Illinois

Statewide: A mother turns grief into activism

NPR Illinois | 91.9 UIS | By Sean Crawford

Published March 27, 2025 at 2:33 PM CDT

Austin Lockwood, left, was killled in a drunk driving crash in 2018. His mother, Sheila, spoke with reporter Maureen McKinney for Statewide. Also pictured are Austin's siblings' Morgan and Landon, far right

Sheila Lockwood of McHenry lost her son Austin in a 2018 car crash. The person at the wheel was drunk.

Lockwood talks with reporter Maureen McKinney about her son and her family's grief. Since the crash, she has become an Ambassador for Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

Also:

* We hear from an employee at the Veterans Administration Center in Danville, now back on the job after the Trump Administration fired thousands of federal workers.

* DePaul University is sending students into a jail to learn alongside people who are incarcerated. We go behind bars with them.

* Kristen Schorsch explains how community leaders and public health officials want to close the inequities that showed up during the pandemic.

* We talk with several people about how their lives have changed in the five years since COVID-19 appeared.

Brent Cox of Boulevard Brewery holds a handful of aronia berries, also known as chokeberries. The company recently partnered with the botanical team at Powell Gardens in Kansas City to produce a limited edition beer using the fruit, which has a long history of use throughout North America.

* Hector Alejandro Arzate reports on efforts to build a market for the aronia berry in the Midwest.

* Anna Savchenko was there when a principal appeared on a game show and shared the moment with the school.

* Erin Allen tells us about a town in the Midwest where road salt isn't used. It helps that the community bans cars.

* Will Bauer previews the new season at Fairmount Park. This will be the 100th year for the Collinsville race track.