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.
Contact Ben at bjhowel@ilstu.edu.
-
The Illinois Board of Higher Education reports that nearly 190,000 students are enrolled across the state for the Fall 2025 semester. -
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources recently named Dave Glacinski of Lexington one of its 2025 outstanding volunteers of the year. -
Esta es la Parte 3 de la serie de WGLT sobre las prácticas comerciales en Oak Wood, una compañía que ahora posee cinco parques de casas prefabricadas en Bloomington-Normal. El próximo miércoles: Cómo encajan, o no encajan, las casas prefabricadas en la escasez de vivienda en todo el país. -
Mobile homes are rarely discussed as policymakers and developers try to address a housing shortage that’s driven up rents and home prices across Bloomington-Normal. There are many reasons why. -
Here’s some advice for how Bloomington-Normal mobile home owners can protect themselves, from knowing the law to organizing with other residents.
-
The McLean County Alliance for Community Services is composed of advocates for low-income families fighting for food and health care for all. -
Esta es la Parte 1 de la serie de WGLT sobre las prácticas comerciales de Oak Wood, una empresa que ahora posee cinco parques de casas prefabricadas en Bloomington-Normal. También puedes leer la Parte 2, sobre por qué los compradores respaldados por capital privado como Oak Wood ven las casas prefabricadas como una fuente de dinero. -
Oak Wood's move into Bloomington-Normal is part of a nationwide trend toward consolidation in manufactured home park ownership, often led by private equity acquisitions. Oak Wood even got help from Freddie Mac, a government entity that is supposed to help make housing more, not less, affordable. -
For decades, mobile homes were one of the most affordable housing options in Bloomington-Normal, especially for those with low or fixed incomes. Oak Wood’s arrival in the market has changed that. Oak Wood has again and again squeezed more money from its residents.
-
John Borling is a distinguished Vietnam veteran, having spent 6 1/2 years as a prisoner of war in Hanoi. His service awards include a Silver Star and two Purple Hearts.
