experience that qualifies him to be the next circuit judge for McLean and nearby counties.
Associate Judge Amy McFarland is calling for new and creative ways to bring local agencies to the table to help minors who have not received adequate protection through the beleaguered Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.
Residents of south Bloomington will have at least one new representative on the McLean County Board after this year’s election. That process begins next month in the primary, when three Democrats are vying for two spots on the November ballot.
Youth art camps are already filling up at Illinois Art Station. As the art center rounds the bend on one full year since moving into their new home on Vernon Avenue, new leadership by a familiar face in the Twin Cities arts scene is returning the non-profit to its community roots and reigniting the Youth Mural Project for the first time since 2019.
Jamal Simington says one of his main objectives is to build trust between his department and the community it serves.
There's been a shortage of infant formula going on for some time, but people based in Central Illinois that spoke with WGLT said it hadn't hit hard until the past three-to-four weeks.
Attorneys with the Illinois State Bar Association have issued a "not recommended" rating for one of the candidates for 11th Judicial Circuit judge in McLean County.
After enduring a week of plunging stock prices, Rivian’s top leaders on Wednesday reassured the market they’ll hit 2022 production targets in Normal and revealed new details about the "R2" line of vehicles that will be made at the EV maker’s second plant Georgia.
Former Congressman Tim Johnson has died. He was known as a quirky, sometimes caustic, and always energetic public servant. Johnson never lost an election. He represented Bloomington-Normal in Congress for 12 years in an older version of the 13th District before deciding not to run again in 2012
Pontiac residents and community leaders are worried. The Illinois Department of Corrections moved 171 medium-security inmates from the Pontiac Correctional Center to other prisons early this year, and the fear is the rest of the prison built in the 1870s will shut down, too.
Stories on this topic often center on the challenges of a lack of front-facing workers — like those in retail or food service. But those industries aren't the only ones forced to reckon with a challenging hiring market: The legal profession, too, is facing its own labor challenges.
From the screen to the board game, "Clue" is classic, and Community Players Theatre in Bloomington is bringing the murder mystery — full of the usual suspects — to the stage.
Redistricting has created an open seat in central Illinois for the House of Representatives, and the battle between experience and fresh perspectives is on in the Republican primary.
Illinois State University officials said the new College of Engineering will create a more welcoming environment to encourage women and minority students who previously have shied away from engineering careers.
There have been anecdotal reports of a housing shortage in Bloomington-Normal for years. Now, the Bloomington- Normal Economic Development Council has a new analysis that shows the shortage is significant and has grown since the last study done five years ago.
The discussion over a potential Connect Transit bus transfer center on the site of the current city-owned parking deck on Market Street opens a couple of possibilities for the city.
Around 60 Illinois State University student-athletes have secured endorsement deals during the first year they could use their name, image or likeness for financial gain.
A cohort of finalists from the 2020-21 Illinois Teacher of the Year contest and other education-focused groups are pushing for legislation that would require schools to have policies specific to racial harassment on the books.
Conexiones Latinas helps dispel some common misconceptions around celebrating Cinco de Mayo.
McLean County resident Carolyn Moon is one of those uber volunteers, the ones that give fire to any organization. She has been a patient educator in hospitals, and made sure children are educated on health issues. Moon also is this year's "Champion of Care" honoree and will be recognized May 12 by Planned Parenthood of Illinois for decades of volunteerism.
McLean County ranks 15th in overall health in Illinois, according to an annual study of about 30 factors.
WGLT's Lyndsay Jones spoke Tuesday with Ed Yohnka, a spokesperson for the ACLU of Illinois, who said the organization takes issue with the viewpoint that abortion, or the ability to choose whether to have one, is not a fundamental human right.
Supporters of abortion rights in Bloomington-Normal began to mobilize Tuesday after the Supreme Court draft ruling link, as anti-abortion leaders voiced caution about their apparent win.
