By: Diane Benjamin Update – I was just sent this: I am the father of the student in question. Your story is not correct at all and very misleading. Yes she contacted my kids outside of school approved technology. That was the only inappropriate thing that happened. No laws were broken. We have been kept […]
By: Diane Benjamin Follow-up to this story: https://blnnews.com/2026/01/12/the-local-clueless/ Every President before Biden knew illegal immigration wasn’t good for a sovereign country. If you want proof, ask me! The comments to Krystle Able’s post prove where mental illness comes from. Did Krystle mean to incite violence? See if you think she did. I added notes to […]
By: Diane Benjamin The meeting was short! Nothing was even slightly controversial until comments by aldermen. More on that in a minute. The only agenda item concerned swinging doors downtown hitting pedestrians. This downtown picture is from the slide show presentation: Businesses like Windy City Wieners want more indoor floor space, so they want the […]
By: Diane Benjamin Posted by the person Normal Elected: . Marxists can’t get their facts straight because facts don’t fit the agenda. Obstructing law enforcement is the agenda! DHS posted this recap of some who have been arrested in Minneapolis: https://www.dhs.gov/news/2026/01/08/dhs-highlights-worst-worst-criminal-illegal-aliens-including-rapists-pedophiles-and Look at the list! The protestors want to keep phedophiles, sex offenders, domestic violence […]
By: Diane Benjamin Since some people have nothing better to do on weekends: . It’s cute, but there isn’t a war. . Keeping criminals here fits the the 50501 agenda better than law enforcement enforcing the law.
By: Diane Benjamin This was the agenda for the January 2nd for the MENTAL HEALTH AND PUBLIC SAFETY FUND ADVISORY COUNCIL (FAC) . I have no idea why this committee, which is subject to FOIA, and the McLean County Behaviour Health Coordinating Council (not subject to FOIA) both need to exist. No documentation was posted […]
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/waste-watch-illinois-gives-12m-to-nascar/ Excerpts: Lawmakers claimed the 2026 budget contained no pork, but a closer look shows 2,815 items over $200,000 lawmakers decided to fund in the final hours of the legislative session – rushed, harmful to taxpayers and with no time for public scrutiny. They included $40 million for a high school sports complex at the alma mater of Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch. […]
By: Diane Benjamin Understand the title? It is an abbreviation for Southeast McLean County Water Authority. I wrote about them last year when a new line appeared on my property tax bill: https://blnnews.com/2025/05/16/new-line-on-my-property-tax-bill/ I found no trace of this organization on the County website. They claim to be subject to the Freedom of Information Act […]
https://www.thecentersquare.com/illinois/article_9f59f645-6340-4756-8110-655dd4f6eeeb.html?utm_source=illinois.thecentersquare.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=rss_first_item_title Can anyone say after 17 years this isn’t on purpose? Excerpts: U.S. Census Bureau data showing Illinois has lost around 420,000 residents since 2020. Recent polling found almost half of all voters insist they would leave the state if they had the chance. Updated annual Census estimates for Illinois and other states are expected […]
By: Diane Benjamin According to this website: https://www.nfp.com/risk-capital/coverage-expertise/commercial-and-contract-surety/surety/bonds-types/public-official-bond/ In a larger sense, it’s not only the government agency that is being protected against non-compliance but the general public as well, since any misappropriation of funds or dereliction of duty directly impacts the local citizenry involved. If it should happen during the period of service of […]
By: Diane Benjamin Remember when ISU wouldn’t give me emails that mentioned Charlie Kirk? https://blnnews.com/2025/11/15/isu-foia-fail/ ISU claimed there were too many emails, even when I narrowed the request to ONE DAY. I wasn’t the only person trying to find out what staff were telling students about Kirk. Another FOIA was filed by Chad Berck on […]
