Two Normal Firefighters received the state's Medal of Valor for trying to rescue a child from a fire last year. The award is given to a firefighter for an act of heroism or bravery that clearly demonstrated courage and dedication in the face of danger while in the performance of duty.

McLean County Judge Don Knapp handed down the sentence for 26-year-old Michael Mitchell, who pleaded guilty in February to four felony counts in connection with the November 2024 crash.

A Bloomington man is hospitalized in stable condition after being shot inside an apartment building over the weekend.

Desiree Robertson must serve at least half her sentence. She told jurors in February she was acting in self-defense when she shot Daniel Shelby, 41, twice in the head.

A 20-year-old man is dead after a motorcycle crash Saturday night on Interstate 55 in Normal, authorities said.

The probe is the most high-profile independent inquiry that’s been announced in response to Operation Midway Blitz, during which federal agents also shot Marimar Martinez in Brighton Park and routinely used pummeling force and chemical irritants.

Jerald Sandage had a 2022 conviction overturned alleging he assaulted women targeted by accessing police records while he was employed as a university police officer in Champaign-Urbana. A jury this week convicted Sandage a second time.

The union representing building, grounds and dining workers at Illinois State attempted to gain a temporary restraining order preventing the university from contracting janitorial services during a work stoppage. A judge denied the request.

Police said no arrests have been made. The department has not said whether they have identified any suspects. All six shooting victims are out of the hospital.

McLean County prosecutors said Friday that a 43-year-old Unit 5 junior high school teacher made sexually suggestive remarks to a 13-year-old girl last year. He faces charges of grooming.

The average across Illinois since the Pretrial Fairness Act took effect in 2023 shows people are placed on pretrial supervision at a 2-to-1 ratio when they are charged with a crime. In McLean County, more people are jailed while awaiting trial.

Normal Police say Brandon Knapp, 43, of Hudson, was indicted Wednesday by a McLean County grand jury. Knapp, who taught at Chiddix Junior High School in Normal, was placed on paid leave in January as police investigated reports of alleged misconduct.