The 217 Today Podcast

Keep up with news in Central Illinois every weekday with 217 Today. Hear the day's headlines, along with one deeper dive, in just ten minutes. Learn about the people and places that make Central Illinois unique with 217 Today.

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Gov. JB Pritzker looks on Thursday as Heartland Community College/Rivian instructor Tony Foos disassembles part of an electric vehicle at the college's temporary program headquarters in Bloomington. — Charlie Schlenker/WGLT

October 22, 2021

217 Today: Friday, Oct. 22, 2021

In today's deep dive, we'll see how close Illinois is to getting 1 million new electic vehicles on the road.

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Project Swaddle paramedic Darren Forman sets five-week-old Wilder on a scale to monitor his growth. — Carter Barrett/Side Effects Public Media

October 21, 2021

217 Today: Thursday, Oct. 21, 2021

In today's deep dive, we’ll learn how one Midwest town is redefining emergency medical services.

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Former Motorola manufacturing and distribution facility in Harvard, Illinois. — Harvard Economic Development Corporation

October 20, 2021

217 Today: Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2021

In today's deep dive, we'll find out how one Ukranian oligarch was hiding their resources right here in Illinois.

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More than ten thousand workers at Illinois-based John Deere have been on strike since Thursday, Oct. 14. — David Condos/Harvest Public Media

October 19, 2021

217 Today: Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2021

In today's deep dive, we'll hear more about the John Deere strike involving more than 10,000 Illinois employees.

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Chestnuts at the Missouri Chestnut Roast Festival on Oct. 2. Chestnut farming is a growth opportunity for Midwest agriculture. — Jonathan Ahl/Harvest Public Media

October 18, 2021

217 Today: Monday, Oct. 18, 2021

In today's deep dive, we'll find out why more Midwest farmers are turning their cornfields into chestnut trees.

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Staff work at a recovery unit at UnityPoint's Methodist hospital in Des Moines. The unit receives many COVID-19 patients recovering from the virus. — Natalie Krebs/Side Effects Public Media

October 15, 2021

217 Today: Friday, Oct. 15, 2021

In today's deep dive, we’ll get an inside look at how the Delta variant of COVID-19 has made hospitalized patients younger and sicker.

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This Jelani Day portrait was returned for temporary display Monday Oct. 4., within a window at 104 Beaufort St. It's expected to be placed at ISU. It had previously been displayed and then removed from the outside of a publicly owned building in Normal. — Jake Fogal/WGLT

October 14, 2021

217 Today: Thursday, Oct. 14, 2021

In today's deep dive, we'll hear an Illinois State University criminal justice expert's thoughts about the Jelani Day investigation.

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An ISU cybersecurity expert says security breaches often happen when one individual user or computer gets hacked, suggesting a security system is only as strong as its weakest link. — Jenny Kane/AP

October 13, 2021

217 Today: Wednesday, Oct. 13, 2021

In today's deep dive, we'll hear from a cybersecurity expert who says COVID-19 has made our workplaces less safe-- from online threats.

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The Cameron Owen Farm School is part of Marnie Simons Elementary School in Hamburg, Iowa. — Marnie Simons Elementary School/Facebook

October 12, 2021

217 Today: Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2021

In today's deep dive, we'll visit a Midwest elementary school that lets students take care of chickens, pigs, sheep and goats-- which pays off in the classroom.

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