1 00:00:00,370 --> 00:00:03,849 Speaker 1: The Central Illinois Regional Airport is seeking community donations to 2 00:00:03,849 --> 00:00:07,090 Speaker 1: help the financial struggles of TSA officers during a partial 3 00:00:07,090 --> 00:00:10,149 Speaker 1: government shutdown. That's among the stories you've heard this week 4 00:00:10,148 --> 00:00:14,770 Speaker 1: on WGLT. I'm Colleen Holden with news in review. Airport 5 00:00:14,770 --> 00:00:18,259 Speaker 1: spokesperson Melissa Beaver says the TSA manager recommends items like 6 00:00:18,260 --> 00:00:22,049 Speaker 1: household products or gift cards to gas stations. Because we 7 00:00:22,049 --> 00:00:22,579 Speaker 1: have 8 00:00:23,319 --> 00:00:28,280 Speaker 1: TSA officers who are driving here to Bloomington to work 9 00:00:28,280 --> 00:00:33,720 Speaker 1: without getting paid from places like Flanagan, Springfield, and Decatur. 10 00:00:33,959 --> 00:00:36,598 Speaker 1: Federal elected officials are still fighting over the funding of 11 00:00:36,598 --> 00:00:38,259 Speaker 1: the Department of Homeland Security. 12 00:00:38,909 --> 00:00:41,708 Speaker 1: The chief judge presiding over McLean County and 4 other 13 00:00:41,709 --> 00:00:45,110 Speaker 1: counties will retire this year. Casey Costigan says he spent 14 00:00:45,110 --> 00:00:47,708 Speaker 1: a lot of effort on mental health resources for juveniles 15 00:00:47,709 --> 00:00:50,430 Speaker 1: in the criminal justice system and wants to see more 16 00:00:50,430 --> 00:00:50,819 Speaker 1: resources 17 00:00:50,819 --> 00:00:51,330 Speaker 1: there. 18 00:00:51,668 --> 00:00:54,409 Speaker 2: This is a group to where we have an opportunity 19 00:00:55,150 --> 00:00:58,470 Speaker 2: to make changes to prevent adult recidivism. This is a 20 00:00:58,470 --> 00:00:59,709 Speaker 2: group that we have an 21 00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:04,440 Speaker 2: An opportunity to, uh, have them listen to us. 22 00:01:04,959 --> 00:01:08,319 Speaker 1: Costigan has served on the bench since 2006. A bill 23 00:01:08,319 --> 00:01:11,519 Speaker 1: to create an evidence-based funding formula for higher education has 24 00:01:11,519 --> 00:01:13,279 Speaker 1: advanced to the Illinois House floor. 25 00:01:13,699 --> 00:01:17,610 Speaker 1: Illinois State University professor Christy Borders testified before a committee. 26 00:01:17,980 --> 00:01:20,930 Speaker 1: Borders says ISU has seen record enrollment in recent years, 27 00:01:20,940 --> 00:01:25,360 Speaker 1: but is still struggling financially. Contrary to what some might believe, 28 00:01:26,220 --> 00:01:31,160 Speaker 1: institutions cannot simply enroll our way out of this underfunding issue. 29 00:01:31,660 --> 00:01:34,300 Speaker 1: Border says Illinois State University has had to make cuts 30 00:01:34,300 --> 00:01:36,279 Speaker 1: to programs because of the imbalance. 31 00:01:36,839 --> 00:01:40,239 Speaker 1: Illinois State University buildings, grounds, and dining service workers are 32 00:01:40,239 --> 00:01:43,110 Speaker 1: telling the administration they may walk out over a deadlock 33 00:01:43,110 --> 00:01:47,160 Speaker 1: in contract talks. Chuck Carver is union president. It is 34 00:01:47,160 --> 00:01:50,300 Speaker 1: our intent to strike on or after April 8th. 35 00:01:51,199 --> 00:01:54,260 Speaker 1: President Tarhoulli, your time to do the right thing is 36 00:01:54,260 --> 00:01:58,300 Speaker 1: running out. A university spokesperson says Illinois State will continue 37 00:01:58,300 --> 00:02:01,500 Speaker 1: to work diligently to reach a fair and fiscally responsible 38 00:02:01,500 --> 00:02:02,379 Speaker 1: contract agreement. 39 00:02:03,339 --> 00:02:06,459 Speaker 1: Governor JB Pritzker says it will take financial incentives for 40 00:02:06,459 --> 00:02:10,258 Speaker 1: developers to increase statewide housing supply. The governor talked with 41 00:02:10,258 --> 00:02:13,380 Speaker 1: business and government leaders in Bloomington about removing barriers to 42 00:02:13,380 --> 00:02:16,460 Speaker 1: building housing. Because as it is, trying to get a 43 00:02:17,020 --> 00:02:22,199 Speaker 1: special use permit is near impossible endeavor for an individual 44 00:02:22,199 --> 00:02:25,580 Speaker 1: or a family. Pritzker adds this is a better option 45 00:02:25,580 --> 00:02:27,859 Speaker 1: than the state putting money toward building housing. 