Willis Kern
Correspondent, Retired News DirectorWillis is a Bloomington, IL, native. During his senior year at Bloomington High School, he finished third in the "Radio Speaking" division of the state speech contest, the only year he competed.
Willis began his radio career in 1975 at a now-defunct station in Normal. He worked swing shifts at WJBC in Bloomington while attending ISU. He served a 14-year stint as the nighttime announcer. Willis joined WGLT in 1993 and was named news director in 1997. He has won numerous awards for reporting and news writing and has been named Downstate Best Reporter four times by the Illinois Associated Press, once in 2004 and three consecutive years 2007-2009.
Willis volunteers at his church and is involved in prison ministry. He is married with two sons and loves the St. Louis Cardinals.
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Nearly 100 people happy with the outcome of the presidential election attended a hastily-organized event Saturday in downtown Bloomington billed as,… -
Veteran Republican Keith Sommer won his 12th term in the Illinois Statehouse, topping Democratic challenger Karla Bailey-Smith and Libertarian Ken Allison… -
Frustrated and disgusted by the events surrounding the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police last month, Normal Police Department… -
An Illinois free speech advocate spoke in Normal on Wednesday and compared President Donald Trump's characterization of journalists as "scum" and "dirt"… -
Every month, a handful of people gather on Bloomington’s east side to make music together. The tunes they produce aren’t headed to the top of the charts,… -
The term "scorcher" took on new meaning at Bloomington's David Davis Mansion Saturday.While the heat index again crossed over 105 degrees, many attending… -
Nearly to the day 139 years after making his major league baseball debut on May 5, 1880, a tree carving of Bloomington's Charles "Old Hoss" Radbourn was… -
When trauma impacts young children, the long-term effects can be detrimental to society, in addition to the individual traumatized.A public forum about… -
What’s the fastest growing participation sport in America? Pat yourself on the back if you said pickleball.GLT correspondent Willis Kern has more with one… -
Suan Guess-Hanson has never used a wheelchair, but the retired Metcalf School teacher worked with many children who did, so she naturally wants to see…
