Sound Ideas

Six members of the Normal Town Council excoriated the seventh, Stan Nord, for what some called bullying and others slander of City Manager Pam Reece. The special meeting came about after Stan Nord questioned the ethics of City manager Pam Reece last week on procurement and zoning policy, and over deciding who could attend a 2019 citizens summit.

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.

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.

Five years into implementation of the county mental health action plan, the head of the McLean County Center for Human Services in Bloomington said community leaders are trying to identify the next priorities.

COVID-19 caseloads, hospitalizations, and deaths have steadily dropped recently in the United States. As Illinois moves into a full economic reopening, it's easy for some to act like the pandemic is over. But in India, a major crisis rages on. Bloomington-Normal's Indian community wants others to pay attention.

It took McLean County six months to get to 40% of the population fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Health officials say they're optimistic the rate will climb through the summer and fall, even as the number of residents getting doses dwindles.

The pace of vaccinations has slowed dramatically in McLean County and the health department may soon end mass clinics. It's still a long road from the current 40 percent inoculation rate in McLean County to herd immunity at 70 or 80 percent. Plus, it's garlic season in central Illinois. Learn about the ancient nutritious, even antiseptic herb and how to save your taste buds and tummy from the smelly thing. The identities of creative people can never truly be separated from the things they create, but Black artists often find themselves pigeonholed by White curators. Go behind a Bloomington Normal exhibition highlighting Black freedom of creative expression.

The pace of vaccinations has slowed dramatically in McLean County and the health department may soon end mass clinics. It's still a long road from the current 40 percent inoculation rate in McLean County to herd immunity at 70 or 80 percent. Plus, it's garlic season in central Illinois. Learn about the ancient nutritious, even antiseptic herb and how to save your taste buds and tummy from the smelly thing. The identities of creative people can never truly be separated from the things they create, but Black artists often find themselves pigeonholed by White curators. Go behind a Bloomington Normal exhibition highlighting Black freedom of creative expression.

One of the oldest zoos in the country will commemorate its decades-long effort to saving animals on Saturday. The Miller Park Zoo has continued to operate through two pandemics, multiple wars, a depression, and many recessions.

Gov. JB Pritzker has signed off on new redistricting boundaries for state legislators. Those maps mean some Bloomington-Normal and Peoria residents will see changes in who represents them in state government.