
Friday, June 30, 2017
Brady Replaces Radogno as Leader of Senate Republicans

Lawmakers Expect Budget Vote Today

Services Next Week For Trooper Killed In I-74 Crash

Thursday, June 29, 2017
Twin City Garage Fire in Normal

FIRE COVERAGE VIDEO LINKS:
Normal Fire Chief Humer
Cities 92.9 On Scene Footage
Citizen's footage
ISP Trooper Killed in Accident, K-9 Survives

Rauner Threatens to Keep Lawmakers in Springfield Until Budget is Passed

Wednesday, June 28, 2017
VIDEO: CIRA Debuts TSA Pre-Check

Illinois House Democrats Propose 4-Year Property Tax Freeze

The Associated Press reports the Illinois House Democrat are proposing an increase in the personal income tax rate by 32 percent, a four-year freeze in property taxes and increases in funding for education and social service programs. Most of those proposals were part of a $36.5-billion Democratic budget plan that is $800 million less than Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner proposed last winter.
They also said it's nearly $3 billion less than will go out the door this year because of spending required by law and payments mandated by the courts even though the state has not had a budget for two years. It is the longest any state has gone without a budget since at least the Great Depression.
Downtown Bloomington Task Force Listens, Hears Complaints About Homeless and Panhandlers

Powerball and Mega Millions Games Could be Suspended as of Tonight

Tuesday, June 27, 2017
State Budget: Madigan, "It Won't Be Easy to Get a State Budget by the End of the Week"

House Speaker Mike Madigan yesterday told reporters in Springfield that the vote on the tax hike needed to pay for his budget plan won't be 'easy.'
Madigan said his budget will be unveiled later today.
Many at the statehouse expect the powerful Speaker to want to spend as much as six billion-dollars more than Governor Rauner and the Republicans have proposed.
Meanwhile, the top Republican in the Illinois House says he is not focusing on what's being left out of an agreement to get a state budget.
House Republican leader Jim Durkin yesterday said his focus is finding 30 Republican votes for a tax increase that is needed to get a state budget.
Durkin said he'll deal with a lack of term limits in the budget compromise later.
House Speaker Mike Madigan, who has fought term limits, has left the issue off his to-do list this summer.
Bloomington City Council Votes on Arena Name, Considers LED Bus Signs

City council approved the 10-year contract, Monday, that gives a local car dealership the naming rights. Grossinger Motors will pay $175,000, per year, for 5 years.
There's an option to renegotiate the price for the second five years.
The Bloomington city council is considering allowing Connect Transit to install LED advertising on buses. Connect Transit wants to use digital advertising on the back of its buses.
The move could raise $250,000 more in revenue, but it will require Bloomington to change an ordinance that regulates such signs.
These types of signs pose no issue to any ordinances in Normal.
ISBE Plan

The Illinois State Board of Education yesterday unveiled a plan to have 90-percent of students pass the state's standardized math and reading tests by 2032.
That's a tall order. Right now less than 40-percent of kids i
n Illinois schools can pass the tests.
Monday, June 26, 2017
State Budget Update: Madigan Speaks

Relay For Life
Search for Missing Pekin Teen Continues

Friday, June 23, 2017
State Budget: Madigan Claims Rauner Won't Raise Taxes on His Own

Thursday, June 22, 2017
It's Now Grossinger Motors Arena

Special Session: $40K for Seven Minutes of Work?

Barickman: llinois House House are Now the Odd Men Out.

Fund Grows for Family of Missing Scholar at U of I
There's now an 80 thousand-dollar fund for the family of a missing University of Illinois scholar. U of I leaders and managers at the U of I Community Credit Union yesterday said online donations hit 80 thousand-dollars to help the family of Yingying Zhang as police search for her. Zhang's father and aunt flew to Illinois from China over the weekend. Police say Zhang disappeared more than a week ago.
Wednesday, June 21, 2017
Ald. Houman Speaks to the Idea of Felons on Bloomington's Proposed Police Review Board

Rauner Talks Budget, Unity

Democrats Not Impressed with Rauner's Budget Speech

Tuesday, June 20, 2017
Activist Group Wants Convicted Felons on Bloomington Police Review Board

Normal Town Council Chooses Uptown Station Overpass

Monday, June 19, 2017
Woman Charged with Aggravated DUI in Death of Husband: BAC .164
40-year-old Juanita Webster of East Peoria is charged with aggravated DUI in the death of her husband, 37-year-old Andre Webster, in an accident on I-55 near Bloomington Friday morning. The woman's BAC was .164, which is more than twice the legal limit. She is being held in the McLean County Jail.
Normal to Vote on Train Station Crossing Plan Tonight

Rep. Davis Shows Shrapnel from VA Shooting on FOX News

FBI Offers Reward in Case of Missing U of I Chinese Scholar

Friday, June 16, 2017
Fatal Accident on I-55

State Budget Update: Rauner Calls for Special Session
No State Budget, No Powerball?

