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The city of Bloomington has some unpleasant choices ahead. The city council has five options to close a million dollar deficit but is a long way from clarity. Many of the lawmakers in Springfield weren't even born the last time there was a House Speaker NOT named Mike Madigan. Hear an assessment of the new House and Senate leadership performance in the spring session. State Senator Jason Barickman blames the Governor for an evictions moratorium that may cause a spike in evictions when it goes away in late summer. Barickman says the courts should have been trusted to deal with the issue during the pandemic. And Bloomington Normal's largest COVID testing site is closing. Find out who will pick up the load.

Illinois and Bloomington Normal businesses prepare for phase five...with no capacity limits for stores. The new legislative map splits up Bloomington Normal into five house districts and several senate seats. Some think that'll help community interests in Springfield. Others say no. The Miller Park Zoo has survived not one but two pandemics and 130 years. It's celebrating an anniversary this weekend. The State of Illinois is giving the town of Normal $1.2 million to extend the Constitution Trail along Gregory Street to Maxwell Park.

The pandemic may have eased in Bloomington Normal but a lot of residents are still frantic about the danger to family members in India. Listen to south Asian community concerns about what's still a global problem. Plus the retiring head of the Center for Human Services in Bloomington says need for mental health services in the community outpaces supply by more than two to one. A week long series of activities marking Juneteenth begins. And legislators and advocates hope to make Illinois the second state to permit marriage certificate name changes for trans people.

A lot of people in Bloomington Normal needed a fur child to relieve the isolation and get through the pandemic. A lot of those kitties and doggies are going back to animal shelters when their humans no longer want the pets. It takes a wage of more than sixteen bucks an hour to afford a two bedroom apartment in Bloomington Normal. A minimum wage earner has to work one and a half jobs just to have a place to sleep. Plus, Jersey Mike's restaurant is set to open. Texas Roadhouse in Bloomington Normal will be delayed a bit. Hear about the Bloomington Normal Restaurant Scene with Larry Carius.

Small towns in McLean County would love to have a couple million bucks in pandemic relief money. They're frustrated the Governor's staff haven't filled out the federal paperwork. Lexington alone would get a quarter million dollars to help businesses and improve infrastructure. Bloomington City Council member Jenn Carillo is resigning because she's moving out of the ward. Bloomington city council member Jamie Mathy says he'd like to see mental health workers go along with cops and emergency service workers to respond to people experiencing a psychiatric, behavioral or substance abuse crisis. And get a light and lovely look at lavender.

High schools are puzzling over how to meet new state requirements to teach media literacy. Educators at Illinois State University's school of communication have some tips after producing an online resource to combat fake news and promote civic reasoning. Normal town council member Kathleen Lorenz voted for the underpass project, again, but says it's a nervous vote. Lorenz tells you what she thinks is next. Plus, Arts correspondent Breanna Grow explores what goes right when the casting is all wrong with "Miscast Cabaret" from Community Players.

Stress can affect childhood development. Hear from an expert whether the pandemic may delay kids speech and language. You can "BEE" a fan of plucky pollinators with a visit to Wild Harvest Honey festival in Heyworth. Karen Zangerle masterminded a 2-1-1 hotline to provide access to help in McLean and 48 other Illinois Counties. Zangerle is retiring from the agency after 36 years. Plus, who among homeowners in the Midwest has not experienced the tyranny of the turf?

A Bloomington Normal doctor says physicians are seeing cancer and pre cancer in younger and younger patients. That colonoscopy you really don't want at age fifty? Yeah, an influential panel recommends you start at 45 instead. A tall building is a lot like a car. You drive it a while the parts wear out and you either do an expensive rebuild or you get a new one. Hear how to assess Bloomington Normal buildings in the wake of the Miami condo collapse. Plus LGBTQ students get a safe space and living community. ISU designates a part of Watterson Towers as the Rainbow floor. The head of ISU Pride tells you why it's necessary.

Congressman Rodney Davis asks why many fellow House Republicans voted against a January 6th commission when they originally supported an investigation. Davis says Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also needs to answer why Capitol security was unprepared. Plus, Illinois State University will require COVID testing for unvaccinated students. President Larry Dietz has more. The new head of Mid Central Community Action forges ahead while honoring the legacy of the late Deb White who died of Covid. And McLean County Administrator Camille Rodriguez gives you the early look at how the county will place federal pandemic relief money.

Illinois' largest auto insurer says it is seeing a huge increase in thefts of catalytic converters nationwide and in this state. State Farm says pandemic unemployment and a hot market for platinum palladium and rhodium might be causes. A jazz musician who borrows from hip hop says the two art forms are more similar than you might think. Jon Norton has an interview with Saxophonist Christopher McBride before a Saturday concert in Bloomington. Bloomington Council Member Jamie Mathy is all about under the street infrastructure. And find out what kids are learning about media literacy.