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Story category: community life
Unit 4's "Great Schools, Together" project
Story air date: Friday, September 05, 2008
Two years after voters in the Champaign School District rejected a tax referendum, the district is releasing the final draft of a new long-range strategic plan. A committee of community members has spent the past year working on the plan, which is meant to reflect the public’s concerns about education in the Unit 4 district. AM 580’s Jim Meadows reports.
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- WILL’s video library of community voices talking about Champaign schools, taped at the Vision Committee’s public forums
- Unit 4's Vision Committee website, which includes a full copy of the plan
Story categories:
community life • education • Champaign Unit 4New Energy Worries, New Vehicles
Story air date: Monday, August 04, 2008
In small towns across the country, many people have decided that a cheaper way to get around is to leave the car in the garage and pile into the golf cart. Golf carts and other small slow-speed vehicles are becoming more appealing to people living in areas where traffic is low, but gas prices are high. In Illinois, several small towns are allowing golf carts on their streets --- while others are holding back. AM 580’s Jim Meadows reports.
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Story categories:
business • community life • economy • energy • government • lifestyle • urban planningA Pivotal Former Mayor Leaves Rantoul
Story air date: Friday, July 11, 2008
It’s been 20 years since the federal government announced that Chanute Air Force Base would be closing its doors. That cost over a thousand jobs and decimated Rantoul’s population, but the effort to redevelop the land has produced a number of success stories. Katy Podagrosi served as Rantoul’s mayor through much of that time. This week, the village’s leader for more than 12 years -- and resident for nearly 50 -- is leaving the community. She spoke with AM 580’s Jeff Bossert (click below for the full interview)
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Story categories:
community life • government • people • politicsA Small Hospital Rebuilds -- but Builds Small
Story air date: Thursday, June 19, 2008
One of Illinois’ smallest hospitals wants to expand and offer new services over the next few years. But the chief executive officer of John and Mary Kirby Hospital in Monticello says to do that, they’ll need a brand new hospital at a brand new location. AM 580’s Tom Rogers talked to him.
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Story categories:
business • community life • health careImproving Dental Access -- Where Are We?
Story air date: Wednesday, May 14, 2008
In 2004, AM 580 won a national award for its Smile Healthy Project, a collaboration of community partners focused on improving access to dentists for low income residents in Champaign County. What’s happened since then? Reporter Lynn Crandall created several stories for the Smile Healthy project – she takes a look at dental access in the county today.