To help understand the significance of that leak and what it says about how the Supreme Court operates and its conservative shift, WGLT’s Sarah Nardi turned to Meghan Leonard, an associate professor at Illinois State University who has studied the courts. Leonard described the situation as unprecedented.
A lot of work has to happen quickly to determine whether the Market Street Parking Deck in downtown Bloomington will be a good fit for a Connect Transit bus transfer center.
After Illinois State University nutrition student Danielle Fairchild died in November when she was struck by a vehicle while walking near the intersection of College and Kingsley, students are raising awareness for short-term measures now in preparation for more expensive and more long-term changes that are still needed.
String Project, one of Illinois State University’s longest running community programs, is celebrating 20 years of cultivating a love of music in children. The spring concert is at 11 a.m. on Saturday at the Center for Performing Arts at ISU.
The exhibition “Little Black Boy” enters its final weeks at Heartland Community College’s Joe McCauley Gallery, featuring black and white photography by Bloomington-Normal native Rashod Taylor.
The U.S. has the mineral resources and industrial capability to create a fully domestic battery EV supply chain, but it will take a massive “all of the above” mobilization of the federal government to make it happen, a Rivian official told Congress.
The inaugural Midwest Madness Music Festival kicks off Friday night at Nightshop in downtown Bloomington. It is described as a multi-genre music experience for everyone to enjoy.
Jon Norton and Sarah Nardi revisit past conversations with Normal native Leah Marlene, who is now in the Final 10 to be the next "American Idol."
The head of the nation's largest teachers' union says better pay and more support will keep more educators from leaving.
Speaking publicly for the first time about what went wrong in Rica Rountree's case, prosecutors Erika Reynolds and Mary Koll spoke with WGLT about the failures that led to the ongoing abuse that caused Rica’s fatal internal injuries.
Former U.S. Rep. Ray LaHood will be discussing civility and bipartisanship as keynote speaker of the League of Women Voters of McLean County annual fundraising event Tuesday in Bloomington.
Illinois State University graduate Dennis Tobenski is a vocalist, composer, and owner of music publishing company NewMusicShelf. Tobenski recently helped to create and then publish the first anthology of music for trans and nonbinary voices, called "Anthology of New Music: Trans & Nonbinary Voices."
Students at Bloomington, Normal Community and Normal West high schools aren't usually teammates on their field, but there's one exception. The three schools are part of a co-op lacrosse program.
School board matters have become increasingly heated, tense and personal during the COVID-19 pandemic and revived culture wars.
It appears the former Pantagraph building in downtown Bloomington may not become a new bus transfer center after all.
Marijuana sales have helped city, county and state governments in Illinois with additional tax revenue. But it's hard to see how much some municipalities are making from pot.
McLean County Sheriff Jon Sandage says anti-police sentiment is a big reason why it's harder to recruit and retain more officers.
A Normal Town Council member says the latest proposal for the Trail East and Trail West sites in Uptown Normal is a “fundamentally different project” than its scuttled predecessor and will better meet the needs of the community because it includes more apartment space.
It’s a rock-n-roll and orchestra marriage with the Illinois Symphony Orchestra presenting the Best of Queen & Journey with Jeans 'n Classics at the Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts on Friday, April 22.
Since the masks came off most of society, a lot of people have been coughing, sneezing and getting aches and fever. And that's not counting those who get COVID-19. Last year, flu was almost non-existent. Lockdowns, masks, and other pandemic precautions meant people didn't make each other sick.
The electric automaker Rivian has already hired over 5,000 people in Normal, making it McLean County’s second-largest employer almost overnight. But now comes the hard part: Keeping them. And then growing again when the supply chain allows for the plant to increase production capacity.
State Sen. Jason Barickman said early in the spring legislative session he expected very little productivity coming out of it. And now Barickman said his expectations have been fulfilled.
Adam Elpayaa spent the pandemic mastering pizza. Now he runs Pizza Payaa, a New York-style pizzeria in Bloomington.
