WGLT-FM: Assorted stories from WGLT-FM : NPR

Mark Wicklund is a disabled steelworker who now is the President of the Board of Directors for the Macon County Opportunities Corporation which has a head start program and a very large senior nutrition program serving 36,000 meals per year at eight rural locations. He's spent nearly all his life in Decatur.

Sometimes the President's daily intelligence brief gets it spectacularly wrong. What about the 1973 Egyptian attack on Israel? The author of the President's Book of Secrets says case officers in the CIA kick themselves about that to this day. But, analysts got it right in predicting the fall of communism and the coup against Mikhail Gorbachev. An interview with Illinois Wesleyan University graduate David Priess. Plus, one of the teachers who has become a national leader in opposition to

Autumn offers many pleasures, from crisp weather to colorful leaves. But one favorite thing about fall that Patrick Murphy can't get enough of is fall fruits. There's plenty to enjoy, and now is a wonderful time to get planting.

Country-folk rocker James McMurtry attributes his penchant for writing about many different kinds of rural characters to growing up in rural northern Virginia, and to relatives in rural Texas. And he said he often writes about the dark side of those characters because he gets tired of what he called "the glossing over of real life." "I get sick of hearing 'what have they done with old home place' over and over again. Cause I know what they did with the old home place" said McMurtry. "Grandpa got

A high school history teacher in Seattle who led a successful revolt against standardized testing under Common Core initiatives says the education system perpetuates racism. Jesse Hagopian speaks at ISU Friday night, September 30. He says studies show standardized tests themselves fail miserably.

A music focused Sound Ideas, starting with the culturally unifying dance forms of Bollywood. Laura Kennedy talks with the members of Exit 167. John Norton continues in an interview with Country Folk rocker James McMurtry talking about his evolution to songs that have a political component. And there's a a brand new singer-songwriter series at Duncan Manor in Towanda introduced by Mike McCurdy. Sound Ideas brings you a heads up ahead of this weekend's musical appearances in Bloomington Normal.

The organizers of a traditional Indian dance festival in the Twin Cities are throwing the doors to the event open wide in order to make this an event for the whole community. What's more, they're putting a Bollywood spin on the traditional Indian festival dance forms known as Dandiya and Garba.

Musicians and music fans will join together to support a local landmark with a new music series beginning October 1. The Duncan Manor Songwriter Series will support restoration of the Italianate-style mansion near Towanda.

The Democratic Candidate for Congress in the 13th district is suspicious of some trade deals including the Trans Pacific Partnership. It reflects his Decatur roots and concern about manufacturing. Meet Mark Wicklund. Charlie Schelnker has the interview. Willis Kern has some latest economic numbers. This quarter's B-N By the Numbers event focuses on housing trends. And during and during an edition of animal house, discover your pet is what it eats. Laura Kennedy helps explain why quality pet food

A national health promotion advocate says his job really boils down to basic concept selling. Michael O'Donnell gives a keynote health lecture at ISU, but not before he talks about his work with GLT's Jon Norton. Get post debate analysis from ISU Politics and Government Professors Erik Rankin and Tom McClure. We’ll find out how they scored the debate, and talk about income taxes, stop and frisk, and more issues brought up during the debate. And Mayor Tari Renner is live in the studio, ready for

All of the three major economic factors considered for the quarterly event "BN By the Numbers" show positive signs of improvement. GLT's Willis Kern finds out more in this interview with Mike Doherty, Senior Economist with the Bloomington-based Illinois Farm Bureau. Doherty gives the presentation at Thursday's quarterly event, which will be held during the noon hour Thursday September 29 at ISU's Bone Student Center. The featured speaker is central Illinois' own Ed Brady, who is president of the

Today's programming is made possible in part by GLT Day Sponsors Martha and Stan Geison on the day of their wedding anniversary. Martha and Stan congratulate WGLT on 50 years of excellent service to central Illinois. Congratulations GLT!

We've gone far beyond just ordinary kibble when we feed our pets. There's ample options out there, but could there be danger lurking within the list of ingredients? Laura Kennedy has more in this edition of Animal House.

Domestic violence isn't just physical, mental or emotional abuse. It can be financial. In advance of Domestic violence month, you'll hear from representatives of two groups--Countering Domestic Violence and Mid Central Community Action. Learn about mandalas…and how adults are coloring mandalas and using adult coloring books as a form of meditation. Judy Valente has that report. And Laura Kennedy previews the Illinois State University theater and dance season, which is looking globally to educate