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73-907: Of the six inaugural season teams, only the Bloomington Flex have previously competed. The Flex were 2012 and 2013 champions of the Premier Basketball League (PBL). After a perfect 18-0 record in 2014, the team was suspended and then dismissed from the PBL by league officials after a scheduling conflict in the 2014 PBL playoffs. MPBA is organized by Ed Schumer, Commissioner and CEO, Steven A. "Buzz" Zeller, Chief Operating Officer, Craig Fata, Associate Commissioner and Chief Communications Officer, and A.J. Guyton , Associate Commissioner and Director of Basketball Personnel. The league appears to have ceased operations in 2017. The league tipped off its inaugural season on January 2, 2015, as

146-429: A 1,000-seat theater, created by the legendary theater builders Balaban & Katz, original inventors of the classic movie palace. For decades, the property served as one of the area's premier destinations. The Castle was restored to its former glory with a $ 1.5 million renovation. It presents live music, corporate, public and private events. The Illinois Wesleyan University School of Theatre Arts houses its talent within

219-527: A 4-acre (16,000 m ) short game practice facility. The Links' complex also includes Golf Etc., a pro shop selling everything golf related. The Links is also home to the skills Challenge portion of the State Farm Youth Classic each summer. Prairie Vista sports 16 water hazards, a wave bunker, two-level greens and fairways, much sand, a pro shop, carts, club rental, snack bar, banquet room and driving range. In addition to annually hosting

292-631: A Final Four-style format. The St. Louis RiverSharks secured the top seed with a 16-4 record by virtue of a 3-1 season series win over the Bloomington Flex , who also finished 16-4. The Champaign Swarm entered as the #3 seed with a 15-5 record, and the Gateway Steam were fourth at 5-15. The first game of the semifinals saw the RiverSharks beat the Steam 153-129. In the second game, the Swarm handed

365-607: A Green Show performance. The Lincoln's Bloomington Festival is held each July in Downtown Bloomington and features Civil War reenactments, traditional craft demonstrations, children's activities, musical performances, talks and tours. The Spring Bloom Arts Festival is hosted by the McLean County Arts Center in March each year. This indoor fine art festival features over 100 artists representing

438-560: A Sumatran tiger, river otter, Galapagos tortoise, Amur leopard, sun bears, reindeer, sea lion, red pandas, lemus, bald eagles, pallas cats and red wolves. The zoo features many exhibits including Wallaby WalkAbout, ZooLab, Children's Zoo, Animals of Asia, and the Katthoefer Animal Building. The Zoo's newest exhibit is the Tropical America Rainforest. The Bloomington-Normal Constitution Trail

511-402: A fire in a laundry across the street from the old city hall and police station. He sounded an alarm but the fire destroyed most of the downtown, especially the areas north and east of the courthouse. The burnt area was quickly rebuilt from the designs of local architects George Miller and Paul O. Moratz. Bloomington continued to grow during the first two decades of the 20th century. Agriculture,

584-544: A founding member of the league, would not be playing in the MPBA in the upcoming season, because the team was "unable to submit, per league rules, a venue agreement or playing dates for the upcoming season." The same day, the Flex announced they would not be playing in any league in 2016. The Flex's departure leaves the league with seven teams for the 2016 season. The league announced on November 5, 2015, that it had assumed control of

657-529: A glimpse into the life friend and mentor of Abraham Lincoln, David Davis , who was a U.S. senator from Illinois and associate justice of the United States Supreme Court . Davis was a key component during Lincoln's bid for the 1860 presidential nomination. The Davis Mansion, completed in 1872, combines Italianate and Second Empire architectural features and is a model of mid-Victorian style and taste. His Bloomington home, which remained in

730-669: A professional minor league basketball team based in Bloomington, Illinois . The Flex last played in the Midwest Professional Basketball Association (MPBA) in 2015. Formed in 2011 as the Central Illinois Drive, they were a member of the Premier Basketball League (PBL) for three seasons. The Flex played the 2012 PBL season as the expansion Central Illinois Drive. The Drive finished the 2012 regular season 18–1 and swept

803-545: A regular season game against the Lima Express, and April 6, which the team had booked when the playoff schedule was announced. Henderson balked at having to play what was amounting to an exhibition game Friday, travelling Saturday, and then playing Sunday afternoon in Rochester, even though the league offered to pay all expenses to fly Bloomington to Rochester on Saturday. While the two sides were still negotiating for

