Business and Economy

The first crop of students have begun a course of study at the Heartland Community College Electric Vehicle Energy Storage training program. Eventually they will go out to repair the growing number of electric vehicles in the community.

During the fall veto session, Illinois lawmakers will talk about revising how the state offers economic development incentives that could help lure companies like Samsung to the state.

After a $75 million candy plant expansion goes into operation in Bloomington, Heartland Community College will expand a program to train workers for Ferrero North America.

One of the world's largest candy makers has started construction on its first chocolate plant in North America.

Rivian has hired about 1,000 people in central Illinois in the last three months. As of Monday, the company said it has 3,060 workers at its plant in Normal, easily making the company McLean County's third largest employer, ahead of Country Financial and behind Illinois State University and State Farm.

A little known 1998 state law is the next flash point for those debating vaccine mandates with some school districts beginning to use the Health Care Right of Conscience Act to fight Gov. JB Pritzker's executive order requiring teachers and health care workers to take regular COVID tests if they don't get the vaccine.

Illinois Wesleyan University has received a lead gift for a new building the university hopes will inspire creativity and innovation.

Several auto repair shops are busier than usual in Bloomington-Normal as people keep their cars longer.

Bloomington-Normal is the only metro area in Illinois that lost jobs over the last year, even as the economy re-emerges from COVID pandemic restrictions.

Some McLean County residents say the end of expanded COVID unemployment benefits is not the only reason they delayed returning to the workforce.