Lopez was arrested. This does not say he was banned from campus: By: Diane Benjamin Make sure you read this entire post because Unit 5 is involved too. In case you missed the first story: https://blnnews.com/2025/10/15/more-reasons-isu-should-be-embarrassed/ Since it appears ISU did nothing, including the ISU police, the same guy repeated his criminal activities: . This […]
I heard a story this morning. The short version is: A child suffered an elbow injury courtesy of a school bully and the school is doing nothing. The child has a cast. When this child returned to school the bully resumed attacks. A teacher did not reprimand the bully. I don’t know what district or […]
By: Diane Benjamin Beirne has joined Matt Chapman as a Libs of TikTok star: https://blnnews.com/2025/10/09/normal-community-report-card/ Side note: Media reported Unit 5 didn’t have any consequences for Chapman’s political shirt because it didn’t disrupt any classes. The picture of him was taken by a person inside Normal Community High School who considered it inappropriate enough to […]
Picture added by request By: Diane Benjamin This is the email writer: . This self-admitted communist sent this email – note the typos and command of the English language: . In case the print is too small, here is the text: I tried to leave a comment on your posts about the Nazi situation (I […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Unit 5 response to concerns about both School Board President Alex Williams and teacher Matt Chapman was to create a video of employees talking about how great Unit 5 is. The video quality is horrible and garbled. Hear it yourself at 40:25: https://vimeo.com/event/5178296 That is yet another fail for Unit 5. […]
In case you need to some help speaking, below are a FEW of the MANY emails that were FOIA’d by a friend. I redacted the sender’s names because they aren’t important. Many parents feel just like you. (Note Weikle forwarded the email without comment and is still using pronouns) Did the Pantagraph ever do a […]
Issued today by: Connie Beard, Communications Chairman
By: Diane Benjamin Illinois State University SHOULD be embarrassed but probably won’t be. Monday this happened on the ISU campus: . This is the guy student say flipped their table, a police report was filed: . I’m sure ISU knows who this guy is. Are they doing anything to him? Is this the poster child […]
By: Diane Benjamin There were several comments from people claiming to be NCHS Matt Chapman students I didn’t post. Personal attacks on me were automatically deleted. They were made to this story: https://blnnews.com/2025/10/10/matt-chapman-comment-from-a-student/ This one I saved just for a story. Eventually every leftists will show their true colors and prove the indoctrination they tried […]
By: Diane Benjamin WGLT story: https://www.wglt.org/local-news/2025-10-08/normal-looks-to-create-new-uptown-tif-to-spur-development?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook 2024 Downtown Development TIF report: https://files.illinoiscomptroller.gov/LocGovTIF/FY2024/06409531/24TIF06409531Downtown_volpment_1.pdf PDF page 8 shows this TIF is underwater: ($47,720,848) Normal taxpayers are on the hook for expenses the TIF didn’t generate enough revenue to pay. Now Normal wants a new Uptown TIF and claims to have developers interested. The WGLT story did an […]
By: Diane Benjamin Last night I had a comment from a person I didn’t post. The writer claimed Matt Chapman was a great teacher who helped a son a lot. This person also stated Chapman wears shirts with political messages to spur classroom discussions. That person failed to notice not every student at NCHS is […]
By: Diane Benjamin If you don’t understand that concept you didn’t read yesterday’s story word-for-word: https://blnnews.com/2025/10/07/proof-political-propaganda-is-allowed-at-unit-5/ This isn’t a tough thing to understand if you start with the fact kids are classroom captives. They can’t get up and walk out. They are forced to endure whatever propaganda a teacher wants them exposed to. If communication […]
See more to this story: https://blnnews.com/2025/10/07/see-what-matt-chapman-is-teaching/ By: Diane Benjamin Ever heard of a Learning Resources Department? Normal Community High School has one: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zfzNT6fVHQoWP_qpPrqoXpTzqEAlWzMvOonbdQfn8Kw/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.6q39cva8yy6e 28 teachers are listed with an additional 6 support staff. This guy is one of the listed teachers: . Note Chapman teaches Civics and US History. This is also Matt Chapman: . […]
