Category: Pantagraph

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

WGLT, Normal, and the State of Illinois

By: Diane Benjamin WGLT is not allowed to sell advertising. What did The Town of Normal pay WGLT to do? (2025 data isn’t available yet) https://www.openthebooks.com/search-results/details/?n=Wglt-Normal&e=73583&t=c&burl=%2Fsearch-results%2F%3Ft%3Dc%26F_Name_S%3DWGLT%26F_State%3DIllinois%26F_Year%3D0 . Has WGLT applied for State of Illinois money? If you don’t know about the plan Springfield passed to subsidize media, read up on it: https://dceo.illinois.gov/expandrelocate/incentives/taxassistance/new-journalism-tax-incentive-program.html Yes, non-profit media […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Pantagraph get’s $150,000 tax credit

By: Diane Benjamin Source: https://ipmnewsroom.org/illinois-newsrooms-receive-4-million-from-state-through-tax-credits/ The State of Illinois passed a law in 2024 to help fund local media. They claim Illinois has “news deserts”. Heard of Separation of Church and State? Evidently there is no Separation of Press and State. Under this $4 million giveaway the Pantagraph received $140,000 for “qualified journalists” and $10,000 […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Three things you need to know

By: Diane Benjamin 1) Regulating homeschooling in Illinois (HB 2827) appears to be dead for now, but that doesn’t mean it will stay that way. The left has a habit of using “shell bills” to pass legislation without holding public hearings. A “shell bill” is created by stripping all language from a bill that has […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Epic Media Fail: Ignore the uncomfortable

By: Diane Benjamin Lots of local media was in the Council Chambers for Monday night’s meeting. Not one member of the media requested copies of what Jackie Beyer showed at Public comment. City Code is law in Bloomington, allowing violations means more violations will occur in the future. https://blnnews.com/2025/04/15/too-chicken-mboka/ Did media cover any violations? WGLT […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

If you still read the paper . . .

By: Diane Benjamin You need to know Letters to the Editor posted in the paper before elections aren’t grassroot support. Campaigns recruit letter writers or even write sone for people to submit. The purpose is to try to sway public opinion and make people think their candidates are more popular than they are. If you […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Too many Rabbit Holes, so how about an Eye update!

By: Diane Benjamin All of the tools now available to research State and Local spending fascinate me. I’ve been investigating rabbit holes since 6:30 am. I need a break! My eye is now totally healed except for a small bubble the doc put in my eye to hold the repair together. It will dissipate on […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Letter to the Editor that wasn’t acknowledged or printed

See if you can figure out why: The author is Carl Hinshaw.

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

The Illinois Unclaimed Property scam

By: Diane Benjamin Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs needs new authority to fine any business that sends your money to the State instead of refunding it directly to you. Years ago we subscribed to the Sunday only Pantagraph. After only getting delivery occasionally I cancelled delivery and requested a refund. I remember being told it would […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Yesterday was Bill of Rights Day-Except in District 87: Part 1

By: Diane Benjamin I was planning on posting this yesterday, it fit in well with Bill of Rights Day! I wasn’t able to when the Internet went out. This story started out really long! Instead of one long story it will be in 2 parts. The first 10 Amendments to the Constitution were ratified on […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Shouldn’t Chaplains know the Bible?

By: Diane Benjamin https://pantagraph.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/watch-now-womens-march-at-isu-demands-equal-rights-freedom-of-choice/article_192dd8ff-3efb-5bc7-9694-e8faae98a26a.html Mollie Ward was originally appointed to the Council by Tari Renner to fill the seat vacated by Scott Black. WGLT did a story on her at the time: https://www.wglt.org/news/2020-10-27/renner-tabs-fierce-advocate-of-west-bloomington-for-council-vacancy That story included this pic of Mollie: Yes, she is wearing a collar because she claims to be an Episcopal chaplain. Proving […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

5 Things you need to know

By: Diane Benjamin 1) Pantagraph article on the Normal Town Council meeting: https://pantagraph.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/watch-now-mural-controversy-raises-new-questions-about-disconnect-in-normal/article_9ea2ebcb-99b6-55e9-8798-76e5962bb873.html Excerpt: Did the reporter watch the meeting? A “number of people” were disrupting the meeting. Was the reporter told not to mention the only reason Public Comment was moved is because Stan Nord made a motion to let them speak? It wasn’t […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Bill Flick: Trying to re-write history?

