Lauren Warnecke
Deputy News DirectorLauren Warnecke is the Deputy News Director at WGLT. She joined the station as a correspondent in 2020 with a focus on arts and culture and became a full-time staff member in 2023. She became Deputy News Director in 2025.
Lauren also reviews dance for the Chicago Tribune and contributes Midwest-focused arts coverage to several publications. She lives in Normal and kindly requests a seat on the aisle.
You can reach Lauren at lewarne@ilstu.edu.
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Kathleen Lorenz defended a campaign contribution from the McLean County Republican Party in her 2025 run for mayor of Normal during a marathon hearing Friday at the Illinois State Board of Elections' offices in Chicago. Lorenz's attorney called the hearing "smoke and mirrors." -
The Starving Artists is a grassroots initiative encouraging Central Illinois musicians to hold monthly benefit concerts. A concert at the Coffeehouse in Normal on Jan. 24 is collecting donations for WYSE Food Pantry in West Bloomington. -
Health care providers and educators worry a $100,000 lifetime limit on borrowing for graduate nursing programs, wrapped in the fine print of the Big, Beautiful Bill, could put a wrench in the workforce pipeline. -
A federal grant in McLean County that provides community-based children’s services of welfare, mental health and schools has been terminated, effective immediately. The county is still determining how to fill a $500,000 funding gap. -
Es el fin del comienzo para el nuevo complejo de bellas artes de Illinois State University. -
During a visit to Bloomington-Normal on Tuesday, Gov. JB Pritzker said he supports changing how state colleges and universities are funded, but wouldn't commit to releasing discretionary funds held back last fall. -
Upgrades to ISU's aging arts complex have been discussed for decades. The project broke ground Tuesday, with $87 million in state funds helping to get it to the starting line.
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El agente de ICE que disparó y mató a una mujer en Minnesota esta semana es un graduado de 2001 de Peoria Richwoods, según ha sabido WCBU a través de un examen de registros escolares y judiciales. -
The monthly initiative aimed at drawing foot traffic to businesses and art galleries downtown has seen waning participation, driving city staff to rethink their involvement. In addition to city-sponsored First Fridays in Feb., July and Dec., business owners are committed to leading the initiative the rest of the year. -
The former prosecutor became a judge in the 11th Judicial Circuit in 2023. He presides over the circuit-wide Veterans Treatment Court.
