A twisty thin ribbon of rural ground connecting cities is what a lot of the Illinois Congressional districts look like in the Democratic draft map released today. Republicans are howling. Political scientists say it not very good for democracy. The Mayor of Normal wants a second census count next year because he's not sure the current one is right. Rocker Bob Mould draws parallels to the 1980s Aids crisis and the early years of the Trump administration on his latest album. And hear from the new diversity and inclusion director at Unit 5 schools.

Sound Ideas - Full Episodes

WGLT's Sound Ideas - Friday 10/15/21

You can see the effects of the nationwide workforce shortage in the operations of Unit 5 schools. Bus drivers, cafeteria workers, subs, and custodians, even food itself can be scarce. Plus, the head of the Bloomington Normal Economic Development Council says the economic recovery is slowing. A blues band coming to Bloomington has a new album honoring legend Hound Dog Taylor, but it's more than a tribute and covers. Listen to the music of Boston based GA-20. And the Coalescence Theater Project showcases Black Lives, Black Words, five plays from Black writers.

WGLT's Sound Ideas - Thursday 10/14/21

A $75 million expansion at a candy plant in southwest Bloomington will create 50 new jobs. The Ferrero facility will make chocolate for various products, including Butterfinger, 100-Grand, Crunch and Raisinets. There's more on that very sweet prospect. A criminal justice sciences expert says the Lasalle County Sheriff's Department is guilty of bad PR in the Jelani Day case. Ralph Weisheit says even news releases that don't say much are better than nothing. He says the public also is to blame for having unreasonable expectations on the speed of lab tests. And OSF Saint Joseph Medical Center's new nine million dollar cancer center is done and operating.

WGLT's Sound Ideas - Wednesday 10/13/21

A Normal Town Council member says she would like to use some of the town's share of federal pandemic relief money to lower fares for people with disabilities who use Connect Transit. And Karyn Smith says relief for those behind on water and sewer payments might also make her priority list. A Bloomington Normal cybersecurity expert says the pandemic and social upheaval has made people more vulnerable to attempts to compromise their computers because it puts noise in the system and people respond to phishing attempts without thinking. He says cybercriminals also often target people who work from home. Plus, a central Illinois author answers the question What's in a NICK-name. A college mascot nickname.

WGLT's Sound Ideas - Tuesday 10/12/21

David Lane studies tattoos. And the ISU professor has a new book on how this apprentice-based art form builds consistency and tradition in its practices. The very popular industry has some interesting quirks. Hear about the sociology of tattooists and their values. Bloomington and Normal Police Departments have significant vacancies in the ranks and its not just them. It's a state and national issue. Normal PD has 11 vacancies. Last year there were three. Many Americans have no knowledge of the richness and variety of the many Latino cultures. It's Latin X and Hispanic Heritage Month.

WGLT's Sound Ideas - Monday 10/11/21

WGLT begins a new series about life work balance. 'Life's Work' today is about the restaurant industry, a business in which balance is a little like being on a tight rope. A call comes in central Illinois for retired attorneys and judges to help those who need it pro bono. The Chief Medical Officer at Carle BoMenn says doctors get really frustrated at blind rejection of the Coronavirus vaccine. COVID patients in Bloomington Normal are getting younger and sicker. And the brothers Grimm infuse an event in Bloomington with darkness as well as light.

WGLT's Sound Ideas - Friday 10/8/21

Bloomington Mayor Mboka Mwilambwe has a pick to fill a vacant council seat. He has a majority of council members in favor. But that's apparently not enough to move forward. The clock is ticking though and Ward six still doesn't have a voice on the council. Some of the people facing eviction hearings in Bloomington Normal say they hope landlords will work with them, but they're sheepish about it, acknowledging they put the landlords through the wringer. The Illinois eviction moratorium has expired and a diversion program isn't supposed to save everyone. The City of Bloomington is soon to open applications for a flood repair grant or loan program. And the West Bloomington Revitalization Project is gearing up to give the gift of a good night's sleep to a bunch of kids with the annual Bed Blitz.

