McLean County Board member Rich Buchanan

McLean County

Buchanan steps down from County Board

Citing health reasons, McLean County Board member Rich Buchanan has relinquished his seat on the decision-making body. Buchanan, a Republican, represented District 7 on the County Board, which encompasses portions of central and eastern Bloomington. Previously, Buchanan was a two-term mayor of Bloomington and a member of the City Council. Buchanan’s civic and elected contributions have spanned more than four decades. The county is in the midst of seeking applicants for the vacant position. The deadline for submissions is noon Thursday, Sept. 7.  

Exhibits coming to Central Illinois Regional Airport

It’s no longer just a place to catch your next flight. The Central Illinois Regional Airport will soon host a series of exhibits, dubbed “The Art of Science,” through a unique partnership. Airport officials have forged a relationship with the University of Illinois’ Genomic Biology Institute.

Under terms of the just-announced plan, the exhibits will showcase some of the university’s research through artistically enhanced pieces. Plans call for the exhibit lasting at least a year. It will comprise about 150 pieces, with about 15 or 20 on display at any given time. The pieces will be swapped out throughout the duration of the exhibit.

Bloomington

Vacant home endures extensive fire damage

Firefighters in Bloomington and Normal worked in tandem last week to put out a fire at a home in the 800 block of West Grove Street about 11:34 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 10.

No one was living in the two-story dwelling at the time of the blaze, which caused about $50,000 in damage.

According to details from the Bloomington Fire Department, the home was undergoing renovations. At press deadline, officials had not determined an exact cause for the fire, though it is believed to have been accidental.   

subhed: Mayor gets ambassador award amid Sister Cities trip

Mayor Tari Renner recently received an Ambassador of Goodwill Citizenship award amid a trip to Asahikawa, Japan, which has been Bloomington’s sister city for 55 years.

In a statement recounting the experience, Renner said it was an immense honor.

“The award ceremony was one of many highlights of this trip, which benefits Bloomington greatly by creating cultural, educational and information exchanges and promoting lifelong relationships between people and communities,” Renner said in the statement. At an as-yet unknown point in the future, Renner said he is interested in hosting a delegation in Bloomington for representatives of Asahikawa.

Sister cities programs, endorsed by the federal government, are aimed at promoting international relations and goodwill with persons from other cultures.       

Assisted living facility on track to open late this year

Welbrook Bloomington, an assisted living facility under construction at 1402 Leslie Drive, is on target to open late this year, company officials have announced. The $10.5 million development is expected to encompass 72,000 square feet of space.

The facility will offer 54 assisted living beds and 26 memory care beds. California-based Welbrook Senior Living is the company behind the Welbrook Bloomington development.  

Normal

Peterson to retire as Normal city manager in March

Mark Peterson, city manager with the Town of Normal, announced this week he will retire in late March.

When he finally steps down next year, he will cap off a 30-year career with the town. Peterson began his career in Normal as assistant city manager, a position he held for 10 years before assuming the role of city manager in 1998.

Peterson said he intended to announce his retirement with enough advance notice to help develop a succession plan.

In a statement, Mayor Chris Koos praised Peterson for his numerous contributions. “While it is hard to imagine the town without Mark Peterson as city manager, we are very fortunate that he is allowing us the better part of eight months to carefully consider our next steps,” Koos said in the statement.

The Town Council began discussing succession steps Friday, Aug. 11, and will continue to do so in the months ahead.

Sprague’s Super Service, 305 E. Pine St., in Normal is a local historic Route 66 landmark.  (Photo courtesy of McLean Co. Museum of History)

Wraps taken off restored Sprague’s Super Service on 66

Sprague’s Super Service, a historic landmark on the Route 66 corridor, has been refurbished after an extensive restoration effort.

Town of Normal officials and other dignitaries in the community held a ribbon cutting ceremony Saturday, Aug. 12, for the refurbished facility, located at 305 E. Pine St. Sprague’s, built by William Sprague in 1931, is frequently noted by historians because it is one of the few remaining vintage two-story service stations left in the U.S. on the historic Route 66 roadway.

The town’s facilities management team led an effort to restore the facility to its original grandeur.

Normal Police Department receives re-accreditation award

The Normal Police Department was honored recently for demonstrating professionalism and commitment to the community. The U.S. Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies named Normal to its list of advanced re-accreditation agencies during a summer conference in late July in Providence, R.I.

The recognition came after a team of trained assessors examined operations within the Normal Police Department.

“I am extremely proud of the work done by everyone in our organization throughout the re-accreditation process,” Normal Police Chief Rick Bleichner said in a statement. “We could not achieve recognition at this level without the support of the community and the hard work and dedication of all of our staff.”  

–McLean County News Briefs–