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A 35-year-old Bloomington man faces drug-induced homicide charges for his role in an overdose death last year.Christopher Barker was arrested Wednesday,…

WGLT's the leadoff is everything you need to know for Friday, April 15. State Senator Jason Barickman (R-Bloomington) tells Charlie Schlenker he doesn't feel the legislature got as much done as it could have during the spring session. Plus, representatives from the United Way of McLean County Housing Coalition tell Eric Stock there's still more work to do, despite having already distributed more than $5 million in COVID housing relief.

Stress can affect childhood development. Hear from an expert whether the pandemic may delay kids speech and language. You can "BEE" a fan of plucky pollinators with a visit to Wild Harvest Honey festival in Heyworth. Karen Zangerle masterminded a 2-1-1 hotline to provide access to help in McLean and 48 other Illinois Counties. Zangerle is retiring from the agency after 36 years. Plus, who among homeowners in the Midwest has not experienced the tyranny of the turf?

The Mayor of Normal warns looming federal limits on water system phosphorus emissions could be a development killer if area residents have to pay for 160-million-dollars in improvements without federal help. There are a lot of pets turned in to shelters in McLean County right now. But the reason for the furry glut might not be post pandemic pet purging after all. And a soon to be abolished tent city on Bloomington's west side raises the profile of the homeless in the twin cities.

The McLean County Emergency Management Agency usually spends a lot of time preparing for disasters. But most of the last year and a half have been consumed by, well, emergencies. And they're shorthanded. A great tune and a little reinvention has kept this opera popular for nigh on 300 years. MIOpera begins its season in Bloomington Normal with the Barber of Seville. And, the band Good Morning Bedlam has close harmonies on stage and in the rest of their lives.

WGLT's the Leadoff is everything you need to know for Thursday, May 12, 2022. Pontiac residents and leaders are worried after the state corrections department moved 171 medium security inmates from the Pontiac Correctional Center to other prisons early this year — the fear is the rest of the prison build in the 1870s will shut down too. Plus, a study of people sent to the McLean County Juvenile Detention Center over a decade finds the more times they were booked into the juvie jail the more likely it was they would be booked into the adult jail later. But its complicated.

WGLT's the Leadoff is everything you need to know for Thursday, February 3. McLean County didn't meet the highest recorded snowfall in a day yesterday -- we'll tell you when that record was set and how much snow fell at the time. And just because most people had a snow Wednesday doesn't mean everyone does: A social service provider tells us they don't have the day off. Plus, WBEZ statehouse reporter Alex Degman breaks down Gov. JB Pritkzer's budget address.

McLean County child abuse reports dropped during the pandemic, but abuse thrives in isolation and now with kids back to school, child advocates expect the numbers to rise. Illinois State University enrollment slid for the second year in a row. That's in spite of a slight increase in the size of the freshman class. University leaders say that's not too bad, considering everything else going on. Bloomington state Senator Jason Barickman criticizes Democratic Party redistricting moves. Plus, the Illinois High School Association adds an e-sports tournament.

The culture wars may never end, though the rolling boil right now might occasionally reduce to a simmer. A central Illinois historian says the takeaway is that the fights over masks and what is taught in schools hide real class divisions that are getting worse. McLean County is looking at endless COVID even as the winter numbers spike. The health department says Bloomington Normal should get used to testing and tracing long term. And the Mayor of Normal stops by to talk about pandemic relief money and the surge in COVID cases.

A state lawmaker is concerned about the future of local journalism in Illinois. And the big flood in June prompted increased demand for replacement furniture from a Bloomington charity. Bloomington Normal is the only metro area in the state to have fewer people employed than at this time last year, in spite of a low unemployment rate. If not for manufacturing sector hiring at Rivian the labor force numbers in McLean County wouldn't look too hot. And in the next episode of McHistory hear reminiscences of huge prairie fires in the 1830s and 40s.