GLT's News Items of the Week Podcast

Every week, GLT News Director Willis Kern brings you what he thinks is the best GLT News Items of the Week. It's the best and most interesting report of the week.

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Recent Stories


Student Loans and Credit (mp3)
Air Date: Mon, 28 Apr 2008
Run Time: 5:25
WGLT's Charlie Schlenker reports the credit crunch in the U-S Economy sparked by the home mortgage meltdown is showing signs of spreading to college students.

Bullying Based On Sexual Orientation (mp3)
Air Date: Mon, 21 Apr 2008
Run Time: 4:47
There's been a fair amount of effort to address bullying in Illinois schools in recent years. Districts all have policies on that problem. But, a subset of the issue...harassment of homosexuals has less traction. Even low-level disparaging remarks based on sexual orientation can be very damaging, and as WGLT's Charlie Schlenker reports, it happens at younger ages than you might think.

Foreclosures Soar In McLean County (mp3)
Air Date: Thu, 3 Apr 2008
Run Time: 5:28
You might think central Illinois would be insulated from direct involvement with the home mortgage crisis. The region is affluent. It's not a rust belt city. Property values have not inflated at the rate found in some bubble cities. But, even in McLean County, WGLT's Charlie Schlenker reports there has been an estimated 176-million-dollars in home foreclosures in the last three years.

Baseball Owner Mike Veeck (mp3)
Air Date: Tue, 25 Mar 2008
Run Time: 5:10
One of the minor league baseball owners interested in putting a team in Normal is in the twin cities meeting with organizers and looking at a potential stadium site. WGLT's Willis Kern has more with Mike Veeck.

Autism In The Workplace (mp3)
Air Date: Tue, 11 Mar 2008
Run Time: 5:26
The number of people with the disorder known as autism is growing fast in the U-S. And as these children grow up, they often find it tough to get and hold jobs. WGLT's Charlie Schlenker reports on a group trying to change that in Bloomington Normal.

Obama Author John Wilson (mp3)
Air Date: Thu, 6 Mar 2008
Run Time: 5:54
A Bloomington-Normal native has written a new book about the democratic presidential front-runner, Barack Obama. WGLT's Willis Kern has more with author John Wilson.

Before You Go Under (mp3)
Air Date: Wed, 27 Feb 2008
Run Time: 4:49
The odds are excellent that sometime in your life you will need an operation requiring anesthesia. That's a frightening prospect for many, and a topic on which a Bloomington Normal Doctor has written a book. WGLT's Charlie Schlenker has more with Dr. Benjamin Taimmoorazi.

Durbin Seeks Foreclosure Solution (mp3)
Air Date: Tue, 19 Feb 2008
Run Time: 5:18
Social activists looking out for low income and elderly residents of central Illinois hit by the home mortgage foreclosure crisis were visited by a powerful ally. Illinois Senator Dick Durbin, the number two democrat in the senate, took part in a mortgage foreclosure panel discussion in Peoria sponsored by a faith-based group that's been conducting a predatory-lending crusade for nearly a decade. WGLT's Willis Kern reports.

Pontiac Flood Appeal (mp3)
Air Date: Wed, 13 Feb 2008
Run Time: 5:10
Pontiac and Iroquois County leaders are bitterly disappointed in the federal government denial of a disaster declaration following last month's floods. WGLT's Charlie Schlenker reports the lack of that official designation will prevent many homeowners from rebuilding.

TIF Revisited (mp3)
Air Date: Fri, 8 Feb 2008
Run Time: 6:09
A long time economic development fixture in downtown Bloomington will expire in a couple years. There's interest in extending the life of the so-called Tax Increment Financing District, but also resistance. WGLT's Charlie Schlenker reports.

Jill Hutchison Honored (mp3)
Air Date: Thu, 31 Jan 2008
Run Time: 5:10
Illinois State's women's basketball team, ranked 24th in the nation, puts its undefeated conference season on the line with home games tonight against pre-season favorite and second place Drake, and Saturday against Creighton. Prior to Saturday's contest, the Redbirds will honor their longtime former coach, Jill Hutchison. WGLT's Willis Kern reports.

