Springfield Man Mourns Mother Lost In Blast

NPR Illinois | 91.9 UIS | By Maureen Foertsch McKinney

Published August 17, 2020 at 1:54 PM CDT

The Elhajj family: Nadine, Elie, Nabih and their mother, Zeina.

Nabih Elhajj talks with Maureen McKinney about losing his mother in the early August explosion that injured thousands and killed about 200.

A Springfield man is mourning after a massive explosion at a port warehouse in Beirut, Lebanon injured thousands and killed about 200 people, including his mother, Zeina. Maureen McKinney talked recently with Nabih Elhajj, executive director of the education nonprofit, I-VenturED. His mother died of her injuries the day following the early August blast. Elhajj is also an adjunct business instructor at University of Illinois Springfield and an NPR Illinois community advisory board member.

Illinois

Maureen Foertsch McKinney

Maureen Foertsch McKinney is the NPR Illinois News Editor and a lead editor of Illinois Issues' feature articles, working with freelance writers, and is curator of the Equity blog. Maureen joined the staff in 1998 as projects editor. Previously, she worked at three Illinois daily newspapers, most recently the suburban Chicago-based Daily Herald, where she served stints as an education reporter and copy editor. She graduated in 1985 with a bachelor's in journalism. She also has a master's degree in English from the University of Illinois at Springfield.

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