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 The Illinois State University football team came from behind to force overtime last night for the FCS championship. The team ended up losing by 1 point. They deserve to be proud of what they accomplished. Meanwhile, an ISU professor was one of the organizers of the protest Sunday: https://www.25newsnow.com/2026/01/05/activists-protesting-us-military-force-venezuela-gather-busy-bloomington-shopping-center/#aj0ltkn477e8vlubp6audiolk8wpxhqt Excerpts: Activist group Bloomington […]
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 The top 6 stories are ALL Unit 5: https://blnnews.com/2025/10/07/proof-political-propaganda-is-allowed-at-unit-5/ https://blnnews.com/2025/12/04/can-your-3rd-grader-read-likely-no-in-public-school/ https://blnnews.com/2025/10/07/see-what-matt-chapman-is-teaching/ https://blnnews.com/2025/09/23/unit-5-school-board-doesnt-care-what-you-think/ https://blnnews.com/2025/09/20/controversy-surrounds-unit-5-board-chair-alex-williams/ https://blnnews.com/2025/10/02/want-to-know-why-every-kid-at-evans-is-punished-see-this/ If you haven’t taken the Unit 5 survey: https://forms.gle/sfLWSF4Bcv92EU3bA Maybe people will actually vote the next time school board members are elected – 2027. Maybe people will actually run, in 2025 only union candidates ran.
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 Last year Connect Transit paid Managing Director David Braun: In November he abruptly announced a leave of absence and then resigned. Wasn’t he the guy who wasted around $16 million on electric buses? Media reported his leave of absence and that he may not return: https://www.wglt.org/local-news/2025-11-13/connect-transits-managing-director-takes-leave-of-absence In December media dutifully reported the […]
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 […]
By: Diane Benjamin 1) Gas price in Wisconsin, we also saw $2.32 but not in time for a pic: . Less than 20 miles south of the border in Illinois the price was $2.78. Meanwhile Illinois roads are pathetic, especially I39 north. 2) Excerpt: . I asked AI how many homes would that amount of […]
. To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible”. ~Thomas Aquinas
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 All previous stories are linked in this one: https://blnnews.com/2025/12/16/bloomington-township-assessor-its-not-my-fault/ Just to recap, The BNWRD packet for December had three properties listed they were buying. Two of them had problems. First: Pin #21-05-154-020 This property was listed on the County website as owned by the City of Bloomington. I finally got an answer […]
By: Diane Benjamin In case you forgot, review these stories. The McLean County Public Schools all wanted the 1% Sales Tax to pass, all used the same talking points, and all pointed to the same website to “inform” voters. https://www.wglt.org/local-news/2025-02-11/complaints-filed-over-alleged-political-advocacy-on-school-sales-tax-informational-website https://blnnews.com/2025/07/18/voter-deception-the-1-sales-tax-controversy/ Copied from an email to Dean Fletcher who filed one of the complaints: My […]
By: Diane Benjamin The below is from the Unit 5 agenda last Wednesday: https://meetings.boardbook.org/Public/Agenda/1482?meeting=722323 The Board held a Public Hearing on property taxes. This slide was included: . The highlighted number is what they plan on taking from property owners. We know the increase Equalized Assessed Values are mostly due to higher values assigned to […]
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 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is the opposite of meritocracy. Most people believe success has to be earned, not handed out to fill self-imposed quotas. Judging people on the color of their skin is evil. Most people used to know that. The YWCA doesn’t know that. https://www.ywcamclean.org/education-advocacy/ FREE DEI Education The YWCA does […]
By: Diane Benjamin Last Monday City Manager Jeff Jurgen announced there was plenty of parking downtown – Just hit Play: . Mayor Brady is quoted in this WGLT story stating the opposite: https://www.wglt.org/local-news/2025-12-16/bloomington-considers-downtown-trolley-service-during-parking-crunch Brady wants a trolley service when big events are going on because parking near the places holding events is limited. Which is […]
By: Diane Benjamin The 7-2 vote last Monday to massively raise property taxes made housing even more unaffordable. Numerous people running for office claim they will lower your taxes. Monday’s vote proved that lying is how you win elections. Bloomington aldermen aren’t the only taxing body grabbing for your wallet. Below is Dan Brady’s campaign […]
I contacted the Assessor’s office to find out who the assessor is for PIN #21-06-278-031. They told me the guy listed below. I sent him another email on 12/17/2025. By: Diane Benjamin All previous stories: https://blnnews.com/2025/12/13/bnwrd-continued-and-did-unit-5-get-screwed/ At the end of that story I stated I was going to ask the Bloomington Township Assessor about the […]
By: Diane Benjamin The Bloomington Council voted 7-2 to increase property taxes 13.4% last night. The library increased taxes by almost 2%. After a Who’s on First like re-enactment, discussions took place by the Council both during the Public Hearing and before the vote. 7 members swallowed whatever staff fed them, only Alderman Sheila Montney […]
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 I sent BNWRD another FOIA yesterday, it was answered the same day. Thanks Tim Erwin. See the 2 previous stories here: https://blnnews.com/2025/12/12/more-on-the-bnwrd-property-purchase/ I still haven’t received a response from the Bloomington City Attorney pertaining to the property listed in the County records as owned by the City: PIN #21-05-154-020. More on that […]
By: Diane Benjamin Story on Bloomington’s water and contaminates: https://blnnews.com/2025/12/10/bloomington-water-quality-2024-report/ Don’t forget this fact: What is in Normal’s water? https://www.ewg.org/tapwater/system.php?pws=IL1130900 . See more details at the EWG website which includes recommended filters to remove these chemicals. Did you notice how many cause cancer but have no legal limit? How much are you paying for water? […]
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 Original story: https://blnnews.com/2025/12/09/bnwrd-bought-what/ I had to ask twice to get a response, Tim Irwin told me his wife had surgery which delayed his response. Packet for the December 8, 2025 meeting: https://blnnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/December-2025-Board-Packet.pdf In the original story I showed the PIN #’s for three properties. 21-08-278-031 didn’t exist in the County property database. […]
By: Diane Benjamin Update to this story: https://blnnews.com/2025/12/10/how-much-does-normal-charge-hudson-lexington-and-towanda/ I asked the Town Clerk a simple question about the FOIA I filed: Security Key:2491BAE5 Reference Number:RR-1767-2025 Can you tell me what fund this revenue goes to? This is the response I received from Clerk, Angie Huonker: Hi Diane, The deposit account (001-0000-341.16-00) is the “Charge for […]
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 It would have been nice if this document said what they wanted to annex. I’m only posting it in case it’s the Rt 150 property again. Previous story: https://blnnews.com/2025/03/13/downs-tonight-flooding-shaddyville/
By: Diane Benjamin I filed a FOIA request to find out how much revenue Normal received from providing fire related services to Hudson, Lexington, and Towanda. Remember, when Normal is running calls outside of Normal they aren’t available to run calls in Normal. The timeline for my FOIA was 1/1/2023 – 12/1/2025. That amounts to […]
By: Diane Benjamin This is a link to the 2024 Water Quality report on Bloomington’s website: https://www.bloomingtonil.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/24534/638878274396400000 It shows no violations for contaminants detected. This is a more comprehensive report from 2024 on Bloomington’s water quality. It was published by Environmental Working Group (EWG) in Washington DC. https://www.ewg.org/tapwater/system.php?pws=IL1130200 That reports also shows no direct violations, […]