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876-531: A strike for union recognition, increased pay, and a shortened workday. It ended in July when the mayor of Bloomington, E.E. Jones, mediated contract talks between the workers and company from July 6 to 9. During this, the Illinois National Guard had been stationed outside the courthouse where mediation was occurring, equipped with machine gun emplacements. In 1997, Judy Markowitz was elected as

949-605: A video tour of the Bloomington plant and history of Beer Nuts. Eastland Mall is the main shopping center in Bloomington. Bloomington-Normal ranks competitively in Richard Florida 's creativity rankings. Most noteworthy is Bloomington-Normal's creative class share of the workforce, which resulted in a No. 1 rating for Bloomington-Normal's creativity rank. The Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts

1022-405: A way for Bloomington to appear in Rochester the league abruptly announced on April 3 that Bloomington was disqualified from the playoffs and suspended for the entire 2015 season "due to its unwillingness and inability to participate in the championship series." The league also announced that Bloomington would be replaced in the finals by second place Indianapolis despite refusing to consider having

1095-708: A wide range of media including woodworking, glass art, sculpture, paintings, prints, photographs and handcrafted jewelry. The McLean County Fair is billed as the '"Home of the World's Largest County 4-H Fair" taking place each August at the McLean County Fairgrounds in Bloomington. 4-H activities include: livestock shows, a film festival, and exhibits around food, nutrition & health, plant science, engineering & technology, and environment & natural resources. Evening Grandstand Entertainment features tractor pulls and various musical acts. Ewing Manor

1168-584: Is a 24-mile (39 km) trail that operates on dedicated right-of-way through much of the city. The north–south segment of the trail follows the abandoned Illinois Central Gulf railroad from Kerrick Road in Normal to Grove Street in Bloomington. The east–west segment intersects the north segment at Normal City Hall Annex and continues east to Towanda-Barnes Road. The Liberty Branch begins at Commerce Drive and ends at Old Farm Lakes Subdivision. The Freedom Branch begins at Lincoln Street and ends at Route 9 West. The trail

1241-408: Is a 4-star, Arnold Palmer Signature Designed Golf Course that opened in 1997. Amenities include GPS-equipped carts, club rental, pro shop and snack bar. There are nine holes with water hazards, 131 sand traps and a unique alternative shot closing the 18th hole on this par 72 course. Practice facilities include a large bent grass driving range and tees with practice chipping and putting greens. The Den

1314-476: Is home to Illinois Wesleyan University and the headquarters for State Farm and Country Financial . The Bloomington area was at the edge of a large grove occupied by the Kickapoo people before the first Euro-American settlers arrived in the early 1820s. Springing from the settlement of Keg Grove, later called Blooming Grove, Bloomington was named as county seat on December 25, 1830, when McLean County

1387-608: Is home to both the IHSA Boys' Golf State Tournament and State Farm Youth Classic each summer. Located in South Bloomington, the Highland Park Golf Course has numerous challenges including creeks, three lakes, well-placed sand traps and tree-lined fairways. Highland Park sports a pro shop, carts, club rental and snack bar and offers individual or group lessons. The Highland Park Golf Course hosts

1460-877: Is home to the Bloomington Edge of the Indoor Football League and formerly the home of the PrairieThunder and Blaze of the Central Hockey League . Since 2014, it has been the home rink of the Central Illinois Flying Aces of the United States Hockey League , as well as hosting certain games of Illinois State University's club hockey team and local youth hockey programs. With over 180,000 square feet (17,000 m ) of space,

1533-524: Is open to walkers, runners, in-line skaters, skateboarders, cyclists, wheelchair users, and other non-motorized forms of transportation. During winter months, it is not cleared of snow, and is available to skiers; weather permitting. The Genevieve Green Gardens at Ewing Cultural Center were dedicated in 2007 as part of the Illinois State University's 150th anniversary celebration. Several architects and landscape designers contributed to

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1606-568: Is surrounded by red sidewalks that list the names of Central Illinois residents killed or missing in action in the Korean and Vietnam battles. The Prairie Aviation Museum has a collection of preserved aircraft on display, including a Bell Sea Cobra, Huey helicopter, and F-14 Tomcat. The Evergreen Memorial Cemetery, also known as the Evergreen Cemetery is the burial site of many notable Bloomington-Normal citizens including members of

