The Rev. Joseph Brown, a Southern Illinois University Carbondale professor in Africana studies, consoles student Ben Smith during a die-in demonstration on Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2014, in Carbondale, Illinois. Smith was one of several speakers during the die-in, and said he wanted to inspire the attendees and release his frustrations about two white police officers not being indicted for killing two Black men in separate incidents. “It was therapeutic,” Smith said. “I’m serious about change.”
Rhonda Morgan holds her granddaughter Madilyn Carol Cass, 4, as they watch Reva Schoenwetter play the harp during the Galesburg Historical Society's 30th annual Chocolate Festival on Saturday, Feb. 13, 2016, at 156 East in Galesburg, Illinois.
Damage done from a natural gas explosion is shown Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2016, in Canton, Illinois. One person was killed and several others were injured. A crew with Ameren Illinois had been in the process of repairing a gas leak in the area prior to the explosion.
Illinois State University student Omar Qaddour, of Kansas City, Missouri, gets lifted into the air by friends as he celebrates his bachelor's degree in information technology following the 158th annual commencement for the College of Applied Science and Technology on Saturday, May 13, 2017, at Redbird Arena in Normal, Illinois.
Illinois State University Farm manager Jason Lindbom, center, and farm foreman Jeff Bender feed a flock of sheep Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2019, at the farm near Lexington, Illinois. On a day when a record-low temperature of minus 21 degrees was recorded in Bloomington-Normal, both men were bundled in several layers, including coveralls, warm boots and hats.
Firefighters plan their attack on a structure fire Saturday, Feb. 10, 2018, at a two-story, 12-unit apartment complex on Gettysburg Drive in Bloomington, Illinois. The fire was reported at 3:20 p.m., and one firefighter was injured during response. Cause was later determined to have started in the kitchen of one of the units.
Genesis Rials, 6, participates in a play-along with Lee England Jr. during his soundcheck Saturday, April 13, 2019, at the Castle Theatre in Bloomington, Illinois. Area families were invited to the soundcheck by the Jule Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded by former Bloomington High School athlete Andre Hursey that is dedicated to serving and assisting youth to realize their potential and become successful adults.
Rudi and Mary Hofmann enjoy a toast Friday, April 26, 2019, at Sunset Lake Vineyards & Winery in rural Carlock, Illinois. The couple is retiring, but would like nothing more than someone taking over the winery operation that opened as White Oak Vineyards in 2003. “I have mixed feelings,” Rudi Hofmann said. “I like to be outside and working, and that’s what I will miss. On the other side, I’m looking forward to seeing our children more often and doing some traveling.”
Emergency personnel wheel a “victim” away from a mock airplane crash during a full-scale emergency drill Saturday, June 22, 2019, in Bloomington, Illinois. Central Illinois Regional Airport has to complete the drill, implementing its Airport Emergency Plan, every three years to meet compliance and regulatory requirements. More than 50 volunteers served in a variety of roles including playing “victims.”
Walkers tote U.S. flags to lead off a Fourth of July parade Thursday, July 4, 2019, in Towanda, Illinois. The celebration has been a tradition in the McLean County village since 1969.
Newly-named Illinois Wesleyan University President Georgia Nugent receives a kiss from her husband, Tom Scherer, on Thursday, Nov. 14, 2019, in Bloomington, Illinois. Nugent is the first female president in the college’s history, and its 20th overall.
The Rev. Trey Haddon, senior pastor at Second Presbyterian Church, delivers his sermon on Sunday, March 22, 2020, during a drive-in worship service outside the church in Bloomington, Illinois. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the church is finding new ways to connect to their congregations. “I was expecting maybe 15 or 20 cars there,” Haddon said, as church leaders counted 54 cars at the service. “It went off without a hitch.”
Marcie Taylor dresses as the "Compassion Panda" and brings an Easter basket of art supplies for a home Thursday, April 9, 2020, on East Front Street in Bloomington, Illinois. Taylor is the director of Compassion Center for the Arts, a nonprofit academy for performance and visual arts, but all of its programs have been halted due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Charlotte Wilkes, a technician with Reditus Laboratories, instructs a person on how to use a nasal swab Monday, July 6, 2020, at the McLean County Fairgrounds in Bloomington, Illinois. The site, operated by Pekin, Illinois-based Reditus, is open for the public to test for COVID-19.
US Sailing-certified instructor Jim Colegrove, right, observes as student Alan Schuele makes preparations during a lesson Sunday, July 12, 2020, on Clinton Lake. The lessons are offered by the Clinton Lake Sailing Association.
Camille Taylor, left, greets a passerby Friday, July 31, 2020, outside her home in Bloomington, Illinois. Earlier in the month, Camille and her husband, Art Taylor, were the targets of a disagreement in their neighborhood, so friends and colleagues organized a “book drive” and drive-by parade. The money raised will be used to purchase books for local schools.
Walking with Integrity team members Katie Krueger, Josh Krueger, Cindy Giessinger, Sarah Krueger, Janie Rainey and Shannon Gerwick participate in the annual Bloomington-Normal Walk to End Alzheimer’s by walking a trail near State Farm Corporate South on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2020, in Bloomington, Illinois. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, event organizers encouraged participants to walk individually or in small groups to raise money for care and support programs as well as research to help put an end to Alzheimer’s disease. This was Walking with Integrity’s second time participating.