Illinois State Senator Jill Tracy called AM Macomb with Bill Schmalfeldt on 104.7 WLMD to discuss her request to Gov. J.B. Pritzker, asking him to open some of the state parks in Illinois during the "Stay at Home" order.

The Kewanee Chamber of Commerce is working to keep businesses informed about aid opportunities. Mark Mikenas, Kewanee Chamber Director, was our guest on People to People on Tuesday. Today at 5 Pm is the deadline for the DCEO Business Lottery for Hospitality businesses. Go to the Chamber website or the City of Kewanee website to find applications for the DCEO Business Lottery. And there are even more options for aid for small businesses as we discussed in this interview.

On April 1, Macomb Mayor Michael J. Inman called "PM Macomb with Bill Schmalfeldt" to update WLMD listeners on how the city is coping with the COVID-19 outbreak.

Kewanee Mayor Gary Moore wants people to adhere to the Shelter at Home order. The Mayor was our guest on WKEI following a very unique socially distanced, online budget meeting for the Kewanee City Council. The council met via the Zoom app on Tuesday evening. The Mayor assures listeners that essential City services remain in place and will remain in place throughout the shelter at home order which was extended by Governor Pritzker to April 30th.

Mike Perva is the IT Director for the Kewanee School District. The Google Classroom era of Kewanee Schools begins April 2nd. Students will now have online portals to get lessons from their teachers. 550 Chromebooks have been delivered to students in the district and additional chromebooks will be delivered. For those without internet access, paper packs of lessons have been assembled for delivery to students.

Henry County has received an F grade in social distancing. That according to a study cited by the Henry and Stark County Health Department during today's COVID-19 Briefing on WKEI. GPS data statewide was used to gauge social distancing across Illinois counties and it shows that people in Henry County are among those who are coming up short on following social distancing guidelines.

Don Gustafson was looking for a way to help out musicians and venues where musicians play amid the COVID-19 closures. His search culminated in QC Hive, a Facebook group where members support each other and their businesses by donating a dollar to designated members. Each day, one person or business is chosen to feature on the Hive. Members donate 1 dollar or more, depending on their ability and desire, and if they cannot donate, they can share the post or invite others to the group to help out.

Whiteside County Health Dept with Cory and Emily by Regional Media

Sauk Talk with Dallas and Eric by Regional Media

4H directors across several counties are teaming up to keep kids engaged while away from their usual learning environment. The 4H groups in Henry, Rock Island, Mercer and Stark Counties are working together on the 4H Virtual Challenge. Each week is a different challenge for kids to participate in via the social media pages for their respective county 4H. 4H kids can win prizes and, more importantly, take part in learning challenges aimed to keep kids engaged in the learning process in a fun and safe package.