By: Diane Benjamin All previous BNWRD stories linked here: https://blnnews.com/2025/12/20/bnwrd-property-purchase-update/ Just to review, BNWRD is buying these 3 properties: (Bloomington Normal Water Reclamation District) . The first property should have been 21-06 instead of 21-08. It was severely under assessed for property taxes at $27,082 x 3 = $81,246 total value vrs a sales price […]
By: Diane Benjamin Bloomington has alluded to State cuts before but they have never provided actual numbers (that I remember). Cities across Illinois used to receive 10% of the money the State collected in local income taxes. Lawmakers reduced that to 7% in 2012. This story allows people to see how much that has cost […]
By: Diane Benjamin Here’s the full 42-minute Nick Shirley video everyone’s talking about—except the legacy media. Nick Shirley, a 23-year-old independent journalist, exposed massive Somali-owned business fraud in Minnesota. Federal and state funds were handed out with zero verification of legitimacy. In just one day (and 24 hours of work), he uncovered more fraud than […]
By: Diane Benjamin My definition of fraud: being against some hate speech while ignoring others that don’t fit the agenda. I’ll never quit exposing Not In Our Town (NIOT) as frauds. Elected officials are threatened to sign their pledge—if they don’t, they’re inundated with calls and emails asking why they’re not against hate. NIOT isn’t […]
Christmas is REALLY hectic this year so don’t expect many stories this week. I’m waiting for one FOIA request that should have been so easy I should have received it within 24 hours. I didn’t. I’m also waiting for a response from the Assessor’s office about the property in this story: https://blnnews.com/2025/12/20/bnwrd-property-purchase-update/ Should I expect […]
By: Diane Benjamin A statement of Economic Interest is required in Illinois because: The disclosures “are intended to avoid any conflict of interest between the government and its officers and employees and to instill in the public trust and confidence in its elected officials.” Crudup v. Sims, 292 Ill. App. 3d 1075, 1076 (1997). When candidates just write-in N/A […]
By: Diane Benjamin See if you notice a difference in what these 2 candidates for Precinct Committeeman filed. Patrick Cortesi if the Chair of the McLean County Democrats. He is running for Democrat Precinct Committeeman. This is the packet he filed to get n the ballot: . Connie Beard, GOP Fundraiser, is running for Republican Precinct […]
By: Diane Benjamin The City of Bloomington voted in July to suspend payments to the County for the Behavioral Health Action Plan starting July 1, 2025: Shared Sales Tax suspended Why is this payment listed on Bills and Payroll if payments are suspended? Bills and Payroll 12-15-2025 I’d ask but getting an answer is evidently […]
By: Diane Benjamin Why are Illinois Democrats going to tax tips, Krystle? Is affordability only a talking point for people who work tipped jobs? Funny—I haven’t heard Illinois Democrats rushing to tax federally exempt overtime. Is that because overtime is more associated with union and blue-collar jobs? Illinois will lose a lot more revenue from […]
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 With all the local taxing bodies raising property taxes, the cost of rent and homes will continue to rise. You are being taxed on unrealized gains. Your home is worth more but you will never see the profit unless you borrow against it or sell your home. Home Equity loans won’t be […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Board packet included reports for both September and October. I put them side by side so it’s easy to compare: https://connect-transit.com/file/3951/2025%2011%2025_Board%20Meeting%20Packet.pdf The loss PER MONTH is racing toward $2,000,000. It’s only money. Yours. October is the highest one month loss to date. September is second. If you look at PDF page […]
Most of us show up to vote in presidential years, and that’s good. But too many of us sit out the elections that actually decide who runs McLean County day-to-day: the primaries and the spring local elections for county board, sheriff, circuit clerk, coroner, regional school board, township officials, and even the judges who will […]
. Add, thanking GOD for all the blessings this country offers! Read the REAL story of Thanksgiving schools don’t teach: https://prayamericagreatagain.com/rush-limbaugh-the-true-story-of-thanksgiving/ Socialism failed the Pilgrims, capitalism saved them and set the course for this new country. If you don’t teach your kids they will never know the true story.
