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Statewide: Impact Of A Factory Closure 15 Years On; Illinois' Population Loss And Local Responses

On this episode of Statewide, we hear how one Illinois town has fared since a major employer left.  Galesburg lost more than 1500 jobs in 2004 when a Maytag plant closed.  

We learn about a service broadcasting sports events specifically for the blind.

And the number of people leaving the state has local governments working to find ways to reverse the trend.   That and more on Statewide.

This week's lineup:

* Herb Trix of WVIK talks with a college class investigating what happened to a town and workers after the closure of a major factory.

* WCBU's Tim Shelley visits with Justin Baker of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital about helping families through grief after losing a child. 

* We revisit a story from Madelyn Beck about a program for farmers to help migrating birds.

* Michelle O'Neill of WVIK gives us an update on the number of bald eagles spending time this winter along the Mississippi River near the Quad Cities.

* Peter Medlin of WNIJ looks at how the city of Rockford is leveraging its strengths to get more people, including college students, to stay in Illinois.  

* Jenna Dooley of WNIJ delves more into demographic trends and population losses putting pressure on Illinois policy makers to revitalize local economies.

* Rich Egger of TriStates Public Radio talks with the author of a book on films involving journalists.

* St. Louis Public Radio's Jeremy Goodwin brings us the story of an organization that is designed to help blind sports fans better enjoy the action.

* Brian O'Keefe of WCBU introduces us to the founder of Crosses for Losses.

Listen to Statewide across Illinois in:

  • Bloomington/Normal – WGLT 89.1 (Fridays 11 a.m. - Noon, Sundays 6-7 a.m.)
  • Carbondale – WSIU 91.9 (Fridays 2-3 p.m. and Sundays 6-7 a.m.)
  • Mount Vernon - WVSI 88.9 (Fridays 2-3 p.m. and Sundays 6-7 a.m.)
  • Olney - WUSI 90.3 (Fridays 2-3 p.m. and Sundays 6-7 a.m.)
  • Rockford/DeKalb – WNIJ 89.5 (Saturdays 6-7 a.m., Sundays 6-7 p.m.)
  • Springfield/Decatur - WUIS 91.9 (Fridays 11 a.m. - Noon, 11 p.m. - Midnight, Saturdays 9-10 a.m.)
  • Peoria – WCBU 89.9 (Fridays 6-7 p.m., Sundays 6-7 a.m.)
  • Pittsfield - WIPA 89.3 (Fridays 11 a.m. - Noon, 11 p.m. - Midnight, Saturdays 9-10 a.m.)
  • Urbana/Champaign – WILL 580 (Fridays 11 a.m. - Noon, 7-8 p.m.)

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