By: Diane Benjamin Yesterday’s story was updated with a few things I found in the FOIA request: https://blnnews.com/2026/03/06/normal-doesnt-have-an-underpass-contractor/ Did you know Normal originally stated taxpayers were funding 9% of the project and now it’s 37%? Click the above story! WGLT finally did their own underpass story. On Facebook it has over 100 comments, most want […]
By: Diane Benjamin If you could read between the lines, this story told you: https://blnnews.com/2026/02/24/where-is-the-underpass-normal/ Last October the Normal Council awarded the construction contract to a company in Missouri instead of a local bidder: https://www.millstoneweber.com/ Millstone Weber backed out of the contract early this year. I have a FOIA pending for the emails. Since their […]
By: Diane Benjamin https://wallethub.com/edu/best-worst-states-to-be-a-taxpayer/2416 Illinois has the highest tax rates in the COUNTRY! Taxes are high but the ruling party always wants more money. People will continue to leave Illinois for lower tax states. Click the link above for a lot more details. Next, vote your interests instead of re-electing people who will never have […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Normal Town Council meeting last Monday had parents of students at Glenn Elementary show up for Public Comment. The parents know Unit 5 might vote to close Glenn, they want Town officials to intervene to keep their neighborhood school open. I wonder how many of them voted in the last consolidated […]
By: Diane Benjamin h/t a reader Is the current principal quitting at the end of the school year? Is Mariana Nicasio is there? What’s going on at Chiddix? I just heard Mariana has resigned as of the end of the school year. It’s not nice to keep secrets from parents Unit 5. See this link […]
By: Diane Benjamin This story and the last one about CIRA are because a reader contacted me. Part 1: https://blnnews.com/2026/03/03/cira-part-1-2/ That reader left a voicemail at CIRA on February 5, 2026: . The name is redacted because it isn’t important to the story. Based on what this reader was told, I FOIA’d CIRA for what […]
By: Diane Benjamin I found this while looking for who went on the One Voice trip to Washington DC: . The Lorenz donation was a pass-thru from someone who wanted to remain anonymous, it wasn’t from the Republican Party. Smart? Nope. Bloomington is beholding to the Democrat Party thanks to Cody Hendricks and Jenna Kearns. […]
By: Diane Benjamin Taxation without representation: https://www.wglt.org/local-news/2026-02-13/cira-cruises-along-at-a-stable-altitude Springfield allowed CIRA to tax the County thanks to Sen Dave Koehler https://blnnews.com/2023/04/27/cira-doesnt-need-money-they-just-want-it/ Your property tax bills this year will reflect that. County property owners get yet another line item added to their bill. Bloomington-Normal gets a decrease. One of the dumbest parts of the WGLT article: “The Airport […]
By: Diane Benjamin Connect Transit – February meeting: https://connect-transit.com/file/4079/2026%2002%2024_BoT%20Meeting%20Packet.pdf The January loss: Yes, that’s the loss for ONE MONTH. Your tax dollars at work subsidizing every passenger:
By: Diane Benjamin I wonder if Chris Koos or Pam Reece has anything to announce at tonight’s meeting? It looks like a 10 minute meeting: https://www.normalil.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/5523 Flashback to November 3, 2025 meeting: https://www.normalil.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/5414 Underpass project cost: $40,300,920 PDF page 136: Clark Dietz was hired to oversee construction. PDF page 147: . It’s now March and […]
