By: Diane Benjamin 1) Nayoka Griffis was just elected to the Normal Township Board last April. She quit already with no explanation given by Krystle Able who posted she is accepting applications to fill the seat. You have to prove you are democrat. 2) Another No Kings protest Saturday. Why are friends and neighbors struggling […]
By: Diane Benjamin According to this story the Normal Council held a special meeting last night: https://www.wglt.org/politics-and-government/2025-10-30/completing-uptown-normal-underpass-to-require-tax-hikes?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook The project is unaffordable, so staff wants to raise taxes. Drivers stuck behind trains blocking the tracks can watch walkers and bikers go under the tracks. Keep in mind Normal could have had a FREE overpass years ago […]
By: Diane Benjamin To get the whole picture, readers have to combine the video and the meeting documentation about the downtown transfer station: PDF page 29 https://connect-transit.com/file/3878/2025%2010%2028_Meeting%20Packet.pdf Once Connect Transit found out the old Pantagraph building wouldn’t work for the downtown transit center, this happened: . Bloomington has wanted to get rid of the Market […]
Update to this story: https://blnnews.com/2025/10/29/lopez-arrested-again/ Thanks to a reader who sent this to me:
By: Diane Benjamin Connect Transit employees, who are members of the Amalgamated Transit Union, have been working without a contract since June 30. Public comment at the Connect Transit Board meeting featured the union’s president and financial secretary/treasurer. Union members also attended respectfully and held signs. According to the speakers, the Connect Transit attorney has […]
Update to this story: https://blnnews.com/2025/10/29/derek-s-lopez-arrest-details/ By: Diane Benjamin Derek Lopez, the guy who flipped the Turning Point USA table at ISU, was arrested again: https://blnnews.com/2025/10/22/derek-lopez-confession/ Lopez lives in El Paso which is in Woodford County. No other information is available. He might only be in custody because he hasn’t appeared before a judge yet, I […]
Read the story from the Edgar County Watchdogs: Illegal-Aliens-Tied-to-Vehicle-Collision-in-Westfield-that-Killed-2-US-Citizens-Injured-2-Others
By: Diane Benjamin There were 2 interesting public comments last night. The first guy incurred thousands of dollars for water bills at a house no one was living in. The shutoff valve at the street keep getting turned off and on which flooded the basement 3 times. He came to Council expecting to get answers […]
Deadline to purchase tickets with meals is November 10. https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/new-illinois-8th-constitutional-convention Please call Donald Glenn at (217) 649-6718 with any questions. Tickets to hear speakers only on Friday at 7:45 will be available at the door with a surcharge. Going Forward As we’ve often said, the U.S. Constitution gives us the right to pursue the formation of […]
By: Diane Benjamin Very brief agenda! The committee Alderman Mollie Ward insisted on after gunfire came through her home is giving a report tonight. In case you forgot: https://blnnews.com/2024/08/20/safe-communities-in-sick-societies/ It looks like this committee is now permanent since the term of some appointees doesn’t expire until 2027. (PDF page 26) Meeting Agenda: https://bloomingtonil.portal.civicclerk.com/event/1023/files/agenda/7957 Report from […]
H/T a reader Did you know October is LGBT history month? What happened to all the other letters? Elementary kids are probably 5-10 years old. How are teachers explaining to them what LGBT stands for? Ask you kids! Cedar Ridge Elementary students and visitors are greeted with this: . Since the entire month of October […]
H/T a reader This story is only to document what Illinois did to make test scores look better. When reports show huge education progress next year, you need to know why. Watch who will be celebrating. State board of education recommends lowering student proficiency standards – May 28 2025 “Lowering proficiency benchmarks will inflate the percentage […]
By: Diane Benjamin Read to the bottom of this one! Getting millions of tax dollars and tax breaks requires transparency. Rivian stopped providing even the basics. We have no idea how many employees work in Normal because they stopped saying: https://wirepoints.org/after-getting-millions-in-tax-breaks-rivian-now-wont-say-how-many-people-work-in-normal-wglt-npr-at-isu/ Do you know Rivian just settled a lawsuit for $250,000,000? https://www.rttnews.com/3585443/rivian-automotive-reaches-250-mln-settlement-in-securities-class-action.aspx 600 employees across […]
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/darren-bailey-family-killed.amp . Pray for this family.
By: Diane Benjamin See this press release from the Chicago Public Schools concerning 2024 assessment results: https://www.cps.edu/press-releases/2024/june/2024-spring-state-assessment-results/ The press release celebrates increasing scores that are dismal-excerpts: How much of their “great” achievement is due to lower standards? CPS has incorporated The 1619 Project into their curriculum: https://tomklingenstein.com/how-far-1619-has-reached/ Editor’s Note: In the hands of the Destructive […]
By: Diane Benjamin The County finally recorded Derek Lopez’s arrest. Enter his name here to see it: https://publicaccess.mcleancountyil.gov/PubAC_SearchCriminal.aspx It appears he was charged with 3 counts of disorderly conduct and 1 count of criminal damage to property. Expect a plea bargain even though he admitted guilt: https://blnnews.com/2025/10/22/derek-lopez-confession/ The record shows he didn’t appear in court […]
By: Diane Benjamin It is alway nice when criminals confess. Derek Lopez wrote the below on X. He blamed the victim and not himself, typical deflection: . Below are excerpts from an email sent by Turning Point USA: . Pick a side.