Vietnam War Exhibit (mp3)
Air Date: Thu, 24 Jan 2008
Run Time: 6:35
The Vietnam War has cost the United States one point eight trillion in 2005 dollars. And that figure is still growing. That is among the facts in a new exhibit at the McLean County Museum of History. WGLT's Charlie Schlenker reports on the war in central Illinois.

Intellectual Property Rights (mp3)
Air Date: Mon, 14 Jan 2008
Run Time: 5:40
The dos and don'ts of using and copying music and video are more complex than ever. And the rules are having an impact on people's downloading behavior. But, a speaker at Illinois Wesleyan University says that need not be. WGLT’s Charlie Schlenker talks with Michael Harrington.

Green Party Congressional Hopeful (mp3)
Air Date: Tue, 8 Jan 2008
Run Time: 4:41
There are five candidates in the race for the 11th congressional district. One is a Democrat, three are Republicans, and WGLT's Jim Browne talks with the fifth candidate, Jason Wallace.

Youth Homeless (mp3)
Air Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2008
Run Time: 5:31
More than half the homeless youth in Illinois that sought help had to be turned away from transitional living programs because of a lack of resources. That's according to a new survey by the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless. WGLT's Charlie Schlenker has more.

Rembrandt Etchings (mp3)
Air Date: Fri, 21 Dec 2007
Run Time: 5:06
The latest exhibit at Lakeview Museum in Peoria examines the darker side of life through the eyes of a master. Sordid and Sacred: The Beggars in Rembrandt's Etchings features works for which Rembrandt was best known during his life. GLT arts reporter Laura Kennedy talks with curator Kristin McKenzie who says the exhibit reveals just as much about the artist himself as it does the subjects of his work.

Abraham Lincoln Symphony (mp3)
Air Date: Tue, 11 Dec 2007
Run Time: 4:35
WGLT's Willis Kern reports just days after the 199th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birthday, two organizations with connections to Lincoln's work will be presenting a cultural event that marks the beginning of the bicentennial observation.

Credit-based Insurance Scores (mp3)
Air Date: Wed, 5 Dec 2007
Run Time: 6:32
If you are African American or Latino in the U. S, the odds are you pay more for auto insurance than if you are white. And a big reason for that is the use of what is called "credit based insurance scores" in setting insurance rates. WGLT's Charlie Schlenker has more.

America's Wind Doctor (mp3)
Air Date: Wed, 28 Nov 2007
Run Time: 4:55
With the so-called meteorological winter set to begin next week, it's not impossible for spring-like weather to develop in December, or anytime of the year. Historically, tornadoes in Illinois have occurred in each month. WGLT's Willis Kern talks with one of the premier wind study experts in the country about trends in research to help minimize the effects of big wind events such as tornadoes and hurricanes.

Congressional Candidate Jimmy Lee (mp3)
Air Date: Wed, 21 Nov 2007
Run Time: 5:17
One of the Republican candidates for Congress in the 11th district is trying to woo both the business and the social conservative wings of the party. Jimmy Lee emphasized family values at a GOP breakfast. And in a GLT interview, the candidate talks about economic concerns. WGLT's Charlie Schlenker has more.

No Child Left Behind Critique (mp3)
Air Date: Tue, 13 Nov 2007
Run Time: 5:31
Education's angry man visits Illinois State University tomorrow. WGLT's Charlie Schlenker talks with Jonathan Kozol about equal opportunity in education.

Russian Citizen Q&A (mp3)
Air Date: Wed, 7 Nov 2007
Run Time: 4:53
A small delegation of Russian citizens is spending the week in Bloomington-Normal, learning about American business, government and culture. WGLT's Willis Kern reports.

Documentary Filmmaker Ken Burns (mp3)
Air Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2007
Run Time: 5:23
Renowned documentary filmmaker Ken Burns says all wars have things in common and they are paradoxical. WGLT's Charlie Schlenker has more comparing Burns' work on the Civil War to his latest landmark on World War Two.

