WGLT's Sound Ideas

McLean County is awarding more than $1.7 million in mental health and public safety funding to nearly a dozen local organizations, following a revamping of the application and selection process. Awards range from $30,000 to $650,000, and will go to groups such as Home Sweet Home Missions, Lifelong Access, and The Baby Fold. Support the show: https://donate.nprstations.org/wglt/wglt-choose-donation See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Stan Gozur takes his seat as president of the Unit 5 school board, he said he is pleased with the direction the school district is headed after the enrollment study saga. Gozur previously served as the board vice president. In his new role, his top priorities include incorporating more stakeholder opinions and organizing finances. Support the show: https://donate.nprstations.org/wglt/wglt-choose-donation See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A lunch-and-learn hosted by Bloomington-Normal's LGBTQ+ advocacy organization hopes to give community members tools to discuss suicide. Prairie Pride Coalition is hosting the event, which features a new queer-focused curriculum from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Support the show: https://donate.nprstations.org/wglt/wglt-choose-donation See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Six tornadoes struck McLean County on Friday night, according to the National Weather Service — three of them in Bloomington and Normal. All of the twisters that went through McLean County were relatively mild EF1 tornadoes or less, though two of them packed a punch of 110 mph winds. The others had peak winds of 90-100 mph, the NWS said in a news release. Support the show: https://donate.nprstations.org/wglt/wglt-choose-donation See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What did Brandon Holtz take away from living every golfer’s dream last week, playing against the best in the world at the Masters? So much, that his first day back at his RE/MAX Rising real estate office was mostly “staring blankly at the (computer) screen, just picturing what just happened.” Support the show: https://donate.nprstations.org/wglt/wglt-choose-donation See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Bloomington Bison close out their second season this weekend at Grossinger Motors Arena — but they might not be done playing. The minor league hockey team is in the running for the ECHL’s final playoff spot for what would be their first postseason berth. Support the show: https://donate.nprstations.org/wglt/wglt-choose-donation See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The new $370 million budget for the City of Bloomington is the largest ever. In this Sound Ideas interview with WGLT's Charlie Schlenker, Mayor Dan Brady says if not for water department projects to separate sewers, replace water mains and remove lead service lines, the budget would actually have declined. Support the show: https://donate.nprstations.org/wglt/wglt-choose-donation See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Illinois Symphony Orchestra [ISO] is capping its season with a Route 66-themed world premiere from Chicago-based composer Michelle Isaac. It’s Music Director Taichi Fukumura's first-ever commission since joining the orchestra two years ago, but the Illinois Symphony has a long-standing history of world premieres. Support the show: https://donate.nprstations.org/wglt/wglt-choose-donation See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Meet the Newsroom series pulls back the curtain to introduce you to the team that makes WGLT possible. The series continues with WGLT correspondent Braden Fogerson, an Illinois State University alum who covers education across McLean County. Support the show: https://donate.nprstations.org/wglt/wglt-choose-donation See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A nonprofit aims to help Illinois State University and other teaching colleges in Illinois address the teacher shortage by recruiting more educators from other professions. Grow Your Own Illinois hosted a recruiting event at ISU on Monday to find prospective educators for ISU and more than 20 colleges and universities across the state. The group's recruitment director, Herman Reeves, said the group is targeting those considering a career change and nontraditional students through its We See the Teacher In You campaign. Support the show: https://donate.nprstations.org/wglt/wglt-choose-donation See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Voters living within Normal Township will have an extra question on their November ballots. At issue was a whether the state of Illinois should repeal its anti-BDS [boycott, divestment and sanctions] statute restricting state-funded institutions from refusing to engage with companies that "profit from or enable Israel's apartheid policies and human rights violations." Support the show: https://donate.nprstations.org/wglt/wglt-choose-donation See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the Bloomington-Normal community, there is a significant need for Spanish-speaking volunteer translators. Organizations such as Illinois State University’s Sigma Delta Pi (the National Spanish Honor Society) and Wesley United Methodist Church and community members who volunteer independently are helping fill this need for translating and interpreting. Support the show: https://donate.nprstations.org/wglt/wglt-choose-donation See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Following a lengthy transition period, Michelle Conger is embracing her new role as CEO of the OSF HealthCare system. Support the show: https://donate.nprstations.org/wglt/wglt-choose-donation See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Expansion of news and media literacy instruction is coming to Normal Community and Normal West high schools. Unit 5 was accepted for the News Literacy District Fellowship to provide $30,000 in grant funding over the next three years, beginning in the fall. Support the show: https://donate.nprstations.org/wglt/wglt-choose-donation See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Farmers in Illinois are two years deep into a fight to raise the the estate tax exemption for family farm operations in the state. The current rate of $4 million has remained for well over a decade and farmers in Illinois are lobbying state lawmakers to increase it to $6 million. The Family Farm Preservation Act was originally introduced by State Rep. Sharon Chung, D-Bloomington, and State Sen. Dave Koehler, D-Peoria, in 2024. Support the show: https://donate.nprstations.org/wglt/wglt-choose-donation See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Unit 5 schools' superintendent said public feedback helped shape the district's plans to realign school enrollments. A committee of school board members and educators completed a multi-year process on Thursday when it presented a final recommendation to the school board. That recommendation avoids two of the most controversial options the district considered — closing Carlock Elementary northwest of Normal and repurposing Glenn Elementary south of the Illinois State University campus. The district's survey showed heavy opposition to the option that included relocating students from both schools. Support the show: https://donate.nprstations.org/wglt/wglt-choose-donation See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An Illinois lawmaker has introduced a bill that would require female manikins in high school CPR classes. Support the show: https://donate.nprstations.org/wglt/wglt-choose-donation See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The proposal coming to a Unit 5 school board vote next Wednesday does not close Carlock Elementary School or repurpose Glenn Elementary. Superintendent Kristen Weikle presented details of the proposal during a virtual meeting Thursday night. Of the original two options presented to the public, one closed and repurposed those two schools and the other did neither. Survey responses favored keeping those schools roughly two-to-one. Support the show: https://donate.nprstations.org/wglt/wglt-choose-donation See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Christina Harms tried a lot of jobs before finding her current career path. Harms, from Pekin, works for Peoria-based Mid-Illinois Companies and Associated Constructors in Bloomington. She can be seen on construction sites throughout Bloomington-Normal, including the future home of Illinois State University’s College of Engineering on G.E. Road. Now, Harms is telling her story through the Apprentice Ambassador Program, a workforce development initiative hosted by the Illinois Workforce Innovation Board’s Work-Based Learning and Apprenticeship Committee. Support the show: https://donate.nprstations.org/wglt/wglt-choose-donation See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Normal Citizen of the Year Adam Nielsen is living with early onset Alzheimer's disease. He and his wife Dayna Brown are doing so publicly and intentionally, to support others who may be going through the same thing, and as part of an advocacy effort. Support the show: https://donate.nprstations.org/wglt/wglt-choose-donation See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.