Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Illinois accused of handing out illegal CDLs

By: Diane Benjamin If your media didn’t report this, get better media. I’m sure you’ve heard about accidents and deaths caused by illegals with licenses to drive semis. Illinois has now been listed as one of the states handing out CDLs to unqualified drivers. https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/trumps-transportation-secretary-sean-p-duffys-audit-illinois-non-domiciled-cdls-finds WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy today exposed […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

When State Taxes Increase Again . . .

By: Diane Benjamin The EIN number for The Immigration Project is 43-1700482 With that number you can look up how much the State of Illinois has paid them: https://illinoiscomptroller.gov/vendor-services/vendor-payments-new This organization not only provides provides legal services to “immigrants”, they send out ICE warnings to their rapid response people. Taxpayers are funding the obstruction of […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

The Must See Part of Bloomington’s Meeting Last Night

By: Diane Benjamin Matt Burgess, Home Sweet Home Ministries, gave a presentation on how the first month operating The Bridge is going. He gave an honest report that is worth listening to. 4 people have already been kicked out. 2 others left voluntarily. Others had difficulty adjusting to living indoors. Matt has also seen people […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Illinois Minimum Wage Increase is Back Again

By: Diane Benjamin The pic below was sent to me by a reader. The Senate version has been referred to Assignments. The House version has been referred to the Rules Committee. That means neither versions is dead. Why only a $27 minimum wage by 2032. Why not $50 or more? Does everyone want to pay […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

WGLT, Normal, and the State of Illinois

By: Diane Benjamin WGLT is not allowed to sell advertising. What did The Town of Normal pay WGLT to do? (2025 data isn’t available yet) https://www.openthebooks.com/search-results/details/?n=Wglt-Normal&e=73583&t=c&burl=%2Fsearch-results%2F%3Ft%3Dc%26F_Name_S%3DWGLT%26F_State%3DIllinois%26F_Year%3D0 . Has WGLT applied for State of Illinois money? If you don’t know about the plan Springfield passed to subsidize media, read up on it: https://dceo.illinois.gov/expandrelocate/incentives/taxassistance/new-journalism-tax-incentive-program.html Yes, non-profit media […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

A Story from 2018! It now has more reads in 2026

I wrote the story in 2018: https://blnnews.com/2018/07/07/bloomington-is-at-war-thanks-to-tari/ It got a LOT of reads in 2018, but it has been read to varying degrees every year since. A month and a half into 2026 and it already has more reads than it had in 2018. Nothing in that article should be a surprise if you were […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Update to the Update – Update to HB 3355

With overwhelming opposition, Carol Ammons cancelled the hearing today. Meanwhile, he husband refuses to reprint the Republican ballot to fix his error. By: Diane Benjamin See this story: https://blnnews.com/2026/02/14/danger-whenever-springfield-is-in-session/ HB3355 is a bill in Springfield that can easily lead to mail-in ballots being sent to every voter without them requesting it. Below are the Witness […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

People are RUSHING to Vote

By: Diane Benjamin Not really. Smart people know facts about candidates never come out until a lot closer to election to day – March 17th. People who don’t vote in primaries will complain about their choices in November while forfeiting their right to decide who appears on the ballot. Early voting started February 5th. This […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Bloomington COW tomorrow night

By: Diane Benjamin The City calls this meeting COW themselves. Since that amuses me, I use it whenever it fits. The Bloomington Committee of the Whole won’t meet until tomorrow night since today is a Federal Holiday. Even though Columbus Day is also a Federal Holiday but they met anyway, some are Federal Holidays are […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Champaign County ballot error

By: Diane Benjamin PDF page 8: https://champaigncountyclerk.com/elections/who-represents-me Nobody proofreads in Champaign County? . There is no one running named Tad Dabrowski. His name is Ted. The current County Clerk and running for re-election is AARON AMMONS. He should be required to reprint all Republican ballots. It should be no surprise Champaign County has a “structural […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Danger whenever Springfield is in session

By: Diane Benjamin If you believe mail-in voting is the least secure way to vote (like Jimmy Carter did), file a witness slip opposing this bill: https://www.ilga.gov/house/hearings/details/3110/22403/CreateWitnessSlip/?legislationId=161868&GaId=18&View=Create&fbclid=IwZnRzaAP9uYtjbGNrA_2r12V4dG4DYWVtAjEwAGJyaWQRMmJ1TEZ0cUdCcnI0UXROMExzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeHvldQnGykVQ9QF2QhUtasHWRqVU-lW50PiWlTTicr5tNT5RC2mFh4NcFLnQ_aem_A-yI2QCswrei74xph3gobw HB 3355: Amends the Election Code. Provides that an election authority may elect to mail a vote by mail ballot to all qualified voters instead of sending notices […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Water or Jobs? Rivian

