Rachel Otwell
Rachel's reports currently focus on education and equity. She's also reported extensively on arts, community & diverse culture.
She's a graduate of the Public Affairs Reporting Program at the University of Illinois Springfield, and while obtaining that degree she spent a legislative session covering news for Illinois Public Radio with a focus on fracking. Rachel also holds degrees in Liberal & Integrative Studies, Women & Gender Studies and African-American Studies. She's tutored Rwandan refugees in Ohio, volunteered at a Kenyan orphanage, served as an activities assistant at a nursing home and volunteered at an elephant sanctuary in Thailand.
Rachel started a career in public media in 2011 when she interned for the National Public Radio program Tell Me More with Michel Martin in Washington, D.C. Her reports have also appeared on NPR, WorkingNow.org, and 51%.
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The next debate for Illinois nominees for governor is this Wednesday in Chicago. But two candidates are being left out this time around.
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The Illinois Governor’s Mansion is recently renovated and has re-opened for tourists, who tend to go for the historical significance. There’s also a new...
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Advocates of the so-called Illinois Human Rights Act "expansion bill" are urging Governor Bruce Rauner to sign that piece of legislation, which is...
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Planned Parenthood of Illinois is speaking out against proposed changes to the only federal program that provides funding for birth control. Those...
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The local communities say it's a way those in the politically divided state of Illinois plan to take a stand against gun-restrictions the state's Democrats are trying to pass.
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The Equal Rights Amendment, commonly referred to as the ERA, aims to end the legal distinction between men and women, something supporters say would...
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The mayor of Urbana is among those attending the U. S. Conference of Mayors in Washington D.C.Mayor Laurel Prussing said a common idea being heard is that…
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Across the state, and here in McLean County, thousands of newspaper subscribers were met with a single word as the headline on the front page Wednesday-…
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Money is still being raised to help run the Illinois State Museum in Springfield - even though its doors have been closed to the public for three...
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Earlier this month, people across the country and state recognized Transgender Day of Remembrance. It was created by activists as a way to honor those...