Sustainability

During a muddy "field day" last weekend, artist Ruth Burke drove her team of oxen, Clark and Sparky, over the one-acre plot that will be home to a living art installation of native plants.

ISU's College of Applied Science and Technology, Department of Agriculture and Office of Sustainability unveiled a new vertical farm this week, which will grow food for campus dining services.

The City of Bloomington is getting a $600,000 state grant to build a green infrastructure park near to the community sewage treatment plant on the west side of town. It's the Sunnyside Park Sustainability Initiative.

The city manager for the Town of Normal says it will take a long time to fully implement the newly-approved sustainability plan.

The Normal Town Council on Monday approved a new sustainability plan that focuses on what the town will look like in 2050. Council members also approved a new site plan for Rivan and rezoning a lot for multi-family housing.

The Town of Normal Vision 2050/Sustainability plan steering committee held a public forum Wednesday to get community input on what Normal could look like in a quarter century.

After a few test runs, ISU's Office of Sustainability hopes to open opportunities to care for their stretch of North Linden Street to volunteers.

Last month was the planet’s warmest August in the 174-year record of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Like other communities, Bloomington-Normal really noticed the impact of that heat. The August heat wave didn't just cause people to droop. City Manager Pam Reece said the town's shade cover wilted too.

The Green Screen Film Series continues at the Normal Theater on Tuesday with "The Human Scale," a documentary about how developing mega-cities change human behavior.

A new report on the financial condition of the Town of Normal shows higher fund balances than at this time last year. The increase of close to $3.5 million across all funds comes from increased consumer spending related to growth in the community workforce.