GLT News Series: Shifting Gears
Photo Gallery 3: Gulf Oil Spill
Sweet Corn Blues Fest Bike Parking
Equal Employment Opportunity Reports
Financial Audits and Annual Reports
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GLT news has identified sustainable transportation as an issue important to the community and is focusing resources on bringing you news on the many facets of this issue. Here is an archive of recent reports covering mass transit, bike lanes and bio fuels. General GLT news reports and interviews are archived below.
The RTDNA announced GLT's three 2009 regional Edward R. Murrow awards, April 8th, 2010.
The Associated Press announced March 18th, 2010 that the GLT newsroom received 7 awards including top recognition in the Best Reporter and Best Newswriter categories. Read all about it!
The award winning GLT newsroom covers central Illinois events and stories important to you at a time when many radio stations have scaled back or eliminated their news operations. Arts Editor Laura Kennedy, Morning Edition Host Jim Browne, Assistant News Director Charlie Schlenker are part of the news team led by News Director Willis Kern. You can see a full schedule of up-to-the-minute spot news coverage throughout the day.
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The Labor Day holiday typically marks the last fling of summer for many people, but for politicians in an election year, it's when the season really picks up steam. That's certainly the case in Illinois' U. S. Senate race, where republicans are now raising questions about the democratic candidate's citizenship and military service.
There’s a new twist in the race for Illinois Governor…or maybe it’s just so old, it’s new.
WGLT’s Charlie Schlenker reports on the latest wrinkle in school funding ideas.
Heartland Community College is launching a series of workshops this month to help businesses save resources and money. The workshops are designed to educate local business owners and operators on how to couple sound environmental and business practices to benefit both their profits, and the environment. WGLT's Jim Browne talks with the director of Heartland's Green Institute about the workshops, which begin Wednesday.
It will be years, even decades, before the full impact of the Gulf Oil spill on the environment is completely understood. However, the economic impact is being felt now, as native workers try to harvest seafood amid rapidly changing conditions...and rules. Brian Seay is a central Illinois video journalist who is just back from spending two weeks on the New Orleans shoreline.
A classic of the sci-fi genre has been reborn, thanks to the discovery of footage that has been missing for over eighty years. The Normal Theatre is showing the restored version of "Metropolis." Dawn Riordan, the theatre's manager, talks about the miraculous re-piecing of a classic film.
Riordan talks about...
Some political observers say neither major party candidate for Governor is offering a complete proposal for how to get out of the state budget crisis. So, the State’s largest industry is trying to create one. WGLT’s Charlie Schlenker has more on what Vision For Agriculture is trying to synthesize during a forum in Bloomington.
The clock is turning back this weekend at several twin city locations as the area marks the campaign of Abraham Lincoln for the nation's presidency, and the start of the Civil War.
WGLT's Jim Browne talks with one of those involved in "Lincoln's Bloomington Festival."
Politicians in Illinois have about a week left to respond to the regular election year call for information from a non-partisan voter research organization. WGLT's Willis Kern talks with Project Vote Smart's Senior Advisor and board member Adelaide Kimball.
This summer, Illinois State University is beginning a community food waste composting program. WGLT's Willis Kern has more with Mike O'Grady and Enid Cardinal (pictured left).
It’s hard for children with disabilities to do the things that most people do. And that can be an isolating experience. WGLT’s Charlie Schlenker has more on one group trying to help people like the Connolly family (seen left).
Wind Farm construction has soared in recent years, but a lot of the components have been manufactured overseas. The head of ISU's Center for Renewable Energy says there is now a possibility importation will change.
Three years ago, Congress passed four billion dollars worth of new legislation to improve the nation’s waterways. It included a couple billion dollars in construction projects and one point seven billion in environmental restoration plans.
WGLT’s Charlie Schlenker reports, the money hasn’t come as quickly as the project wish lists
Illinois' last Republican Governor is in prison, his Democratic successor was impeached, kicked out of office, and is now standing trial for allegedly trying to sell a U-S Senate seat. So it shouldn't be surprising Oguzhan Dincer from Illinois State University (above) is developing a corruption index.
There's plenty of bad news in the newspaper business these days. Dwindling ad revenue has resulted in job layoffs, including many life-long journalists. Hear from a victim of media budget cutting (Steve Arney, left) who is starting over in an industry that is experiencing its own difficulties.
When an economic recession hits, the image of laid off factory workers often springs to mind, but white collar workers are getting pink slips this time around, and they face different challenges.
There are two new furry faces at Miller Park Zoo in Bloomington, and the hope is that this pair will become close. Very close.
The future awaits for students graduating this weekend in the Twin Cities. But it's a bit of the past that will see them off.
An introspective play by an award winning actress from Bloomington opens this Friday at TheatersCool downtown. Here's more about a character named Faith and her journey.
Hear Kymberly Harris talk about..
Listen to a song from the play and an interview with the songwriter...
Rehersals for the Illinois Shakespeare Festival begin next week, with three plays running in rotation through the summer -- "The Merry Wives of Windsor," "The Tempes"t and "The Three Musketeers."
