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Today’s edition · Sat., Nov. 7

Normal West beats Pekin, 33-21, and reaches the state quarterfinals

Plus, three local areas win Opportunity Zone status and county plan workshops start Tuesday.

The Daily Bloomington team1 story10 sources4 min read

Prep SportsTop story

Normal West beats Pekin, 33-⁠21, and reaches the state football quarterfinals

Normal West and Heyworth both won playoff games Friday

  • Pekin21
    Normal West33
    FinalClass 6A second round
  • Fisher7
    Heyworth45
    FinalClass 1A second round

Sources: Central Illinois Proud, Peoria Journal Star

If you follow the Wildcats, circle next week. Normal West is in the state quarterfinals for the first time since 2018 after the second-seeded Wildcats beat Pekin, 33-21 in a Class 6A second-round game at Wildcat Stadium on Friday, Nov. 6. Senior Cody Muhlbauer rushed for a touchdown and caught a TD pass from Chase Sennett.

Pekin couldn't catch up. Dylan Anderson scored two touchdowns on direct snaps out of the wildcat, and the second one cut the gap to 33-21 with 11:45 left. Photos from the game are up now.

  • Normal West record: 10-1
  • Next: sixth-seeded Wheaton Warrenville South in the quarterfinals
  • Heyworth (11-0) awaits the Dwight-Clifton Central winner

The Wildcats built a lead Pekin never erased

33-21
final score, Normal West over Pekin
27-7
Normal West's lead at halftime
2018
last time Normal West reached the state quarterfinals
7-4
Pekin's final record

Sources: Central Illinois Proud, Peoria Journal Star

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Gifts for retirees, students, and healthy living

News Notes

Opportunity Zones

Downtown Bloomington, Uptown Normal and Northwest Normal have been approved for federal Opportunity Zone designations beginning in January 2027. They're three of 240 Illinois locations announced Nov. 5. www.cities929.com

County plan

The McLean County Regional Planning Commission is holding a new round of public workshops on its . This round covers potential policies and actions, with four in-person and three virtual sessions. www.cities929.com

Workshops on the county plan run Nov. 10 through Nov. 19

Regional Comprehensive Plan 2045 public workshops

November 2026

  • In person
  • Virtual

Source: www.cities929.com

View as table
Days
In personNov. 10 and 18
VirtualNov. 12 and 17

Home businesses

If you run a business from home, Normal is asking for feedback at an open house Wed., Nov. 18, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in Room 409 at City Hall. Planning director Mercy Davison told WGLT the proposed code language hasn't been written yet. WGLT

Heartland grant

Heartland Community College has been awarded a $99,778 state grant to expand mental health resources for students, including crisis counseling outside regular hours. The Pantagraph

Symphony debut

Pianist Jeremy Denk makes his Bloomington-Normal debut with the on Sat., Nov. 21, in the renovated concert hall at ISU's Center for the Performing Arts. The program features Bartók's Piano Concerto No. 2 and Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition. WGLT

Home

Two home kitchen upgrades under $24 while sales last: super-absorbent dish towels that come in an eight-pack and include a hanging loop, and a water-absorbing stone sponge holder that’s minimalist, compact, and keeps counters and sponges dry with natural diatomite stone.

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Today’s puzzles

A new puzzle in each one every morning, played right here.

All 13 games

Quoted

Art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable.

— Cesar A. Cruz

Things to Do

Things to Do

Bloomington, IL

Saturday, Nov. 7

See every Bloomington eventFeature your event

Jobs

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The Buy

Around the Block

Around the Block

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Neighbors

Hello, neighbors!

“I’m Debbie … I’m a new user on this app. I hope you’ll all welcome me! 🤞🤗”

— A neighbor, Founders Grove
Photo from the neighbor’s post

32 likes · 15 comments

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The Wrap

Free parking, a snack bar and tires under one roof? Sixty years ago, that was a big idea. Kmart opened at the then-rural corner of Route 9 and Route 66 on Sept. 20, 1962, and the McLean County Museum of History looks back at how it pulled Bloomington-Normal shoppers away from downtown. Clothing and electronics were on the shelves too. Talk about one-stop shopping.

