Shawn Childs Sr., 40, (left) and his son, Shawn Childs Jr.

McLean County

Former County Board chair pleads guilty to wire fraud

Matt Sorensen, former chairman of the McLean County Board, recently pled guilty to a federal wire fraud charge. As part of the plea deal, which was entered in Chicago federal court on Wednesday, Nov. 2, Sorensen admitted to defrauding a Chicago-based consulting firm of nearly $500,000.

He was indicted on five separate wire fraud counts in connection with his role as an internal consultant with Bloomington-based State Farm. Sorensen’s alleged fraud occurred over a nine-year span that ended in 2012. Sorensen is due for charging in March.

Prosecutors have asked for sentencing between 21 and 27 months. Early this year, Sorensen stepped down from the County Board when details of the indictment were made public. County officials conducted an internal probe of his time in office, but never found any evidence of wrongdoing during his time in government.  

ISU to offer cybersecurity program, starting next year

A new program focused on cybersecurity will soon be added to Illinois State University’s menu of offerings. The move comes on the heels of a series of high-profile incidents and a topic that has been part of this year’s presidential campaigning.

ISU has already offered cybersecurity-focused classes, but the shift toward offering a full-fledged program around the profession is a pivot for the university. Several companies within the heartland reportedly approached ISU about beefing up on the number of cybersecurity-focused classes. The program launches next fall.   

Bloomington

Bloomington Circle K store robbed at gunpoint  

An armed man took an undisclosed amount of money during a robbery at Circle K, 515 S. Clinton St., about 4:07 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 1. According to Bloomington Police, the man fled the store after he received the cash. No injuries were reported from the incident.

The suspect is described as light-skinned, black, standing 5 feet to 5 feet, 5 inches tall and weighing about 200 pounds.

At the time of the incident, he was wearing a hooded sweatshirt, and his face was partially concealed. Police are asking anyone with information to contact Detective Jared Roth at (309) 434-2379 or jroth@cityblm.org.   

Local man dies in car crash; investigation ongoing  

Bloomington resident Christopher Cunningham, 35, died in a car crash on Oakland Avenue, near Meadows Street within the city’s limits, about 3 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 29. According to McLean County Coroner Kathy Davis’ office, Cunningham was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the incident.

Cunningham was driving a vehicle when he succumbed to his injuries. He sustained blunt force neck and chest injuries. According to authorities, a passenger survived the crash, but was transported to the hospital for treatment. Bloomington Police and other agencies are investigating the incident.

Leaf collection efforts underway in Bloomington  

Bloomington’s public works crews are in the midst of a months-long leaf pick-up effort. The city is asking residents to rake their leaves to the back of the curb on the grass, to the shoulder of the road or at the edge or near a driveway. Crews will not pick up bagged leaves, and piles should not exceed 3 feet. The city also is asking residents not to rake leaves into the street as a precaution against flooding. Brush and other yard waste also can be placed in the same locations, though the DPW is asking residents to keep the piles separate from the leaves. For information, contact the city’s DPW office at (309) 434-2225 or publicworks@cityblm.org.

Normal

Chicago man pleads guilty after supplying drug to ISU student

Shawn Childs Sr., 40, pled guilty on Friday, Nov. 4, on charges he supplied his son, Shawn Childs Jr., 19, with the drug Ecstasy in July during a back-to-school event at Illinois State University. Childs Jr., a would-be student at the university, placed the drug in a woman’s drink during the orientation program.

Childs Sr. has been placed on 30 months of probation in exchange for a guilty plea of possessing cathinone, another controlled substance that frequently is linked to bath salts. The cathinone sentencing is in lieu of the Ecstasy charge, which would have been classified as a Class 3 felony and a prison term of six to 30 years. Childs Jr. has been charged with criminal sexual assault of the female student. Childs Jr. is free after posting $10,035 bail.

W. Beaufort Lane closed amid Uptown on the Circle construction

The westbound lane of West Beaufort Street has been closed to all through traffic for at least a year, town of Normal officials have announced. The closure is linked to the construction of One Uptown on the Circle, which began in late October.

The traffic closure impacts Uptown Circle to the ingress and egress of the Uptown Station parking deck. West Beaufort Street is expected to reopen in fall 2017. Throughout the construction project, the eastbound portion of West Beaufort Street will remain open, and the Uptown Station parking deck will be accessible.

Residents encouraged to recycle unwanted pumpkins

It is an annual rite after Halloween: discarding unwanted pumpkins. Town of Normal public works crews are encouraging residents to recycle their pumpkins through a new campaign effort.

Residents can place their unwanted pumpkins in an open bag or cart for landscape waste pickup. There are caveats to the offer, however. The pumpkins collectively should not exceed 35 feet. If a specific pumpkin exceeds that weight, the town is asking residents to place the pumpkins with regular trash.

–McLean County News Briefs–