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The Bloomington Normal NAACP starts a youth council. Hear what dreams those young people have for change. And one of the things caused by the pandemic that will remain is a good thing; summer food programs. A lot of Bloomington Normal people whose homes were flooded last month can't dig out by themselves. The Salvation Army has pleas for help from 200 people in 80 families. And Bloomington has had three police chiefs and two interim chiefs in the last year and a half. Hear an interview with the latest to leave and why.

Some suggest Illinois use pandemic relief money to reduce a massive unemployment trust fund debt. Governor JB Pritzker says you can't do that. The Governor, though, is wrong. Other States are doing just that. Plus hear about the state budget deficit and the pension problem in an in-depth interview with Governor Pritzker. And weeks after torrential rains caused more than a thousand homes to flood in Bloomington Normal health officials warn the backed up sewage might still be an issue. The McLean County Health Department Environmental Health Director has more.

Bloomington City Manager Tim Gleason says everything has a cost and the city has only so much borrowing power. Gleason says if the council chooses more underground infrastructure work after the flood it might delay other big projects. The start of school is coming up fast and districts are getting desperate for bus drivers. They say they'll beg, borrow, or steal drivers wherever they can. Some schools say this is the worst bus driver shortage they have ever seen. Plus circus route books shed light on discrimination in popular culture. Hear about a new digital exhibit at ISU's Milner Library. And new data comparing a decade of inmates at the McLean County adult and juvenile jails could help shape social service programs.

Blues artist Brandon Santini says he gets side eye from some traditionalist blues people when he plays contemporary blues. Santini chats before his outdoor Bloomington concert. Plus, learn about the patent medicine business in a new episode of our feature McHistory. Dozens of collages have given a Bloomington-Normal artist the interior space to stave off the social deprivation of the pandemic. And Tim Shelley reports on a rare thing: a truly open seat election for Congress in Illinois.

District 87 Superintendent Barry Reilly says he's pleased with the response to vaccinations. Reilly says 93% of District 87 teachers are now vaccinated. Plus, supply chain problems are slowing the pace of new home construction in central Illinois. After a big broil, the McLean County Board stays with 10 board districts and two members per district ... the hard part of the re-map comes next. And Illinois State University will announce its 20th president on Friday, though not too many people have been introduced so far.

Olympia schools hasn't pushed for teacher vaccination, but if schools can't get high teacher vaccination numbers, it's hard to plan for the fall. Plus, District 87 joins the crowd of school districts who want to grow their own diverse teachers. Big hiring at Rivian means big demand for houses and a tussle over whether to build at the margins or infill. The mayor of Normal drops by.

A Republican McLean County Board member is calling shenanigans on his own party about redistricting. Josh Barnett says a plan he believes was long in the works to cut the number of districts is supposed to suppress rising Democratic representation on the board. State Democratic and Republican Senate leaders don't have a whole lot of specifics to suggest how to get out of the big budget deficit. Hear about cuts and the possibility of a sales tax on services. And if you're getting married, you should book a hall fast as pandemic restrictions ease. There's a lot of pent-up demand.

Obstetrics experts say the evidence points to the idea pregnant women should get the coronavirus vaccine. But it's not an official recommendation. Plus, baby boom or baby bust? The evidence is now clear on the impact of the pandemic on birth rates in the twin cities. Hear from the first woman to drive a garbage truck for a living in the town of Normal. And Jon Norton brings you music of Bloomington singer/songwriter Nolan Kelly from Kelly's new 6-song album "It's Gonna Be OK."

At first blush, a pandemic doesn’t sound like a great time to open a gallery. But if there is such a thing as a silver lining when it comes to COVID-19,…

An escaped slave with a central Illinois connection grabbed the colors from a falling comrade and charged the cannons in a Civil War battle. Hear how Andy Jackson Smith won the Medal of Honor more than a century after his bravery. Sen. Dick Durbin comes to Normal to push for electric vehicle infrastructure as part of the Democratic party effort to build support for the Biden jobs and infrastructure bill. And the Illinois House Speaker and Republican leader talk about the state budget.