Linda Hatfield says her grandmother never ever gave up on bringing missing World War II casualty Clarence Brotherton home to Gibson City. She refused to put up a marker because she didn't want him to think she had given up on him. 77 years later Brotherton's body has come back to central Illinois. A new music venue comes to downtown Bloomington. A big chain restaurant opens soon on the east side of town. And there's a new brew pub coming to Lexington, Illinois. The Normal Public Library is collecting remembrances and recollections of 9-11 as the 20th anniversary of those attacks approaches. And taking down a big central Illinois bridge all at one go is almost as interesting as engineering exercise as building one.
WGLT Senior Reporter Charlie Schlenker has spent more than three award-winning decades in radio. He lives in Normal with his family.