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Articles by Jacie Hinton
Illinois State Batters Storm, Many Left Without Power
Images courtesy Illinois State Students NORMAL, IL. – On Thursday afternoon, the National Weather Service [NWS] reported that McLean County was hit by 1.64 inches of rain in one hour. The storms caused damage to telephone poles, trees, and buildings on Illinois State University’s campus and the surrounding communities. “It kind of looked like a hurricane out there with all the wind and all the rain,” Garrett Sanders, a visitor from Northern Illinois, said.
Downtown Bloomington Farmer’s Market returns for the season
Image courtesy of the City of Bloomington BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Downtown Bloomington is nearing the kickoff of their summer farmer’s market season. The farmers market runs year-round, but the summer season runs from May through October every Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to noon. The market also acts as a producer only market, this means every vendor must make, grow or raise what they sell at the market. In addition, the market maintains that over fifty percent of vendors are farmers.
ISU strike ongoing amid questions about president’s pay
Image courtesy of Illinois State University NORMAL, Ill. – AFSCME Local 1110 has been on strike for nearly a week, with no clear end in sight. Union members and students have raised concerns about the salary increases for Aondover Tarhule. According to WEEK25 News, Tarhule’s raise is part of a four-year contract signed in March 2024, bringing his base salary to $450,000 annually. The increase has sparked debate over whether the university president is overpaid.
City of Bloomington out of drought phase
Image courtesy of the City of Bloomington BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – The city of Bloomington is no longer in a severe drought, allowing Lake Bloomington and Evergreen Lake to begin recovering. On Jan. 2, 2026, a combined lake deficit triggered the city’s entry into a moderate drought phase. Conditions worsened in February, prompting a severe drought designation. By March 20, the deficit had decreased, and the city returned to a moderate drought phase.
City of Bloomington introduces new emergency response installations
Image courtesy of the City of Bloomington BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Emergency response time is critical for saving lives in the Bloomington community. The city of Bloomington is installing new equipment at 87 intersections that will detect when an emergency vehicle is approaching. The installations are expected to improve response times by allowing traffic signals to turn green before emergency vehicles reach the intersection. “Lives could literally depend on minutes or seconds.
Nomad Theatre Company presents Pop-up HERstory production
Image courtesy of the Nomad Theatre Company BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – March is Women’s History Month, and the Nomad Theatre Company is honoring that with its Pop-Up HERstory performances. The HERstory performance consists of local writers and actors telling the story of influential women throughout history. There are ten different women being portrayed, and each has a 15-minute monologue. “It’s sort of a choose-your-own-adventure.
Bloomington Bison, Humane Society host Pucks & Paws adoption event
Image courtesy of the Humane Society of Central Illinois BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – The Bloomington Bison will collaborate with the Humane Society of Central Illinois on Saturday night for their annual Pucks & Paws event. The humane society will bring adoptable dogs to the game in hopes of finding them permanent homes. Fans will also be allowed to bring their own dogs.
Bloomington-Normal crime report 3/2-6
NORMAL, Ill.- From traffic violations to fraudulent driver’s licenses, cases like these are very common violations of the law. Monday morning, between 7:55 and 9:50 a.m. at the Bone Student Center pay lot, a traffic violation occurred. A violator failed to remain at the scene of the damage that occurred. The disposition is administratively closed.
Miller Park Zoo balances winter care with global conservation efforts
“We pride ourselves on having a niche collection of animals. We want to have animals that are standout animals, but also ones that tell a conservation story,” said Zoo Education Manager Julia Benzel. Some animals that reside at Miller Park Zoo include snow leopards, red pandas, red wolves, flamingos and other tropical species. During the winter months, extra precautions are taken for the animals. Miller Park’s snow leopards and red pandas thrive in cold temperatures.
IWU honors Four Chaplains, alum with Humanitarian Award
Image courtesy of Illinois Wesleyan University BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Illinois Wesleyan University hosted its inaugural Four Chaplains Commemoration Ceremony on Tuesday at Evelyn Chapel. The event was inspired by an Illinois Wesleyan alum with a personal connection to the story of the Four Chaplains, who had also received the Legion of Honor Humanitarian Award. Further research revealed that one of the four chaplains, Lt. George L.
