News

The Coliseum in Bloomington will now be called the Grossinger Motors Arena. Facility manager VenuWorks has sold Grossinger Motors naming rights for the stadium. The $175,000  per year contract will last five years. Company owner Caroline Grossinger said she's excited.

"You know, investing in a facility is an enormous investment, but when we did that we did that with the thought that we're here to stay. We're here to build that community and the overall communities around us," said Grossinger.

McLean County Sheriff Jon Sandage is running for re-election. Sandage cited achievements in increasing drug enforcement efforts as a reason he hopes people will vote for him again.

"We have dedicated another detective to our detective division and started running narcotics cases out of our detective division. We have also added a K-9 unit to the patrol division and we are working a lot more drug interdiction details," said Sandage.

The Bloomington Normal area edged under 4-percent unemployment last month. That's according to the Illinois Department of Employment Security. Economists suggest the lowest possible level of unemployment is about that 3.8-percent mark.

Compared to a year ago, the twin cities had 900 more jobs in May.

The Normal Town Council has approved an underpass option between Uptown and Uptown South. 

Council member Kevin McCarthy said he supports the construction of the underpass. He said he hopes the project will allow a safe way for people to cross the railroad tracks.

A solid majority on the Bloomington City Council favors creating a citizen review board for police complaints.

There's less certainty about one provision community groups are pushing. Alderman Joni Painter said during a council work session it is an absolute no go for her.

The Bloomington City Council has given a clear signal to the Library Board as it considers a new or expanded library; stay in the current location. 

The community's first bike co-op is open. The West Bloomington Revitalization Project Bike Co-op,  is a welcoming space where people can learn about building, maintaining and safely riding bicycles. The co-op will offer bikes for sale at affordable prices and people can also volunteer, with hours counting toward bike ownership. The co-op is located at 724 Washington St. and shares space with the WBRP's Tool Library. 

Former Bloomington Mayor Jesse Smart joked as he received the McLean County History Museum's History Makers Award, "We all at some time in our life hope that at our funeral somebody will have something nice to say.  So, I appreciate the fact that I am here tonight ."[to hear nice comments.]

Each year the McLean County Museum of History Board selects the History Makers who are recognized for outstanding, lifelong contributions of time and talents that have helped make McLean County a better place to live.

This year's History Makers include:

Speaking at Bloomington High School, Illinois U.S. Senator Dick Durbin said Bloomington-Normal schools stand to lose about $500,000  in Medicaid funds under the Republican plan to repeal Obamacare.

A slew of high ranking Democrats showed up in Bloomington Normal for a letter carriers union convention at the Uptown Marriot. They included the Senate President John Cullerton, Senator Dick Durbin, and businessman and Gubernatorial candidate Chris Kennedy.
     
Kennedy is taking aim at the state property tax system saying it's 'legalized extortion' when politically elected assessors elevate assessments and politically connected lawyers appeal them. Kennedy said this is not just a problem in Chicago, but everywhere in the state.

District 87 Schools in Bloomington have loaned the area vocational education program close to a quarter million dollars.

District 87 Superintendent Barry Reilly said it's a shame that's necessary because of the state budget deadlock. Reilly also said District 87's interest rates are climbing because the state bonds are near junk status.

The Bloomington Planning Commission supports bike lanes along Washington Street. Residents testified on both sides of the amendment to the Bloomington bike plan during a public hearing.

The 2017 GLT Summer Concert is history. We hope you had a great time! We did! Performers include Edward David Anderson's Black Dirt Revival band, Los Texmaniacs, and Thornetta Davis.