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Operation Push and the Rainbow Coalition plan a march in Peru, Illinois to pressure authorities to do more to investigate the death of ISU graduate student Jelani Day. But, not everything being said about the case is true. The Prairie City Soccer League is changing plans for new fields. They won't be in north Normal. A researcher speaking at ISU has a new way of tackling community health questions -- like, "Why aren't families physically active?" Darla Castelli talks about information gaps in community health. And the Unit 5 School Board President talks deficits and discourse.

Reverend Jesse Jackson Junior joined a couple hundred people in a peaceful drive through demonstration and march in honor of ISU graduate student Jelani Day in Peru, Illinois. Day's death has been ruled by drowning but the chants were about justice for Jelani and no justice no peace. Unit 5 schools have been getting ready for today's federal approval of the Coronavirus vaccine for kids ages five to eleven. They'll offer vaccination clinics. And Superintendent Kristen Weikle says booster shot opportunities for staff are coming too. A Bloomington Normal high school student has received a national award for his work to help others. Meet Druhv Rebba. And Normal City Manager Pam Reece drops by.

The pandemic has exposed flaws in global supply chains for everything from toilet paper to car parts. An ISU expert on large scale economies tells you those flaws were always there. And fixing them is hard. Another small town central Illinois newspaper closes, but a new outlet will test the market for news in Ford County. Bloomington City Council action to skirt a ban on new video gambling licenses can be considered unfair. City Manager Tim Gleason says the council has to weigh the greater good of community development. And themes are emerging on what buckets the town of Normal will use to spend federal pandemic relief aid.

On today's episode, you'll hear from new Bloomington Police Chief Jamal Simington. Plus, a new episode of McHistory looks at Bloomington-Normal's historic stance against prejudice. And Sound Health tackles misconceptions about hospice.

WGLT's The Leadoff is everything you need to know for Monday, Aug. 30, 2021. You'll hear about Rivian's plans to go public, possibly by the end of 2021. Plus, an interview with the IDOT chief about electric and autonomous cars.

There's a campaign to cut the thousands of traffic collisions and hundreds of injuries that happen in Bloomington Normal each year. A strength and conditioning graduate student at ISU hopes to go to a place few women do, the NFL. Saxophonist Lisella Martin never thought she'd play music professionally until one day at church the guitarist tapped her on the shoulder and asked her if she ever thought about it. Martin says she thought she wasn't good enough. Martin was wrong. Hear her before the Front Street Music Festival. Plus a play premiering at Illinois State University looks at how artificial intelligence disrupts the arts. Director Carol Kelleher tells you about "The Hologram in the Mirror."

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.

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.