By: Diane Benjamin h/t a reader Since I don’t read the Pantagraph, a reader told me what Bill Flick wrote in a column last Sunday. https://pantagraph.com/opinion/columnists/flick-from-jimmy-fallon-to-jay-janssen-in-no-time/article_af765d10-bbb8-5b2a-8412-bf30d1fd8685.html Maybe Flick can be forgiven for not knowing the truth since his paper dutifully printed the bogus Profit/Loss numbers reported by the former managers and NEVER the audited numbers […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Six things you need to know

By: Diane Benjamin 1) A local lawyer left this comment today: 2) The problem with Bloomington’s IT department isn’t old technology. Not knowing where people will look for things is a much bigger problem which makes finding information difficult. Bloomington is currently taking applications from Ward 6 to replace Jenn Carrillo. It should be easy […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Rejecting socialists or supporting them?

By: Diane Benjamin The local socialist are working hard to recruit new people. Voters rejected their candidates in the last local election, so now they are going after people of color. We have fought wars to free people from socialism which always leads to communism, so the question now is why would the Pantagraph do […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Fake News continues at the Pantagraph

By: Diane Benjamin h/t a reader For the latest proof Associate Press is FAKE NEWS, see this headline in today’s newspaper: The press doesn’t bother to read the voting laws states pass, it fits their agenda better to lie. Georgia didn’t limit the right to vote and handing out water and food was only banned […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Two more things

By: Diane Benjamin 1) Ford’s F150 electric battery weighs 1800 pounds: https://jalopnik.com/ford-f-150-lightnings-battery-alone-weighs-as-much-as-a-1846925168?fbclid=IwAR08fR6H4a8DHjuzzpJ_sqKd6V4gazHoDIzIvDlw95456SYxszgtXlbBUkc That is the weight of a Volkswagen Beetle. Is Rivian’s the same? What happens to your car if you get hit by one of these tanks? 1800 pounds is just the battery. 2) The Pantagraph printed a picture of a Rivian employee charging […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Media: Jenn was not censured

By: Diane Benjamin In the latest example of FAKE NEWS, local media is still acting like Jenn Carrillo was censured at the special meeting last Monday. Evidently they didn’t watch the meeting or can’t read the agenda. “Possible action” was on the agenda, not actually doing anything. The vote was 6-3 to do something in […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Nice of the Pantagraph – BUT

By: Diane Benjamin Somebody at the Pantagraph must read this site because they picked up and expanded the sewer billing fiasco between Bloomington and Normal. They even credited BlnNews for the story! You might want to read the comments: https://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/documents-bloomington-may-owe-normal-up-to-600-000-in-unremitted-sewer-charges/article_be624fb0-2c5f-50e4-8150-73c1f5824ac8.html#tracking-source=home-top-story-1 Link to both stories I wrote: https://blnnews.com/2021/04/21/return-to-civility-by-normal/ What they didn’t cover is: Pam Reece and […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Farewell Tari Renner

By: Diane Benjamin http://bloomingtonil.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=1&ID=1112&Inline=True Monday will be the final meeting for: All three will be recognized at the start of the meeting. Kim’s common sense will be missed. I wonder if Joni ever figure out she was lied to? https://blnnews.com/2015/10/26/problem-joni/ I have my own parting gifts for Tari! 1) Remember last February when Tari Renner […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Renner will be gone, Koos MUST follow

By: Diane Benjamin Anybody remember BN Advantage? It was a huge collaboration of the unelected who got your money to operate. This story explains who: https://blnnews.com/2015/10/29/round-2-bn-advantage/ It would take a lot of research to figure out how much of your money was thrown to this group. This story shows $423,867 just from Bloomington: https://blnnews.com/2019/04/29/bn-advantage-magazine/ Where […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Local crickets on kids in cages