1679-491: Is the centerpiece of the city's Cultural District, which also includes the neighboring McLean County of Arts Center, forthcoming festival park, and creativity center for arts education. The center is also home to over twenty area performing arts ensembles. More than 400 performances and community events take place at the Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts each year. The Illinois Symphony Orchestra performs at

1752-630: The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Steamers in the first round of the PBL playoffs. On April 14, 2012, the Drive completed a two-game sweep of the defending PBL champions, the Rochester RazorSharks , at U.S Cellular Coliseum to win the 2012 PBL Championship. Despite their success, Drive owner Jim Bob Morris decided he no longer wanted to own the team after just one season. Scott Henderson, the executive vice president of

1825-470: The 2010 census, Bloomington has an area of 27.229 square miles (70.52 km ), of which 27.22 square miles (70.50 km ) (99.97%) is land and 0.009 square miles (0.02 km ) (0.03%) is water. In recent years, average temperatures in Bloomington have ranged from a low of 14 °F (−10 °C) in January to a high of 86 °F (30 °C) in July, although a record low of −23 °F (−31 °C)

1898-596: The Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts, where it gives five Masterworks concerts, two Pops concerts, and three Chamber Orchestra concerts annually. The McLean County Arts Center is one of the oldest arts organizations in the Midwest, serving Central Illinois for over 130 years. Each year 12 art exhibitions are held, including the Holiday Treasurers exposition and sale, and the annual Amateur Competition and Exhibition which, for over 70 years, has showcased

1971-746: The Bloomington Parks & Recreation Department. The facility offers ice skating lessons, public skating sessions, a comprehensive hockey program, learn to curl and curling leagues, skate rental, and a concessions stand. In 2005, Golf Digest ranked Bloomington-Normal as the Fifth Best American City for Golf in its "Best in America" Metro Golf Rankings. Golf Digest ranked America's largest Metropolitan Statistical Areas on four different criteria: access to golf, weather, value of golf, and quality of golf. The Den at Fox Creek

2044-464: The Chicago Force and Windy City Groove franchises, citing "league rules regarding ownership and team operation guidelines." Coaches Rick Pryor and Handy Johnson, who had coached the respective teams in 2015, would be retained, the league said. General Manager Don Starks would be replaced with Jay Carter as GM and Kelly Norris-Jones as Assistant GM. On November 13, 2015, the league announced that

2117-657: The Chicago Force would be changing their name to the Chicago Blues, citing the existence of a women's tackle football team of the same name in the same city, which had been in operation for thirteen years. On the same date a trademark application was filed by Chicago Basketball League Corporation for the name and logo of the Windy City Groove, despite the fact the name and logo were created by Joyce Thomas of Joyce Thomas Designs in October 2015. On December 14

2190-531: The City of Bloomington, performs two major theater productions each year. USA Ballet is an international ballet company. It provides children's workshops and outreach programs, and presents at Illinois Wesleyan University 's McPherson Theatre three times a year. American Passion Play was the oldest continuously performed Passion Play in the United States. Performed each spring at the Bloomington Center for

2263-639: The Davis family for three succeeding generations, contains the most modern conveniences of that era: a coal-burning stove, gas lighting and indoor plumbing. [1] The David Davis Mansion is an historic landmark on the National Register of Historic Places . The former building of the Montefiore synagogue is one of the few Moorish Revival buildings in Illinois and one of the oldest synagogues in

Midwest Professional Basketball Association - Misplaced Pages Continue

2336-479: The Drive, wanted to take over the team, but he and Morris could not come to an agreement about the use of name and logo for the Drive. Henderson and his management team then decided to reboot the entire operation. On December 1, 2012, Henderson announced the new franchise as the Bloomington Flex. The Flex logo, uniform prototype and colors were announced at a news conference on January 18, 2013. Prior to

2409-404: The Flex their first-ever playoff loss, 111-100, to advance to the championship game. The championship game, held April 10 at U.S. Cellular Coliseum was won by the Swarm 115-106, after trailing by as many as 17 points in the first half and by as many as 13 in the fourth quarter. Champaign's Avery Smith was named Playoff Most Valuable Player after averaging 32 points and seven rebounds per game in

