By: Diane Benjamin If you don’t read this story first you won’t understand the below: https://blnnews.com/2025/04/30/3-things-you-need-to-know-11/ Start Early also got Federal money: The audit is available here: https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_audit/2024-06-GSAFAC-0000357380 PDF page 35 and following describe the audit problems discovered. Tax returns are available if you page down. The 2022 tax return showed 451 employees. The purpose […]
By: Diane Benjamin 1) Yesterday I reported a lot of the Rivian vans parked at State Farm were gone. https://blnnews.com/2025/04/29/eight-things-you-need-to-know/ I drove by again yesterday and they are back: 2) Does retired judge James Knecht know the Wisconsin Supreme Court suspended Judge Hannah Dugan after she was federally charged with helping an undocumented immigrant evade […]
By: Diane Benjamin This is where citizens in Bloomington can opt-out of electric aggregation: Opt-Out Constellation Bloomington This is where citizens in Normal can opt-out: Opt-Out Constellation Normal Be careful. A guy who tried to opt-out told me it kept opting him in.
By: Diane Benjamin 1) Did everyone miss this in yesterday’s story on the comments made by retired judge Knecht? https://blnnews.com/2025/04/28/laws-apply-to-judges-too/ Knecht thinks ICE should have operated in secret, behind closed doors, instead of attempting to arrest a criminal illegal at the courthouse. This isn’t government “For and By The People”. It is how most of […]
By: Diane Benjamin Of course everything passed. Of course the outgoing members of the Council received plaques and praise. Only two items of note: This video is a part of a Public Comment by Jackie Beyer. She watched a bid opening for the downtown streetscape. It came in much higher than projected – 63% higher. […]
By: Diane Benjamin Below is why judges should NEVER be retained. They end up thinking they are gods. Trump was elected to get criminal illegals out of the country. Obstructing the President’s performance of his duties deserves justice. Remember when states wanted to deport illegals and the Supreme Court told them immigration enforcement was the […]
By: Diane Benjamin Since equal justice under the law no longer exists, Bloomington citizens have no reason to believe the City Code matters. If elected officials Cody Hendricks and Jenna Kearns don’t have to follow City Code, citizens can’t be expected to either. If you receive a parking ticket or ordinance violation, mail it back […]
By: Diane Benjamin See this WGLT article: https://www.wglt.org/local-news/2025-04-24/d87-optimistic-but-acknowledges-challenges-of-banning-cell-phones-at-bhs District 87 is planning to lower their property tax grab by $2 million, which is 1/3 of a revenue estimate they plan to receive from the 1% Sales Tax. Don’t expect your property taxes to go down. Your assessed values will be going up. If District 87 […]
By: Diane Benjamin 1) So far in April 581 employees have been notified in Illinois they will be laid off: https://www.illinoisworknet.com/LayoffRecovery/Pages/IllinoisWARNData.aspx 10 companies are listed. Four are listed as Mass Layoff. Four are listed as Plant Closures. Two don’t show any data. The numbers below the recent layoff list reveal more: Manufacturing in Illinois shows […]
By: Diane Benjamin Bloomington will swear in newly elected officials on May 1. Since the ceremony is at the BCPA, it probably won’t be live-streamed. Will it be recorded? In 2017, elected officials were sworn in with an incorrect oath that omitted mention of the Constitution. Tari Renner claimed the wrong oath was pulled from […]
By: Diane Benjamin WGLT published this story concerning the new electric aggregation contract both Bloomington and Normal agreed to: https://www.wglt.org/local-news/2025-04-16/some-electric-bills-in-bloomington-normal-are-about-to-go-up A friend sent me the letter Constellation Energy sent to all customers. It has no information about the new contract, but it does have the price customers paid through 12/31/24: .0785 The WGLT story rounds […]
By: Diane Benjamin Hit Play below to hear the entire annual report from Chief Simington. The department is still having problems hiring officers, maybe because DEI is used in hiring decisions to make the department look more like the community. From this WGLT story: https://www.wglt.org/local-news/2025-03-13/bloomington-police-chief-discusses-illegal-guns-cameras-diversity . At 57:00 on the video the Chief states he […]