By: Diane Benjamin The below was sent to me by a reader. Note Able’s 2021 post was on Mike Matejka’s group: Not In Our Town. If you stop by the NIOT Facebook page, it claims they exist to: stop hate, address bullying and build a safe, inclusive community. That isn’t true since nothing is posted about […]
By: Diane Benjamin If you didn’t know, the McLean County Sheriff’s office has an app that allows looking up inmates being held: https://mcleancountyil.gov/95/Sheriff I know it feels like too many accused persons are let loose with no bail, but the app is currently showing 218 inmates. One of them is Lopez even though initial reports […]
By: Diane Benjamin Yes, that abbreviation for Committee of the Whole is hilarious. The City uses it, so I will too. Free, free, free! Traffic at the new library is up — imagine that. Offer free meeting space and people flock to it. Spending more than $26 million and raising taxes bought “free” stuff for […]
By: Diane Benjamin This one is easy, but read this first: . The current Auditor has a surety bond. That bond is required for her position and is paid for by taxpayers. Michele Anderson has now cost the County money because she didn’t do her job. The County can make a claim against her bond […]
By: Diane Benjamin The first comment has been visible for two days. It could have been deleted by the Administrator of this Facebook page but wasn’t. The base of the Democrat Party wants socialism. They do not believe in America. Pick a side. 250 years is in jeopardy even though socialism has never worked anywhere. […]
By: Diane Benjamin Committee of the Whole meetings are pre-vote discussions. Most items discussed come back for a vote at future Council meetings. No votes are taken at COW meetings. Read about any of these agenda items here: https://bloomingtonil.portal.civicclerk.com/event/1035/files/agenda/6930 . This mockup is included for item B: … . Hopefully the pole gets painted before […]
Lopez was arrested. This does not say he was banned from campus: By: Diane Benjamin Make sure you read this entire post because Unit 5 is involved too. In case you missed the first story: https://blnnews.com/2025/10/15/more-reasons-isu-should-be-embarrassed/ Since it appears ISU did nothing, including the ISU police, the same guy repeated his criminal activities: . This […]
I heard a story this morning. The short version is: A child suffered an elbow injury courtesy of a school bully and the school is doing nothing. The child has a cast. When this child returned to school the bully resumed attacks. A teacher did not reprimand the bully. I don’t know what district or […]
By: Diane Benjamin Beirne has joined Matt Chapman as a Libs of TikTok star: https://blnnews.com/2025/10/09/normal-community-report-card/ Side note: Media reported Unit 5 didn’t have any consequences for Chapman’s political shirt because it didn’t disrupt any classes. The picture of him was taken by a person inside Normal Community High School who considered it inappropriate enough to […]
Picture added by request By: Diane Benjamin This is the email writer: . This self-admitted communist sent this email – note the typos and command of the English language: . In case the print is too small, here is the text: I tried to leave a comment on your posts about the Nazi situation (I […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Unit 5 response to concerns about both School Board President Alex Williams and teacher Matt Chapman was to create a video of employees talking about how great Unit 5 is. The video quality is horrible and garbled. Hear it yourself at 40:25: https://vimeo.com/event/5178296 That is yet another fail for Unit 5. […]
In case you need to some help speaking, below are a FEW of the MANY emails that were FOIA’d by a friend. I redacted the sender’s names because they aren’t important. Many parents feel just like you. (Note Weikle forwarded the email without comment and is still using pronouns) Did the Pantagraph ever do a […]
By: Diane Benjamin https://www.nhipdata.org/local/upload/file/2024-HIC-Counts-by-State%20-%20Housing%20Efficiency.pdf The National Homeless Project Issued this document in 2025. Bloomington/Central Il is listed on PDF page 3: . Same report from 2019: https://www.nhipdata.org/local/upload/file/Success%20Formula%20-%20by%20CoC%202019.pdf PDF page 7: . These reports show homelessness is down from 2019 and the number who have found permanent housing is much higher now. These pictures are from […]
Issued today by: Connie Beard, Communications Chairman
By: Diane Benjamin Illinois State University SHOULD be embarrassed but probably won’t be. Monday this happened on the ISU campus: . This is the guy student say flipped their table, a police report was filed: . I’m sure ISU knows who this guy is. Are they doing anything to him? Is this the poster child […]
By: Diane Benjamin There was only 1 Public Comment. The speaker was greatly concerned about the Salvation Army and the Federal grant they received to rehab apartments on Tracy Drive for veterans. According to him, Bloomington needs to intervene more than they have. Police have responded to numerous incidents and progress isn’t happening: . Alderman […]
1) Be The Change Today would have been Charlie Kirk’s birthday 7:00pm Location: Miller Park Bloomington IL. About This Event:This gathering is about honoring Charlie’s faith, courage, and strength. The event will feature speeches, including words from a close friend of Charlie, and time to share stories, make connections, and lift one another up. While […]
By: Diane Benjamin The former Speaker of House in Illinois reports to a Federal prison today. Of course it’s 7.5 years in minimum security. Note no one in the State of Illinois prosecuted him. I filed a FOIA request with the City of Bloomington that would have been received by them on September 15th. Your […]
By: Diane Benjamin Agenda: https://bloomingtonil.portal.civicclerk.com/event/1010/files/agenda/6908 Today is a Federal Holiday, the City of Bloomington once again violates City Code to meet today. https://blnnews.com/2019/10/13/bloomington-violates-their-own-code/ Violating City code is now a way of life for aldermen, Council, and City Manager who spent over $50,000 without Council approval. https://blnnews.com/2025/07/17/more-bloomington-prosecutions-for-code-violations/ This item is on the regular agenda. See if […]
By: Diane Benjamin There were several comments from people claiming to be NCHS Matt Chapman students I didn’t post. Personal attacks on me were automatically deleted. They were made to this story: https://blnnews.com/2025/10/10/matt-chapman-comment-from-a-student/ This one I saved just for a story. Eventually every leftists will show their true colors and prove the indoctrination they tried […]