By: Diane Benjain Abby fails to state her husband, Corey Beirne, is employed by Unit 5. Beirne can’t say this himself since he is likely running for re-election: . Let me remind you what Alex Williams stated on social media: . Abby thinks his comments are positive? According to Abby Scott, Bloomington Ward 9 alderman, […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Illinois Policy Institute recently posted a story that contains a link to easily look up school superintent’s salaries: https://www.illinoispolicy.org/illinois-superintendent-pay-doesnt-match-performance-district-consolidation-could-help/ I don’t necessarily agree with consolidation because larger organizations usually become less efficient. When they aren’t spending their own money there is no incentive to be fiscally responsible. Anyway: These salaries mostly […]
By: Diane Benjamin Illinois passed a bill in 2015 to reform education. In 2014 the US Department of Education determined racist policies (civil rights violations) existed in Illinois schools. Who was president in 2014? See the report from the Illinois Education Association dated January 2024 below. I wonder if Unit 5 Board chair Alex Williams […]
By: Diane Benjamin h/t a reader The State of Illinois doesn’t believe in judging students based on their character/behavior. The Illinois State Board of Education looks only at the proportional discipline based on skin color. Unit 5 was put on notice that too many people of color have been suspended or expelled. They were forced […]
See this 2022 story about the same school: https://blnnews.com/2022/11/23/evans-junior-high-6th-graders-indoctrination/ By: Diane Benjamin The below was sent to me by a parent who received it. It came from Evan Junior High and not signed by the sender. The return email address is generic. The bottom line is: 6th grade students are being punished because of the […]
By: Diane Benjamin Last night a Peoria TV station’s lead story at 6:00 pm was the petition asking for the resignation of Alex Williams from the Unit 5 School Board. See the video and story here: https://www.25newsnow.com/2025/09/30/petition-circulates-calling-unit-5-school-board-presidents-resignation-after-controversial-social-media-posts/ If course Unit 5 had no comment. Alex Williams promised WEEK a comment and never provided one. You […]
By: Diane Benjamin https://www.tri-valley3.org/o/district/article/2444046 .\ Know who else offers free dental exams for students? Chicago Public Schools, not a model anyone should emulate. Orland Park Dental Services created jobs for themselves by providing this mobile service. How much are Tri-Valley district taxpayers getting billed for this? We won’t know until after 11/10/25. How much other […]
By: Diane Benjamin Follow-up to this story: https://blnnews.com/2025/09/20/controversy-surrounds-unit-5-board-chair-alex-williams/ A taxpayer sent an email to the Unit 5 School Board concerning the comments made by the Board Chair Alex Williams. She received a response. Below is a copied response since a picture of the email would be hard to read, I did include a picture at […]
By: Diane Benjamin MANY people have sent this to me. I feel there is more to add to this conversation, hence this story. This I believe was originally posted by the McLean County Republicans, I edited the photo to only show the comments made by Unit 5 Board Chair Alex Williams: . I will address […]
By: Diane Benjamin Last night’s agenda is here: https://meetings.boardbook.org/Public/Organization/1482 I can’t wait for property bills next year. I can’t wait to hear how much property taxes increase because those who bothered to vote were conned into believing their property taxes would decrease if the 1% Sales Tax increase passed. Still no word from the State’s […]
By: Diane Benjamin Obviously the City of Bloomington is not going to hold elected officials or the City Manager accountable for violating City code. In case you forgot: https://blnnews.com/2025/07/11/the-latest-people-bloomington-prosecuted-for-violating-city-code/ Add City Manager Jeff Jurgens to that story. He is allowed by code to spend $50,000 (needs reduced!) without Council approval. He exceeded that amount with […]
By: Diane Benjamin 1) From a reader, I will just use his words. He was mailing a birthday card: I was driving to the post office in Morton to make the early Saturday cutoff. A mailman was delivering so I stopped on the road and gave him the letter, asking if it will go out […]
By: Diane Benjamin After looking for months I finally found it! I’ve been saying for a long time when I do find this I can’t wait to burn it! I did yesterday. Below are 2 videos. The 1st one is 3 minutes and 33 seconds and explains most of why I did this. The second […]
By: Diane Benjamin h/t a reader https://meetings.boardbook.org/Public/Agenda/1482?meeting=702240 . Remember when they promised to use 33% of the new Sales Tax Revenue to reduce property taxes? https://meetings.boardbook.org/Documents/WebViewer/1482?file=094c40a2-40b3-4c72-913f-21da99d1f3c1
