Politics and Government

McLean County Board member Logan Smith has announced his resignation from the board, effective immediately. Smith said he has a new job with the City of Mesa, Ariz.

The McLean County Board has named Cassy Taylor interim administrator for six months.

Gov. JB Pritzker has signed off on new redistricting boundaries for state legislators. Those maps mean some Bloomington-Normal and Peoria residents will see changes in who represents them in state government.

The Illinois Department of Transportation has announced a $1.205 million grant to build a new section of Constitution Trail in Normal. It will run from Adelaide Street west to Maxwell Park.

Republican leaders in the Illinois House and Senate filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday challenging the constitutionality of the new legislative district maps that Gov. JB Pritzker signed into law June 4.

The Town of Normal is poised to move ahead in the next budget year with the long-debated underpass project in Uptown Normal. The project first came up 12 years ago and it will be another two or three years before it's done.

McLean County area lawmakers addressed the concerns of local business owners on topics from clean energy to unemployment benefits at a State of the State event Tuesday morning.

The Normal Town Council held a special work session Monday to discuss progress on the long-planned $22.7 million Uptown Normal underpass project.

McLean County Sheriff Jon Sandage said when he leaves office at the end of next year he hopes society will continue improving programs to reduce repeat crimes. Sandage said he thinks reducing penalties for drugs is a bad direction society is taking, but so is ignoring needs for treatment.

A survey designed to find out how Bloomington residents feel about their police department came back with some odd data that call into question the reliability of the effort. But those who conducted the survey said there remain useful elements from the responses.