The Kewanee Boilermakers went to the state playoffs in 1971 at a time when there weren't four different classes. The tournament encompassed the whole state and small teams played big teams in a time before the big teams became too big to compete with anything other than other big teams. The 1971 Kewanee Boilermakers played one exciting game after another, all broadcast on WKEI. Thanks to Kewanee Radio Legend, Larry Flannery, clips from those 1971 Kewanee basketball playoff run have been provided and are part of this edition of Kewanee Back When, our very own March Madness, Kewanee's 1971 Basketball Playoff Run.

The Kewanee School Board met on Monday evening at Kewanee High School. During the meeting, the School District honored athletes and actors alike as the School District shined a light on the ongoing accomplishments of the Group Interpretation team that has earned a trip to State Competition this weekend and honored fall athletes who accomplished so much through the end of last year and the start of this year. Special attention was given to Brady Clark, outstanding Kewanee basketball star who could not attend Monday's meeting as he was busy representing Kewanee at the Iowa-Illinois Shootout at Augustana. Meanwhile, the news came out this week that Coach Matt Clark had resigned his position as Head Boys Basketball Coach. We asked Dr. Sullens about losing a very good Coach and searching for the next one.

Sparks is joined by Nan Crossman, the Executive Director for the Macomb Arts Center to talk about some of their upcoming events including:

MHS Jazz on the SquareSat, March 23 - 2 p.m.

Intro to Improvisation Classes

March 24 - May 4

Kids Battle of the Brushes

April 7 - 2 p.m.

Rocky Rally: Kids' Rocky Design Vote

April 13 - 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

MAC Bingo Bash

April 13 - 7 p.m.

For more information about these events or to preorder your tickets, visit the Macomb Arts Center website or email [email protected].

More than 1.4 million Illinois residents suffer from some kind of Kidney Disease. March is Kidney Disease Awareness Month and Samantha Rux brought Award-Winning Dietitian Sara Umphleet to Wake Up Tri-Counties on Monday, March 18th, to talk about Kidney Disease. Kidney Disease has two primary causes, Diabetes and Stress. A poor diet can exacerbate these conditions and put more pressure on your kidneys, doing more damage. Your best bet is a better diet, one that a dietitian can help you set up. Sara takes appointments at OSF Saint Luke Medical Center and once you have been diagnosed with a Kidney Disease, you will need to see her to learn about the kinds of foods that can help you manage your particular kind of Kidney Disorder. That said, if you're interested in preventing Kidney Disease, your first bet is to stay up to date on your blood tests and other labs. The second would be contacting Sara and discussing a diet that can help prevent Kidney Disorders. Sara explains far more in our Wake Up Tri-Counties conversation.

Ryan Montgomery is a country superstar on the rise. His new single and music video, Whiskey and Smoke, have been streamed and viewed on YouTube, millions of times. Whiskey and Smoke is a love song but the video adds another dimension, a chance for Ryan to honor a family legacy in firefighting. The video gives Ryan the chance to pay tribute to first responders while also expressing his soulful, romantic side in the lyrics. It's a great song and fans cannot get enough. We were lucky to get a chance to talk with Ryan Montgomery on Wake Up Tri-Counties on Friday, March 15th, 2024.

The Boiler Shop debuted on Friday, March 15th, 2024. Russ Hughes and Sean Kernan will be talking Boilermakers Spring Sports every Friday at 8:40 AM. This week, Russ runs us through the recent Kewanee Track results. We talk briefly about the early season results for Kewanee Baseball and Softball. Plus, Sean promoted a special upcoming edition of Kewanee Back When that will feature some incredible Kewanee Sports history.

Cynthia Maxwell is the new Director of the Kewanee Public Library. Maxwell, the soon to be former director of the Streator Public Library, comes to the Kewanee Public Library with years of experience. We will be talking with Maxwell soon on WKEI. Meanwhile, the acting director of the Kewanee Public Library, our friend Sara Billiet, joined Wake Up Tri-Counties on Thursday to announce the appointment of a new director and talk about upcoming book clubs including the Adult Book Club and the return of the of Science Book Club coming later this month.