Town of Normal

The fund came under scrutiny in 2024 when town and city elected officials learned of a $20 million balance, leading to calls for an audit. Normal and Bloomington temporarily paused sharing the tax revenue from April 2026 through June 2026.

The ACLU of Illinois has concerns about implementation of new restrictions on soliciting and unattended property near and in Uptown Station. WGLT asked Mayor Chris Koos about the issue during a Sound Ideas interview.

The Town of Normal has rejected claims from the American Civil Liberties Union that its revised code of conduct in and around Uptown Station violates free speech and other rights.

In a tale of two data center cities, Aurora and DeKalb are two examples of how location, regulation and revenue affect the residents where they sit. WGLT visited both to find answers.

Violations can escalate from a citation to a ban from the area to arrest. The ordinance states people will be given a chance to comply first and specifies it isn't meant to deny anyone access to public space "solely because the person is homeless."

The Town of Normal is looking to strengthen its code of conduct in and around Uptown Station, which has seen an increase in homeless people gathering on the property in recent months.

The two six-story buildings would bring more than 200 apartments to Uptown along with retail and restaurant space.

“My passion for supporting Normal's growth remains as strong as it has ever been, and I'll look forward to continuing to be involved, just not in an elected official capacity,” Byars said in a social media post.

Normal City Manager Pam Reece said Bloomington is giving Normal the opportunity to participate in the city's public forum on Aug. 26 at the Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts.

A resident of the Town of Normal has accused council member Kathleen Lorenz of yelling and swearing at town workers about town leadership during an early evening incident in Uptown.