Illinois Art Station hosts free monthly open house
Image courtesy of the Illinois Art Station NORMAL, Ill. – The Bloomington-Normal Illinois Art Station hosts free open house events every fourth Saturday of the month, offering community members a chance to explore art in a welcoming, low-pressure environment. The Art Station provides fine arts programming for children and families who may not have access to arts education in schools due to budget cuts or other limitations.
Downtown Bloomington enhances First Fridays
Image courtesy of the City of Bloomington Normal, Ill. – Fridays are very special days in Bloomington. The first Friday of every month, retail businesses, art galleries and restaurants attract the after-work crowd to shop locally. These Fridays are accompanied by different themes as well. Some big themes this year are Tour De Chocolat, Get Your Kicks on Route 66 and Once Upon a Holiday.
Bloomington launches Proactive Property Maintenance Initiative
Image courtesy of the City of Bloomington NORMAL, Ill. – The city of Bloomington is introducing a new Proactive Property Management Maintenance initiative. The city’s Community Impact and Enhancement Department is leading the initiative as part of a community-wide revitalization effort. Its primary goal is to keep neighborhoods safe, clean, and well-maintained. Before this effort, the department had relied on complaints about property violations.
Cybersecurity professor shares tips to avoid holiday shopping scams
Image courtesy of Uptown Normal NORMAL, Ill. – Holiday shopping is just around the corner. Every year, people scour online shopping websites for the best deals. With that also comes the risk of online scams. Social media has become a major playground for online shopping scams. As users scroll through their feeds, fake advertisements can appear, offering deals that seem too good to be true. When users click and make a purchase, the product often never arrives.
Evening of Stars marks 30 years of community support for Red Cross mission
Image courtesy of the American Red Cross NORMAL, Ill. – For 30 years, the American Red Cross of Central Illinois has been hosting an event each year titled “Evening of Stars.” The American Red Cross is a nonprofit humanitarian organization that helps provide relief and emergency assistance during disasters nationwide. This year, the 30th anniversary event will be held at Illinois State University in the Brown Ballroom at the Bone Student Center.
Sigma Nu raises $31,000 for St. Jude through sold-out SNUFest
Image courtesy of Sigma Nu Fraternity NORMAL, Ill. – From petting dogs on the Quad to organizing campus-wide concerts, Illinois State University’s fraternities and sororities find unique ways to support the causes they care about. At Illinois State University, Sigma Nu supports philanthropy year-round through events like Puppy Heaven, where students can pet and walk dogs on the Quad.
ISU Office of Sustainability launches November Pumpkin Compost Drive
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 old pumpkins in the trash where they’ll end up in a landfill, people can bring them to the Office of Sustainability to be composted.
ISU Sorority helps fundraise for Breast Cancer Awareness
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 Zeta Tau Alpha are aware of what it really means to be raising money for Breast Cancer because it can affect anyone, and individuals might know someone with the disease.
Normal’s Haunted Trail returns with family fun, frights and a cause
Image courtesy of the Town of Normal NORMAL, Ill. – In the height of spooky season, Normal Parks and Recreation will host two weekends of Haunted Trails. The Haunted Trail has been around for 30 years and has evolved into what it is now. The Haunted Trail consists of two different haunts: a Not-So-Scary trail on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and a Scary Trail next Friday and Saturday.
Career Services hosts fair to connect students with employers and opportunities
NORMAL, Ill. – Finding and applying for a job can be difficult. That’s why Illinois State Career Services is here to help. Career Services hosted an event for students looking to meet with potential employers and get insight into potential internships on Tuesday. This fair had employers with open positions for jobs, so students could apply for them on the spot. Career Services provided students with different activities like resume building, headshots, and refreshments.
ISU invites families to dive in and climb high at monthly campus event
Image courtesy of Illinois State University NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State University is hosting its popular Family Swim and Climb event this Saturday, offering faculty and staff a free opportunity to enjoy the Student Fitness Center’s pool and climbing wall with their families. Michelle Starkey, a certified administrative professional with Health Promotion and Wellness, offered insight into the Family Swim and Climb events.
ISU WGSS Department partners with Emergency Management for safety training
Image courtesy of Illinois State University NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State University’s Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies department partnered with Emergency Management on Friday to host a training event highlighting the university’s on-campus safety rules and protocols. Dr. Jacklyn Weier, Women’s Gender and Sexuality Studies advisor, spoke about what the training with Emergency Management entailed.
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