Cecilia Ruffin recently became the Multicultural Leadership Institute's executive director. While volunteering in the Bloomington-Normal community for decades has been a key focus in Ruffin's life, she shares what keeps her grounded and why she devotes her time to being engaged in her community.
COVID-19 cases and deaths have begun to rise in Illinois as the newly dominant BA2 variant of the coronavirus moves through the population. It's hard to say just yet whether it will be a mountain of cases or a speed bump, according to the McLean County Health Department.
And now for something really challenging, yet deceptively simple. It's in a new book, "Introduction to Ecological Psychology, a Lawful Approach to Perceiving, Acting and Cognizing," by Jeffrey Wagman of Illinois State University and Julia Blau of Central Connecticut State University.
A former Illinois State women's basketball coach says it took time to realize the full impact that Title 9 would have on college athletics.
The new police chief for the Town of Normal is the current assistant chief, Steve Petrilli.
The announced closure of Lincoln College is an example of a challenging time in higher education, says the president of Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington. Georgia Nugent used to work at the Council of Independent Colleges, a group of about 700 mostly smaller and liberal arts institutions that has tracked a half century of issues facing largely private liberal arts colleges.
Curt Meine will visit Illinois State University on Thursday to deliver a lecture on conservation in a time of rapid social and environmental change.
Lincoln College has served many first generation college students and many Black students as well, making it eligible for a federal designation as a primarily Black institution, or PBI.
The missions of both schools that teach Telugu and Tamil boil down to universal themes that go beyond language. They're there to pass along tradition, culture and history and to build kinship and community among those who attend.
The Asian Indian population has grown dramatically over the last decade in Bloomington-Normal, but they are still a minority. Many Indians say the community is welcoming, but not everyone has the same experiences.
Two Bloomington restaurateurs discuss the challenges — and opportunities — in representing the food of India.
As part of WGLT’s weeklong series about Indians in Bloomington-Normal, you’re about to hear from four remarkable young people – some born here, some who immigrated with their families – who’ve done more for their community in young lives than many of us do in a lifetime.
Krishna and Uma Balakrishnan are among the many Asian Indians in Bloomington-Normal who are navigating life as both parents and first-generation immigrants. No parent has it easy, but it takes a special blend of courage and resilience to raise kids to thrive in a culture you yourself as learning too.
This is the first part of a WGLT series looking at the Asian Indian community in Bloomington-Normal. There are nearly 6,000 Indians who live in the community. They are a group whose traditions and lives are not often presented to the public by mainstream media. It's a rich tapestry of people with all the nuance and complexity you would expect of a culture thousands of years old.
McLean County has been considered at low risk for COVID-19 spread ever since the CDC put more emphasis on hospitalizations and less on new cases.
COVID testing has become big business as more biomedical companies try to cash in on the high demand.
Coronavirus testing has made Reditus Laboratories one of the fastest-growing employers in central Illinois, and the man behind the company's success says it's about more than good timing.In the first of a two-part series on Reditus’ sudden rise, CEO Aaron Rossi has a unique blend of business interests that goes beyond the biomedical lab. There's orthotics, there's branding, and soon there may even be cannabis growing in his future.
Illinois arts organizations lost, on average, 31% of their revenue to the pandemic in 2021, according to recent data from Arts Alliance Illinois, and they are on pace to match those losses over the first six months of 2022. WGLT surveyed area arts leaders with one main question: Are the arts doing OK?
The new 91st Illinois House district is an open seat without an incumbent. That makes it attractive to candidates — and there will be primaries this summer in both major parties.
The mayor of Normal said Tuesday the annual One Voice lobbying trip to Washington was fruitful.
The OSF Innovation Design Lab is using data and artificial technology (AI) modeling to help identify locations with low childhood vaccination rates
The state’s child welfare agency had three interactions with Kimberlee Burton before her infant died at home and was reported missing, according to records with the Department of Children and Family Services.
