FLICK FLAK, random thoughts on the @ key, Bloomington city council member Judy Stearns, lower heating bills, "Mike" on the Ford commercials, and other such life obsessions:

A 70-acre Bloomington police building once eyed for an emergency vehicle training course is now the subject of a study that could help determine whether the property will remain in city hands.

BLOOMINGTON — The city will benefit from the work of seven Twin City university students as part of a pilot program designed to give them real-world experience in local government.

The weather today should be partly sunny with a high near 49. Tonight is expected to be mostly cloudy with a 30 percent chance of rain and a low around 38. Thursday's forecast is for mostly cloudy, br

BLOOMINGTON -- A man who claimed he had a handgun robbed the Casey's General Store at Morrissey Drive and Lincoln Street on Tuesday night in Bloomington.

NORMAL — Students at Heartland Community College will pay more tuition and fees beginning this summer.

BLOOMINGTON -- A candidate for the Republican nomination for 11th Judicial Circuit judge took aim at his colleagues Tuesday for their support of his opponent.

BLOOMINGTON — The issue of whether McLean County needs a specialized court to serve juvenile offenders who have substance abuse issues divided Republican hopefuls for state's attorney speaking Tuesday

Wednesday

Ted Turner: Congress is trying to do an end run to OK the Keystone oil pipeline, which could mean disastrous toxic spills and poisoned water.

Violence left five people dead today as protests over Quran burning by coalition troops intensified in Afghanistan. The U.S. Embassy in Kabul went into lockdown.

Four more bodies were found aboard the shipwrecked Costa Concordia, Italian civil protection officials said Wednesday, more than a month after the cruise liner struck rocks off the coast of Italy.

William Bennett says the health care law should be a rallying cry that will reinvigorate and enlarge the base of opposition to President Barack Obama.

Singing sensation Adele continued rolling in the prizes at the Brit Awards in London, but she made headlines Wednesday for something else: she gave the middle finger when she was cut off during the live broadcast.

The GOP presidential debate Wednesday is the last time the candidates will share a stage before primaries in Arizona and Michigan on Tuesday.

Due to a left knee injury, New York Knicks rookie Iman Shumpert will not participate in the NBA's Slam Dunk contest this weekend. He will be replaced by Utah Jazz forward Jeremy Evans.

Dodgers center fielder Matt Kemp said Tuesday that he doesn't believe he should be given the MVP award if the actual winner of the award, Brewers left fielder Ryan Braun, loses his appeal of a 50-game suspension for a positive drug test.

Tom Martinez, the longtime coach and mentor of New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, died Tuesday on his 66th birthday.

Maryland coach Randy Edsall has changed his mind and decided to grant former quarterback Danny O'Brien a full release from the program with no transfer restrictions, according to a news statement the school issued Wednesday.

Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher gathered everyone together in the Lakers' locker room Monday night and tried to set the tone for the second half of the season.

Dwyane Wade scored 30 points and added 10 assists, Mario Chalmers and Chris Bosh each scored 20 points and the NBA-leading Miami Heat stretched their winning streak to seven games with a 120-108 win over the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday night.

Following Monday's game between the teams at the Garden, New York Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin told New Jersey Nets power forward Kris Humphries that he doesn't understand why Knicks fans boo Humphries.

Brady Quinn is apologizing to Tim Tebow for unflattering comments Quinn made about the Denver Broncos' starting quarterback in a GQ article.