Prison Reform (mp3)
Air Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2007
Run Time: 5:30
Criminal offenders released from prison have a difficult time integrating back into society. Some in Bloomington-Normal are working to make the transition go more smoothly. WGLT's Willis Kern reports.

Bloomington-Normal Transit System (mp3)
Air Date: Mon, 8 Oct 2007
Run Time: 5:30
The Mayor of Normal is trying to jump start discussion on major improvements in the Bus system in Bloomington Normal. WGLT's Charlie Schlenker reports.

Millard Fuller Q&A (mp3)
Air Date: Fri, 5 Oct 2007
Run Time: 5:10
The founder of Habitat For Humanity is coming to central Illinois. Millard Fuller speaks in Bloomington tomorrow (10/6). WGLT's Jim Browne talks with Fuller about the origins of Habitat and what helped inspire him.

Iraq Soldiers Return (mp3)
Air Date: Wed, 26 Sep 2007
Run Time: 3:53
The 70 members of the Bloomington-based 33rd military police battalion just back from duty in Iraq are home to a heroes welcome. While there is 100-percent support for the returning soldiers, that's not necessarily the case for the war they've left behind. WGLT's Willis Kern reports. (Production help from WGLT's Charlie Schlenker)

Central Illinois Jazz Saxophonist Adam Larson (mp3)
Air Date: Fri, 21 Sep 2007
Run Time: 6:47
The Monterey Jazz Festival begins today, featuring many top jazz artists including Diana Krall and Ornette Coleman. Also taking the stage is the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra, a specially-selected group of top-notch high school jazz performers. Plopped down in the first tenor sax seat will be Bloomington's own Adam Larson. GLT Arts Reporter tells us Larson likely has a bright future, and some tough choices ahead of him.

Illinois Soldiers and Sailors Children's School Remembered (mp3)
Air Date: Wed, 12 Sep 2007
Run Time: 5:48
Men and women who once lived at an orphanage in Normal don't want the place to be forgotten. WGLT's Charlie Schlenker reports on a new book called "A Place We Called Home," a History of the Illinois Soldiers and Sailors Children's school.

ISU Past Times Art Exhibit (mp3)
Air Date: Thu, 6 Sep 2007
Run Time: 3:31
While ringtones may be the standard sound of technology now, the distinctive clicking sound of the Viewmaster viewfinder harkens back to an earlier day...a time when a child in the 1950s and 60's could be transported to a different place and time through the three dimensional images presented as they peered into the plastic devices. An exhibit at Illinois State University uses the bygone technology to help bring the history of a part of campus to life. WGLT's Willis Kern reports.

ISU Marketing Dept. Dress Code (mp3)
Air Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2007
Run Time: 5:16
The traditionally disheveled student image is taking a beating in the Illinois State University Marketing department because of a new mandatory dress code that takes effect this week. As WGLT's Willis Kern reports, the new set of rules is being met with open arms by some students, while others have many questions...and legal eagles are trying try to figure out just what to make of it all.

GLT Alum Brendan Banaszak in Baghdad (mp3)
Air Date: Mon, 20 Aug 2007
Run Time: 4:50
A former GLT news staffer is back safe and sound at his home in Washinton D. C. after spending six weeks this summer in war-torn Baghdad. WGLT's Willis Kern has more with former GLT All Things Considered host Brendan Banaszak.

New Unit Five Superintendent Gary Niehaus (mp3)
Air Date: Wed, 15 Aug 2007
Run Time: 4:47
Residents living within the boundaries of McLean County's Unit Five school will probably see a referendum on the February ballot asking for more money. The funds would be for new classrooms to cope with an estimated 3-percent growth in student population. WGLT's Jim Browne talks about that, and other issues with the new Superintendent Gary Niehaus.

Youth Circus Festival (mp3)
Air Date: Fri, 10 Aug 2007
Run Time: 4:22
The old stereotype about young people running away to join the circus carries a disreputable image. Now, youth not only don't have to run anywhere, when they get to a circus program, it's wholesome. WGLT's Charlie Schlenker has more on the American Youth Circus movement which is holding a festival in Bloomington-Normal today and tomorrow.