By: Diane Benjamin Below is the playbook the far left uses to win elections. Show up everywhere, act like you are everybody’s best friend, pretend being elected isn’t about obtaining power, and saying whatever you have to for votes. See Abby Scott: https://blnnews.com/2025/11/25/bloomington-%f0%9f%a4%a6%e2%99%80%ef%b8%8f/ Of course Abby and her husband Corey Beirne are friends of Krystle’s. […]
By: Diane Benjamin If you own a house you are renting it from all those taxing bodies on your bill. If you don’t pay the bill it will be stolen from you. Scams abound this time of year because all of them are raising your taxes. More than once I’ve heard “the owner of a […]
By: Diane Benjamin Just to make sure everyone knows: The Obamacare subsidies that haven’t been extended were passed under Biden during Covid. No Republicans voted for them. Democrats put a 5 year expiration date on the additional money. This article explains why the subsidies shouldn’t be extended, Cato isn’t a bunch of conservatives: https://www.cato.org/blog/six-reasons-not-extend-enhanced-obamacare-subsidies Obamacare […]
By: Diane Benjamin The ruling party in Illinois wants citizens to bleed. No one is allowed to keep money they earned. Basic economics is a course they all skipped. https://www.rrstar.com/story/business/economy/2025/11/17/illinois-fails-to-adopt-no-tax-on-tips-or-overtime-trump-one-big-beautiful-bill-act/87315915007 People spend the money they don’t pay in taxes – that generates even more taxes than government swallows. Illinois doesn’t like free people who keep […]
By: Diane Benjamin The current Sales tax rate is 10.25, if Pritzker signs the bill it increases to 10.5% Read more: https://www.illinoispolicy.org/chicagos-high-sales-taxes-about-to-increase-to-no-1-in-nation/ Bloomington and Normal have the same Sales Tax rate – 9.75%: . Aren’t you proud the local Sales Tax rate almost matches Chicago? The 1% School Facilities Tax was put on a local […]
By: Diane Benjamin Once again it’s time for every unit of local government to raise your property taxes. You will hear the average homeowner will only pay X more a year. Look at your property tax bill from last year. How many units of government are listed? Each one of them wants more money, not […]
By: Diane Benjamin Below is part of what Able posted on Facebook. It recaps her rise to “power”. Note, nowhere does she talk about policies that got votes, she just showed up. . That last paragraph shows her politics is about POWER. Did she tell the Normal Township voters she would be keeping her first […]
By: Diane Benjamin Pictures of the Northern Lights were plastered across Facebook last night from all over our area. I could only see faint color until I took these pictures about 9:30pm. The lights on the right side are oil leaking wind turbines. AI claims they might be visible every night until Friday. My cell […]
On this Veterans Day, we pause to honor the quiet courage of those who stood watch in the dark, who carried the weight of freedom on their shoulders, and who returned home forever changed. Your sacrifice wove the fabric of our nation’s story, thread by thread, battle by battle, heartbeat by heartbeat. To every veteran: […]
By: Diane Benjamin This is the article that needs some work: https://www.wglt.org/local-news/2025-10-30/new-report-cards-show-fewer-exemplary-b-n-schools-and-more-with-struggling-student-groups The “new report cards” are based on results from LAST SCHOOL YEAR. The article fails to mention that fact, reading it makes it sound like the information is current. Results from kids now in school won’t be known until the kids are tested […]
https://www.illinoispolicy.org/illinois-facing-lawsuits-over-property-tax-theft/ If you don’t pay your property taxes, Illinois counties will “sell” them. After 3 years, if the same person bought them all, that person can own your property. It doesn’t matter how much they paid vrs how much the house if worth. The Supreme Court has ruled that unconstitutional. Read the whole story above, […]
By: Diane Benjamin For 9 months ending September 30th, the below is from the Sheriff’s report at the County Justice Committee meeting 11/5/2025: PDF page 26: https://mcleancountyil.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/1064?html=true PDF page 43 – State’s Attorney Report: PDF page 48 – Circuit Court Clerk report: Are the warrants for people released without bail who didn’t show up in […]
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 […]
Update to this story: https://blnnews.com/2025/10/29/lopez-arrested-again/ Thanks to a reader who sent this to me:
