Local News
NORMAL, Ill. – The Normal Town Council faced a divided room Monday night as council members debated whether to move forward with the long-planned Uptown underpass, a $40 million project that would improve rail safety but require local tax increases to fund. Normal Mayor Chris Koos cast the deciding vote after hours of discussion; this […]
Image courtesy of Encounter Campus Ministry NORMAL, Ill. – Encounter Campus Ministry is currently renovating their new building on Mulberry Street to include several new services for students. The process started in 2017 with Encounters board of directors exploring the idea, but it did not fully take shape until 2021, when Encounter began receiving money […]
Image courtesy of Heartland Community College NORMAL, Ill. – Heartland Community College and Country Financial have partnered to fund a $1.38 million extension of the Constitution Trail. The Central Illinois insurance firm joined other donors in supporting the project, which also received a $200,000 grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Steve Fast works […]
Image courtesy of Mane Society BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — A new salon in Bloomington is setting itself apart by combining affordable services with community involvement. Mane Society opened in April 2025 and was founded by cosmetology student Ashli Whitton, who said the idea came from a need for more accessible salon options in the Bloomington-Normal area. […]
Image courtesy of Illinois State University NORMAL, Ill. – From Jack-O-Lanterns to new soil, Illinois State University’s Office of Sustainability will run a Pumpkin Compost Drive for the entire month of November. Sustainability is all about taking steps to help the environment, and composting pumpkins is one simple way to do that. Instead of tossing […]
Image courtesy of Upper Limits Bloomington BLOOMINGTON, ILL. – Summit Shakers Upper Limits is hosting a Parkinson’s climbing night Monday to engage the community in an event aimed to foster athletic inclusivity. Parkinson’s disease is a progressive and neurodegenerative disease that can cause stiffness, slow movements and other issues. Parkinson’s can start with less obvious […]
Image courtesy of Miller Park Zoo BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Families will fill Miller Park Zoo tomorrow morning for the first fall session of the Animal Crackers class, a hands-on learning experience that brings kids face-to-face with animals through stories, crafts and nature play. Education Specialist Julia Benzel shared that Animal Crackers is much more than just a cute […]
Image Courtesy of Illinois State University NORMAL, Ill. – The artwork of Jen Bervin and poetry come together uniquely during the Drop-In Poetry event at Illinois State University Galleries in Uptown Circle, Normal. Drop-In Poetry is a period of time where both ISU students and members of the Normal community can come in and write […]
Image courtesy of the Children’s Discovery Museum NORMAL, Ill. – The Children’s Discovery Museum is holding its annual Halloween Hoopla event Friday, October 24, from 6 to 8 p.m. The event was created to have a fun, indoor Halloween event that local families could participate in as part of the holiday season. According to Museum […]
NORMAL, Ill. – October isn’t just for Halloween; it’s also Breast Cancer Education and Awareness month. Vice President of Philanthropy for Zeta Tau Alpha, Julia Cox gave some information about the month and some events the sorority holds to raise money for Breast Cancer research. Cox said that she makes sure that the members in […]