By: Diane Benjamin h/t a reader More hypocrisy from those local caring folks who just want to help. No they don’t, it’s all about political power. November 21, 2019 https://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/protesters-in-normal-demand-end-to-detention-of-immigrant-children/article_2c2e903e-dcc7-556a-96cd-288d7b81c0b0.html Story claims more than 100 people protested government holding children who illegally crossed the border. Excerpt: Charlotte Alvarez, executive director of the Immigration Project in […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Since Mark Peterson, Connect is even worse

By: Diane Benjamin When Connect transit was trying to decide where the downtown transfer station should be, they stated many riders use the bus to get to the Laws and Justice Center or the Library. The location they picked is the farthest from either. Buses could have dropped people where CII East is now, it’s […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

What Mike Matejka left out

By: Diane Benjamin https://www.pantagraph.com/opinion/columnists/mike-matejka-normal-election-potholes-vs-progress/article_b11f20fe-e830-5d01-bc84-d912acc37bf5.html Anybody know why the guy who voted to build the Coliseum gets to write a column in the paper? Better yet, why does anybody listen to him when he not only voted against the will of the people but has never apologized for his taxpayer fleece? Of course Mike is campaigning […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Local hypocrisy

By: Diane Benjamin WGLT and the League of Women Voters are teaming up for mayoral debates: https://lwvmclean.org/about-us Board of Directors for the League of Women Voters: Remember these names if you read the Letters to the Editor in the Pantagraph. h/t a reader: https://www.pantagraph.com/opinion/letters/letter-incumbents-will-keep-future-strong/article_9ed48258-dbbf-58fa-ac54-2fa91d8f1cc8.html Laurie Bergner, Community Education Chair for the League, wrote to extoll […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

What happened to the AMERICAN Culture?

By: Diane Benjamin America has always had it’s own culture. Many people have forgotten what unites us. We are being divided into special interest groups meant to make sure we have nothing in common. It’s by design. What is the American Culture? It is the reason people from all over the world want to come […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

$18 million for a transfer station!

By: Diane Benjamin Obviously Connect Transit isn’t building a simply downtown transfer station with your tax dollars. Those State and Federal grants they received are TAX dollars even though that term is never used. All a transfer station needs are lanes for buses to enter and exist and some building to protect riders who are […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Remembering Bruce Meeks

By: Diane Benjamin Long time followers of the City of Bloomington will remember Bruce Meeks for his frequent public comments. He endlessly fought for transparency. This is Bruce in 2017 at public comment: Bruce was diagnosed with cancer over a year ago. He has been treated in Wisconsin ever since. He has a very short […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Locals open mouth and insert foot

By: Diane Benjamin One lesson I learned years ago was: Get the facts before writing If you think facts come from the Main Stream Media you are wrong. They print propaganda for the Democrat Party, not truth. I’ve deleted many comments because quoting their facts is just what media wants you to do. Truth is […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Tari is obviously a democrat

By: Diane Benjamin When Republicans are caught doing stupid things they mostly resign and slink away never to be heard from again. When Democrats are caught they blame the messenger. https://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/public_safety/renner-wont-comment-on-video-showing-city-inspector-talking-about-tracy-drive-fire/article_60c4ed78-120b-5bdd-b4f1-9bb851cbde5c.html#tracking-source=home-top-story-1 Case in point is Democrat Mayor Tari Renner. He blames me for reporting but refuses to comment on what was said: Tari: I wasn’t […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Equal justice under the law?

By: Diane Benjamin No, this has nothing to do with the election. It does have to do with Judge William Yoder. None of the news stories pertaining to the former Normal Police Officer who admitted stealing $12,000 said who the judge was. The only way I know is from a WGLT picture: https://www.wglt.org/post/former-normal-police-officer-pleads-guilty-theft-case#stream/0 How can […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Bloomington officially releases the 4/30/2020 financials tonight. Late enough?

