Bloomington police are seeking help in finding 15-year-old Reginald Hubbert who has been missing since Aug. 2. (Photo courtesy Bloomington Police Dept.)

McLean County

Bloomington man in jail after killing parents  

Brian Petersen, 25, was charged on two counts of first-degree murder last week for killing his parents, Bruce Petersen, 68, and Nancy Petersen, 63, at their home in rural Bloomington on Sunday, July 31.

Officers arrived at the Petersen’s home in the Lara Trace subdivision on the morning of the incident. Brian, who confessed to stabbing his parents, was arrested at the scene. Nancy was pronounced dead as paramedics arrived, and Bruce died later at the BroMenn Medical Center. Brian is being held at the McLean County Jail as he awaits sentencing.

Economists: McLean County remains strong  

While Mitsubishi North America’s plant closure has put a dent in McLean County’s economy, a recent report has indicated the region continues to perform well in a variety of sectors. McLean County continues to produce the highest concentration of corn and soybeans, by acreage, across Illinois.

Retail sales in year-over-year comparisons also are on the rise by 1.3 percent, resulting in $2.46 billion in profits across the region this past year. Another encouraging sign, according to economics, are home sales, where the median price inches up $3,000 to $174,000.

But economists did note the glaring challenge — rising unemployment — across the region. A year ago at this time, unemployment stood at 4.4 percent; it is now at 5.2 percent.   

Congressional candidate sues over requirement  

David Gill, who was planning to throw his hat into the ring as an independent candidate of the state’s contested 13th Congressional District, announced last week that he was suing the state for what he alleges are unfair requirements.

State election officials ruled Gill had 8,600 valid signatures, which fell short of the state’s requirement of 10,754 signatures for an independent candidate.

Candidates running as Democrats and Republicans for the same post need 740 signatures under state law. The 13th District includes much of Central Illinois, including McLean County.

Bloomington

Police find dead woman; investigation into cause ongoing

Bloomington Police, in conjunction with McLean County Coroner Kathy Davis’ office, are in the process of investigating the causes surrounding a 30-year-old woman’s death near Market and Lee streets.

According to police, officers on routine patrol found the unresponsive woman lying in a parkway at 5:42 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 2. Davis in a news release said her office has conducted an autopsy; the results were not disclosed by press deadline.

The woman’s name has not been disclosed. Police are asking anyone with information to contact Detective Michael Johnson at (309) 434-2369 or mjohnson@cityblm.org.

Three people shot last week

Three males incurred non-life threatening injuries after multiple shots were fired near Howard and Washington streets about 12:48 a.m. Monday, Aug. 1.

According to Bloomington Police, two men, ages 43 and 19, sustained gunshot wounds to their arms, while a 16-year-old boy was shot in the leg.

Each was treated at a local hospital. Police are asking anyone with information to contact Detective Tim Power at (309) 434-2579 or tpower@cityblm.org.  

Police seeking whereabouts of missing 15-year-old boy   

Bloomington Police are attempting to find Reginald Hubbert, 15, who was last seen Tuesday, Aug. 2, as he went to a local mall. He never returned home. Family members believe he possibly traveled to Chicago. Hubbert is a black male, 5 feet, 9 inches tall and weighs about 110 pounds. He has short brown hair and brown eyes. Police are asking anyone with information to contact BPD at (309) 820-8888.

Roads closed to accommodate sewer repairs   

The eastbound lane of East Grove Street, between Kreitzer and Willard avenues, will be closed for the foreseeable future as contractors perform a series of repairs to the municipal sewer system, public works crews have announced. Normal traffic patterns along East Grove Street are expected to resume later this month.

Normal

Town of Normal forges alliance with Microsoft

In the hopes of spurring new economic opportunities and giving youth greater access to digital tools, town of Normal officials last week announced a strategic alliance with the Microsoft Corp. The agreement includes a pledge from Microsoft to support local programs revolving around science, technology, education and math, or STEM. Additionally, Microsoft will allocate resources toward offering digital literacy skills to unemployed workers in the community. More details about the partnership are outlined on the town’s website, www.normal.org.

–McLean County News Briefs–