By: Diane Benjamin Board packet: Connect Transit 4/22/25 Items of note: The Salary increase isn’t in the packet. Staff recommends not releasing any Executive Session Minutes – PDF page 52 . The meeting video is very hard to hear even with the sound all the way up. When the Board returned from Executive Session they […]
By: Diane Benjamin The City of Bloomington is pushing multi-family housing. New single-family homes are too expensive to build, while multi-family projects qualify for tax credits. The city plans to create a program to reduce or eliminate construction fees, hoping to recoup these costs through future property taxes. What’s the real reason governments emphasize a […]
By: Diane Benjamin Know what this is? https://www.bloomingtonil.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/28541/638798959668170000 That is Bloomington’s Administrative Court docket for April 16th. Note SEVEN cases are scheduled at 8:30 and another SIX at 9:00. The City has the audacity to waste time of the people waiting to have their case heard. Staff time is more valuable than the people’s they […]
By: Diane Benjamin See the agenda for the April 15th 2025 meeting of the Illinois State Board of Elections: https://www.elections.il.gov/AboutTheBoard/Agenda.aspx A hearing was held regarding the complaint filed by Chad Berck. The complaint pertained to Lizzy Johnston and Cassy Taylor raising money on County Property to remove the elected office of Auditor. The complaint was […]
By: Diane Benjamin These beauties are just north of Dawson Lake. Most of the field shows oil leaking, some are much worse than these.
By: Diane Benjamin I have been contacted by numerous residents of Normal regarding this development. The property was originally zoned for single-family use but was abruptly rezoned for multi-family housing in the heart of a single-family neighborhood. Area residents fear this will disrupt their tranquil lifestyle, increasing traffic and crime. Normal’s leadership appears unresponsive to […]
By: Diane Benjamin Monday night at the Committee of the Whole meeting the Police Chief will present the 2024 annual report. You can see it here: 2024 Annual Bloomington Police Report Statistics are on PDF page 17: . I’m still waiting to hear if anyone has been arrested for the smash and grab at Rogers […]
Flying around I noticed the Government Center in downtown Bloomington has no power again. This is the second time this week. Offices with no windows are in complete darkness – no emergency lights. No work is being done either. Power is out for around for 5-10 seconds then it likely goes out again and takes […]
By: Diane Benjamin https://www.wglt.org/local-news/2025-04-16/some-electric-bills-in-bloomington-normal-are-about-to-go-up Excerpt: The new rate starting in June will be close to 40% higher than what energy customers are currently paying — with rates rising from $.07 to nearly $.11 per kilowatt hour. MUCH higher electric bills follow Bloomington raising water rates May 1st by another THIRD for what they deemed “generational” […]
By: Diane Benjamin Lots of local media was in the Council Chambers for Monday night’s meeting. Not one member of the media requested copies of what Jackie Beyer showed at Public comment. City Code is law in Bloomington, allowing violations means more violations will occur in the future. https://blnnews.com/2025/04/15/too-chicken-mboka/ Did media cover any violations? WGLT […]
By: Diane Benjamin Between the Executive Session and the end of the open meeting the exchange below happened. Ken Lee shakes Dan Brady’s hand. Brady then approaches the new (forced in) Mayor Pro Tem, Mollie Ward. She appears to refrain from a handshake. Words were exchanged, the mic was off so we don’t know what […]
By: Diane Benjamin He claimed last night he does: . See this link: https://apps.isbe.net/ELISAPP/Pages/Vue/Inquiry/educator/credentials The State of Illinois hasn’t certified him to teach economics: . Anyone going to ask him for the truth? Are parents going to ask Olympia? I’m pretty sure his speech was in response to Jackie Beyer’s public comment: https://blnnews.com/2025/04/15/too-chicken-mboka/ Olympia website […]