By: Diane Benjamin I write and research stories based on: This story was spurred by a reader. They wanted to know how much water Rivian used since we are in a drought. My first thought was Rivian uses Normal’s water since the plant is in Normal. I decided to ask Bloomington anyway since the reader […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Illinois’ public pensions are worst funded in nation

https://www.illinoispolicy.org/three-peat-illinois-pension-system-last-place-for-3rd-year-in-a-row/ Excerpts: Low funding ratios mean less certainty because it means the state does not have the money to pay out what it promised. If liabilities continue to grow faster than assets, this funding ratio shrinks. But even before insolvency hits, low funding ratios still hurt the state. Just like failing to pay off credit […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Rivian Reports 4th Quarter earnings

If you LOVE a lot of numbers read this link: https://electrek.co/2026/02/12/rivian-rivn-q4-2025-earnings-report-yoy-growth/ If you just want a summary: https://sherwood.news/markets/rivian-climbs-after-posting-better-than-expected-q4-results-provides-2026/ Rivian climbs after posting better-than-expected Q4 results; sees R2 SUV hitting the market in Q2 EV maker RivianRIVN $16.79 (-4.95%) reported its fourth-quarter and full-year earnings results after markets closed on Thursday. Its shares climbed 13% in after-hours trading. In the […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Where INCCRRA spent a lot of their money

By: Diane Benjamin This story shows the HUGE increase in funding as shown on the nonprofit tax returns of INCCRRA: https://blnnews.com/2026/01/16/the-local-ngos-tax-return-inccrra/ . Those numbers are MILLIONS – a huge increase from 2019 to 2020. What did they do with that money? At least part was the establishment of Birth To Five. Illinois was divided into […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Want to Know How Many People Owe Fines and Fees to the County?

By: Diane Benjamin You will never know! Remember, ONE guy owed $22,105.11 https://blnnews.com/2026/02/07/unpaid-county-fines-bloomington-liquor-license/ This link shows what the Circuit Court policy for collections is: https://mcleancountyil.gov/166/Cases-Referred-to-Collections Either none of the actions listed were enforced or none of them mattered. Was there a warrant issued for his arrest? He supposedly owes an additional $6,631.53 for being turned […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Logan County:

By: Diane Benjamin Do people in Logan County know who this is? . Now look at this picture: . See the top left corner? That’s Rachael Stechman. A concerned citizen of Atlanta thought citizens should know who in Logan County wants criminal illegal aliens protected and not the borders. Now you know. . It’s hilarious […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Matejka & Chamber of Commerce doing comedy now?

By: Diane Benjamin Mike Matejka posted this on his Not In Our Town Facebook page: . Of course Mike is implying there is no difference between the KKK and ICE. Since Wikipedia has a fake history of the KKK, see History.com instead: https://www.history.com/articles/ku-klux-klan Quote: Founded in 1865, the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) extended into almost […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Bloomington 2/9/2026 meeting recap

By: Diane Benjamin City Manager Jeff Jurgens STRONGLY urged residents to conserve even more water. Of course the below isn’t all that happened last night, just what I thought was notable. Last night’s Bloomington City Council meeting was tortuously long. Two items were pulled from the Consent Agenda. Both serve as a lesson in government […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

4 Things You Need To Know

By: Diane Benjamin 1) If you are white, don’t apply for a teaching job at District 87. Superintendent Dr. Mouser’s will openly discriminate against you: ‘”Operationally and organizationally, the district remains stable and progressing forward. We have successfully negotiated three collective bargaining agreements and continue to maintain excellent relationships with all of our bargaining units. […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Feds Investigating Student Data Privacy Violations

By: Diane Benjamin Read the McLean County GOP press release below. To summarize: Colleges across the country send personal student data to the National Student Clearinghouse. That organization then hands the data to Democrat-aligned NGOs in violation of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Those NGOs distribute students’ personal data to Democrat activists, […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Unpaid County fines & Bloomington Liquor License

By: Diane Benjamin This item is one Monday’s Bloomington City Council agenda: . Bloomington must be desperate for new businesses! Right fit? See that part about payment in full to McLean County? This is a screen shot of Aaron Francis’ record: , See all those *Cs? They are there because the County sent all the […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Sharon Chung: We need FREE child care

By: Diane Benjamin Just a few months ago mentioning illegal aliens were receiving federal tax dollars outraged the left. I used to be told by left-leaning people that illegal aliens weren’t getting benefits because that would be illegal. Suddenly, it wasn’t illegal anymore—once there was plenty of proof that illegal immigrants were indeed receiving tax […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Pick A Side

By: Diane Benjamin Victims-mom-slams-grammy-speeches-after-daughter-boyfriend-killed-alleged-dui-crash-illegal-immigrant One Bloomington victim, Corey Cottrell, made the list below of Americans killed by illegal immigrants: https://blnnews.com/2019/07/10/bikers-ride-for-corey-cottrell/ Since Illinois doesn’t allow asking immigration status, the list below may not include some victims here. If you don’t have a problem with this extensive list, you are probably out protesting ICE. Normal people want […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Do You Know About This Charity in Gridley?

