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 […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Normal Police recently posted these arrests: . Are these three actually being prosecuted? The driver was impaired but not charged with DUI? Try searching for criminal records: Maylon Tate https://publicaccess.mcleancountyil.gov/PubAC_SearchCriminal.aspx That name brings up this guy: . I’ve seen searches linked to somebody using an alias but never the wrong guy! […]
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 […]
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 […]
By: Diane Benjamin Look up criminal records at this link: https://publicaccess.mcleancountyil.gov/PubAC_SearchCriminal.aspx Christopher Simmons was determined to be the shooter in the weekend triple homicide and then suicide . He has a long history of traffic and DUI violations plus cannabis. He also pled guilty to a misdemeanor gun charge. It looks to me like he […]
WEEK story: https://www.25newsnow.com/2024/09/20/parents-concerned-after-threat-school-say-administrators-didnt-tell-them-soon-enough/ 2 updates from the Superintendent are below. Ben Derges claims they were sent to parents. By: Diane Benjamin Some incident did occur on Wednesday, but whatever happened has been resolved. I hear Superintendent Derges is supposed to be doing a press conference with WEEK 25. There is nothing on either website and […]
Response: By: Diane Benjamin Why is Corey make himself prime for a story? Yes, school shooting are traumatic horrible events that should never happen. They are worse when the shooter is known to law enforcement, the student’s parents, and the school and all of them do nothing to protect vulnerable kids! That is the case […]
By: Diane Benjamin The lawsuit was filed in February of this year. On August 26th a Federal judge denied the motion to dismiss. . The video below details the case. The short version is the Plaintiff’s mother who lives in Normal called both the police and her son because she felt in danger from a […]
By: Diane Benjamin Below are crime stats for three years through July. Source: https://www.bloomingtonil.gov/government/advanced-components/documents/-folder-491 Since the 3 charts are difficult to read and compare, I summarized some items: . . .
By: Diane Benjamin The meeting was short, the video includes 15 minutes of commercials before the meeting started. Only one Public Comment at last night’s Bloomington Committee of the Whole – Surena Fish. She spoke on a couple issues but the big one is downtown becoming more dangerous because addicts and vagrants aren’t afraid of […]
By: Diane Benjamin Did you know Normal canceled their first meeting of the year last week? Bloomington is trying hard to be them with everything being discussed in private meetings with the City Manager long before votes. This is the local government version of “democracy”. There was only one Public Comment – Surena Fish. The Safety Commission (Molly Ward’s […]
By: Diane Benjamin 2 pieces of information I received from the City of Bloomington about the Gun Buy Back event: The document showing what the Bloomington City Council approved is in this story: https://blnnews.com/2023/10/24/the-120000-waste/ It says $60,000. https://pantagraph.com/news/local/crime-courts/bloomington-police-gunbuyback/article_fe7fde22-7a61-11ee-b957-affb35824762.html Excerpt: According to BPD’s social media post, “There was a total of $50,000 allocated for the cash […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Gun Back Back event held Sunday was as much of a fiasco has the Gun Safe giveaway with safes that aren’t made for guns. The ordinance passed by the City Council allotted $60,000, reports from John Boch, Executive Director of Guns Save Life, said $50,000 was handed out to the first […]
By: Diane Benjamin Since Bloomington has a “woke” police chief and this is Illinois where criminals are coddled (Safe-T Act), stopping gun violence won’t be easy. Asking nicely isn’t going to work. “Woke”: https://blnnews.com/2023/06/21/problem-identified/ Was anyone FIRED over the failed gun safe giveaway when the documentation clearly says FIRE SAFE? https://blnnews.com/2023/06/14/dont-store-guns-in-the-free-gun-safe-you-got-from-the-bloomington-il-police/ DEI means incompetence is […]