Artistic Director Deb Alley talks about:
There are a lot of books about the American Railroads and the opening of the west…the engine of economic Progress. But there aren’t as many about the people that brought the goods to harvest and gave the railroads something to carry back to the rest of the country. WGLT’s Charlie Schlenker talks with the author of a book on that neglected part of history
At a time in life when most young women are concerned with dating, buying a new outfit, or studying, Magna Brown was worried about living to the next day. Brown is a survivor of the infamous Auschwitz Nazi death camp. She'll be telling her story in Peoria Monday night, WGLT's Jim Browne has more...
A real actor who plays a fake newsman on "The Daily Show" is coming to Illinois State University to appear at the Indian Cultural Dinner next week. WGLT's Laura Kennedy speaks with Aasif Mandvi about the merging of entertainment and news.
An economist with the National Home Builders Association says he doesn't think sales of newly-built homes will be rebounding anytime soon. Elliott Eisenberg made his remarks during a trip to Bloomington-Normal.
There are a half dozen registered candidates for Governor of Illinois, and half of them come from McLean County. WGLT's Jim Browne talks with one of them.
Dr. David Gill of Bloomington, the democratic challenger for the US House from central Illinois' 15th district says Republican incumbent Tim Johnson had no business taking credit for for the recent transportation grant funding awarded to the town of Normal.
The latest Statistical Composite for the Peoria Economy, or SCOPE report has some promising signs for the metro region, WGLT's Jim Browne talks with the report's author:
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Central Illinois Congressman Tim Johnson attended the news conference announcing the final grant funding for Normal's Transportation Center. Even though he voted against the $800 billion dollar stimulus package that created the grant, Johnson defends his support for the center. WGLT's Willis Kern spoke to the Urbana Republican just outside Normal's City Hall immediately following the news conference.
Bloomington's Steve Stockton is in his final term as mayor, and says the job is frustrating in the current economic climate. He also says he promised his wife he'd only serve two terms, and that if a mayor can't get things done in that time, someone else should take a shot at it.
WGLT's Jim Browne talks with Stockton about the challenges the city is currently facing.
A display at the McLean County Musuem of History on the square in downtown Bloomington providesgraphic evidence of the emotions surrounding the efforts to desegregate housing in Illinois. WGLT's Jim Browne has more on the exhibit, and how it ties in with similar efforts in the twin cities.
Bird watchers in central Illinois and across North America can step into the role of citizen scientist next weekend.
Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. made two appearances at Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington. In 1966, he told a crowd packed into Fred Young Fieldhouse about his philosophy of non-violence in a world becoming proliferated with violence technology. On this Martin Luther King holiday, we bring you a portion of his address in Bloomington.
After taking a year off, Mitsubishi is back with a presence at this year's Detroit Auto Show. But with sales remaining sluggish, the Japanese automaker still has a long way to go to carve out a larger share of the U-S automotive market.
A forgotten pioneer in education from Bloomington is restored to public consciousness in a new book. WGLT's Charlie Schlenker has more in this interview.
The Salvation Army Red Kettle holiday campaign is continuing. WGLT's Laura Kennedy discovered that there's a little more to it than just standing by a bucket and shaking a little bell. Volunteers have a number of techniques to get you to dig into your pocket.
‘Tis the season to be jolly…and stressed, and short tempered, and doubting of your fellow man. It is, at least if you see the new Heartland Theater production of Santaland Diaries. WGLT’s Charlie Schlenker has more...
When he addressed a joint session of Congress a month after his historic inauguration earlier this year, President Barack Obama set forth an ambitious time table for overhauling a health care system nearly a century without major reforms. With just six weeks remaining until the end of the year, U. S. Rep. Debbie Halvorson (D-IL, 11th) holds out hope a new health care law can be signed before 2010.
Listen to Halvorson:
Writer and culture critic Curt White has a new take on the environment, technology, and capitalism. WGLT’s Charlie Schlenker has more on white’s latest book, The Barbaric Heart, largely addressed to environmentalists…
Combat makes you crazy. That's the premise to the book, "Lost Survivor," by Springfield author and playwright Thomas R. Jones. The book is also the basis for his new multi-media play, "Long Way from Home."
WGLT's Jim Browne talks with the playwright.
A McLean County man who's been working to bring new jobs and businesses into the twin cities for the past half dozen years, is now tackling the issue on a statewide basis. Marty Vanags is Chief Executive Officer of the Bloomington-Normal Economic Development Council. He is also the new head of the Illinois Development Council.
He talks with WGLT's Jim Browne about what it takes to get businesses to expand, or locate in the Land of Lincoln.
When jazz artist Fats Waller sang"All That Meat and No Potatoes" was he just advocating a high protein diet? Not a chance, says music historian Michael Lasser (left), who is appearing this weekend at the McLean County Musuem of History in Bloomington.
The recent re-constitution of the Future Gen experimental clean coal project orginally pegged for Mattoon has left a sour taste in the mouth of central Illinois Congressman Tim Johnson. The Urbana Republican says he doubts the near zero emissions plant will ever be built.