2482-612: The Florence Civic Center. The league proposed the entire series be played in Rochester, but Carolina refused. The league canceled the entire first round of the playoffs, including the Midwest series between the Indianapolis Diesels and Bloomington Flex, and announced the finals would start April 6 in Rochester. However, Bloomington was contractually locked into two dates at its arena, U.S. Cellular Coliseum , on April 4, which had originally been scheduled as

2555-555: The Force 115-103. The first time all six teams were in action at the same time was January 15, when the Flex hosted the RiverSharks in Bloomington , the Champaign Swarm hosted the Steam, and the Force hosted the Windy City Groove. All three games were broadcast in high definition via multi-camera productions on the league's website. The 2015 regular season ended on April 7. The playoffs began two nights later in Bloomington in

2628-757: The Jerome Mirza Theatre at McPherson Hall. Four main stage plays are performed here annually, selected from a playbill including everything from Shakespeare to musicals. McPherson Hall, completed in 1963, is named for IWU's 10th president, Harry W. McPherson, and contains a 300-seat theater, scene shop, classrooms and other facilities. The Illinois Wesleyan University Westbrook Auditorium serves approximately 200 music majors and several hundred IWU students each year. Several musical performances of all style periods are featured each semester, and most concerts are free with general seating. The Miller Park Outdoor Summer Theatre, an amateur theater group sponsored by

2701-654: The Performing Arts, the Passion Play was set in Palestine and portrays the life of Christ in its entirety, closing finally after its 100th year running in May 2023. The Illinois Shakespeare Festival includes productions performed in an open-air, Elizabethan-style theatre within historic Ewing Manor each summer. The audience is encouraged to picnic on the grounds before each performance to be entertained by strolling Madrigal singers, jesters, and other entertainers as well as

2774-885: The Pontiac 66ers signed with Nuova Polisportiva Stabia in Italy. To date, the MPBA has sent two players to the National Basketball Development League (NBA D-League), 47 players to overseas teams, and one to training camp with the NBA's Chicago Bulls. Most Valuable Player: Justin Bocot, Bloomington Flex Coach of the Year: Al Grushkin, St. Louis RiverSharts Defensive Player of the Year: Darius Smith, Chicago Force Sixth Man of

2847-621: The Rochester RazorSharks, 106–86 and 88–77, winning the first game in Bloomington and clinching the PBL title at Blue Cross Arena in Rochester. In the two wins, the Flex defense held in check the RazorSharks high-scoring offense, which had averaged 118.5 points per game in the regular season. The Flex finished the 2014 season with a perfect 18–0 record, winning the PBL Midwest Division championship and earning

2920-514: The St. Louis RiverSharks and Gateway Steam played at Family Arena in St. Charles, Missouri . St. Louis defeated Gateway 108-96. Two more games took place at Family Arena on January 4, as the RiverSharks hosted the Bloomington Flex and the Gateway Steam hosted the Chicago Force. The RiverSharks upset the Flex 113-109, ending Bloomington's 24-game win streak, which had dated back to May 2013. The Steam defeated

2993-519: The State Farm Youth Classic and IHSA Boys' Golf State Finals, Prairie Vista hosted the 1997 NCAA Division I Women's Golf East Regional. There are two private country clubs within Bloomington: Bloomington Country Club and Lakeside Country Club. A third, Crestwicke Country Club, is just south of the city. All three have golf courses. The Grossinger Motors Arena in southwest downtown Bloomington opened in 2006 and

Midwest Professional Basketball Association - Misplaced Pages Continue

3066-440: The State Farm Youth Classic each summer. The Links at Ireland Grove is Bloomington's newest public golf facility and first executive course. This nine-hole course consists of seven par 3's and two par 4's. The driving range has weather protected hitting bays, plus over 1-acre (4,000 m ) of target greens, several bunkers, and nearly 2 acres (8,100 m ) of natural grass hitting area. In addition, The Links Golf Academy offers

3139-695: The Stevenson family. Adlai E. Stevenson I , vice president to Grover Cleveland, and Adlai E. Stevenson II , governor of Illinois. ambassador to the United Nations, and twice Democratic candidate for the United States presidency, are both buried there. Also buried there are Stevenson's wife, Letitia Green Stevenson, who was the second National President-General of the Daughters of the American Revolution , and her sister, Julia Green Scott,

