Good morning, Normal.

After nearly three weeks of closure due to a car collision on October 6 that damaged the store’s wall and led to a brief fire, the Kohl’s at Eastland Mall reopened its regular hours last Friday—local shoppers welcomed its return ahead of the holiday season.

Rivian is agreeing to pay $250 million to settle a shareholder lawsuit that claimed the company misled investors about electric vehicle prices — the funds will come from liability insurance and cash on hand — and it does not admit fault while planning to focus on launching its mass market R2 vehicle in the first half of 2026.

Rivian announced that it will lay off 4.5% of its workforce to streamline customer service and marketing ahead of the R2 launch in Normal.

The company said no manufacturing operations employees will be affected—this restructuring is planned as it prepares for the new model launch.

Illinois State University’s College of Education will host its 7th annual Future Teacher Conference on November 7 at the ISU Bone Student Center—1,600 students from 122 high schools will join workshops, campus tours and hear a talk from the 2025 Redbird Educator Teaching Award winner. The school will also award three $1,500 scholarships to seniors who attend.

Heartland Community College and COUNTRY Financial cut the ribbon on the new addition to the Constitution Trail—marking a step forward in expanding campus facilities.

McLean County reached a 51% recycling rate in 2024 — its first time recycling half of all waste and surpassing the national average.

Michael Brown of the Ecology Action Center said a 15% increase in recycled waste helped meet the goal and the center will work to boost the rate to 60% by 2027 — a key step for sustainability.

The McLean County Emergency Management agency lifted the burn ban on Friday as harvest and tilling work reduced the risk of field fires — officials noted that severe drought and high winds could still cause fires to spread quickly.

Lincoln Memorial Hospital announced that Tamar Kutz will become the new president and CEO effective Monday, Oct.

27.

2025 Pumpkin Smash

10 AM – 2 PM — Rader Family Farms — Check website for costs — Smash pumpkins and learn about environmental impact through fun activities.