The Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts marks it’s 10th season during the 2016-17 season.  (Photo courtesy Bloomington Vistitors Bureau)

McLean County

Three women file candidacy papers for county board

Three women, all running as Democrats, are throwing their hats into the ring this year as details of who is running for seats on the McLean County Board continue to emerge.

Jessielee Hinshaw is vying for the board’s District 3 seat. She and her husband live in rural McLean County, on a family farm. Hinshaw works for the Illinois Network of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies. Kimberly Pfeifer, a compliance analyst at State Farm, has put her name in to fill an expired term on a District 5 seat on the board.

Pfeifer is the mother of two sons and three children. She is a board member of Home Sweet Home Ministries and has served on other community boards.

Laurie Wollrab is running for a vacant term on the board’s District 6 seat. She was a member of the County Board from 2006-14 and recently was appointed to complete the term of Paul Finch, who resigned. Wollrab is the city of Bloomington’s compensation and benefits manager.

Bloomington

Police make arrests after rash of auto thefts

Bloomington Police have arrested a 17-year-old boy and 18-year-old man, both of Bloomington, on suspicion of taking property from a number of vehicles. The boy and man were taken into custody at 2:22 a.m. Thursday, June 2, after an officer observed them carrying a large bag near Western Avenue and Washington Street. Police have been taking inventory of all of the recovered property and are asking anyone with stolen items between June 1-2 to contact Officer Nathan Glawe at (309) 820-8888 or email nglawe@cityblm.org.  

Bloomington Police respond to two separate ‘shots fired’ calls

Bloomington Police responded to two separate “shots fired” calls in recent weeks. The first, at 4:02 a.m. Saturday, May 28, occurred at Econo Lodge, 401 Brock Drive.

According to Police, the scene at and near the motel was chaotic; about 50 people were getting into vehicles and leaving the area when officers arrived. Police found a battered 25-year-old man and 22-year-old woman, though neither sustained gunshot wounds.

After canvassing the area, police located a handgun and shell casings. The second incident occurred in the 2200 block of Rainbow Avenue at 2:59 a.m. Monday, May 30. When police arrived, officers had to break up several fights, and a number of people fled the scene in vehicles. A 24-year-old Bloomington man and 23-year-old homeless woman were arrested. Police found two 18-year-old women with minor injuries; neither sustained gunshot wounds. An apartment building also was damaged in the second incident.

Police investigating numerous missing teen reports

Bloomington Police have been investigating several reports of missing, or runaway, teens that are rooted in the community. Within the past two weeks, four incidents have been reported, though two of the missing teens have since been found.

The missing teens, as of the Chronicle’s deadline, include Marquaysha Brooks, 17, and Alicia Rodriguez, 13.

Brooks was last seen Wednesday, May 18, and may have traveled to Chicago. She is black, 5 feet, 8 inches tall and weighs about 185 pounds.

Rodriguez is believed to have run away from home Friday, June 3. She is bi-racial (black and Hispanic) and is 5 feet, 5 inches tall and weighs about 130 pounds.

Within the past week, Bloomington Police reported two previously missing teens — Alyssa Dedianous, 17, and Manuela Knackstedt, 15 — were found safe.      

Miller Park Zoo celebrating its 125th birthday

Staffers at the Miller Park Zoo, 1020 S. Morris Ave., will celebrate the venue’s 125th anniversary from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, June 11.

Festivities will include a variety of family-friendly activities, including an opportunity for children to make crafts and a series of special exhibits. A number of food vendors also will be on hand.

BCPA announces lineup for 2016-17 season

The Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts has begun announcing its artists’ roster for the 2016-17 season, which happens to be the organization’s 10th anniversary.

The upcoming line-up includes such Off-Broadway performances as “Elf: The Broadway Musical,” “Annie: The Musical” and “Route 66: The Musical Revue.”

The line-up also includes a number of stand-up performances from such comedians as Louie Anderson, Kathleen Madigan and Dan St. Paul. For information on BCPA’s full upcoming roster, visit www.artsblooming.org or call (309) 434-2777.

Normal

Mitsubishi Motors completes operational wind-down

Nearly a year after it made its announcement, Mitsubishi Motors has officially left the building. The last of the company’s 1,200-person workforce finished their shifts Tuesday, May 31.

While most employees were laid off in December, a small group of 170 employees stayed on into the first five months this year to complete the production of Mitsubishi’s North American fleet of vehicles.

New owners Maynards Industries and Industrial Assets Corp. took control of Mitsubishi’s plant site Wednesday, June 1. The companies specialize in industrial asset auctions, appraisals and liquidations.  

MetroNet to install fiber-optic infrastructure in Normal

Plans are in motion for fiber-optic Internet provider MetroNet to provide service to Normal residents and business owners, as part of a plan announced recently. MetroNet in marketing materials asserts it offers a higher speed of service than most of its rivals. The company currently provides its services to about a dozen markets in Indiana.

–McLean County News Briefs–