© 2024 WGLT
A public service of Illinois State University
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

WGLT news director Eric Stock's picks for top stories of 2022

Top stories of 2022 from the WGLT newsroom

From WGLT News Director Eric Stock:

"Happy holidays! This Top 10 list isn’t exactly the 10 biggest stories or the year or the 10 stories I liked the most or the ones that were read the most. It’s kind of a combination of the two. That’s the beauty of making your own list, right? You make the rules! Here is a list of stories/features/series that to me highlight the tremendous work the WGLT news team does every day, covering the essentials while also providing depth, context, and creativity."

In no particular order

  1. Charlie Schlenker broke down the details abouta complex voter referendum that voters in Unit 5 ultimately voted against.
  2. Lyndsay Jones produced an entire three-part series on how the housing shortage has impacted Bloomington-Normal.
  3. Courts reporter Edith-Brady Lunny took a deep dive into Illinois’ troubled child welfare system any how many of its problems have been neglected.
  4. Inflation was an overriding concern throughout 2022. A team of WGLT reporters covered various impacts price hikes had on the McLean County economy.
  5. Digital director Ryan Denham has covered Rivian's rise over the last several years more thoroughly than anyone, even the national auto and business publications. This was just one of many depth pieces that profiled Bloomington-Normal’s fastest-growing employer.
  6. Michele Steinbacher took a drive (several actually) to Lexington to get a feel for what’s driving the city’s growth, when many smaller communities are shrinking.
  7. Arts correspondent Lauren Warnecke spent a day at the former Illinois Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Children’s School to talk to former residents (i.e. homers) about what living at the orphanage is like.
  8. Correspondent Colleen Reynolds captured the heartache Jelani Day’s family still feels as ISU marked the 1-year anniversary of his death in a still unsolved case.
  9. Ryan Denham also had an amusing portrayal of how the "Halloween" slasher movie series has roots in central Illinois.
  10. We can’t review 2022 without reminiscing about the sudden rise of Leah Marlene. Sound Ideas host Jon Norton helped capture Marlene’s talent on the radio long before anyone else did. He helped offer a glimpse of Marlene’s musical roots.

Happy listening and reading to you and yours in 2023!

Eric Stock is the News Director at WGLT. You can contact Eric at ejstoc1@ilstu.edu.
Related Content