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WGLT's best photos of 2021: When Bloomington-Normal reopened

WGLT | By Emily Bollinger
Published December 14, 2021 at 8:36 AM CST
1 of 24  — Pulse memorial
The Bloomington-Normal community marked the fifth anniversary of the Pulse nightclub shooting in June with a memorial service in downtown Bloomington, outside the Bistro.
Emily Bollinger / WGLT
2 of 24  — Historic swearing-in
Bloomington Mayor Mboka Mwilambwe at his swearing-in ceremony in May outside the Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts.
Emily Bollinger / WGLT
3 of 24  — Jesse Jackson and Carmen Bolden Day
Jelani Day's mother, Carmen Bolden Day, speaks alongside the Rev. Jesse Jackson during a demonstration in Peru, Ill., in October. That's where Day's body was found. They're calling for more investigative resources into the death of late ISU student Jelani Day.
Emily Bollinger / WGLT
4 of 24  — Summer Concert Satellite Series
Good Morning Bedlam performs during a WGLT Summer Concert Satellite Series show at Nightshop in August. The series was presented by CEFCU.
Emily Bollinger / WGLT
5 of 24  — Suit up
From left, Kerris Mctizik, 14; Jaylin Cousins, 16; and Gerrick Dickerson 15; pose for a photo in November with Andre Hursey, in cap, from the Jule Foundation after they are fitted for new suits at Robert Redding menswear boutique in Bloomington.
Emily Bollinger / WGLT
6 of 24  — Jelani Day protest
A group of emotional public commenters chastised the Normal Town Council during an October meeting — as well as during an outdoor rally preceding that meeting — about the town’s controversial removal of an artwork honoring Jelani Day, an ISU graduate student whose death police continue to investigate.
Emily Bollinger / WGLT
7 of 24  — Bloomington Gold returns
Normal Mayor Chris Koos speaks at the announcement in August that the Bloomington Gold corvette show would be returning to its hometown in June 2022.
Emily Bollinger / WGLT
8 of 24  — Tense school board meetings
Cities 92.9 talk show host Ty Smith speaks during a District 87 school board meeting in June. School board meetings were tense this year amid debate about critical race theory, mask mandates, and other topics.
Emily Bollinger / WGLT
9 of 24  — Downtown arch
The new archway on the north end of downtown Bloomington.
Emily Bollinger / WGLT
10 of 24  — Vaccines available for kids
A child gets his first COVID-19 vaccine dose at Grossinger Motors Arena in downtown Bloomington in November.
Emily Bollinger / WGLT
11 of 24  — 175 flags
There were 175 small white flags planted on the lawn outside the McLean County Museum of History in March, each representing the life of a county resident lost to COVID-19 at that time.
Emily Bollinger / WGLT
12 of 24  — Summer Concert Satellite Series
Good Morning Bedlam performs during a WGLT Summer Concert Satellite Series show at Nightshop in August. The series was presented by CEFCU.
Emily Bollinger / WGLT
13 of 24  — IWU graduation
Students are the Illinois Wesleyan University commencement ceremony in May.
Emily Bollinger / WGLT
14 of 24  — Delivering vaccines
A health care professional prepares a COVID-19 vaccine dose for a clinic at Illinois State University in April.
Emily Bollinger / WGLT
15 of 24  — Jesse Jackson
The Rev. Jesse Jackson and his Rainbow PUSH Coalition led a demonstration through Peru, Ill., in October. They're calling for more investigative resources into the death of late ISU student Jelani Day.
Emily Bollinger / WGLT
16 of 24  — Labor Day parade
Scenes from the Labor Day parade in September through Bloomington.
Emily Bollinger / WGLT
17 of 24  — Jelani Day demonstration
Led by the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, demonstrators gathered in October in Peru, Ill., to call for more investigation into the death of late ISU student Jelani Day.
Emily Bollinger / WGLT
18 of 24  — Make Music Normal
Modern Drugs performs at Make Music Normal in September in Uptown Normal. The festival is part of the WGLT Summer Concert Satellite Series Presented by CEFCU.
Emily Bollinger / WGLT
19 of 24  — Make Music Normal
Make Music Normal in September in Uptown Normal. The festival is part of the WGLT Summer Concert Satellite Series Presented by CEFCU.
Emily Bollinger / WGLT
20 of 24  — Make Music Normal
The Deep Hollow perform at Make Music Normal in September in Uptown Normal. The festival is part of the WGLT Summer Concert Satellite Series Presented by CEFCU.
Emily Bollinger / WGLT
21 of 24  — Taking your shot
A member of the Illinois National Guard delivers a COVID-19 vaccine dose at Grossinger Motors Arena in Bloomington in March.
Emily Bollinger / WGLT
22 of 24  — Candidate forums
Normal mayoral candidate Marc Tiritilli speaks during a WGLT debate in March at ISU's Alumni Center.
Emily Bollinger / WGLT
23 of 24  — Rivian R1T
A look at a Rivian R1T pickup truck during a test drive event in Normal in September.
Emily Bollinger / WGLT
24 of 24  — Corporate South
A scenic view of Bloomington's Corporate South campus in Bloomington in June.
Emily Bollinger / WGLT

The Bloomington-Normal community came back to life in 2021 after almost a year of pandemic shutdowns.

WGLT student photographer Emily Bollinger was there to capture some of the biggest moments of the year. Check out some of her favorite photos of 2021 in the gallery above.

You can see all of Emily's photos on the @WGLTNews Instagram account.
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Local News Photo GalleryBest of 2021
Emily Bollinger
Emily Bollinger is a graduate assistant at WGLT, focused on photography, videography and other digital content. They're also a graduate student at Illinois State University's School of Communication.
See stories by Emily Bollinger