Normal town officials are looking at upgrades valued at $362,000 to Sprague’s service station, a notable landmark along Route 66 in McLean County. (Photo courtesy of Illinoisroute66.org)

McLean County

Commissions name MLK Awards nominees  

After combing through submissions, the Bloomington and Normal Human Relations commissions have announced nominees for the 2017 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Awards program. This year’s nominees include:

• Bloomington (adult) — Jessica Jackson and Kevin Jones
• Bloomington (youth) — Jordyn Blythe, Nikitha Mothikuru, Xazavier Pittman, Aishwarya Shekara, Oviya Sougoumarane and Anniah Watson
• Normal (adult) — Mary Aplington, Andre Hursey and Dontae Latson
• Normal (youth) — Sujith Molakala

The annual King awards luncheon — a Bloomington-Normal tradition for 41 years — will be held within the Bone Student Center, 100 N. University St., within the Illinois State University campus. Tickets, which are $20 per person, can be purchased at Bloomington and Normal city halls.  

Salvation Army’s Red Kettle campaign reaches goal  

The Salvation Army of McLean County has reached its annual Red Kettle campaign, local officials announced days after Christmas. The local branch set the fundraising bar at $240,000 between Nov. 16 and Dec. 24. Bell-ringers across the county brought in exactly $251,301.68 during that stretch of time.

The Red Kettles, which have long been synonymous with holiday imagery, are one of the Salvation Army’s two year-end fundraising efforts. The other, a mail appeal through the organization’s Make a Difference campaign, was trailing at press deadline.

The mail appeal ran through the end of 2016, and final figures will be known the first week in January. The mail appeal goal has been set at $250,000 this year.

Bloomington

Police investigating pair of armed robberies

Bloomington Police are seeking one or more suspects connected with two armed robberies — one on Wednesday, Dec. 21; the other on Friday, Dec. 23 — in high-profile areas of the city. The first robbery occurred at Walgreens, 909 S. Main St., at 9:43 p.m.

The suspect, who implied he was armed, demanded undisclosed items from the cashier before fleeing the store. He is described as black, standing about 5-feet, 6-inches tall with a thin build. At the time of the incident, he was wearing a black-hooded coat and jeans.

The second incident was reported at Casey’s General Store, 911 Morrissey Drive, at 4:49 a.m. A man entered the store and brandished a gun. He demanded and fled with an undisclosed amount of cash. The man was described as light-skinned, black and standing 5-feet to 5-feet, 5-inches tall. At the time of the incident, he was wearing a dark-hooded sweatshirt. His face also was partially covered. No injuries were reported in either incident. At press deadline, Bloomington Police had not made any arrests.

Officials are asking anyone with information to call the department at (309) 820-8888 or anonymously via McLean County Crime Stoppers at (309) 828-1111.

Police chief will not meet with BLM activists

Bloomington Police Chief Brendan Heffner has declined a request by local Black Lives Matter activists to meet behind closed doors and discuss several of the group’s grievances against the department. Heffner participated in a meeting held by BLM organizers in mid-December, but he has since publicly stated he was not pleased with its outcome.

Heffner said he was not given the opportunity to publicly comment on some of the organizers’ criticisms against the department and instead could only respond with “yes” or “no” statements. In lieu of the private meeting, Heffner suggested BLM activists attend the Minority and Police Partnership meeting slated for Wednesday, Feb. 1.

Tech company to hire 150 employees in new year

AFNI, a technology company specializing in web-based customer service applications, has announced plans of offering 150 positions to workers in and near McLean County in the new year.

The company, which has offices in Bloomington at 1310 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, already employs 700 people. In the latest hiring round, AFNI is seeking candidates who have strong writing and computer skills. Selected persons will handle customers’ inquiries for such issues as billing, plan service changes and other account-related matters.

The company is holding two job fairs — one from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 4, the other from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Jan. 7. For information, visit the company’s website at www.afnicareers.com.   

City of Bloomington upgrades its official website

The city of Bloomington’s official website, www.cityblm.org, has been overhauled with a new design and enhanced repository of information. Municipal officials said several factors are behind the refresh, including a goal of better serving smartphone users and improving navigation on the traditional desktop site.

The main municipal site also links to other affiliated links, including the Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts, which operates an independent website at www.artsblooming.org.  

Normal

Resident kidnapped from home; found dead

Normal resident Maunds Bryant, 41, is believed to have died from injuries sustained after being kidnapped from his home in the 100 block of West Raab Road during the evening hours of Thursday, Dec. 22. That assertion comes from Peoria County Coroner Jamie Harwood, who performed an autopsy on Bryant after he was transported to OSF Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria.

Bryant and his stepfather were reportedly kidnapped from their home at gunpoint and were placed in a vehicle belonging to a woman living in the same Normal home. She was neither injured nor kidnapped, but reportedly did not call police. Bryant’s stepfather escaped and called police, who found Bryant unresponsive in a Peoria home belonging to the captors.

Harwood said Bryant appeared to have succumbed to injuries linked to a head injury during the kidnapping. Normal and Peoria Police continue to investigate.

Historic Sprague’s service station to reopen this spring

Sprague’s service station, one of the most notable landmarks along Route 66 in McLean County, could meet its latest incarnation as soon as this spring. Officials in the town of Normal, which owns the property, have indicated a series of upgrades valued at $362,000 are taking place at the site, 305 Pine St., which has been dormant for years.

The work slated in the months ahead includes handicap accessible improvements to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, installing a gift shop and placing new restrooms within the site. Town officials have indicated the target opening date for the historic site is in April.

–McLean County News Briefs–