Johnson discusses:
Consumer confidence continues to grow in the Peoria-Metro area according to the latest Index of Consumer Sentiment, which came in at 82-point-6, well above the 78-point-6 earlier this year. WGLT's Jim Browne talks with the author of the study about what it all means.
The greatest show on earth this month isn't on earth at all -- it's in the night sky. Thomas Willmitch, Director of the Illinois State University Planetarium, says the yearly meteor shower (August 12th PM and August 13th AM) should be more spectacular than usual this year.
The backyard is a place for play, for entertaining, for cooking. In a new show at the McLean County Arts Center in Bloomington, it's also a place for artists to find inspiration.
Circus historians from around the country are gathering in the Twin Cities for what is a significant anniversary year in Bloomington circus history. GLT's Laura Kennedy speaks with one of the historians about the anniversary and a mysterious artifact seen at left with Steve Gossard.
There's a truck rolling through the at I-S-U that is green in more ways than one. The campus recycling truck not only keeps things out of the landfill, it even runs on recycled fuel made on campus by students like Chris Lund and Alex Chu (pictured here with the I-S-U biofuel reactor)
A childhood passion has inspired a whimsical and thoughtful group of sculptures on display at Lakeview Museum in Peoria. WGLT's Laura Kennedy looks at "The Art of the Brick" The exhibit runs through Sept. 6th at Lakeview Museum.
The U-S Supreme Court has tossed out Chicago’s ban on handguns saying that the second amendment applies to states just as it does to the federal body. WGLT’s Charlie Schlenker has more with a scholar of the court about the implications of this ruling.
Over the past decade, many "reinvented" people have moved into the nursing field. Colleges are churning out more nurses to meet a substantial shortage. In the final installment of the GLT News Series, "Shifting Gears," meet Jamie Graack (pictured) and another nurse who took advantage of an accelerated college course to help re-make the vision of who they want to be.
In part three of our GLT News Series "Shifting gears", we hear from manufacturing workers. For decades foreign industries have eroded the U-S employment base and new technology has changed the nature of what remains in that sector. WGLT’s Charlie Schlenker reports on a couple of men are now trying to retrain as Heating and Cooling Technicians seen above after their work of three decades went the way of the occupations of Bowling Pin Setter and Lamplighter.
Unemployment news has improved marginally of late. And more people are showing a willingness to quit jobs and search for new ones, both signs the economy will eventually turn around. From laid off teachers, though, to human service workers idled by state budget cuts… from manufacturing workers (like Marvin Miller of Pontiac, pictured above), to white collar employees, there’s a huge number of people left without jobs or who see the handwriting on the wall. WGLT’s Charlie Schlenker begins our week-long news series “Shifting Gears” with an examination of the underlying conditions of this jobless recovery from the Great Recession.
For the first time in more than seventy years, regular season minor league baseball has returned to McLean County. The era of the Normal Cornbelters is underway with the first-ever professional game at the brand-new Corn Crib stadium on the town's northwest edge.
With both major party candidates lacking complete details on their budget proposals, a third party candidate this election year could attract a significant protest vote. Here is more on the proposals of the Green Party Candidate for Governor.
Air Date: 5/20/10Another victim of the state budget crunch could be the Environment. The Ecology Action Center has NOT received its license for hazardous waste collection for this spring, because of lack of state funding. Michael Browne, the Executive Director of the Ecology Action Center in Normal has some tips on how to reduce your use of chemicals that could get into the environment.
A quiet community institution is stepping down from her position at a Bloomington Insurer. WGLT’s Charlie Schlenker talks with a woman who personifies the idea of community involvement…
Deanna Frautschi talks about:
A reading education scholar visiting central Illinois says the best indication of whether a child learns to read is how they spend their summer.
WGLT's Jim Browne has more:
It’s not really quiet in the library at ISU anymore. Nor is it a place to just study alone.
WGLT’s Charlie Schlenker reports on how physical libraries are adapting to cultural change..
What happened in Vegas hasn't stayed in Vegas, as a free-wheeling nightclub act of the past is re-created at the Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts this weekend. WGLT's Laura Kennedy talks with the pseudo-Sinatra of The Rat Pack.
The U-S Supreme Court is hearing arguments about the constitutionality of a gun ban in Chicago, and several states want to opt out of the new national healthcare bill.
While those may seem dissimilar, Illinois State University Supreme Court scholar and political scientist Bob Bradley (above), says one may well affect the other.
WGLT's Jim Browne talks with Bradley about the convergence of the two issues…
There’s still a lot of room for change in the nation’s healthcare system according to an Illinois Wesleyan University Professor who has written a new book on the debate over the issue. Particularly in what Congress left undone in how costs are shifted. Here’s more in an interview with WGLT’s Charlie Schlenker
Politics, poetry and jazz combine in a multimedia concert coming to Braden Auditorium that completes a work left unfinished by the late Langston Hughes(left).
WGLT's Laura Kennedy has this look behind the performance of the epic poem:
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