1. Coroner: Body Found In LaSalle County Is Jelani Day
Illinois State University graduate student Jelani Day went missing in August. His body was later found in the Illinois River in Peru, Ill. It took nearly three weeks for authorities to identify Jelani's body. Authorities have not released any evidence confirming foul play. His family and supporters claim he was murdered. The case remains under investigation.
2. Judy Markowitz, Bloomington's Groundbreaking Mayor, Dies
Former Bloomington Mayor Judy Markowitz, a groundbreaking leader whose passion for downtown helped bring a controversial arena and performing arts center to the city's core, died this year. Markowitz, 82, was the first of many things. Bloomington's first female mayor and first Jewish mayor. Decades before, Markowitz was the first person from Bloomington-Normal to represent the Sister Cities program in Asahikawa, Japan, in 1962.
3. State Farm Moving To Hybrid Workplace Model
State Farm changed how its employees work on a permanent basis. The Bloomington-based insurer announced in April that it was introducing hybrid roles where most people will be part time in the office and part time at home. State Farm said about 40,000 people will be hybrid, which started in July. That's about 69% of the company workforce. The remaining roughly 18,000 employees would be either in office or work remotely all of the time.
4. How To Get A COVID Vaccine In McLean County
Vaccination information was crucial for the year 2021. As the first vaccines got approved, those wanting to protect themselves and others from COVID-19 turned to WGLT.org for an early listing of vaccination site options. Eventually, the WGLT resource was supplanted by similar lists from county and state health departments.
5. 1 Killed, 1 Injured In Downtown Bloomington Shooting
One woman was killed and another injured in this shooting in January in downtown Bloomington, near a long row of downtown taverns, restaurants and shops. Killed in the shooting was 22-year-old Mariah C. Petracca of Bloomington. Michael Bakana of Normal was arrested at the scene. Bloomington Police said the shooting was an isolated incident, preceded by a dispute between the victims and Bakana. Bakana's criminal case remains pending.
6. Rivian Fuels Home Buying, Building Surge in B-N
Rivian hired thousands of workers in Normal in 2021. That had real estate agents and homebuilders scrambling to make sure there were enough places for those workers to live in Bloomington-Normal or nearby. Rivian's plan could stretch a housing market that already had limited inventory.
7. Central Illinois Can Resume Indoor Dining With Move To Tier 1 Mitigations
It feels like a looooooooong time ago. But in January, Central Illinois was allowed to resume limited indoor dining and bar service, as the region moved back to Tier 1 mitigations. This marked the first time indoor dining was allowed under the governor's executive orders since November 2020, though many communities turned a blind eye to local enforcement of the orders. Capacity limits were eventually lifted altogether.
8. Bloomington Tent Dwellers Face ‘Eviction’ As Restaurant Prepares To Open
Some social service providers in McLean County say tent cities — like this particular one on the west side, soon to become a Panda Express — have been a problem in Bloomington for decades. Advocates say the tent dwellers’ plight points to a greater problem that’s not been addressed.
9. Inside The Rivian Plant: 'It's Like Google And Toyota Had A Baby'
WGLT got a tour of the Rivian plant in September, which was two weeks after the electric automaker officially started production. Just five years ago Rivian landed in Bloomington-Normal seeking tax breaks to help buy and resurrect the former Mitsubishi plant. It was the first of many significant developments for Rivian in 2021, including an initial public offering and the announcement of a second plant in Georgia.
10. IWU Alum Dave Kindred Pens Memoir After Losing A Grandson To Addiction
Illinois Wesleyan University alum Dave Kindred is a legendary sportswriter. But Kindred didn't write about sports as much as he wrote about people. Kindred's latest work was a stark departure from the work that encapsulated most of his career, but it is about some of the people dearest to him. Kindred tells the story of his grandson’s struggle with addiction and how substance abuse cost him his life at age 25.
