Illinois Public Media News

Two days after withdrawing his nomination to the state Board of Higher Education, Governor Bruce Rauner has appointed John Bambenek to a similar panel. The governor on Friday named the University of Illinois cybersecurity lecturer to the Illinois Community College Board. Bambanek wouldn’t comment on Rauner’s earlier decision, but says he’s grateful for the chance to serve.

The military says a 22-year-old soldier from central Illinois has been killed in Afghanistan. The Department of Defense released a statement Friday saying Sgt. Josh Rodgers of Bloomington was among two soldiers killed this week as a result of small arms fire in Nangarhar Province. Rodgers' family pastor, Paul Thomasson, tells the Pantagraph newspaper the family was notified of his death Wednesday.

When the Champaign County Historical Museum was forced to temporarily close a little over a year ago due to financial struggles, President T.J. Blakeman said that something had to be done to keep it alive. “It just hadn’t been given its one last chance. It wasn’t fair to just let it dissolve into nothing,” he said.

On the 21st: NPR's David Schaper fills us in on the latest in United Airlines' ongoing dispute with a passenger who was violently dragged off an overbooked flight. Plus, we cap off National Poetry Month with poet Tasleem Jamila, and talk with two band members of the Asian-American rock band "The Slants."

The Tony-Award winning musical will be on stage at Krannert Center's Tryon Festival Theatre through Sunday. Illinois Public Media's Brian Moline spoke with performers and professors from Lyric Theatre @ Illinois.