WGLT's Sound Ideas - Full Episodes

Illinois and Bloomington Normal businesses prepare for phase five...with no capacity limits for stores. The new legislative map splits up Bloomington Normal into five house districts and several senate seats. Some think that'll help community interests in Springfield. Others say no. The Miller Park Zoo has survived not one but two pandemics and 130 years. It's celebrating an anniversary this weekend. The State of Illinois is giving the town of Normal $1.2 million to extend the Constitution Trail along Gregory Street to Maxwell Park.

Illinois State University Athletics Director Kyle Brennan can hardly contain his excitement for seeing fans return without capacity restrictions starting in the fall.

There's a shortage of bicycles in Bloomington Normal. Stores can't keep mid-range bikes in stock for more than an hour. From aluminum shortages and other supply chain issues to vastly increased demand, it's touch and go for bicycle shop owners right now. Plus, expansion of pediatric services by Marcfirst could help school districts and reduce service needs for children with autism when they grow up. There has been a lot of news about labor shortages in the region. Eric Stock reports on who's hiring. The new Illinois State University Athletics Director plans for a fall season that won't have crowd size limits. And yes, there will be tailgating.

The Normal Town Council held a special work session Monday to discuss progress on the long-planned $22.7 million Uptown Normal underpass project.

Just because people CAN go out for arts events after they are vaccinated might not mean they WILL. The notion of accessibility is shifting for arts patrons who worry about breakthrough infections or a need for boosters. Plus, retiring ISU President Larry Dietz joins us for a goodbye interview. Metronet has closed the digital divide in Bloomington Normal a bit and built out its urban infrastructure. Bedroom communities are next. The Mayor of Normal says the long discussed underpass project in Uptown will likely finally appear in next year's town budget.

A central Illinois native with PTSD finds healing through art. Hear about the organization CreatiVet. Plus, business is coming back to hospitals in central Illinois, but it's not all the way back. The head of Carle BroMenn says the feds are making up only 60% of the loss. Insurers are looking at new ways to gauge safe driving and who is doing it. Here's the world according to telematics. The Bloomington Normal band The Something Brothers have a new album, or two, no wait: make that three.

A survey of attitudes toward police in the city of Bloomington came back with a lot of skewed data, but the comments were worth reading. Not In Our Town Co-Chair Mike Matejka unpacks the useful parts of the survey. Plus, County Administrator Camille Rodriguez shares perspectives on her time in McLean County as she prepares to leave for Colorado. Governor JB Pritzker talks about energy policy and compromise. Everyone gets a little something in a proposed energy bill; environmentalists, nuclear utilities and even coal burning plants. And hear from a Bluegrass Band doing more than the old Bill Monroe stuff in central Illinois.

U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Taylorville, fears the Senate’s rejection of a proposal to create a bipartisan commission to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol will leave important questions unanswered.

Congressman Rodney Davis asks why many fellow House Republicans voted against a January 6th commission when they originally supported an investigation. Davis says Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also needs to answer why Capitol security was unprepared. Plus, Illinois State University will require COVID testing for unvaccinated students. President Larry Dietz has more. The new head of Mid Central Community Action forges ahead while honoring the legacy of the late Deb White who died of Covid. And McLean County Administrator Camille Rodriguez gives you the early look at how the county will place federal pandemic relief money.

Republicans in Congress like Darin LaHood don't like the Biden administration definition of infrastructure. They don't think it should include public housing, healthcare related or energy projects. A central Illinois lawmaker says he could back a trillion dollar bill, but not the two trillion proposal from Democrats. Plus, McLean County's sheriff recounts his three decade career. Jon Sandage says he won't run for a third term. And if you thought tales of Dickensian privation were just from big cities of the Victorian era, listen to the next episode of McHistory. The McLean County Poor farm was a horror show.