By: Diane Benjamin
1)
I’ve been hearing drug deaths are decreasing across the country, so I decided to look at what’s happening locally. The McLean County Coroner reports them to the Justice Committee every month. December’s number won’t be reported until the February meeting, so I asked Kathy Yoder for the number.
Instead of giving me just December, she gave me four years’ worth. What changed in 2025? Does blowing up drug boats heading to our country save lives? See for yourself:
Here is the end of year drug stats (accidental deaths):
2022: 24 total
2023: 31 total
2024 :33 total
2025: 17 total (one in December)
I thought you may like the yearly comparisons as a reference.
Kathy
2)
It sure looks like the Normal Township Supervisor lied about meetings not being recorded. A meeting was held last night, the screen says “This meeting is being recorded”. I think I will FOIA it and get the lie in writing.
Why was the Township so far behind approving minutes? https://normaltownship.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Normal-Township-Board-Meeting-1_22.pdf
.
Krystle, did you really freak out because an officer was parked at the old Owen’s Nursery property and you thought he was ICE? Social media claims you did. Want to confirm or deny?
3)
In 2020 Decatur had a population of 70,522
Bloomington’s population was 78,680
Bloomington’s City Manager Base Salary – $210,000 https://www.bloomingtonil.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/30312/638584492540430000
Former Bloomington employee swiped by Tim Gleason is now the Decatur City Manager. Melissa Hon’s base salary is $225,000.
According to ZipRecruiter, the average salary in Decatur is $48,912 a year.
ZipRecruiter claims the average salary in Bloomington is $53,525 per year.
Hon is required to live in Decatur while Jurgens isn’t required to live in Bloomington. Maybe her salary is justified. 😉
Is Krystle chasing down imaginary people? She is going to chase down the wrong person one day. Stay home Krystle. Do your job and that job does not include chasing officers down from any branch of law enforcement.
But Krystle doesn’t chase down anyone. She posts false information about ICE (5 year old used as bait by ICE! for one example) to incite her comrades to put themselves in harm’s way and go chase down ICE. All the while she’s eating pudding in her favorite upscale restaurant.
It’s how this all works, someone at the top who knows better and knows that the media will back up their lies says something that he/she knows will incite anger in the ranks. It’s passed down across the country and before the lie is revealed thousands with frozen water bottles, incendiaries, or their cars descend on law enforcement who must turn their attention from taking a criminal off the streets to protecting themselves or the rioters.
Krystal is just a cog in this anarchy machine. She knows the Antifa playbook. It’s in her library.
So strange to get a notably helpful response from a FOIA request! Kathy gave you what was needed, even though it was more than what you asked for. Such a breath of fresh air vs most requests where government functionaries seem to do their best to Not give you what was needed, and less than what you asked for.
Thanks, Kathy! (and conscientious staff, if appropriate!)
No FOIA, I just asked
Even better!