By: Diane Benjamin Last night’s meeting lasted 2 hours, not including an Executive Session to discuss a raise for Jeff Jurgens and a land purchase. No details were given on either. Since Jeff Jurgens is not only City Manager but also a lawyer, one would think he cares about sitting Council members violating City Code. […]
By: Diane Benjamin The current mayor wasn’t a chicken when the far left members of the Council demanded a vote to make Molly Ward mayor Pro Tem. He is evidently too chicken to do anything to sitting Council members who violated the City Code. If laws don’t matter to the Council, why should they matter […]
By: Diane Benjamin Are your bills from the City of Bloomington a mess? On the City home page: . I’ve seen lots of social media posts from people getting past due notices when the bills have been paid. If you are charged interest that isn’t cancelled because of their error, let me know. If your […]
By: Diane Benjamin Tonight’s agenda: 4/4/2025 The agenda omits penalties for Cody Hendricks and Jenna Kearns’ flagrant City Code violations (details: https://blnnews.com/2025/03/25/cody-hendricks-chief-cheater/). In two years, Bloomington’s consolidated elections will become fully partisan due to this lack of accountability. Worse, residents will question why they must follow City Code when elected officials don’t. This ‘rules for […]
By: Diane Benjamin Follow-up to this story: https://blnnews.com/2025/04/12/bloomington-normal-crime-map/ The SAFE-T Act went into effect on January 1, 2023. Below is a crime map of Bloomington during the same time period for 2022. Normal is not on this map, they evidently didn’t report crime statistics then the way they are now. https://communitycrimemap.com/map Purple is residential burglary, […]
By: Diane Benjamin Below is a map of some local crimes. https://communitycrimemap.com/map If you go to that link you can customize what crimes appear. The crimes shown below are since January 1st, 2025. You can also zoom in to specific area. Purple is residential burglary. Brown is theft, doesn’t include shoplifting. Green is motor vehicle […]
You won’t believe how many I deleted! Sources were prolific this week!
By: Diane Benjamin Looks like 4 rows of Rivian vans: Rivian reported 1st Qtr 2025 production of 14,611 vehicles. Only 8,640 were delivered. https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/rivian-stock-rivn-drops-alongside-dismal-q1-deliveries-1034543896 . . .
By: Diane Benjamin February 2025 and Year-to-Date ridership: PDF page 9 The first circle highlights the COST per ride in February, the second is Year To Date costs per ride. . Click PLAY to hear the Board Chair, re-elected Ryan Whitehouse, ask David Braun if Flex Ridership is going up because Mobility Riders are switching […]
By: Diane Benjamin 1) The Vidette finally published a story late yesterday on Charlie Kirk’s ISU rally: https://www.videtteonline.com Charlie Kirk Creates a Stir at Illinois State University with Open Discussion The reporter included comments from students who attended as well as Kirk’s opening remarks. Also included was the proverbial “racists” label that gets thrown at […]
By: Diane Benjamin According to the Vidette website: https://www.videtteonline.com/ The “Student Voice” has written NOTHING about the massive gathering on their campus yesterday. These are the top 2 stories under NEWS: The Vidette has joined the ranks of FAKE NEWS. Congrats Maybe the staff doesn’t get out of bed until mid afternoon. Keep in mind […]
By: Diane Benjamin WGLT made the best case for defunding NPR with this headline: . Obviously WGLT wanted to leave their readers with the impression not many people attended. Even ISU security estimated 1000 people at noon. Citizens don’t need public paid journalists, especially when facts are immaterial to their reporting. More crowd pictures here: […]
By: Diane Benjamin Many thousands of people signed Witness Slips when the original bill to regulate homeschooling was heard by committee. It was passed anyway. Since rules are immaterial, the original sponsor added an amendment that could be voted on anytime. The amendment pretends truancy officers have time to access educational portfolios and refer charges […]
Where you get news matters. Read the title: This pic from today was posted by Turning Point USA of the ISU rally, massive crowd! Sent to me by a reader, much bigger crowd than showed up for the Hands Off Protest: What conservative event wouldn’t have a clown shop up to protest: Demonic, of course. […]
