Destihl
Originally published on April 15, 2021 5:04 pm
The unemployment rate for the McLean County area labor market may have been 5.1% last month, but it’s a lot lower in certain job sectors. Restaurants, for instance, have had difficulty finding enough people to staff operations.
WGLT first reported on the shortage in February as pandemic restrictions began to ease. It has worsened substantially since then, according to owners and observers.
“I’ve been around the restaurant scene in Bloomington-Normal for a long time and I have not seen the labor shortage we are looking at right now,” said Larry Carius.
Carius headed the food service program at the McLean County Health Department in his working years and in retirement writes about area restaurants on Facebook.
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Nightshop
The COVID-19 vaccine rollout has many optimistic a return to something resembling “normal” is approaching. That includes a Bloomington Normal live-music scene gutted by the pandemic. Most music organizers in the Twin Cities said they are shooting for summer and fall performances.
Edward David Anderson’s live performance on March 14, 2020 was the last live show at Nightshop before the pandemic changed everything. Owner Chris Golwitzer finally closed the food side of his downtown Bloomington restaurant and music venue at the end of the year. He said he couldn’t meet expenses and obey safety orders.
“We take the pandemic very seriously,” said Golwitzer. “We followed all safety guidelines, almost went overboard with them just to protect my team but especially the customers. We are nothing without them.”
Emily Bollinger
During Tuesday’s debate between Normal Mayor Chris Koos and challenger Marc Tiritilli, the two candidates found themselves in a familiar place: The upcoming April 6 election marks the second time they ve faced off.
Back in 2017, Koos won his fourth term by just 11 votes over Tiritilli, who works at Illinois Wesleyan University.
But this year, besides the usual issues facing municipalities such as leadership on financial matters and economic development issues the candidates also are in a microcosm of a U.S. political landscape scarred by a divisive presidential election, the COVID-19 pandemic and a society facing a long history of police brutality.
Illinois State University basketball player Mary Crompton has been testing her teammates for the coronavirus. Making your degree count even while you're