
Ben Howell
Graduate AssistantBen Howell is a graduate assistant at WGLT. He joined the station in 2024.
Ben is a graduate student at Illinois State University in the communication program. He also completed his undergrad at ISU, graduating in 2025 with a bachelor’s in mass media. During that time, he held internships at WGLT and WZND, where he was news director and general manager.
After graduate school, Ben hopes to continue covering local news and telling audiences more about the stories and events within their community. Outside of the station, he is an avid fan of movies and video games, trying to collect as much physical media as he can.
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The University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners program is marking 50 years of operation in McLean and surrounding counties. The program teaches volunteers research-based gardening skills to take back to their communities.
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The Bloomington-Normal area's jobless rate fell to 2.8% in April, down over half a point from this time a year ago. That's tied for the lowest among any metro area in the state.
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Bloomington's downtown was named one of five new state-designated cultural districts by the Pritzker administration. That designation opens up millions of dollars in grant funding.
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The McLean County Regional Planning Commission is working with the Illinois Department of Transportation to complete the state’s first high-speed rail feasibility study. You can share your input through a survey or by visiting a virtual event.
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U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth spoke Friday on several recent developments concerning the Trump administration, including President Trump’s plan to accept a Boeing jet from Qatar and recent moves on aviation and veterans programs.
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The board previously announced its intent to vacate an earlier transit agreement in a process that hands over operations formerly under Show Bus to Connect Transit.
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The Normal Public Library is hosting its first “Kid Market” on Saturday, May 17, to bring a different kind of shopping experience to town.
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Habitat for Humanity of McLean County broke ground on its 200th house on Saturday, holding a ceremony in honor of the home's recipients and agency co-founder Judy Stone.
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The City of Bloomington will temporarily switch its water source from Evergreen Lake to Lake Bloomington this week while treating Evergreen Lake for algae.
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Planned Parenthood of Illinois hosted a storytelling celebration Saturday in honor of Transgender Day of Visibility 2025. The event featured stories and art from the Bloomington-Normal transgender community and beyond.