WJBC-AM (Bloomington, IL)

By PETER HANCOCKCapitol News Illinoisphancock@capitolnewsillinois.com Article Summary A federal judge in Springfield says the Illinois State Board of Elections is not required to hand over the state’s complete voter registration database, including sensitive personal information, to the Department of Justice. The Trump administration says it needs the information to determine whether states are complying with federal laws requiring them to maintain accurate and up-to-date voter rolls.

By WMBD TV BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (WMBD) — The YWCA announced it’s receiving more than $250,000 in grant money to fund its long-time Re-Entry Services Program. The Re-entry Services Program helps incarcerated adults as they re-enter society. The program helps them get jobs, find homes, and more. The grant came from the Restore, Reinvest, Renew Program, also known as R3.

By WMBD TV BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (WMBD) — A new candidate is announcing his campaign for Bloomington City Council Ward 8. Mark Adams, an active member of the Twin Cities community, says he brings eight years of economic and community development experience as an AICP-certified Urban Planner.

By WMBD TV BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (WMBD) — One man is dead after being hit by a utility vehicle while riding a bike on Sunday. Officers were called at 5:05 p.m. on Aug. 2 to the 1900 block of West Washington Street to a report of a utility vehicle hitting a cyclist, McLean County Coroner Kathleen Yoder said. Yoder’s office was called to the scene, where she said a man was pronounced dead. No further information was given on the vehicle’s driver or the cause of the crash.

By BEN SZALINSKICapitol News Illinoisbszalinski@capitolnewsillinois.com Article Summary Gov. JB Pritzker signed the Children’s Social Media Safety Act — a bill designed to protect children online and limit their access to addictive social media algorithms. The bill would require social media companies to verify a child’s age on the device’s operating system and use stricter features for minors like limiting location-sharing and nighttime notifications.

By WMBD TV NORMAL, Ill. (WMBD/WYZZ) — The offseason was the shortest in Illinois State football history. But the players are glad it is over. About six-and-a-half months after playing in the FCS national title game, the Redbirds are back to work for a new season. ISU opened fall camp on Thursday with nine starters back from the team that finished as the national runner-up in January. “I think last year we had the expectations. People thought we could still bust. But now we are all boom.

By WMBD TV BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (WMBD) — Some unexpected pests have temporarily closed the McLean County Arts Center. Fleas were found while staff was cleaning out a neighboring property recently acquired by the art center, according to its Facebook post. The art center has been closed while a pest control company completes treatment and the building is thoroughly cleaned. “We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to resolve this issue as quickly as possible,” the post said.

By WMBD TV BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (WMBD) — A former Chiddix Junior High teacher was back in court Wednesday and asked a judge to allow him to get out of jail while allegations of grooming and child porn possession are pending. Andrew “Drew” Miller, 41, appeared in McLean County Circuit Court for the request as well as to enter a not guilty plea to additional counts filed after he was initially arrested.

By PETER HANCOCKCapitol News Illinoisphancock@capitolnewsillinois.com Article Summary A new law requires all districts to have policies banning cellphone use during school time in place before the 2027-2028 school year. The law requires districts to make exceptions for students who need those devices for medical reasons, special education or certain other purposes. Districts will not be allowed to enforce the policies by issuing fines, fees, suspensions or expulsions.

By WMBD TV NORMAL, Ill. (WMBD) — Illinois State University reported they have received a record amount of donations during the 2025-2026 school year. The university received just more than $52 million worth of private donations. This is a record-breaking number, beating last year’s number. For the past few years, they have exponentially beaten their previous record. “Six years of year-over-year growth is tremendous,” said Pat Vickerman, vice president of university advancement.