File photo of Thacker Airport near Chenoa in McLean County. The Illinois Department of Transportation announced that six airports have received Airport of the Year awards in recognition of outstanding commitment to safety and customer satisfaction. The awards were presented during the Illinois Public Airports Association fall conference in Galena. “Airports help to drive the economy in their communities while connecting Illinois to the world,” said Illinois Transportation Sec

USDA’s Rural Development is working on numerous local projects. City of Pontiac – Community Facilities Grant · This spring, they announced a $500,000 grant to help the City of Pontiac build a new Fire & Rescue Substation. · The Union Pacific Railroad runs through the middle of the city. The number of freight trains passing through the city has increased and crossing times can be upwards of 10 minutes. · The new substation will allow emergency crews

Heartland Community College President Keith Cornille, Trajectory Energy Partners Founder Jon Carson, Heartland Community College Vice President of Development and Community Engagement Chris Downing. Students at Heartland Community College Pontiac are getting some additional support thanks to Trajectory Energy. Trajectory Energy Partners has made a $150,000 gift to Heartland Community College, with an additional $75,000 gift designated specifically for the college regional c

A very special car was parked in downtown Pontiac Sunday during the 15th annual GTOAA Regional All Pontiac Cruise and Show. The very last Pontiac to roll off the assembly line, a 2010 G6 sedan, was a highlight of the weekend car show. “It was in Scott City, Kansas – an elderly lady had it,” recalled Tim Dye of the Pontiac Oakland Automobile Museum. “It was actually a rental car.” Dye notes that all of the last Pontiacs were G6’s and all of them were rentals. They were made a

The Illinois State Police (ISP) reminds teens and their families to enjoy homecoming celebrations responsibly this year because the choices made today can have lasting consequences. In July 2026, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) published its Young Driver Traffic Safety Fact Sheet, which showed young people (15-20 years old) accounted for 9% of all drivers involved in a fatal traffic crash. The Fact Sheet also showed 53% of young drivers killed wer

McLean County Farm Bureau is helping local agriculture classrooms grow learning opportunities with a $15,000 investment in classroom facilities and equipment through its FFA Capital Grant program. Normal West and Ridgeview FFA chapters each received $7,500 to improve equipment and expand opportunities for students to build real-world agricultural skills. “We’re glad to help our local high school agricultural education programs upgrade their equipment and facilities,” says

Bloomington Police have announced results of a Labor Day safety campaign. Officers conducted an impaired driving enforcement effort over the holiday period resulting in two arrests for driving under the influence. Additionally, three seat belt citations were issued and occurred during the nighttime hours. Other citations included 14 speeding citations, 1 distracted driving citation, 3 suspended/revoked licenses, 2 drug arrests and 24 citations for other violations. Chief Jama

Five passengers involved in a two-vehicle accident between Fairbury and Chenoa were hospitalized Saturday morning. State Police say the rollover crash at U.S. 24 and McLean County Road 3360 East shortly after 8:30 a.m. involved a gray Jeep and gray Kia. Lanes were closed for the crash investigation but have since reopened. Authorities say the crash remains under investigation with no further information available, including the names or conditions of the victims involved.

Brad Duncan, Pontiac sewer superintendent, addresses the Pontiac City Council Tuesday/Erich Murphy photo. Property owned by the City of Pontiac will be available for purchase after the city council approved a resolution and an ordinance at its meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 8. Property located at 222 E. Timber St. will be able to be purchased as surplus real estate. City Administrator Jim Woolford told the council that the city had acquired the property and has since razed the b

The Illinois Department of Transportation is accepting applications for grants to provide public transportation providers and eligible nonprofit organizations with paratransit vehicles. Municipalities and local governments, as well as nonprofit agencies providing specialized transportation to seniors or individuals with disabilities, are encouraged to apply. The deadline to apply is Sept. 21. Through its Consolidated Vehicle Procurement program, IDOT purchases accessible

