As the nation celebrates the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, a Lincoln scholar from Bloomington-Normal is saying Abraham Lincoln relied on the Declaration all his life. Guy Fraker has written two books about Lincoln.

Support the show: https://donate.nprstations.org/wglt/wglt-choose-donation

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Illinois Shakespeare Festival [ISF] kicked off its 2026 run on June 24 with a preview of William Shakespeare’s The Two Gentlemen of Verona, where a furry friend made her theatrical debut. The festival held at Ewing Cultural Center in Bloomington will run through July 11, and headlining are two Shakespeare plays — The Two Gentlemen of Verona and Romeo and Juliet — and an American classic, Our Town.

Support the show: https://donate.nprstations.org/wglt/wglt-choose-donation

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A campaign to support art therapy on the other side of the globe returns to Bloomington this weekend. The 17th annual Music and Munch Benefit Concert at Casper Brewing Company is this Saturday afternoon at 2. In this Sound Ideas Interview, co-organizer Cathy Hyland Moon tells WGLT student reporter Zachary Knox-Doyle the event raises money to support a Therapeutic Arts Program in East Africa.

Support the show: https://donate.nprstations.org/wglt/wglt-choose-donation

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A longtime presence at the Bloomington Police Department said while Flock-branded license plate readers are a relatively new addition, the technology has been in use for decades — and for the last 14 years at BPD. Crime data analyst Jack McQueen gave a presentation Wednesday to the city's Public Safety and Community Relations Board [PSCRB], Bloomington's civilian-led body for police transparency and communication.

Support the show: https://donate.nprstations.org/wglt/wglt-choose-donation

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Peoria Riverfront Museum will represent Illinois with a pavilion on the National Mall as part of the upcoming Great American State Fair in Washington, D.C., celebrating the 250th anniversary of American independence.

Support the show: https://donate.nprstations.org/wglt/wglt-choose-donation

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In mid-January, Bloomington-Normal's first shelter village of about 50 tiny, mostly single-room living quarters opened its doors. The Bridge has largely been at capacity ever since. It made a big dent in the community's homeless population. One week later, volunteers canvassed McLean County to track the homeless population. It's called the Point-In-Time [PIT] count, an annual, national effort to see who is unhoused and try to connect them with services. The count is one of several factors that determines federal funding for homeless services.

Support the show: https://donate.nprstations.org/wglt/wglt-choose-donation

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Taylor Wells became the Twin Cities' only dermatologist with training and published research on dermatology pertaining to people of color in May, after joining Core Dermatology in Normal. Across Central Illinois as a whole, Wells said there are very few dermatologists that specialize in that department, making Wells increasingly important in a community where roughly one in 10 residents is Black.

Support the show: https://donate.nprstations.org/wglt/wglt-choose-donation

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

McLean County has unveiled two new public art pieces — but the pair of original murals are located where most in Bloomington-Normal will never go. The McLean County Juvenile Detention Center [MCJDC] commissioned Champaign artist Leslie Kimble to paint the two murals in the common areas of the facility. The project was made possible by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council.

Support the show: https://donate.nprstations.org/wglt/wglt-choose-donation

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.