Daily
Normal
Thursday, April 3rd, 2025
Supporting our sponsors is one of the best ways to support Daily Normal.
Good morning, Normal. Here's your local news at a glance for Thursday, the 3rd of April.
CRIME NEWS
- ➤ Jared Williams, 19, was convicted of second-degree murder for shooting 21-year-old Mason Loy at Laramie Liquors in Peoria County on Aug. 26—he will appear in court for sentencing on May 21. Central Illinois Proud
CULTURE NEWS
- ➤ Director of Development Norris Porter announced that instructions for attending the 2025 History Makers Gala are now available—details include registration steps—and interested guests should follow the provided guidelines. The Pantagraph
- ➤ Three local theater groups have announced their 2025-26 seasons. Community Players Theatre will open its 103rd season with musicals and finish its renovation this winter—Heartland Theatre Company will begin its series of dramas on Aug. 28 and Prairie Fire Theatre will host a gala followed by a full-scale musical performance later in the season. WGLT
GOVERNMENT NEWS
- ➤ Four law enforcement agencies in McLean County reaffirmed their commitment to the 10 shared principles at the Bloomington Public Library yesterday. Officers from Bloomington Police, McLean County Sheriff, Normal Police and Illinois State University Police signed the pledge and answered community questions to build trust. Central Illinois Proud
- ➤ Normal Mayor Chris Koos was re-elected on April 1 with a 470-vote lead over his closest challenger, and he said his team will work to bring tax dollars back as federal funds shrink. He will also change plans for the $27.1 million underpass project—near Uptown Station—to cut costs while keeping the project’s original goal. The Pantagraph
- ➤ Veteran’s Parkway will be closed Friday afternoon for a procession escorting the remains of Private First Class Robert Lee Bryant, a World War II soldier killed in action. Normal and Bloomington police urge drivers to use alternate routes as the closure—lasting from 3:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.—allows his remains to travel from Chicago Midway to repatriation services at Park Hill Cemetery with his service set for April 12 at 1 p.m. Central Illinois Proud
- ➤ McLean County voters chose new leaders in races for village presidents, trustees, highway commissioners and school board seats with about 28% turnout this week—unofficial results from several contests, including close write-in races in Anchor and LeRoy, will be confirmed by April 22. Local election officials reported that contests in Normal Township and other communities showed tight races and active voter participation. The Pantagraph
SHOP NEWS
- ➤ TODAY'S SPONSOR Only two days remain to take advantage of some of Amazon’s best Prime Day deals. The sale makes upgrading every room of the house simple: We recommend these under sink organizing shelves for your bathroom, Roku’s 40-Inch smart TV for your living room, and the Keurig Hot and Iced Coffee Maker for your kitchen. The Buy
Supporting our sponsors is one of the best ways to support Daily Normal.
-
Exploration Day in Bloomington-Normal
2:30-10 p.m. — Meet at Ryburn Place — Costs vary by activity — Explore historic sites and enjoy local dining in a vibrant community setting.
-
Rivian 5K Charity Run
10:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. — Heartland Community College — Entry fee required — Participate in a fun run supporting local nonprofits with refreshments and an after party.
-
Children's Day/Book Day Celebration
2-4 p.m. — Illinois Art Station — Free entry — Celebrate reading with engaging activities for children and families.
No new real estate listings today. You can submit one here.
No new job posts today. You can submit one here.
No new community announcements today. You can submit one here.
The Best Amazon Prime Day Discounts on Car Accessories
Amazon Prime Day isn’t all tech + apparel sales. It boasts thousands of deals on categories ranging from automotive parts and accessories to garden and outdoors. Speaking of automotive, we’re upgrading our wheels with these four deals:
Drop Stop Car Seat Gap Filler | $24.99 $19.99
As seen on Shark Tank, this patented car gap filler means no more phones slipping down under your seat.
Wireless CarPlay Adapter for iPhone | $79.99 $49.99
Pair your phone to your car in just three seconds with this one-step CarPlay connector.
HD Dash Cam | $199 $119
Get ahead of fender benders with a reliable dash cam that records even at night.
Purple Royal Seat Cushion | $119 $89
Sitting in your car all day? Improve comfort with Purple’s hyper-elastic polymer cushion, built to give your tailbone ease.
Shop all deals.
Supporting our sponsors is one of the best ways to support Daily Normal.
TODAY'S FOOD FOR THOUGHT
A happy person isn't someone who's happy all the time. It's someone who effortlessly interprets events in a way that benefits them.
Know who said this? Send us an email!
Reveal the authorAbout Daily Normal
Daily Normal is a community newsletter sharing current events in Normal, Illinois. Our mission is to make local news more accessible, highlight extraordinary people across the Normal community, and support local organizations. If you like Daily Normal, you can support us by subscribing to our email newsletter and sharing us with your friends and family in Normal.
Advertising Opportunities
Advertising with us will make sure you stay at the top of everyone's mind—in Normal and across Illinois. You can learn more here. We'll work together to build a custom plan to hit your goals this year.
Alternatively, you can submit events, announcements, real estate listings, and job postings. We'll include them in our newsletter on whichever dates you like.
OUR MISSION
Our mission is to make local news more accessible and highlight extraordinary people across the Normal community.
We help people in Normal save time finding the news that matters most to them: local news in Normal, about Normal, curated especially for you on a daily basis—all for free.
Subscribe to Daily Normal
A free Normal community newsletter.
- Daily local news
- We curate the most critical news for the community every day.
- No spam
- Daily emails, only news! We never sell your data.
© Daily Normal. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy. Questions? Contact us here
Sitemap: https://dailynormalnews.com/sitemap