This newscast aired at 4:05pm on 5-8-2025 on WGLT.
From the WGLT Newsroom, I'm Charlie Schlenker. Bloomington Normal's transit agency is set to take over rural transit service in McLean County from the company Showbus in July. Connect Transit managing director David Brown says the service plans to replicate the rural routes Showbus runs now. Brown says he's confident the agency will be able to run.
Starting July 1 without issues since it already has the drivers and vans it
needs,
I think we'll be prepared and once we start engaging with bus and talking about how we can even um coordinate with showbus to provide service outside of the county, I think it'll be a smooth transition.
Normal has voted to allow the service to expand beyond the town's boundaries. Bloomington has yet to vote.
The Catholic Diocese of Peoria's leader calls the election of the first American Pope of great significance for the Church and the world. Pope Leo the 4th, formerly Robert Prevost, has spent the majority of his career in South America. He is 69 years old and grew up in Chicago. In a statement, Bishop Louis Tilca pledged his support to Pope Leo, a musical instrument repair shop that has been
Blooming to normal institution spanning two generations goes away next week. Carl's pro band owner Travis Thacker says the move comes to allow his father Carl to retire.
He's been doing it for about 50 years, and it's just been a bit of a struggle finding skilled technicians and people that do what we do. It's kind of a niche market and a niche field for sure.
The store is selling off assets with what's going to the music.
Normal. The retiring coach for Illinois State University's gymnastics program says he's concerned for the future of mid-major sports programs. Bob Conkling says the ability for college athletes to freely transfer and to make big bucks from endorsement deals will make it harder for schools like ISU to compete against bigger schools.
Unfortunately, I feel like the, you know, Power 4, Power 5, whatever you want to call them.
Especially that have gymnastics programs, they're going to just get bigger and better and stronger, and it's going to be harder for the mid-majors in the future.
The 65 year old Conkling is leaving ISU after 20 seasons. He led the women's gymnastics program at ISU to two conference championships in the last 3 years. I'm Charlie.