3212-541: The U.S. Census Bureau conducted a special census of that city in February 2006, showing a population of 74,975, a 15.7% increase in less than six years. In 2010, there were 34,339 households, out of which 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.7% were married couples living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.1% were non-families. 32.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.2% had someone living alone who

3285-761: The United States . Other historical landmarks listed on the National Register of Historic Places : The Bloomington Parks & Recreation Department is composed of four divisions: Parks, Recreation, Golf, and the Miller Park Zoo. The department maintains over 1,100 acres (4.5 km ) of land including 44 park sites and three golf courses. These facilities often contain water spray parks, elaborate playgrounds, miniature golf, baseball/softball diamonds, soccer fields, cricket grounds, and lighted tennis courts. Outdoor public swimming pools are at O'Neil Park and Holiday Park. Miller Park Zoo offers many exhibits and zookeeper interaction opportunities. Zoo inhabitants include

3358-875: The Year: Aaron Weaver, Champaign Swarm Playoff MVP : Avery Smith, Champaign Swarm All-MPBA First Team: Justin Bocot (unanimous selection); Jerrold Brooks, St. Louis RiverSharks; Anthony Slack, Bloomington Flex (unanimous selection); Keith DeWitt, St. Louis RiverSharks; Marcus Goode, St. Louis RiverSharks. All-MPBA Second Team: Nate Fuqua, Windy City Groove; Tarvin Gaines, Gateway Steam; Aaron Weaver, Champaign Swarm; Matt Salley, Bloomington Flex; Derrick McDonald, Chicago Force; Lavante Douglas, Windy City Groove. All-Defensive Team: Darius Smith (unanimous selection); Nate Fuqua, Terry Evans, St. Louis RiverSharks; Keith DeWitt, Anthony Slack; Marcus Goode. Most Valuable Player: Alfonzo Houston, Pontiac 66ers Coach of

3431-1167: The Year: Durrell Robinson, Pontiac 66ers Defensive Player of the Year: Connell Crossland, Gateway Steam Sixth Man of the Year: C.J. Hampton, Windy City Groove Playoff MVP : Diante Watkins, Chicago Blues All-MPBA First Team: Alfonzo Houston, Pontiac 66ers (unanimous selection); Dion Cooksey, Windy City Groove; Connell Crossland, Gateway Steam (unanimous selection); Kyle Meyer, Lima Express (unanimous selection); Marcus Hammonds, Pontiac 66ers. All-MPBA Second Team: Cordaryl Ballard, Lima Express; Michael Rogers, Champaign Swarm; Al Rapier, Chicago Blues; Isiah Martin, Windy City Groove; Aaron Williams, St. Louis RiverSharks; Devon Jenkins, Windy City Groove. All-Defensive Team: Jordan Walker, Champaign Swarm; Dion Cooksey, Windy City Groove; Jakeem Hill, Chicago Blues; Connell Crossland, Gateway Steam; Marcus Hammonds, Pontiac 66ers; Aaron Williams, St. Louis RiverSharks. Bloomington Flex The Bloomington Flex were

3504-540: The arena boasts a fixed seating capacity of 7,000 but can seat over 8,000 for special events. The facility can also be set up as a theatre with a retractable curtain and enables shows to seat 2,500–5,000 in a more intimate atmosphere. Since the arena's opening, the facility has hosted an array of events including concerts, family shows, ice shows, motorsports, and trade shows. The Community Soccer Fields complex offers 20 soccer fields of various sizes used annually by 2,000 area soccer players. Extra Innings Bloomington/Normal

3577-748: The best amateur artists in Central Illinois. The Arts Center also sponsors a number of community events, such as the Sugar Creek Arts Festival in Uptown Normal and the Spring Bloom Arts Festival in Bloomington. The Community Players Theater, on Robinhood Lane off of Towanda Avenue, is one of the oldest community theaters completely staffed by volunteers. Opened in 1923, it celebrated its 88th season in 2011. The Castle Theatre first opened in 1916 as

3650-594: The city had a population of 78,680, making it the 13th-most populous city in Illinois and the fifth-most populous outside the Chicago metropolitan area . It is adjacent to the town of Normal , and is the more populous of the two principal municipalities of the Bloomington–Normal metropolitan area , which has a population of roughly 170,000. Bloomington is 135 miles (217 km) southwest of Chicago and 162 miles (261 km) northeast of St. Louis . Bloomington