Advocates argue that children who commit crimes should always be prosecuted in the juvenile justice system. State's Attorney Don Knapp disagrees.
It's been 24 years since the Illinois State University men's basketball team went to the NCAA tournament back in 1998. Athletic Director Kyle Brennan said Monday during a news conference introducing Ohio State Assistant Coach Ryan Pedon as the new Redbird coach, that he thinks he has found the person to bring the program back to prominence.
Founded in mid-March of 2020, the "We're in this together, Bloomington-Normal!" Facebook group was envisioned as a short-term effort to connect people in the early days of the pandemic. Its founder, Michele Schulz, who has since passed on administrative responsibilities to others, said at the time the community was "living in a world we've never known before."
Maryna Teplova says her daughter and granddaughter, forced to flee the worsening conflict in Ukraine, have safely crossed the border into Poland.
WGLT sat down with Unit 5 school board members Amy Roser and Barry Hitchins to discuss how they are attempting to manage a budget with a multimillion-dollar gap in education expenses.
Illinois State University students say they have a lot more in common with their counterparts in Russia than they realized.
You won't find State Farm among the companies with television commercials in the Super Bowl this year. The Bloomington-based insurance giant is instead turning to the popular video app TikTok to reach people.
Normal leaders have voted to finance half of a new $5 million fire station, using a low-interest loan.
John Sides, a political scientist from Vanderbilt University, explores 2020 election and the divided future of American politics.
The Office of Student Research asked Illinois State University students to capture one compelling image that would creatively reveal research topics they’ve explored, and these students will present their work at the upcoming Image of Research competition on Wednesday, Feb. 9.
Induction into the College Football Hall of Fame is quite a capstone to a playing career that almost never happened for Illinois State University's Boomer Grigsby.
WGLT's Maggie Strahan talks to state Sens. Jason Barickman and Dave Koehler about their takeaways from Gov. JB Pritzker's budget plan and State of the State address on Wednesday.
Bloomington-Normal was the only metro area in Illinois that lost jobs over the last year, despite all the hiring by several major employers.
Combating violent crime and human trafficking across the state’s midsection are top priorities for Gregory Harris, the new U.S. Attorney for the Central District of Illinois.
The Missouri Valley Conference that includes Illinois State and Bradley will grow to 12 schools next year.
In a recent survey published by the Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents, 96% of responding school districts said "they have a substitute teacher shortage problem" and 90% said that shortage "continues to get worse."
The “Gaymer's Night” Saturday night will feature a number of tabletop board games, food courtesy of the Prairie Pride Coalition, and information on local LGTBQ+ resources in the area.
Meghan Leonard says a diversity of lived experience will make the nation's highest court a more deliberative body.
Meet the multifaceted Ashley and LaVance Walker. They are graduate students, newlyweds and the owners of Walking Visions Photography Inc. in Bloomington and the minds behind the Selfie Express Museum.
It’s been five months since Sen. Dick Durbin spilled the beans that Samsung SDI was considering building a new battery plant in Normal, right next to Rivian, with thousands of new jobs. And five months later … it’s been crickets.
A proposal from Bloomington City Council member Jamie Mathy has re-energized a longstanding conversation about where new housing should go – on the edges of town, or closer to its core – and the financial implications of those decisions.
Stephanie Fuller says the past two years have been unlike anything she's experienced in her nursing career.
The Town of Normal will continue to focus on debt reduction as part of its budgeting priorities next year. City Manager Pam Reece said that's part of a draft plan heading to the town council for a work session on Wednesday.
A Bloomington-Normal pediatrician says there’s a compelling new reason for parents to consider getting their children vaccinated against COVID-19.
The Illinois Symphony returns to the Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts on Jan. 28 with its latest concert, “Incredibly Italian.” The program features works by Mendelssohn, Mozart and Schumann, three composers who weren’t exactly Italian but drew inspiration from the bel paese.