There is a $1,000 reward for help finding the person who fatally shot a female bald eagle. Photo by Pam Roth

Bloomington

Plan presented to help homeless population

The concept of tiny houses to serve homeless people is gaining some momentum in Bloomington. Social service agency representatives met March 23 with city officials to discuss building tiny houses of about 350 square feet. Lori Kimbrough, homeless services supervisor for local organization Providing Access to Help, reports that the houses would have a living space, kitchen, bathroom and bedroom and be built as a community that would be near public transportation and be connected with social services organizations. The initial plan would reportedly involve six to eight homes.

McLean County

Reward offered in bald eagle shooting

Government authorities are offering a $1,000 reward for help finding the person who fatally shot a female bald eagle. The Illinois Conservation Police responded March 14 to a call about an injured bald eagle found in a McLean County farm field. The bald eagle is a federally protected. The bird was taken to the Illinois Raptor Center in Decatur but later died of its injuries, according to reports. Authorities found a featherless area to warm eggs in a nest but the eggs will not hatch without being tended. Anyone with information related to the crime can contact Crime Stoppers of McLean County at (309) 828-1111.
Bloomington

McLean County in top third of health counties

McLean County has been slotted as 30th in a survey of health rankings of Illinois’ 102 counties, up one spot from last year. Woodford County was ranked in the top spot. The County Health Rankings are released by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute.

Bloomington

Resident drowned on vacation in Puerto Rico

A 35-year-old Bloomington man has drowned while surfing in Puerto Rico. Bryan Wright, 35, of Bloomington, formerly of Heyworth, died March 18 while on vacation last week with friends in Rincon, Puerto Rico, according to police Wright had been surfing in rough waters and fell off of his board, according to reports. Wright is a 1998 graduate from Heyworth High School and attended Lincoln Christian College, Abilene Christian College and Eastern Illinois University. He was employed with State Farm’s Financial Shared Services Department. His funeral will be Wednesday at New Horizon Christian Church in Heyworth.
Normal

Amtrak trains run late or half empty: report

A recent report shows that Amtrak trains in Illinois show one in three run late and many are half empty. The report came from Rick Harnish, executive director of the Midwest High Speed Rail Association, who says funding cuts would harm the rail service. The state spends about $42 million a year to fund Amtrak but Gov. Bruce Rauner is proposing a $16 million cut.
Lincoln

City Council looks at branding

The City Council is looking at spending at least $17,000 to launch a branding campaign for the community. Decatur-based DCC Marketing gave a presentation to the council March 24. The goal of the plan was to “recruit, retain, and grow the City of Lincoln,” according to the presentation. DCC Marketing will help the city develop a multi-phased program that will take into consideration existing economic development plans in the area.