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Nearly half the federal money for Bloomington Normal pandemic rent help has yet to go out. The reasons are a mixed bag. More than a thousand buildings in Bloomington have water damage. An expert in restoration tells you how rare that is and what can be done about it, even the nasty smelly, sometimes dangerous sewer backups. The city of Bloomington Public Works Director lays out why sewer backups are happening during heavy rain events.

Meet the new President of Illinois State University. After nineteen men before her Terri Goss Kinzy becomes the first woman in that job. Plus, no one knows how many cops, city workers, and public facing employees have had the Coronavirus vaccine in Bloomington Normal. The chief clinical officer for OSF HealthCare, talks about what new guidance on masks means for you in central Illinois. And arts correspondent Breanna Grow brings a group of young artists to you.

Connect Transit's new general manager says he wants to explore new technologies to build on the sustainability of public transportation. David Braun says he welcomes the addition of electric buses though the technology is not quite mature. The Electrification Coalition is siding with Rivian in a battle whether you can sell cars directly and not through dealers. The Coalition says cars ought to be like I-phones, available everywhere. That has sales tax implications for cities. Congressman Darin LaHood says he's still optimistic about an infrastructure bill.

Meet the finalists for Bloomington Police Chief. The head of a city oversight board board says either one would be good. Both say they want to improve community relations. District 87's superintendent says teachers are ready for pushback on masks. There's disproportionate student discipline by race in Unit 5. The head of Unit 5 schools says professional development is critical to reducing that disparity and having people overcome unconscious biases. And hear the music of Osmium House before it plays in Bloomington tomorrow.

Bloomington Normal is in the hunt for a massive economic development project...a billion dollar electric battery factory on the west side of Normal. It could bring 32-hundred jobs to the twin cities. There have been rumors for a couple years about what extra business Rivian might bring to Bloomington Normal. Last week there was a hint the community is in the running for a big get. Then today Dick Durbin named the prospect, Samsung. Hear reaction from Bloomington Normal Mayors, economic development and transportation leaders, and a state lawmaker for the community.

The City Manager of Normal tries to ease council nerves that the $24 million underpass project will cost more. And the present furor over critical race theory aside, it's not a new thing for politics to shape the material taught in social studies classes. Liberation Colorized is an online journal launched to give students a voice during a particularly turbulent time in Bloomington Normal politics. These young people are not just listening to adults, they're telling. And a famed McLean County dairy family gets a memorial in a new book.

WGLT's the Leadoff is everything you need to know for Monday, May 9, 2022. The Bloomington City Council meets tonight at 6. The council will vote on a potential replacement for former council member Jamie Mathy. Grant Walch is the proposed replacement. Illinois State University plans to open its new College of Engineering in the fall of 20-25. The university has agreed to spend 3 million dollars to redesign two buildings to house the college in the short term. Plus, ISU students will be paying more in tuition and room and board.

Some members of the Bloomington City Council want to offer direct aid to those hit by the June flooding and sewage backups. Hear about the reasons for and against the idea that are separate from from whether it's legal to do that. The town of Normal says it won't rush to have a dialog over true vaccine mandates for staff. But it is testing unvaccinated firefighters for the Coronavirus. And an independent observer says video shows Normal Police Officers coordinated well during a recent shooting incident.

A twisty thin ribbon of rural ground connecting cities is what a lot of the Illinois Congressional districts look like in the Democratic draft map released today. Republicans are howling. Political scientists say it not very good for democracy. The Mayor of Normal wants a second census count next year because he's not sure the current one is right. Rocker Bob Mould draws parallels to the 1980s Aids crisis and the early years of the Trump administration on his latest album. And hear from the new diversity and inclusion director at Unit 5 schools.

Miski Dee Rodriguez said she left corporate America 15 years ago to follow her true love: Music.Rodriguez fronts the Lansing, Michigan pop-punk trio City…