Charlie Schlenker
Senior ReporterWGLT Senior Reporter Charlie Schlenker grew up in Rock Island, Illinois, and graduated from Augustana College. He has spent more than four decades in radio and has won numerous state and national awards for journalism. He lives in Normal with his family.
Contact Charlie at ceschle@ilstu.edu.
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This time could be different on immigration. That's the hope Democratic Congressman Eric Sorensen has for a trip to the Arizona border.
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The fire happened under a section of conveyor that moves vehicle chassis down Rivian's assembly line on the western side of the building, said the Normal Fire Department.
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The Bloomington-Normal labor market saw the second highest unemployment rate increase in the state in March. The increase was more than half a point. The 4.2% jobless rate is still the lowest among major Illinois metro areas.
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Chestnut Health Systems is changing its top leader. Chief Operating Officer Puneet Leekha will become CEO next year. Current CEO Dave Sharar will transition to do more research with the Lighthouse Institute wing of Chestnut.
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Mayor Mboka Mwilambwe has been informally telling friends and people who have asked him that he will seek a second, four-year term for a couple months. It's now official.
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The Bloomington-Normal Water Reclamation District board has given a plastics recycler until the end of the month to submit documents the district has been requesting for about two years.
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The Bloomington Normal Water Reclamation District board will consider the unusual step of revoking the wastewater discharge permit of Akshar Plastics, a subsidiary of Bell International LLC.
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Baseball is happening and all is right with the world. Today, though, let's hear about another bat and ball game — softball. It was big in Central Illinois for many decades with lots of semi-pro teams and even industrial leagues for men and women. it also offered an outlet for young women before they had opportunities to play other organized sports.
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This year was already a rare one in central Illinois for a solar eclipse. The next happening is even rarer — two broods of cicadas will emerge from the ground this year at the same time.
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One of the red pandas at the Miller Park Zoo in Bloomington has died. The zoo had two red pandas, a male and female both born at the zoo. The male, named Burma, died overnight Sunday, after an illness.