Daily
Normal
Wednesday, May 7th, 2025
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Good morning, Normal. Here's your local news at a glance for Wednesday, the 7th of May.
COMMUNITY NEWS
- ➤ Letter carriers in Bloomington-Normal will collect non-perishable food and sanitary items on Saturday, May 10 during the 32nd annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive + branch 522 will lead collection on city routes to support the Midwest Food Bank. Central Illinois Proud
- ➤ Local letter carriers will lead the Stamp Out Hunger food drive on Saturday, May 10 in Bloomington-Normal as they collect nonperishable food + sanitary items from mailboxes for the Midwest Food Bank, marking the event's 32nd year. WJBC
ACCIDENTS NEWS
- ➤ Bloomington Fire Department is mourning firefighter Kyle Walder (31) who died after an off-duty SCUBA diving accident in Kentucky on May 4, and they are awaiting funeral arrangements. WJBC
- ➤ Parker Swaar, an 8th grader at Illini Central Middle School, was hit in the head by a shot put at the Jim Newell Memorial track meet last weekend and had surgery Monday to repair his skull fracture before being moved between hospitals (first to a hospital in Lincoln then to one in Springfield) while the school district reviews safety steps (local schools have also raised funds to help his family). Central Illinois Proud
- ➤ A Bloomington firefighter died in a scuba diving accident in Kentucky on Tuesday, the department said. The Pantagraph
BUSINESS NEWS
- ➤ Rivian executives lowered their 2025 electric vehicle delivery forecast to between 40,000 and 46,000 units because rising tariffs are increasing production costs at its Normal facility. They also raised projected expenditures by $100 million to help cover the extra costs—company leaders said the changes come as global trade challenges persist. The Pantagraph
EDUCATION NEWS
- ➤ Normal West High School will hold its graduation at 6 p.m. Saturday, May 24 at Grossinger Motors Arena in Bloomington—seniors will celebrate their achievements at the ceremony. The Pantagraph
GOVERNMENT NEWS
- ➤ Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias said most residents do not need to wait in line for a REAL ID as federal rules require a passport, REAL ID, or other approved ID to board planes or enter secure federal buildings starting today. He added his office will extend REAL ID Saturdays and the Supercenter program through the end of May so that those who need an ID have more options—citizens under 18 are exempt. Cities 92.9
- ➤ The Town of Normal extended its moratorium on short-term rentals until July 1 during Monday’s meeting to give officials more time to study new land-use bills and address past complaints. Some public commenters also questioned the process used to hire new Illinois Art Station staff—136 applicants led to revised staffing aimed at boosting work with public schools. WGLT
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
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TODAY'S FOOD FOR THOUGHT
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