New bike path plan approved

Bloomington

VFW post hosts Memorial Day ceremonies

The VFW Post 454 in Bloomington will be hosting Memorial Day events on May 25. The annual parade will step off in downtown Bloomington at 9 a.m. leading to a ceremony at 10:30 a.m. at the amphitheater. Following the festivities, the post members will travel to the Danvers Cemetery for an honors ceremony there until 1 p.m. The post, 1006 E Lincoln St., Bloomington will host a lunch upon return from the cemetery. For more information, call (309) 829-1522.

New bike path plan approved

The City Council voted May 11 to adopt a master plan for bike paths around the city. The measure was approved 8-1. First Ward Alderman Kevin Lower was the only vote against it, according to reports. The new plan is expected to include more streets with dedicated bike lanes and create bike lanes that connect to the Constitution Trail that runs through Bloomington and into the Town of Normal. Implementation of the plan is expected to be over multiple years.

Grocery store to open new location

Green Top Grocery announced May 12 it was going to move into a site at 921 E. Washington St. Green Top Grocery is a food cooperative and said the site will work well to provide locally sourced, healthy food to a wide audience. Nearly 800 members own the store and hold fundraising, and other non-traditional funding methods, according to reports. The decision to choose the Washington Street location was made after Green Top hired a consultant to study viable sites. Green Top hired a consultant to study possible sites for a store, which its members would own. The store will need to hire a general manager and that is expected to take three to six months, according to reports.

City tickets Uber drivers

The city has issued tickets to Uber drivers who have been operating illegally in the city. Bloomington police gave tickets May 5 to three drivers with the ride-sharing service after getting complaints about the service, according to reports. Each driver now faces a minimum fine of $250, according to reports. Uber and other ride-sharing services are not allowed to operate within city limits until it adopts revised ordinances to regulate such programs. Those new ordinances could be adopted early this summer.

Normal

New food forest to grow in local park

Volunteers from the Town of Normal, and the University of Illinois Extension Office for McLean, Livingston and Woodford counties were expected to plant hundreds of trees and shrubs in the One Normal Plaza over the weekend of May 16-17. The planting was part of a joint effort to build a food forest with trees and bushes that produce fruits and nuts which will eventually be available for picking. The targeted area is off Lincoln Street near the picnic grounds, according to reports.

Judge rules against police officers

A judge ruled May 8 three Normal police officers failed to prove that the Town of Normal violated the state’s Whistleblower Act. The officers, Deborah Weir, Brian Larimore and Todd VanHoveln, alleged in a lawsuit filed in November they were disciplined for not making a specified number of arrests or issuing a certain number of traffic tickets as set by their supervisor. The judge said requiring the officers to meet such performance standards was not a violation of the act, according to reports. The officers can file a revised complaint within 30 days.

Redbirds suspend top running back

Illinois State University has placed star running back Marshaun Coprich on indefinite suspension in the wake of his recent arrest. The school announced his suspension May 11. Copich, 20, was arrested April 16 on unlawful delivery of marijuana for allegedly trying to sell the drug to an undercover agent with Illinois State Police, according to reports. Copich is due in court on May 22.  The California native was the Missouri Valley Football Conference’s 2014 offensive player of the year, scoring 27 rushing touchdowns and leading the conference in rushing yards (2,274).

Regional

Park Districts to host 50+ Games

The annual Heart of Illinois 50+ Games will return to Peoria and surrounding communities over the weekend of May 28-30. The games are sponsored by Chillicothe, Fond du Lac, Hollis, Peoria, Pekin, Morton, and Washington park districts and feature athletic competitions for adults age 50 and older. The opening ceremonies will be at 5:30 p.m. on May 28 at the Miller Center in Pekin. For more information, visit. ww.peoriaparks.org.

State

IHSA takes steps to address concussions

The Illinois High School Association is forming a new advisory council to address concussions in student athletes. The organization made the announcement on May 12. The formation of the council comes in wake of a class-action lawsuit that alleges the IHSA is not doing enough to protect high school athletes from getting head injuries. The council reportedly will include the son of former Chicago Bears football player Dave Duerson. Duerson committed suicide in 2011 and in a note requested that his brain be used for research on concussion-related illness.

State

Motorcycle deaths show sharp drop

Fatalities involving motorcycles dropped across the state from 155 in 2013 to 118 in 2014, according to reports. Motorcycles on average account for almost 15 percent of all fatalities on the roadways, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation. About 3 percent of total vehicle registrations in Illinois are for motorcycles, according to IDOT. Of the 155 motorcycle deaths in 2013, 41.7 percent of the motorcycle drivers had a blood alcohol content of 0.01 or greater.