Suspect in PNC Bank Robbery Claims He Did it for Son's Medical Needs

Thursday, June 15, 2017
Bloomington Planning Commission Votes in Favor of Bike Lanes

Unit 5 Signs Virtual Classroom Deal, Approves Amended Budget

source: www.pantagraph.com
Wednesday, June 14, 2017
Rep. Rodney Davis Talks About Shooting Incident in VA

All are expected to survive, but the shooter has died.
The gunman is identified as 66-year-old James Hodgkinson of Belleville, IL. He is also described as a supporter of Bernie Sanders whose tweets say "Trump must be destroyed."
Congressman Rodney Davis was at the ballpark when the shots were fired.
Davis tells us, "This political rhetoric and political discourse has led to hate and it's led to gunfire. I never thought I would go to baseball practice and have to dodge bullets. It's got to stop and it's got to stop today!"
19th Economic Outlook for McLean County

“We have several reasons to be optimistic,” says Ed Scharlau, Vice Chairman of Busey Bank, “real estate sales are strong, people are spending money and agriculture is still one of the strongest industries in McLean County. The economic indicators show the hard work of various industries to increase the quality of life for our community members and our visitors.”
The county’s agricultural output totaled an estimated $485 million in 2016, up from $474 million the year before, and $441 million is anticipated for 2017. When it comes to corn yields, the county had 218 bushels per acre in 2016. Citing data from Busey Ag Services, Scharlau says “McLean County produced the most corn and soybeans in Illinois and the most corn of any county across the country in 2016.” Meanwhile, values for the most productive farmland—“Class A,” as defined by soil productivity research at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign—is $10,600 to $13,000 an acre.
Moving to retail sales, they were up slightly at $2.468 billion in 2016 from the previous year at $2.462 billion, according to the sales tax report from the Illinois Department of Revenue. $2.488 billion is anticipated this year. “Automobile sales are strong in McLean County,” says Scharlau, “with 18 cents of every dollar spent to buy or service vehicles.” The number of retailers in McLean County has increased. 4,114 businesses paid sales tax in Illinois last year compared to 4,080 in 2015.
Looking at the housing market, sales increased in 2016—up 2.8 percent over last year, according to the Bloomington-Normal Association of REALTORS®. The estimated average price of a home sold in Bloomington-Normal in 2017 is $175,000 compared to $171,000 last year. New home construction dropped slightly in 2016 with 161 homes (83 in Bloomington and 78 in Normal) built compared to 167 homes in 2015. Scharlau anticipates 165 new homes will be built in 2017.
More people are choosing to call McLean County home. According to the Census Bureau, 35,000 more people have moved to the county in the last 21 years (1995-2016) with 173,000 people living in the community today. Scharlau credits much of the growth to State Farm, “The employer has grown by 4,056 people since 1999.”
McLean County has an unemployment rate of 3.7 percent in April of 2017—down from 4.8 percent this time last year and still lower than the state average of 4.4 percent. McLean County has a significantly lower unemployment rate compared to others in Central Illinois, such as Peoria County at 5.4 percent, Tazewell County at 5.0 percent, Macon County at 4.9 percent and Champaign County at 3.8 percent.
New Restaurant to Open on Veterans Pkwy
Downtown Task Force Meets

Tuesday, June 13, 2017
Missing Witness Prompts Trial Postponement

Federal Funding for Hamilton Road Extension Plan Secured

The plan to extend Hamilton Road between Bunn Street and Commerce Parkway has been in the works for a long time. Now, the city of Bloomington has secured the the federal funding to put the project on track to be finished in the summer of 2021. The cost of the project is estimated at between 13 and 15 million dollars. Federal funding is to cover 80 percent, but the city yet to designate funding for the remaining 20 percent.
BPD to Open the New Community House

BPD Seeks Information in Two Armed Robberies

Dog Flu Returns

New Low Income Housing Proposed for Bloomington

Monday, June 12, 2017
Special Olympian, Barry Mogk, Dies After a Medical Emergency
High Heat This Week

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