By: Diane Benjamin This was brought to my attention by a reader. I’m going to start this story by stating there is no proof the 2 businesses involved are anything but Christian organizations doing God’s work from these two buildings in Gridley, Il. The one on the left is Lifesong for Orphans, the right building […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Tracking Local Arrests

By: Diane Benjamin I downloaded the McLean County Sheriff’s Office app awhile back. Just watching the jail population change is interesting. This morning inmates totaled 232, yesterday showed 228. I’ve seen it higher and it was around 20 less before Christmas. I have no idea why except I was interested, but I attempted to track […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

The ISU Communist responds

By: Diane Benjamin Andrew Franson responded to this story on his Facebook page: https://blnnews.com/2026/02/02/5-things-you-need-to-know-11/ I hope ISU is proud of this student with no grasp of the English language. Maybe he’s aiming for a job in Illinois government: . Franson did send a pictures of people standing in front of the BCPA. They could have […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Remember INCCRRA? Child Care is Unaffordable?

By: Diane Benjamin Two of the previous stories in case you forgot: Is There Fraud In Illinois Child Care Spending? You Are Paying Child Care Costs For Illegal Aliens The INCCRRA website has a data request form and a list of what information can be requested. See this link: https://www.inccrra.org/images/datareports/04-07-16_Data_Request_Form.pdf I requested data for McLean […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

5 Things You Need To Know

By: Diane Benjamin 1) Remember the communist organizer from ISU – Andrew Franson? https://blnnews.com/2025/10/16/email-from-an-isu-communist/ He calls himself a communist, I didn’t label him. I received an email from him saying the picture in this story is wrong: https://blnnews.com/2026/01/30/tiny-anti-ice-crowd/ Andrew claims people had left by the time the picture in the story was taken. He claims […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

National School Choice Week

By: Diane Benjamin This is National School Choice Week – Illinois isn’t participating because teacher unions want students locked into failing schools based on their zip code. Statement from Tommy Schultz, CEO, American Federation for Children:  https://www.federationforchildren.org/afc-celebrates-national-school-choice-week-2026/ “As we celebrate National School Choice Week, we embark on what will be a golden age in American […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Opportunities to Oppose Law Enforcement

By: Diane Benjamin Plenty of opportunities to prove who you voted for last year: . Does 50501 know Barack Obama sued Arizona and won because the Constitution gives the Feds authority over immigration – not states? Do attendees know Illinois coddles illegals with your tax dollars while raising your taxes? 50501 isn’t non-partisan. Only one […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Connect Transit – October 2015 vrs December 2025

By: Diane Benjamin Have you noticed the media never reports on how much Connect Transit is costing taxpayers? Have you noticed you haven’t been told these bus subsidies exist across the country? The Champaign-Urbana bus system loses far more than Connect Transit. Did you know the Danville Mass Transit District attempted to dissolve itself: https://edgarcountywatchdogs.com/2026/01/cris-mass-transit-violated-law-on-vote-to-dissolve/ […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

I Know Nobody Cares, but Connect Transit Losses GROW

By: Diane Benjamin Today’s agenda: https://connect-transit.com/file/4024/2026%2001%2027_BoT%20Meeting%20Packet.pdf The packet is for November and December. There isn’t near as much information in the packet as usual. Missing are reports from their consultants in Springfield and DC. $42,059 for what? . Ridership is up, so are the losses: . Flex is still up almost 9% fiscal year to […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Must Watch From Last Night’s Council Meeting

By: Diane Benjamin There was a long list of emailed Public Comments, a FOIA would be needed to find out what position they were taking. There was also a long line of in-person and phone Public Comments. A few people spoke about IDOT’s plan to add a sidewalk to the north side of Route 9 […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Bloomington tonight – 1/26/26

By: Diane Benjamin Agenda: https://bloomingtonil.portal.civicclerk.com/event/4112/files/agenda/9284 Up to $50,000 for an audit of your sales tax mental health spending? Since the money has been stockpiling instead of being spent, $50,000? Money is meaningless to government because they aren’t spending their own. Why doesn’t this include 2025? . The only item on the regular agenda is: . […]