NORMAL - At least three people were injured and several others arrested Thursday evening in a fight involving dozens of people on West Orlando Avenue in Normal.

The fight, coming less than 24 hours after a man was stabbed in another large fight in that area, has increased police attention on an already troubled neighborhood.

"We expect this to be an ongoing problem all summer," Normal police Sgt. Kevin Henderson said.

Police were called about 6:45 p.m. Thursday to a brawl in the streets in the 700 block of West Orlando and the entrance of Fairview Ridge Apartments, Henderson said.

Officers arriving at the scene saw about 30 to 40 people fighting, and some were wielding mops, broom handles, tree branches and pipes as weapons, he said. There was an initial report of a firearm, but none was found and no shots were fired, Henderson said.

About 40 more people were at the scene but not fighting, he said.

Three people were taken to BroMenn Regional Medical Center, Normal, but their names and conditions were not available Thursday night. Henderson said he did not know the condition of a man who suffered a stab wound, but a person with a cut on the head and another with a hand injury were treated and released.

At least seven people were arrested on preliminary charges ranging from obstruction of justice to aggravated assault, aggravated battery and mob action, he said.

At least two dozen officers from Normal, Bloomington, Illinois State University, state and sheriff's police departments were on the scene along with Normal firefighters.

Small groups of bystanders watched from the sidewalks, porches and yards as officers talked to witnesses and handcuffed others to be taken away in squad cars for questioning. While some were curious, others were openly hostile about who was being arrested.

Lawanda Tillman said her 21-year-old son was in the crowd and started to leave after police told the crowd to disperse.

"He was walking away and a police officer threw him to the ground," said Tillman, who lives on nearby Northbrook Drive. "They charged him with mob action."

She maintained her son, a college student, has never been in trouble and was not involved in the incident.

"This is a bad area," she said. "Kids from different parts of Chicago come down. This is a nice town, they don't need to come down here and destroy."

Area resident Samuel Hill shook his head and lamented the scene: "It's sad. It really is sad. Where are there parents? These kids just don't think. It's terrible."

Hill said he's concerned about the violent incidents that seem to be on the rise in the neighborhood.

"You know, they don't always make their target," he said. "And it's the little ones, the innocent ones sometimes that get hit."

Henderson said police believe the fight Thursday night was tied to retaliation for a fight in which a man was stabbed the night before.

Police were called about 11:40 p.m. Wednesday to the 700 block of Orlando to deal with a fight involving a large number of people, police reports said.

Shunda Denton, 16, who lives in a nearby apartment house, was stabbed in the back, police reports said. He was treated at BroMenn and released, a nursing supervisor said.

Five boys ages 13 to 17 were arrested in that incident and two others were listed as suspects, reports said.

Normal City Manager Mark Peterson said the police department has been aware of "substantial criminal activity in that particular neighborhood." That's why Police Chief Kent Crutcher has dedicated a detail of six officers to patrol the area for the summer, he said.

Peterson said he planned to talk to Crutcher to see if there is anything else the department can do in light of back-to-back incidents.

"We're committed to do everything we can to make it safe," Peterson said. "The vast majority of the residents are fine, upstanding citizens who want a safe environment."

Peterson said trouble in the neighborhood seems to run in cycles. Numerous problems prompted to the town to open a police substation in the area in August 2002.

"When we opened the substation, it quelled down for a period of time," he said.

Last summer also was fairly quiet.

Michele Steinbacher contributed to this story.