3723-505: The city was $ 58,662, and the median income for a family was $ 81,166. Males had a median income of $ 56,597 versus $ 39,190 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 32,672. About 5.7% of families and 11.0% of the population were below the poverty line , including 12.6% of those under age 18 and 6.3% of those age 65 or over. Bloomington is home to State Farm Insurance , Country Financial , Illinois Agricultural Association , and Beer Nuts . The original Steak 'n Shake restaurant

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3796-419: The city was 77.5% White, 10.1% African American, 0.3% Native American, 7.0% Asian , 1.42% from other races , and 2.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.6% of the population. The City of Bloomington and McLean County comprise the fastest-growing metropolitan area in Illinois. The area's population has grown 28% from 1990 through 2006. The fastest growth has been in Bloomington, as

3869-441: The city's first female and Jewish mayor. During her two terms as mayor, an arena was built in downtown Bloomington and the city's performing arts center began restoration. Bloomington also approved a gay rights ordinance in 2002. In 2021, Mboka Mwilambwe was elected as the city's first black mayor. Bloomington is located at 40°29′03″N 88°59′37″W. The city is at an elevation of 797 feet (243 m) above sea level. According to

3942-455: The construction of highways and railroads, and the growth of the insurance business all influenced the growth of Bloomington and its downtown. Most notably, State Farm was founded in June 1922 by retired farmer George J. Mecherle as a mutual automobile insurance company specializing in insurance for farmers. The 1917 Bloomington Streetcar Strike was a labor dispute starting on May 28, 1917, when Amalgamated Transit Union Local 752 called

4015-500: The county. People came from all over to trade and do business at the town's center, known today as Downtown Bloomington, including Abraham Lincoln , who worked as a lawyer in nearby Springfield . Prominent Bloomington resident Jesse W. Fell , who founded the Bloomington Pantagraph and was most prominent in local real estate, had suggested the Lincoln-Douglas debates in 1854 and played a prominent role in pushing Lincoln to run for president. In 1900, an officer on patrol discovered

4088-417: The extensive project of creating the gardens, including input from Bruce V. Green, an avid gardener whose $ 5.2 million donation spearheaded the project. The gardens include a public entry that directs visitors to a formal plaza, the entrance to the manor, a grass patio, theater walk with a widened walkway, and additional plantings. The Bloomington Ice Center is an indoor public ice skating facility operated by

4161-430: The final two weeks of the season. With less than two weeks left in the regular season, on May 24, 2013, the four top former PBL teams (Bloomington, Rochester , Indiana Diesels and Sauk Valley ) broke away from the IBA to re-establish the PBL and hold a four-team playoff, identical to the PBL's 2012 format. In the 2013 playoffs, the Flex swept the Indiana Diesels in two games and then completed another two-game sweep of

4234-438: The former front office of the Groove announced they would be joining the American Basketball Association with their season set to begin December 20, and continuing to use the Groove name and logo. A December 17, 2015 email from ABA CEO Joe Newman to MPBA officials stated the name and logo in question were not to be used in the ABA until the matter was resolved. Windy City defeated Chicago Fury 109-106 on Dec. 20, and continued to use

4307-438: The league announced that the Lima Express will be moving to Bloomington, Illinois for the 2017 season. The team will play its games at U.S. Cellular Coliseum . They will also be the hosts of the 2017 postseason tournament. On August 31, 2016, the league observed the milestone of advancing its 50th player to a higher domestic or foreign league since beginning play in January 2015, when 2016 Most Valuable Player Alfonzo Houston of

4380-475: The name and logo in the ABA, despite a cease and desist letter issued by MPBA attorneys on January 7, 2016. On July 20, 2016, the league announced the Jacksonville (Illinois) Generals would be joining the MPBA for the 2017 season. The team will play its games at MacMurray College. On August 9, 2016, the league announced the Eureka (Illinois) Blaze would be joining the MPBA for the 2017 season. The team will play its games at Eureka High School. On August 21, 2016,

4453-457: The new Midwest Professional Basketball Association (MPBA). On December 27, the team announced that Carlnel Wiley, Jr. would replace Guyton as the team's head coach. In October 2015, it was reported that the franchise would sit out the 2016 season due to the instability of the available leagues. Bloomington, Illinois Bloomington is a city in and the county seat of McLean County, Illinois , United States. The 2020 census showed