46 00:02:28,779 --> 00:02:31,539 Speaker 1: Normal police are still trying to determine what role, if any, 47 00:02:31,619 --> 00:02:33,940 Speaker 1: a large outdoor party may have played in the mass 48 00:02:33,940 --> 00:02:38,619 Speaker 1: shooting last weekend. 6 people were hospitalized. Spokesperson Brad Park 49 00:02:38,619 --> 00:02:41,460 Speaker 1: says it seems to be an isolated incident. We don't 50 00:02:41,460 --> 00:02:45,619 Speaker 1: believe it was people driving around randomly and shooting at, um, 51 00:02:46,110 --> 00:02:48,619 Speaker 1: you know, large groups of people. We still have to, 52 00:02:48,820 --> 00:02:52,580 Speaker 1: you know, correlate that relationship, if there was one between 53 00:02:52,580 --> 00:02:55,779 Speaker 1: victims and suspects. That's something we're looking into. Police do 54 00:02:55,779 --> 00:02:56,860 Speaker 1: not have a suspect. 55 00:02:57,809 --> 00:03:00,770 Speaker 1: The city of Bloomington has lifted its severe drought designation 56 00:03:00,770 --> 00:03:04,240 Speaker 1: that called for voluntary reductions in water use. Recent rains 57 00:03:04,240 --> 00:03:06,759 Speaker 1: have raised water levels at the city's two water sources, 58 00:03:06,889 --> 00:03:11,089 Speaker 1: Lakes Bloomington and Evergreen. Deputy city manager Billy Tyas says 59 00:03:11,089 --> 00:03:13,289 Speaker 1: lake levels have risen more than 2 ft but are 60 00:03:13,288 --> 00:03:16,210 Speaker 1: still very low. We still remaining in a drought phase 61 00:03:16,210 --> 00:03:18,449 Speaker 1: and we still want to encourage people to conserve water. 62 00:03:18,570 --> 00:03:20,288 Speaker 1: So this isn't, we're not out of the woods, so 63 00:03:20,288 --> 00:03:22,169 Speaker 1: we want to make sure that people are still conserving. 64 00:03:22,690 --> 00:03:25,800 Speaker 1: Much of McLean County remains in a severe or extreme drought. 65 00:03:26,529 --> 00:03:28,970 Speaker 1: The first phase of redevelopment of the former State Farm 66 00:03:28,970 --> 00:03:32,589 Speaker 1: building in downtown Bloomington will start in July. Deputy City 67 00:03:32,589 --> 00:03:35,690 Speaker 1: manager Billy Tyas says UEP Bloomington has asked for a 68 00:03:35,690 --> 00:03:40,169 Speaker 1: longer timeline for the $68 million project. Projects of this 69 00:03:40,169 --> 00:03:44,770 Speaker 1: size and scope, they sometimes change over time. Financial markets change, 70 00:03:45,029 --> 00:03:49,250 Speaker 1: construction costs change. The first phase includes 57 apartments and 71 00:03:49,250 --> 00:03:50,009 Speaker 1: a restaurant. 72 00:03:50,880 --> 00:03:53,889 Speaker 1: A former McLean County Clerk Office staffer charged with viewing 73 00:03:53,889 --> 00:03:57,369 Speaker 1: child pornography at work will now remain in jail awaiting trial. 74 00:03:57,770 --> 00:04:00,929 Speaker 1: The state's attorney's office asked a judge to reconsider Bradley Byers' 75 00:04:00,929 --> 00:04:05,320 Speaker 1: pretrial release. Judge Jason Chambers agrees, citing evidence of Byers' 76 00:04:05,320 --> 00:04:09,050 Speaker 1: compulsive behavior, including looking at images at work. And a 77 00:04:09,050 --> 00:04:11,009 Speaker 1: jury has convicted a man linked to one of the 78 00:04:11,009 --> 00:04:15,830 Speaker 1: largest drug seizures ever in McLean County, 234 pounds of cocaine. 79 00:04:16,559 --> 00:04:19,190 Speaker 1: A jury found 30 year old Jobban Preet Singh guilty 80 00:04:19,190 --> 00:04:20,869 Speaker 1: of controlled substance trafficking. 81 00:04:21,718 --> 00:04:24,878 Speaker 1: The drugs had a street value of over $10 million. 82 00:04:25,319 --> 00:04:28,769 Speaker 1: You can find more on all these stories at WGLT.org. 83 00:04:28,998 --> 00:04:29,998 Speaker 1: I'm Colleen Holden.