The Bloomington-Normal Community Land Trust purchased its first home July 28 after three years of fundraising, volunteer work and informing the public on land trusts.

The ACLU of Illinois has concerns about implementation of new restrictions on soliciting and unattended property near and in Uptown Station. WGLT asked Mayor Chris Koos about the issue during a Sound Ideas interview.

The Town of Normal has rejected claims from the American Civil Liberties Union that its revised code of conduct in and around Uptown Station violates free speech and other rights.

Representatives from five McLean County housing and service outreach organizations attended the Continuum of Care conference on Thursday in Bloomington. They spoke about their successes, challenges and what the future of housing looks like.

Violations can escalate from a citation to a ban from the area to arrest. The ordinance states people will be given a chance to comply first and specifies it isn't meant to deny anyone access to public space "solely because the person is homeless."

The revisions are meant to curtail “camping-type activities, excessive amounts of personal property, unattended personal property, storage of personal property on site, blocking of access points and excessive occupation of waiting areas," according to a memo from city staff.

The chair of the McLean County Board said she is not yet satisfied with the solution of a loan to the village of Hudson to make up for an error in tax collection.

The Town of Normal is looking to strengthen its code of conduct in and around Uptown Station, which has seen an increase in homeless people gathering on the property in recent months.

When Daniel Kern officially founded the nonprofit Kernovate in 2025, he hoped to solve three problems: diverting mattresses from landfills, giving beds to those in need and providing work opportunities.

Agencies that provide homeless services in Bloomington-Normal are sounding an alarm over changing federal guidelines that may reduce funding for those programs.