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? Normal West and Heyworth chase playoff history Friday

Read yesterday’s edition

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Every source in this edition10 links · 7 outlets
  1. The Weather Channelweather.com
  2. Central Illinois Proudcentralillinoisproud.com
  3. Peoria Journal Starpjstar.com
  4. The Pantagraphpantagraph.com
  5. www.cities929.comcities929.com
  6. www.cities929.comcities929.com
  7. WGLTwglt.org
  8. The Pantagraphpantagraph.com
  9. WGLTwglt.org
  10. Bloomington events calendardailybloomington.com

Past issues

  1. Fri., Nov. 6Normal West and Heyworth chase playoff history Friday
  2. Thurs., Nov. 5Normal weighs housing code changes; Heartland lands $99,778 grant
  3. Wed., Nov. 4Bloomington voters favor grocery tax repeal and a data center moratorium
  4. Tues., Nov. 3McLean County budget would cut tax rate to a 20-year low
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Daily Bloomingtonto me · Sat., Nov. 76:00 a.m.

Normal West beats Pekin, 33-21, and reaches the state quarterfinals

Plus, three local areas win Opportunity Zone status and county plan workshops start Tuesday.

The TLDR

  1. Normal West beats Pekin, 33-21, and reaches the state quarters
  2. Three Bloomington-Normal areas approved as Opportunity Zones
  3. County plan workshops begin Tuesday, Nov. 10
Read this edition

More stories this week

From Daily Bloomington’s other editions

All the news
Normal Town CouncilNormal weighs housing code changes for existing multifamily homes and accessory dwelling unitsIf you own a duplex or fourplex in a single-family zone, this one's for you. Normal's town council discussed two proposed amendments Monday as the Twin Cities work on the housing crisis. One covers non-conforming housing. The other covers accessory dwelling units, or ADUs.Thursday’s editionRead EducationHeartland Community College wins a $99,778 state grant for student mental healthIf you're a Heartland student, help is set to reach beyond the usual hours. The college announced Wednesday it was awarded $99,778 through the Illinois Community College Board's FY27 College Student Mental Health & Success Initiative Grant, spokesman Steve Fast said.Thursday’s editionRead ElectionBloomington voters favor repealing the grocery tax and pausing large data centersIf you voted in Bloomington on Tuesday, here's where things stand. Voters favored repealing the city's 1% grocery tax and imposing a moratorium on large-scale data centers, according to unofficial returns. The reports we saw don't give vote totals for either question.Wednesday’s editionRead

Around Bloomington

From The Pantagraph, RiverBender.com and 2 more newsrooms, gathered by 6AM News, 6AM City’s local news service.

More local news

  1. The Pantagraph1 hour ago

    Heartland Community College helps first-generation students find support, build confidence

    Heartland Community College students shared how mentoring, financial aid guidance and campus connections helped them navigate higher education as the college celebrated first-generation students during a carnival Wednesday in Normal.

  2. RiverBender.com9 hours ago

    Friday, Nov. 6, 2026, Play It Again Sports Playoff Football Scores and General Scoreboard

    See Friday, Nov. 6, 2026 scores for Illinois IHSA football and soccer playoffs, NCAA basketball and football, NBA Cup games, and NHL matchups.

  3. WGLT9 hours ago

    New state law on e-bikes and scooters will take time to adjust to

    Starting Jan. 1, new rules, regulations and definitions will be consistent statewide on micromobility devices, including traditional and electronic bicycles and scooters. For some devices, that means age limits and even requiring license and registration.

  4. Capitol City Now11 hours ago

    26 new U.S. citizens take their oaths Friday in Springfield

    26 people took oaths to become American citizens Friday.

  5. The Pantagraph11 hours ago

    Normal West pulls out a new trick in Class 6A playoff decision over Pekin

    Wildcats effective running and passing.

  6. The Pantagraph11 hours ago

    USO Review show planned in Normal

    NORMAL — The Holiday Spectacular will present a Veterans Day USO Review for two days this weekend in Normal in honor of the Veterans Day holiday. Showtimes are 7 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at the Illinois State University Alumni Center, 1101 N. Main St. in Normal.