Special Sections
'Wooden' lung ingenious contraption for Polio
BLOOMINGTON — In the summer of 1949, at a time when Central Illinois communities were hit particularly hard by the deadly disease polio, St. Joseph’s Hospital and Eureka Williams Corp. decided to fight back.
Nov 21, 2009 | 4:30 pm | Loading…
Funk tried to break political glass ceiling
BLOOMINGTON — In 1924 Florence Fifer Bohrer of Bloomington became the first woman elected to the Illinois Senate. Today, she is rightfully remembered as a pioneer in women’s rights in Illinois.
Nov 14, 2009 | 6:40 pm | Loading…
First World War claimed lives of local aviators
Far from being the hoped-for "War to End All Wars," World War I presaged the coming mechanized horrors of the 20th century. Most significantly, it was the first major conflict in which the skies became a battleground. Aircraft were used for photo reconnaissance, artillery spotting, bombin…
Nov 07, 2009 | 6:25 pm | Loading…
The Pantagraph's 4th Annual 20 Under 40
From lawyers to educatosr to community leaders, The Pantagraph's 4th annual 20 Under 40 program spotlights the area's most talented individuals under 40 who are making positive impact on our community and achieving significant career accomplishments.
Nov 02, 2009 | 12:30 am | Loading…
Patent medicine makers claimed to cure all
What if one single miracle medicine could cure a fantastical range of ailments, including rheumatism, back pain, sprains, bruises, burns, frostbite, chilblains, ear and toothaches, cholera, cramps, congestive chills and even tumors? Such was the promise of Instant Relief, a concocted cure…
Oct 31, 2009 | 4:30 pm | Loading…
Groves once covered large areas of McLean County
In the early 1800s, the first settlers to Central Illinois encountered not only a "sea" of tallgrass prairie but also "islands" of timber. These extensive groves offered a welcome sight to pioneers often lost in the oppressive expanses of waving grass.
Oct 24, 2009 | 6:00 pm | Loading…
Depression-era mayor besieged by jobseekers
BLOOMINGTON -- With the national unemployment rate approaching 10 percent, today's job market can be charitably described as brutal. Yet as grim as the economy has been since the Wall Street collapse a year ago, our current predicament pales in comparison to the Great Depression, when the…
Oct 17, 2009 | 6:00 pm | Loading…
Man-made giants, grain elevators, towered over the Midwest prairie
For more than a century and a half, grain elevators have played a critical role in the fall harvest.
Oct 10, 2009 | 5:00 pm | Loading…
Swank Tilden-Hall Hotel razed in 1961
With the Marriott Hotel and Conference Center in uptown Normal slated to open soon, it's an opportune time to recall that downtown Bloomington was once home to a thriving hotel trade.
Oct 03, 2009 | 4:30 pm | Loading…
Jesse Fell key in Lincoln’s 'autobiography'
In late 1859 Abraham Lincoln, prodded by Jesse W. Fell of Normal, penned a brief autobiographical sketch that helped get him elected president the following year.
Sep 26, 2009 | 7:15 pm | Loading…
- Raw Video: Glass Shatters As Officer Arrests Man
- A train passenger's video of an arrest shows heavy-duty glass shattering and showering down on a San Francisco area transit police officer and an unruly passenger in an incident that injured both men. (Nov. 23)
- Raw Video: Astronaut Becomes Dad in Space
- Astronauts celebrate a birth on the International Space Station. Randolph Bresnik is now the father of a new baby girl. Abigail Mae arrived just hours after his first spacewalk. Wife Rebecca delivered the six-pound, 13-ounce girl in Houston. (Nov. 23)
- Rep. Kennedy Asked in 2007 to Avoid Communion
- The Roman Catholic bishop of Rhode Island said Sunday that he asked Rep. Patrick Kennedy in a 2007 letter to stop receiving Communion, the central sacrament of the church, because of the congressman's public stance on moral issues. (Nov. 22)
- The Highs and Lows of the AMAs
- Michael Jackson and Taylor Swift emerged as big winners at the AMAs while Jennifer Lopez ended up on the floor after a dance move went wrong. (Nov. 23)
- Oprah Winfrey's Ending Her Talk Show
- Oprah Winfrey's production company says she is ending her talk show in 2011. (Nov. 19)
- Bloomington, IL Weather
- Bloomington, IL Weather forecast video
- Raw Video: Meteor Streaks Across Western Skies
- A streaking fireball briefly illuminated parts of the Utah sky to daylight-level conditions early Wednesday. Surveillance video from an observatory shows a blinding flash of light at 12:07 a.m., followed by clear images of the object. (Nov. 18)
- Police: Teen Killed to See What It 'Felt Like'
- Police say 15-year-old Alyssa Bustamante dug holes in the ground to be used as a grave and plotted for a murder. Prosecutors say Bustamante strangled her 9-year-old neighbor, Elizabeth Olten, without provocation, cut her throat and stabbed her. (Nov. 18)
- Bloomington, IL Weather
- Bloomington, IL Weather forecast video
- Raw Video: Obama Visits Great Wall
- President Barack Obama concluded his first-ever trip to China by visiting the Great Wall. Also, during his trip, he met with the Chinese premier. The President is now on his way to South Korea. (Nov. 18)