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4526-426: The postseason. On September 9, 2015, the Lima Express, which had played their first two seasons in the Premier Basketball League , were announced as the first-ever expansion team in the MPBA. Following the Lima announcement, on September 21, the league announced the Pontiac 66ers as the league's second expansion team for the 2016 season. Then, on October 30, 2015, the MPBA announced the Bloomington Flex , which were

4599-419: The season continued, the owners of the PBL's franchises became increasingly unhappy with either playoff structure suggested by Barry Bradford, the IBA-PBL commissioner who owns the IBA's Kankakee County Soldiers franchise and who had served as the IBA commissioner before the leagues merged. The PBL teams were also displeased about instances of IBA teams failing to appear for scheduled games against PBL teams over

4672-401: The seventh National President-General of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Other historical figures buried there include David Davis , friend and mentor to Abraham Lincoln; Charles Radbourn , arguably 19th-century baseball's greatest pitcher; and Dorothy Gage, inspiration for the main character in the Wizard of Oz and niece of author L. Frank Baum . The David Davis Mansion offers

4745-433: The start of the 2013 season, the PBL merged with the Independent Basketball Association (IBA), to create the IBA-PBL. The Flex opened the 2013 season on March 15 against the Sauk Valley Predators , losing on the road 100–94. The Flex then dropped their home opener on March 29 to the Gary Splash, spoiling their championship banner-raising ceremony. But the team went on to win ten of its next twelve regular season games. As

4818-411: The third place Buffalo 716ers replace Carolina in the first round. On April 28, 2014, the PBL terminated its agreement with the Flex due to actions detrimental to the league allegedly caused by owner Scott Henderson and his contract with the U.S. Cellular Coliseum, despite the owner of the league having a similar contract in Rochester, which was honored. The Flex played in 2015 as a founding member of

4891-443: The top seed and home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. When league officials realized the championship series was scheduled to take place over Easter weekend, Flex owner Henderson requested a schedule change and the league moved the playoff schedule up by one week. The change resulted in a facility conflict for the second place team in the East Division, the Carolina Pee Dee Vipers . Carolina had no available dates in its arena,

4964-399: The year the McLean County Historical Society was founded. Housed inside the old McLean County Courthouse, the museum features permanent and rotating exhibits that explore the history of Central Illinois. This location is listed on the National Register of Historic Places . The Miller Park Pavilion & War Memorial was restored in 1977 and dedicated in May 1988. The black granite memorial

5037-402: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 3.12. In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.3% under the age of 20, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 45, 23.8% from 45 to 64, and 10.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.4 males. The median income for a household in

5110-538: Was created. When the County of McLean was incorporated, a county seat was established, but the legislation stated the site of Bloomington "would be located later." Gavin Quinn, one of the new county's promoters, offered to donate 60 acres (240,000 m ) of his land for the new town. His offer was accepted, and Bloomington was laid out. Its lots were sold at a well-attended and noisy auction on July 4, 1831. At this time there were few roads, but rich soils brought new farmers who began commerce by conducting their business in

5183-431: Was designed by Bloomington architect Phil Hooten in the Channel-Norman style favored by the affluent in the post-Victorian period. The surrounding gardens were created by noted landscape architect Jens Jensen, who also designed Springfield's Lincoln Memorial Gardens . The theatre on the grounds play host to the Illinois Shakespeare Festival each summer. The McLean County Museum of History traces its roots back to 1892,

5256-470: Was opened in Normal, Bloomington's adjoining city, in 1934. It also has the largest Dairy Queen restaurant. According to Bloomington's 2018 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the area's top employers are: Bloomington is also home to a convention center at the McLean County Fairgrounds and Grossinger Motors Arena . Bloomington is the only town where Beer Nuts brand snacks are made. There are two Beer Nuts company stores in Bloomington, each offering

5329-550: Was recorded in January 1985 and a record high of 114 °F (46 °C) was recorded on July 15, 1936, during the 1936 North American heat wave . Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.71 inches (43 mm) in February to 4.52 inches (115 mm) in May. As of the 2010 census , there were 76,610 people and 30,454 households within the city. The population density was 2,814.8 inhabitants per square mile (1,086.8/km ). There were 34,339 housing units at an average density of 1,261.5 per square mile (487.1/km ). The racial makeup of

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