Business and Economy

Though property tax receipts from the soon to be vacant Mitsubishi auto plant will likely take a hit for area governments, some public officials say they are hopeful home values will not go down much, if at all. About half the 12-hundred workers at the Mitsubishi plant live in Bloomington Normal. McLean County Board Chair Matt Sorenson says analysis suggests many will remain in town.

'Tis the season for giving. How can you be sure your charitable donations are really being useful? Princeton University philosophy professor Peter Singer lays out a strategy for what he calls "effective altruism." His ideas are being hailed in some circles, but causing controversy in others. WGLT's Judy Valente first reported this story for PBS-TV's "Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly."

Every quarter, the Bloomington-Normal Economic Development Council presents its "BN By the Numbers" luncheon, spot-lightling a segment of the central Illinois economy. This quarter's event, over the noon hour tomorrow in Normal, centers on the economic development region that is the Interstate 39 corridor extending north from Bloomington-Normal to the Wisconsin border and on east to the Chicago area. The keynote speaker is Roger Hopkins, a consultant and former economic development official in Dekalb and Dupage counties.

The City of Bloomington is continuing to move forward on a TIF district for the Empire Street corridor. Alderman voted 8-1 to schedule a public hearing for the district on February 8th. Mayor Tari Renner joined Mike McCurdy to discuss the Tax Increment Finance district, a new contract with the police union, and divesting golf courses to close a budget gap.

Hundreds of people take advantage of a job fair at Heartland Community College for former Mitsubishi workers. Several businesses had booths up in the Jon Astroth Center, including NDE/NDT Solutions. Jeff Gaines is with the metal safety company, he says folks who are willing to travel and learn could find a new career with the company.

The new SCOPE, Statistical Composite Peoria Economy, report shows slow growth from a year ago but troubling signs ahead. Bernard Goitein of Bradley University is the author, he says the report does contain what at first seems a contradiction, more people are working compared to a year ago, but there aren't any more jobs.

Changes are forthcoming to Illinois' unemployment insurance program. They’re expected to please both workers ... and employers. The measure on its way to the governor would make it easier for businesses to prove worker misconduct. That could decrease employer’s costs, by exempting them from having to pay benefits. Another part of the package advantages workers. No longer will an older, laid off worker see his unemployment benefit drop because he's on Social Security. The deal took months to negotiate, and was resolved ahead of an end-of-year deadline.

As the sun sets on production at the Mitsubishi Motor Manufacturing in Normal, supporters of the workers gathered to demonstrate their gratitude in a community recognition event. Jeff Woodard of the McLean County Museum of History was among them.

Kent Ferguson has been looking for a job. He's one of the Mitsubishi workers losing his job with the end of production at the plant in Normal. As part of GLT's coverage of the plant transition, Charlie Schlenker visited again with Ferguson. He has interviewed in several places, a tool making test to gain entry to a pool of applicants for Harley Davidson in Menominee Falls, Wisconsin, interviews in Chatanooga, Urbana, Tesla in California, really all over the place. Kent's experience shows that in manufacturing, as in any profession, your skill set matters.

In the months since Mitsubishi Motor Manufacturing announced that it is closing its plant in Normal, GLT News has been checking in with three longtime employees to see how they, their families and fellow workers are coping. On Tuesday, production line worker Mick Hannah will assemble the final Mitsubishi Outlander sport vehicles at the plant.

Since the announcement that Mitsubishi Motor Manufacturing in Normal would close, GLT News has been checking in to see how workers and their families are coping. Like most of the people working at the soon to close plant in Normal Jerry Harcharik faces uncertainty.