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Some parents of Bloomington Normal school children say they worry about COVID safety and wish state authorities had authorized remote learning for this year. Meanwhile parents of special needs children say they hope their kids can have a normal school year and make up lost ground. Municipal rent assistance programs had been getting criticism for giving out dollars too slowly. They're getting more popular now. The Town of Normal says the pace has also picked up as other programs run out of money. And State Representative Dan Brady wants to make it easier to trigger federal disaster aid. Brady also hopes a lawsuit will take away legislative redistricting powers in Illinois.

Not everybody has a lawyer when they go to court, but a new grant from the State Supreme Court Commission on Access to Justice will help increase collaboration and resources for people who represent themselves in McLean County and around the Eleventh Judicial Circuit.

Rural EMS agencies are closing. Ambulance response times are lengthening. One EMS coordinator says consolidation is better than no service at all. And a new rural food coalition tries to expand markets and selling seasons. Some McLean County residents who waited months to get the vaccine are changing their minds and accepting the jab. Vaccinations on the rise. Plus, Congressman Rodney Davis says we've had soldiers in South Korea and Germany for decades, why not Afghanistan?

Gyms are among the industries that have borne the brunt of pandemic restrictions. In Illinois, fitness facilities were part of the first wave of shutdown orders in March 2020 and remained closed until the end of June 2020.

A small rural Emergency Services organization deals with staff shortages and the Bermuda Triangle of accidents on Interstate 55. Listen for the many musical influences of Miles Ahead, the Bloomington based soul/R&B quintet. A lot of people have childhood dreams of going to the Olympics. An ISU freshman wasn't one of them. Basketball player Jada Stinson says she never dreamed that would be possible, yet Stinson went to Tokyo representing Puerto Rico. And just when Bloomington Normal fitness centers thought things would get back to normal, the pandemic put another weight on the bar. Twin cities gyms say they are still optimistic.

Illinois State University President Terri Kinzy says it's too soon to decide whether to require vaccinations to be on campus, based on full federal approval of the Pfizer vaccine. She says there are two other vaccines as well. A bunch of finches that came down from Canada seeking food is helping a 20 year old man set the McLean County record for most bird species seen in a year. Ben Guo is tied for the record at 259 with months left to go. And Bloomington City Manager Tim Gleason echoes some council members who say there are legal questions whether the city can offer direct aid to residents hurt by June flooding.

WGLT's The Leadoff is everything you need to know for Wednesday, Aug. 25, 2021. You'll hear about the return of the Bloomington Gold Corvette show to town. Plus, an interview with ISU's new president Terri Kinzy.

On today’s episode, you’ll hear from the organizer of the Bloomington Gold Corvette show about why the event is coming back to town. Plus, Part 2 of our conversation with new ISU President Terri Kinzy. And an Illinois Wesleyan biologist shares his new research on birds in Bloomington-Normal.

On today's episode, you'll hear about new data (analyzed by the ACLU) about how often Black drivers get pulled over in Bloomington-Normal. Plus, Normal City Manager Pam Reece talks about building out infrastructure on the town's western edge. And you'll get a preview of the Sweet Corn Circus coming to Uptown Normal this weekend.