By: Diane Benjamin Follow-up to this story: https://blnnews.com/2025/08/13/does-unit-5-own-your-kids/ The email in that story showed Unit 5 hiding facts from parents. The emails below were received by FOIA. If multiple emails are in one picture, start reading them from the bottom. All concern kids deciding they are trans, mental health services are never mentioned. Unit 5 […]
By: Diane Benjamin Unit 5 is hiding what goes on at school from parents. See this email for proof: At school your child can pretend to be anything they want and Unit 5 will affirm it. They will also make sure parents never find out. Don’t let these psychopaths give your child ANY mental health […]
By: Diane Benjamin See the Illinois Report Card for District 87 Bloomington High School: https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/School.aspx?source=trends&Schoolid=170640870250001 If the goal is education they flunked. 77% graduate anyway. The District 87 website has many curriculum links. This is one for English: https://www.district87.org/o/bhs/documents/faculty-%26-staff/english/english-syllabi/455251 This is on the list, Freshman Literature and Composition: Freshman_Lit_Comp_23-24_-_BHS.pdf . Night is a biography of […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Teacher’s Unions don’t need money to get their candidates elected to local school boards. They didn’t have to spend a dime last April because only their candidates ran. Unions now control the schools. https://www.illinoispolicy.org/august-is-teacher-union-opt-out-time-what-you-need-to-know/ Excerpts: Illinois teachers’ unions spend little on representing teachers, what should be their core focus. So why should teachers […]
By: Diane Benjamin If you missed yesterday’s story, read it now: https://blnnews.com/2025/08/05/bloomington-quit-celebrating-mlk-day/ Many of the leaders of this Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion event are associated with Illinois State University. That is important to remember while reading this story: https://www.wglt.org/local-news/2025-08-05/isu-to-digest-u-s-attorney-generals-message-on-unlawful-dei ISU is figuring out how to comply with demands to end unlawful discrimination. The US Attorney […]
By: Diane Benjamin This link contains of list of schools nationwide that has Nonconforming Transgender Policies: https://defendinged.org/investigations/list-of-school-district-transgender-gender-nonconforming-student-policies/ Page down to Illinois, there are a lot of districts listed. Yes, Unit 5 is one of them but District 87 isn’t. Transgender/Gender Nonconforming Policies openly state that district personnel can or should keep a student’s transgender status […]
By: Diane Benjamin Locally we still haven’t been told when the airport is going to start taxing the county. If you forgot, Democrats got that passed in Springfield with members that don’t represent rural McLean County. That used to be called Taxation Without Representation. Assessed values are about to go up again. Since the area […]
By: Diane Benjamin h/t a reader I wrote in June about the Olympia property taxes debacle. In this story I quoted their website stating a meeting would be held July 14th (if needed). That link at the bottom no longer works, This is the new link to meeting dates: https://core-docs.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/395/district/5796161/24-25_BOARD_OF_ED._MEETINGS-DATES.docx__3_.pdf July 14th (if needed) was […]
By: Diane Benjamin The last local election was April 1st. School districts conned voters into thinking their property taxes would decrease if they approved a 1% Sales Tax increase. If anyone ever sees that decrease, please let me know! h/t a reader! Why is Barry Reilly and Vote Yes For McLean County Schools still getting […]
By: Diane Benjamin Before enrolling in college the first question that should be asked is: Can the accumulated debt be paid back with my chosen major? Unless public schools are hiring, who is going to welcome recent grads with this degree: https://illinoiseagle.com/2025/05/29/isu-establishes-queer-studies-certificate/ Illinois State University (ISU) launched an undergraduate queer studies certificate this month. The […]
By: Diane Benjamin A Livingston County wind company is running commercials promoting yet another wind farm. Evidently they are trying to gain public support. Yes, property tax money is generated. Yes, some electricity is generated – if the wind is blowing. Yes, the turbines leak oil. Yes, a backup energy source is required for when […]
By: Diane Benjamin What does this screen shot from last night’s Normal Town Council meeting tell you? . Does the Deputy Clerk have her hand over her heart? It sure doesn’t look like it. The citizens of Normal are paying the salary, benefits, and pension for a Deputy Clerk who refuses to say the Pledge […]
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 […]