By: Diane Benjamin Due to Christmas the Bloomington City Council is changing their meeting schedule. They will be meeting tonight. One item on the agenda: It should be riveting to hear discussion of data that is 8 months old. Congrats Bloomington, you aren’t supposed to know any facts in a timely manner. I wonder if […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

2 things you need to know

By: Diane Benjamin WGLT revealed why Mollie Ward was Renner’s pick to fill out the rest of Scott Black’s term: https://www.wglt.org/post/renner-tabs-fierce-advocate-west-bloomington-council-vacancy#stream/0 “Mollie Ward, left, of Not In Our Town, kicked off a vigil outside Bloomington City Hall in March of 2018 in a push for a welcoming city ordinance” Renner evidently wants the Council and […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Atlanta Public Library vrs Facts

By: Diane Benjamin The Atlanta Public Library sent a notice to residents claiming none of the investigations found wrongdoing: The residents of Atlanta should read the heavily redacted FBI reports I obtained by FOIA for themselves. It’s really easy to insert Bill Thomas on many of the blank lines. The Library claims the FBI redacted […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Normal: How much is being thrown away paying interest?

by: Diane Benjamin First a little history. From the Pantagraph How Time Flies 1/21/2020: Have your property taxes gone down? Responsible adults know being able to make the payments is not a good philosophy to live by. If you want to make the neighbors jealous by living in a mansion with two expensive vehicles parked […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

UPDATE: Heard about the guy charged with 32 molestation charges?

h/t a reader Also in the video: By: Diane Benjamin h/t a reader See one story here: https://hoiabc.com/2020/09/29/grand-jury-indicts-bloomington-man-on-32-child-molestation-charges/?fbclid=IwAR1pafw6ONtSyM0S3A9AEaCVwjNHIz-WtDTzbzwTdWicjYkXtj27D4Oo7SU#.X3R6sTYfjAY.facebook The guys name is Mercedez Byrd, he also had cocaine in his pocket when he was arrested. His Facebook page has numerous videos, in one he is asking for names of people who need bailed out so […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

What really happened to the ISU Football Coach

By: Diane Benjamin See this article from The Blaze: https://www.theblaze.com/news/college-football-coach-blm-sign?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook Excerpts: Read the rest of the story for more sad details you probably don’t know. ISU now has national coverage from multiple news outlets. Every local news service reported he quit. He didn’t.

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Did Koos con the Connect Transit Working Group?

By:  Diane Benjamin Thanks to the Pantagraph for pointing out that Chris Koos serves on the Advisory Board of Transportation for America.  https://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/watch-now-normal-mayor-chris-koos-nominated-for-amtrak-board-of-directors/article_f7dc9015-4f0a-512f-9117-e35eb5af8b0e.html Who is Transportation for America? http://t4america.org/about/ Smart Growth America is the consultant who never finished what they were hired for with the Connect To The Future Working Group. Think back.  Many citizens […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Cancel culture, Normal, and more

By:  Diane Benjamin https://www.wglt.org/post/isu-change-watterson-towers-house-names-over-slavery-history ISU President Dietz has caved to the Cancel Culture.  He thinks it isn’t fair to ask students to live in Watterson Towers in houses named for historic figures ISU likely has no classes that even discuss.  His Assistant for Diversity (head divider) told him. Dietz doesn’t know the Cancel Culture never […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

League of Women Voters are too biased to participate in elections

By:  Diane Benjamin Undo police scrutiny?  Poor investigative techniques?  Does the LWV want the police defunded to go along with their left wing bias? Obviously nobody at the LWV bothered to listen to the audio of the body cam: Short version:  https://blnnews.com/2020/07/24/breaking-in-support-of-art-and-camille-taylor-2-0-the-un-redacted-truth/ Entire Interview:  https://blnnews.com/2020/07/24/in-support-of-art-and-camille-taylor-3-0-the-entire-police-interview/ Thanks for proving you are democrats or worse LWV.  We […]

Written by Diane Benjamin - editor

Bloomington met too last night

By:  Diane Benjamin The third Monday of the month is hell because both Councils meet.  Last night was over 4 hours I will never get back! Highlights from Bloomington: Yes folks, this is the spending plan for the next 20 years – for just water.  I don’t think the never used water tower was included […]