On Deck

WCBU's On Deck has everything you need to know to start your day for Tuesday, February 23, 2021. Our top story is about how a Morton family is creating a new scholarship to help students with dyslexia achieve their goals in higher education. You'll also hear how in 1870 in the small town of El Paso, IL, a barber and Civil War veteran named David Strother was the first Black man in the state, and one of the first in the country, to exercise his legal right to vote in an election. Just as

WCBU's On Deck has everything you need to know to start your day for Monday, February 22, 2021. Our top story is about how the rehabilitation of a low-income apartment complex on Peoria's western edge is wrapping up this spring. But there's already hundreds of people on the waitlist. You'll also hear how running a small business is hard, and those challenges are compounded for Black small business owners. WCBU student reporter Jordan Mead explores how local entrepreneurs are breaking down those

WCBU's On Deck has everything you need to know to start your day for Friday, February 19, 2021. Our top story is about how the Rotary Club of Canton is hosting an effort to help at-risk community college students meet their needs. You'll also hear how the spike in unemployment and COVID has created unique challenges for those seeking a job and the various agencies assisting them. WCBU's Kristin McHugh tells us how Goodwill has pivoted to address those barriers.

WCBU's On Deck has everything you need to know to start your day for Thursday, February 18, 2021. Our top story is about how Governor JB Pritzker says his proposed state budget protects those suffering the most during the COVID-19 pandemic. But Republican lawmakers immediately criticized the governor for using gimmicks to balance it out. You'll also hear how finding a job as the pandemic wears on is proving difficult for many. Individuals with disabilities can face even larger hurdles. You'll

WCBU's On Deck has everything you need to know to start your day for Wednesday, February 17, 2021. Our top story is about how the statewide Workforce Equity Initiative aims to train individuals to secure better-paying jobs. Locally, that means $14.75 per hour or more. That's 30 percent above Peoria County's living wage. But COVID throws some wrenches in learning. You'll also hear how in his first few weeks in office, President Joe Biden has rolled back multiple federal policies that negatively

WCBU's On Deck has everything you need to know to start your day for Tuesday, February 16, 2021. Our top story is about how for the past several days, temperatures in central Illinois have rarely reached double digits and snow is piling up resulting in hazardous road conditions and poor air quality. You'll also hear how high school basketball and other sports are back in action in central Illinois. But with limitations on the number of spectators allowed, schools are turning to live-streaming

WCBU's On Deck has everything you need to know to start your day for Monday, February 15, 2021. Our top story is about how with the advent of remote learning options during the COVID-19 pandemic, school snow days could become increasingly rare. You'll also hear how Daniel Aschheim is the new Consul for Public Diplomacy at the Consulate General of Israel to the Midwest. WCBU's Tim Shelley spoke to him after a recent Peoria Area World Affairs Council event about Israel's relationship with the new

WCBU's On Deck has everything you need to know to start your day for Friday, February 12, 2021. Our top story is about how the Peoria Riverfront Museum may not be opening to patrons again until next month, but that doesn't mean they're not still finding ways to honor Black history. You'll also hear how few people know rural Elmwood was once a stop on the Underground Railroad. WCBU student reporter Olivia Streeter talks to historian Brandon Butler about the Phelps Barn, and his mission to educate

WCBU's On Deck has everything you need to know to start your day for Thursday, February 11, 2021. Our top story is about how the large encampment of people experiencing homelessness, living under the Murray Baker Bridge made headlines last year. Now, Phoenix Community Development Services has secured permanent shelters for 12 of them. WCBU student reporter Jordan Mead has that story. You'll also hear how surging overall demand for the COVID-19 vaccine may mask hesitancy among certain populations

WCBU's On Deck has everything you need to know to start your day for Wednesday, February 10, 2021. Our top story is about how when it comes to the Peoria area's wish list for state legislators, there's a lot of needs. But one clearly comes in as priority number one. You'll also hear how two Peoria-area physicians and educators will take part in an upcoming forum discussion on the growing need for more Black male doctors.