WGLT's Sound Ideas - Thursday 10/7/21

A top advisor to then president Barack Obama is in Bloomington Normal. David Axelrod says President Biden faces a challenge on immigration and thinks in spite of Pandemic fatigue among voters, Governor JB Pritzker will do okay in the next election cycle. Other Democrats? Well, that's tougher. The singer songwriter group Stone and Snow can't always write about things in the moment. It takes a while for Karen Bridges and Clint Thomson to work through things. Their album is 'We Were Made For These Times.' And the President of the University of Illinois system celebrates a partnership with Illinois State University and the chance to work on the state goal of becoming a hub for EV technology.

WGLT's Sound Ideas - Wednesday 10/6/21

Wish fulfillment can be a very rewarding thing. Hear from a Bloomington Normal man who makes dreams come true. And there's a move to reconsider statewide economic development incentives used to bring Rivian to Normal and other businesses to Illinois, the EDGE tax credits. The University of Illinois saw enrollment growth this fall in most categories, but not minorities. U of I Urbana Chancellor Robert Jones says it wasn't like they didn't try. They offered admission to a historic high number of minority students. And it's pumpkin time in central Illinois.

WGLT's Sound Ideas - Tuesday 10/5/21

On today’s episode, you’ll hear analysis of Rivian’s latest SEC a filing for its initial public offering. Eric Stock checks in with the director of the Miller Park Zoo. Plus, an interview with state Sen. Jason Barickman.

WGLT's Sound Ideas - Monday 10/4/21

On today's episode, a cancer doctor in Normal shares some encouraging news about radiation therapy in a new installment of Sound Health. Plus, an aspiring rapper from Bloomington-Normal shares his story after his release from prison. And a preview of the 2022 season of the Illinois Shakespeare Festival.

WGLT's Sound Ideas - Friday 10/1/21

Find out what the Sonoran desert toad has to do with an ambient musician from Bloomington Normal. It's Bufo Alvarius from Stephen Holliger and his group Swim Ignorant Fire. And hear a preview of the upcoming Sugar Creek Arts Festival. The Salvation Army Homeless Shelter in Bloomington is getting ready for the winter season and this year that may include people evicted from homes and apartments. Oh, there's a staff shortage at the shelter too. And some people in Bloomington Normal get out of prison, but still feel like their looking at the rest of the community from behind bars, unable to participate. The Fully Free movement tries to remove barriers to re-entry.

WGLT's Sound Ideas - Thursday 9/30/21

Workplace culture grows over time. But it's a real challenge to create such an environment when everyone is new, leaders and rank and file alike. The task for Rivian, which looms larger because of Rivian's lofty ambitions. Plus, the NAACP weighs in on Jelani Day. The City of Bloomington has a new detailed roadmap for historic preservation. Hear how keeping iconic structures fresh contributes to economic development. And Normal Town council member Chemberly Cummings wants more young people to get involved in local government. Hear about Normal's new Youth On A Mission Council.

WGLT's Sound Ideas - Wednesday 9/29/21

Go inside the Rivian plant, where HOW they're building vehicles is just as interesting as what they're building. Rivian's manufacturing chief Erik Fields says it's like Google and Toyota had a baby. Hear how Rivian is balancing three vehicles, thousands of employees, and millions of battery cells. Plus, WGLT's Ryan Denham takes a test drive of the new R1T pickup truck. There's a strategy to reduce nitrate and phosphorous runoff into Illinois rivers that helps poison the Gulf of Mexico. The plan is going the wrong way based on the latest report. Yet there is hope for change in the ag community. And what's up with all the rain?

WGLT's Sound Ideas - Tuesday 9/28/21

A state lawmaker is concerned about the future of local journalism in Illinois. And the big flood in June prompted increased demand for replacement furniture from a Bloomington charity. Bloomington Normal is the only metro area in the state to have fewer people employed than at this time last year, in spite of a low unemployment rate. If not for manufacturing sector hiring at Rivian the labor force numbers in McLean County wouldn't look too hot. And in the next episode of McHistory hear reminiscences of huge prairie fires in the 1830s and 40s.

WGLT's Sound Ideas - Monday 9/27/21

Full episodes of GLT's radio newsmagazine covering central Illinois. Sound Ideas airs weekdays at noon and 6 p.m.