By: Diane Benjamin Celebrate now Bloomington – your water bills will increase. The City did a study and you just aren’t paying enough as compared to other area municipalities. See 43:30 on the video below. Water rates haven’t increased since 2012, everything else the City charges on your bill goes up 3% automatically every year. […]
By: Diane Benjamin Since this Committee of the Whole wasn’t scheduled to set up future spending, the heavy hitters didn’t have to be there to cheerlead the agenda. The Police Department presented their annual report followed by the Fire Department. See the police presentation here: https://www.bloomingtonil.gov/home/showdocument?id=29357&t=638197614615245340 I did learn something new about guns. Criminals are […]
By: Diane Benjamin h/t a reader https://www.illinoissunshine.org/committees/friends-of-scott-preston-25061/ Even with these donations, Preston has far less money than his opponent: You are going to want to sell your house without a realtor after this! (FYI they threw a ton of money to the elites during the last local election in Normal too) This will also prove […]
By: Diane Benjamin https://www.wglt.org/local-news/2022-06-01/in-the-wake-of-uvalde-b-n-teachers-want-change-not-guns Corey Beirne needs to report the WGLT article as a campaign contribution. He is running for the McLean County Board and WGLT just happened to pick him for an interview him from all the teachers in the Unit 5 School District. Beirne proves he isn’t qualified to hold an elected office […]
By: Diane Benjamin Who makes better choices on how to spend your money? You or Bureaucrats who don’t worry about running out of money because they know where to get more? It was very obvious at last night’s Bloomington City Council meeting that most of the aldermen have long wish lists for your money, not […]
By: Diane Benjamin Do not attend upcoming state capitol protests. This article at the Gateway Pundit explains there is a national alert put out and it smells to me like a false flag or the next step of a playbook to make conservatives look violent and to take away firearms. It only takes a handful […]
By: Diane Benjamin For decades Voter ID laws have been blocked because opponents claim the minority vote would be negatively impacted. Either this isn’t true or the State of Illinois is now discriminating against minorities. January 1st everyone wanting to purchase legal cannabis in Illinois is required to show a government issued ID. Who is […]
By: Diane Benjamin A reader emailed me about cannabis legalization. He currently has a medical cannabis card. He tried to purchase a 22 caliber rifle to target shoot with his grandkids about a year ago. He failed the background check because of his medical card. A State cop told him he would not pass the […]
By: Diane Benjamin If you didn’t attend the showing of “Scramble the SeaWolves” last night at the Normal Theater, you missed a great movie. It told the story of Navy helicopter crews who provided defense in Vietnam. Didn’t know the Navy had helicopters? Until this movie most people didn’t. The SeaWolves formed out of need […]
I know most of you aren’t listening! Just an FYI By: Diane Benjamin I have never been a big Rodney Davis fan. At times he does the right thing and at times he’s part of the swamp. He does know a few things about mass shootings though since he was in one on a Virginia […]
By: Diane Benjamin A deputy Town Marshall was arrested in Carthage Indiana for: * criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon * felony impersonation of a public servant * official misconduct of a public servant * and pointing a firearm at another Why was he arrested? See the story here: https://www.theindychannel.com/news/local-news/crime/carthage-deputy-town-marshal-arrested-for-firing-shots-during-burglary-investigation […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Welcoming Ordinance will be quickly back before the Bloomington City Council as soon as the new Council members are seated. This time it will easily pass. It will also be a lie. Citizens will be told the ordinance is only to make illegals feel comfortable enough to report crimes. That isn’t […]
By: Diane Benjamin This is one of those stories I meant to write days ago but didn’t get to it. Since yesterday was Illinois Gun Lobby Day in Springfield, today I got to it. Thousands of people were in Springfield: https://www.ilnews.org/news/state_politics/thousands-of-gun-owners-turn-out-for-lobbying-day-in/article_ed1c396a-50d5-11e9-b951-dfdb2efccee9.html?fbclid=IwAR3AfotxEgqUQ8WjZ30146IZdbBimEozGIk5d77gUK16Lbzq3CpfwvUJZOs There is one thing Democrats don’t get: Criminals don’t care about laws Last […]
