Politics and Government

The Town of Normal has formulated a new way to choose whether, which, and how to place art in public spaces. The town has supported public art for decades, but recently, a controversy over a mural in uptown prompted staff to re-examine the process to make it more intentional.

The Central Illinois Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union said Monday it has reservations about a proposed new traffic camera system that can record license plate numbers of vehicles.

One year after the attack on the U.S. Capitol, elected officials and central Illinois residents said they remember the events of that day vividly.

The record surge in COVID cases is prompting the City of Bloomington to move council and other meetings mostly online for the month of January.

Even though this is an election year and big controversial issues are unlikely to reach passage in Springfield, there are opportunities to get things done in the state legislature. Bloomington-Normal Republican State Sen. Jason Barickman said those tend to be measures on smaller things affecting people in his district.

Election years traditionally mean lawmakers in Springfield do less than usual to avoid giving an opponent something to target in November. But the change from a winter to a June primary may change that dynamic in one way.

With about six months left before the June 28 primary election, state lawmakers are firming up plans to run for office in newly-drawn districts. Or in one case, not run.

The new five-year capital projects blueprint for the Town of Normal includes more than 400 projects and an estimated $157 million in spending. The town council takes up the Community Investment Plan Monday evening.

Illinois State University has chosen a buyer for a prime piece of real estate in Normal. University President Terri Goss Kinzy said ISU received four proposals for the de-commissioned Shelbourne Apartments off Linden Street and is working with the high bidder.

The COVID-19 pandemic is still creating economic challenges and high inflation rates, and recent case numbers are posing a threat to the health and safety of citizens. Normal Mayor Chris Koos shares his insights for distributing federal funding and preparing for winter months.