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A new pilot program with ISU students helping people expunge their criminal records surprisingly doesn't deal with a lot of cannabis cases. Tom McClure tells you about giving people a second chance. Plus, State Senator Jason Barickman unpacks why a massive energy policy proposal is such a tough thing to pass in Springfield. Backyard chickens can help your urban garden...yet they're not that popular with the neighbors. Hear more on WGLT's Grow. And the Coalescence Theatre Project hopes to use one particular queer story to give voice to underrepresented groups within the community.

Evangelical church leaders say they can only go so far in promoting vaccines to their members. White evangelicals rank first among groups rejecting the vaccine. Plus, Normal City Manager Pam Reece reflects on how the town council addressed unfounded ethics allegations against her levied by one council member. The Human services sector in Bloomington Normal may be understaffed, underpaid, and under-appreciated, but its still a huge part of the twin cities economy. State Senator Dave Koehler talks about being the first Democrat to represent Bloomington Normal in the General Assembly in four decades.

Illinois and Bloomington Normal businesses prepare for phase five...with no capacity limits for stores. The new legislative map splits up Bloomington Normal into five house districts and several senate seats. Some think that'll help community interests in Springfield. Others say no. The Miller Park Zoo has survived not one but two pandemics and 130 years. It's celebrating an anniversary this weekend. The State of Illinois is giving the town of Normal $1.2 million to extend the Constitution Trail along Gregory Street to Maxwell Park.

McLean County farmers and landowners have been sent over $68 million in USDA trade relief payments so far—and one ag industry watcher says more may be on…

Among its questions, the committee is probing any conversations Kevin McCarthy had with former President Donald Trump on the day of the Capitol attack.

Republicans in Congress like Darin LaHood don't like the Biden administration definition of infrastructure. They don't think it should include public housing, healthcare related or energy projects. A central Illinois lawmaker says he could back a trillion dollar bill, but not the two trillion proposal from Democrats. Plus, McLean County's sheriff recounts his three decade career. Jon Sandage says he won't run for a third term. And if you thought tales of Dickensian privation were just from big cities of the Victorian era, listen to the next episode of McHistory. The McLean County Poor farm was a horror show.

The city of Bloomington has some unpleasant choices ahead. The city council has five options to close a million dollar deficit but is a long way from clarity. Many of the lawmakers in Springfield weren't even born the last time there was a House Speaker NOT named Mike Madigan. Hear an assessment of the new House and Senate leadership performance in the spring session. State Senator Jason Barickman blames the Governor for an evictions moratorium that may cause a spike in evictions when it goes away in late summer. Barickman says the courts should have been trusted to deal with the issue during the pandemic. And Bloomington Normal's largest COVID testing site is closing. Find out who will pick up the load.

The pace of vaccinations has slowed dramatically in McLean County and the health department may soon end mass clinics. It's still a long road from the current 40 percent inoculation rate in McLean County to herd immunity at 70 or 80 percent. Plus, it's garlic season in central Illinois. Learn about the ancient nutritious, even antiseptic herb and how to save your taste buds and tummy from the smelly thing. The identities of creative people can never truly be separated from the things they create, but Black artists often find themselves pigeonholed by White curators. Go behind a Bloomington Normal exhibition highlighting Black freedom of creative expression.

Rivian employment is now about 1,900. It's heading for 2,500 by year and 3,000 to 4,000 by the end of next year. Heartland Community College's two soccer teams went to nationals for the first time, but it wasn't easy when several got sick. Yet they persevered. Heartland also set a new grade point average record among its student athletes. McLean County Jail inmates connect with their children by reading and recording books on CD. A northern Illinois woman tells you her experience of a chemical plant fire and dark plumes of smoke that made her sick and dizzy.

The structural deficit for Unit 5 schools is $12.5 million and rising $1.5-2 million a year. Unit 5 Superintendent Kristen Weikle says she hopes to have deficit reduction plans developed by the fall. They will include cuts, new revenue, and efficiencies in existing operations. Plus, the town of Normal will rework zoning rules to allow permanent outdoor on street dining. it proved popular during the pandemic. Hear from City Manager Pam Reece. The prairie state doesn't have a lot of prairie left. Learn more during WGLT's gardening podcast 'Grow.' And Opera Under the Stars comes to an outdoor venue in Normal, courtesy of Prairie Fire Theater.