By: Diane Benjamin This item was on the Consent Agenda for the County Board meeting yesterday: https://mcleancountyil.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/6509 This was merely a renewal of an existing lease for the Child Advocacy Center in Livingston County. Since it was on the Consent Agent it wasn’t anything controversial and was passed the previous year with no discussion. […]
By: Diane Benjamin Democrats have only been in complete control of the state for a short time. Already they have passed a $15 minimum wage which make Illinois even less competitive with all of the surrounding states. Other things being seriously considered: Removing all regulations including parental notification on abortion Allowing abortion up to birth […]
Update: City Attorney Jeff Jurgens just sent me a copy of the bill. Tari stayed for 5 nights: Marriott Receipt By: Diane Benjamin The hotel bill for Chris Koos at the US Conference of Mayors in Boston was : $1209.99 That bill included two charges from the hotel’s Champion Sports Bar and 3 nights stay. […]
County Board member Jim Soeldner sent a resolution the Board passed in 2008. It needs updated! See it here: 2008 McLean County Resolution _________________________________________ By: Diane Benjamin Does the Constitution matter or not? The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. (Militia meant every person capable of using a […]
By: Diane Benjamin At every City Council meeting Mayor Renner reads at least one Proclamation, of course signed by him. Last night it was Gun Violence Awareness Day. See the proclamation here – PDF Page 13 http://www.cityblm.org/Home/ShowDocument?id=17858 The numbers used weren’t hard to find a source for: https://everytownresearch.org/gun-violence-by-the-numbers/ This groups tax return shows they advocate […]
According to the agenda for the April 9th Mackinaw Board meeting, Robert Davies resigned. That doesn’t mean he shouldn’t be prosecuted or forced to repay the salary he received as a police officer. I wonder if he will get a pension too. http://www.mackinawillinois.org/AGENDA%204-9-18.pdf ____________________________________________ By: Diane Benjamin The Village of Mackinaw has a huge problem. […]
By: Diane Benjamin Below is the header for the ACLU of Central Illinois’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ACLUofCI/I I couldn’t help but wonder if the 2nd Amendment in the Bill of Rights is important to the ACLU. Their page has stories about the students “rights” to protest gun violence but nothing about the citizens rights to defend […]
By: Diane Benjamin The local League of Women Voters in all for the “welcoming ordinance”. Evidently they think local government can make immigration law. Does the Constitution matter to the LWV? You might not think so when you see the State League of Women Voters Website: http://www.lwvil.org/gun-violence-prevention.html Automatic guns have been banned since 1934 unless […]
By: Diane Benjamin BHS managed to find the document, yes it’s the same one I posted previously: Take Action 4 Sensible Gun Reform Keep in mind – the story used to be: Will there be consequences for lying, or do laws not matter if you are government with an agenda? This looks like a […]
By: Diane Benjamin More on this story: https://blnnews.com/2018/03/31/bhs-scoundrels-liars/ The statement below is from the BHS Student Handbook, it pertains to prohibited materials: https://www.district87.org/Domain/1755 Even if somebody does believe the BHS talking points about a student bringing in the document, how does it not violate the policy in the student handbook? Mr. Moore? Since the […]
By: Diane Benjamin On March 22nd I wrote about a document handed out to kids at BHS during their student walkout concerning gun violence: https://blnnews.com/2018/03/22/remember-the-student-walk-out-bhs/ This is the email that made me want to know what the document says: The email says WE will provide copies. Note also the email says the copies were given […]
By: Diane Benjamin Last Friday the Heyworth High School was put on lock-down. A former student, who appears to have mental issues, was able to get in the school. He slipped in behind several students who were buzzed in when they returned from another building. Reports I’ve seen say the police were called, the guy […]