On Thursday, September 3, 2026, Osman McLaurin Jr. was sentenced to 104 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for the 2021 murder of Geoffrey Rowry. On November 4, 2021, Bloomington police officers were dispatched to an apartment complex in the 800 block of East Washington Street for a person who had been shot. When officers arrived, they located Rowry in the courtyard, unresponsive with apparent gunshot wounds. Rowry wastransported to a local hospital, where he was

A two-vehicle crash near Cullom claimed the life of a Fairbury man Friday morning. Livingston County Coroner Michael E. Renner reports John C. Traub, 66, was pronounced dead at the scene and an autopsy was pending as of Friday afternoon. Authorities say Traub was driving a Ford Ranger pickup northbound on 3300 East Road approaching Route 116 when, according to witnesses, he failed to stop at the intersection and pulled onto Route 116 where he was struck by an eastbound semi t

The original Threshermen's directors in 1986 at the first reunion at the current grounds north of Pontiac. The Threhermen’s Reunion is still going strong after almost 80 years. Pontiac’s annual Labor Day weekend tradition officially kicked off Thursday at the sound of the steam whistles. “It’s just amazing that it’s still going on,” said Threshermen’s President Dave Herz during opening ceremonies. “There are so many things disappearing in life.” Herz credits the show’s succes

Chenoa City Council members voted to authorize Mayor David Shane to sign loan application documents for water main replacement. Kevin Hannel from Farnsworth was at Tuesday’s Chenoa City Council meeting, explaining there are a few more pages to sign for the first couple of work phases. “Once we get these signed, we’ll submit everything to the EPA,” Hannel explained. The money is there, according to Hannel, now it is just a matter of getting paperwork done. “Let me talk to thes

OSF HealthCare has again been recognized on the Forbes list of Best Employers by State for 2026. This marks the eighth year in a row OSF has been included in this prestigious recognition presented by Forbes and Statista Inc., the world-leading statistics portal and industry ranking provider. The 100 top companies in Illinois were ranked with OSF HealthCare coming in at 37, improving from a ranking of 67 in 2025. Additionally, the healthcare Ministry ranked in the top 10 for

Dixon’s Violin continues his HUMANKINDness tour on Sunday, September 6th at The Eagle Theater in Pontiac with a 4 p.m. performance and doors opening at 3:30 p.m. A former technology leader and symphony violinist, Dixon walked away from a distinguished career to follow his dream full-time, and invented a whole new music genre. Dixon now improvises on a 5-string electric violin with a looping system he developed to create an all-live one-man symphony, guided by his remarkable

Graymont Co-op has announced the acquisition of Missal Farmers Grain Company. Under the agreement, the facility at 325 N 975 E Road in Streator will continue to operate as Graymont Cooperative Association, Missal location. The closing is expected on Sept. 1 with operations continuing seamlessly into the future, according to a recent news release. "Today is a day of celebration - not just for Graymont, but for every farmer, employee and community member who has been part of th

City of Pontiac's Liz Vincent presents information to the Pontiac City Council Monday. Pontiac saw a 67 percent tourism increase from January through June 2025 compared to the same period this year. “That’s a pretty astounding number,” Director of Community Enrichment Liz Vincent told members of the Pontiac City Council Monday evening. The city recorded visitors from in and out of Illinois – with many coming from different countries. Vincent noted that one of her summer worke

The door is blown off of a Bloomington barber shop Thursday, Facebook photo/submitted. Plenty of damage was observed throughout Bloomington-Normal and McLean County following severe storms which rolled through the area Thursday afternoon. McLean and Tazewell counties appeared to be the hardest hit with about 31,000 outages reported mid-afternoon. Roof damage occurred at OSF St. Joseph Medical Center and the Rivian Plant while the Illinois State University campus in Normal suf

Jeff Hamilton, left, takes the oath of office from Livingston Co. Clerk Kristy Masching Thursday. The Livingston County Board has a new member. Jeff Hamilton was appointed to fill a vacancy in the county’s District 1 following the resignation of Jim Blackard. The appointment of the former sheriff to the board seat was officially approved at Thursday’s county board meeting in Pontiac. Chairman Jim Carley made the motion to approve Hamilton and Livingston County Clerk and Recor