Wethersfield Superintendent Shane Kazubowski says a recent survey of parents in the Wethersfield School District played a significant role in crafting the new return to school plan for the school district. The first day of the new school year at Wethersfield is August 19th and it will be a hybrid schedule that will limit the number of students who attend school in person and those who will attend classes virtually. Masks will be mandatory due to state of Illinois rules but the school district hopes to create a time during the day to give students the chance to get outside and take a break from their masks via social distancing. Hear all about the Wethersfield return to school plan in our Tuned In interview with Superintendent Shane Kazubowski.

The Kewanee Hog Days Committee met on Tuesday night to decide the fate of Kewanee's Labor Day tradition. Sadly, the decision was made to cancel the event for the first time in decades. Kewanee City Council member Mike Komnick is also a member of the Hog Days Committee and Mr Komnick tells WKEI that this was not an easy decision. In the end, protecting public safety proved to be the most important factor in the decision.

The Ford Bronco is back! After being off the market for 25 years, the Ford Bronco has been redesigned and is set to be re-released. Four new models of 2021 Broncos are being made and you can go to Ford's website and actually put down $100.00 to try and secure one for purchase for yourself. If you want to wait for them to be on dealer lots, at least two of the four new Bronco models will be available as of December of this year. Mike Caudill is an automotive expert, journalist and industry insider and he joined WKEI to celebrate the return of a beloved classic vehicle, the Ford Bronco.

RaeAnn Tucker from the Henry and Stark County Health Department joined WKEI to discuss the latest numbers including 26 newly confirmed cases of COVID-19 in just the month of July. RaeAnn also took time to shine a positive light on Menards in Kewanee which is putting in work to keep employees and shoppers safe. Menards has been named a Public Health Hero for the efforts with masking, cleaning, and social distancing. RaeAnn also addressed a few COVID-19 myths including the lie that the Health Department is paid to change death certificates to call COVID-19 a cause of death. For the record, there has been only 1 death from COVID-19 in Henry County.

Kewanee Mayor Gary Moore was our guest on People to People on Tuesday. The Mayor joined WKEI to look back at Monday night's City Council Meeting. At that meeting the City Council made the decision to sell a parking lot in order to encourage new business investment in downtown Kewanee. The council also discussed the 2020-2021 fiscal budget debate. This year's budget is at a deficit of more than $252,00 and there was debate over how that number reached that Mayor Moore reflected upon today. The Mayor also discussed the potential for a new bike path in Kewanee and remembered the remarkable Kewanee Ballhawks via their newly dedicated mural.

The Greatest Comeback continues throughout the Illinois Valley area, including St. Louis Catholic Church in Princeton. Father Daniel Gifford has been at St. Louis since 2017. It’s been several weeks since parishioners have been able to physically return for Mass. Father Gifford says it’s great having people back in the church after nearly three months of quarantine. At this time, in-person attendance is being limited to 25 percent of maximum capacity, or up to 90 people. People should call ahead and reserve a spot for the weekend Masses and those attending are asked to wear a face mask when entering and exiting the church and when in close proximity to members of other households. St. Louis Catholic Church is located at 616 South Gosse Boulevard in Princeton. More information on the parish including the Mass schedule and information on signing up for church emails can be found at stlouisprinceton.org and they have a Facebook page. You can also call the parish office at 815-879-0181.

If you are a fan of Billy Joel you are going to want to get the new auto-biography of Billy's close friend and drummer, Liberty Devitto. Liberty: Life, Billy and the Pursuit of Happiness is the name of the book which tells the story of how Liberty Devitto became a drummer and then became the drummer for Billy Joel. The book is littered with terrific stories including Liberty's take on nearly every song he performed with Billy with loving behind the scenes details. The book goes on Sale on Friday, July 17th.

Michael Devine from the IRS was our guest on WKEI with a reminder that July 15th is the deadline to file your taxes. The deadline was moved back two months from the usual April 15th to accommodate those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Taxes need to be filed by July 15th or those who still need more time can apply for a further extension. Either way, it must be filed by Wednesday. That deadline is also in place for anyone who may have forgotten to file taxes for 2016. You have until Wednesday to file and still receive a refund if one was due to you.

Sheriff John Booker by Regional Media

YWCA of The Sauk Valley by Regional Media