Government and Politics

Normal Mayor Chris Koos, speaking Thursday on WGLT’s Sound Ideas, urged people to get vaccinated, boosted, and to “take care of the basics” of protection from the coronavirus as COVID-19 cases, positivity rates, and hospitalizations set McLean County records.

Town of Normal staff suggested Monday evening using $10.8 million in federal pandemic relief dollars on a variety of initiatives, ranging from cybersecurity and new technology to health care and transit services.

Democrats on the McLean County Board are crying foul by Sheriff Jon Sandage over the removal of tablets that inmates can use to make phone calls, emails, and texts, and access educational content.

The Mayor of Normal said lawmakers helped with fire pension funding a couple years ago and during the spring session of the General Assembly. It now appears they neutralized the benefit from the action.

When a community workforce expands that rapidly, most people think the growth is a positive, but it can bring challenges. Bloomington-Normal history can be a guide.

McLean County emergency officials said Thursday time is already running out to register damage from last weekend's flooding.

Terri Goss Kinzy, a scientist and researcher who most recently was an administrator at Western Michigan, took over as ISU president on Thursday. She joined WGLT's Sound Ideas for an extended interview covering COVID-19 vaccination, enrollment trends, student athlete compensation, and more.

The Pritzker administration is making too much out of an improvement in the state credit rating, according to a Bloomington State Senator. Bond rating agencies have revised their outlook from negative to stable. The governor is touting that as a sign of good fiscal management. Republican Senator Jason Barickman said it means less than that.

The U.S. Marshal for central Illinois could continue in that job under the Biden administration.

Normal City Manager Pam Reece said she is satisfied with the public way the town council debunked council member Stan Nord's unfounded ethics allegations against Reece during a special meeting on the topic last week. Reece said it was important for the morale of town staff to hear council members respond to Nord because such statements have an impact on any group.