Karen Witter is a freelance writer for the Illinois Times and the former President of the Rotary Club. She moved to Springfield from Morton, IL, and attended Springfield High School. The Biology and Botany teachers there inspired her to get a degree in biological sciences.

The Illinois Symphony Orchestra is an institution based on inspiring audiences with live orchestral music. A season in the orchestra takes a lot of effort from its donors, members, and 75 musicians.

Last year, Chenoa Alamu, a talented violinist from the Illinois Symphony Orchestra, started a podcast called Black, White, and in Color, to speak about social issues, spirituality, and relationships. I had the opportunity to sit down and have a conversation with her about why she chooses to be vocal about what she is passionate about.

The media landscape in the Springfield area is highly competitive, and traditional media such as print and broadcast have faced major challenges in the past few years. Kevin O’Dea, General Manager at Neuhoff Media, has witnessed these changes and challenges first hand.

University of Illinois Springfield graduate Kayla Ross traveled back to central Illinois as the new 2019 Miss Black Illinois. Ross’ watched pageants since she was little and she wanted to participate.

Shawna Harris is the supervisor of St. John’s Breadline in Springfield, Illinois. Her organization provided over two hundred thousand nutritious meals each year to those who are struggling with hunger within our community. Friends, neighbors, and those facing difficult circumstances depend on St. John’s Breadline to provide a warm meal without shame or stigma. Harris also has many dreams and ideas for the Breadline. She is hoping that she can achieve all of them even if she doesn’t have the

In 1986 the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Illinois officially opened its doors as a way for family members to stay close to their children in the hospital. Program Director Katie Alsup explained how she first got involved with the charity house.

Being community-minded comes fairly easily for Bill Legge. He’s the executive director of the boys and girls club, and more recently, the owner of the local coffee shop, Grab A Java.

Earlier this month, there was a series of earthquakes that struck California, but there are also ones that tend to hit closer to home. The closest fault to us is New Madrid. Samantha Reif is a geology professor at Lincoln Land Community College.

Dr. Larry Golden is a founding member and Director of the Illinois Innocence Project at the University of Illinois Springfield, and current Professor Emeritus of Political Science and Legal Studies at UIS. Dr Golden was recently awarded the 2019 U of I Distinguished Service award for his political activism and work with the Illinois Innocence Project. His passion for political science and social activism began during his years in undergrad at the University of New Hampshire. He was involved in

Derek Leonard is the football coach for Rochester High School and has won seven state championships in eight years.

Michelle Tjelmeland founded the District 23 Boutique and the Cochlear Implant Awareness Foundation (CIAF). The Foundation helps spread awareness about hearing loss and the use of cochlear implants.

Raychel Yokem is the human resource business partner at Horace Mann. Her job includes working with the executives in making decisions to help them make their goals.

Hello, I’m Josh Gujjarlapudi for NPR Illinois Podcamp 2019. The name Staley is well-known throughout Decatur and the state of Illinois. A.E. Staley was a prominent businessman and the first owner of the Chicago bears Julie Staley, the wife of Mr. Staley's great-grandson, is the president of the Staley Museum.

Hello I’M Evan Klein for the 2019 NPR Illinois PodCamp. It’s exciting to have students from other countries on the local college campus. They add different perspectives in the classroom and bring different traditions to student life. J olene Vollmer works with international students every day as the immigration specialist.

For NPR Illinois podcamp, I’m Colin Curry. Sometimes it takes a while to find out exactly what you want to do in your life. That was the case for NPR Illinois reporter Daisy Contreras.

Hello I’m A.J. Vollmer, for NPR Illinois Podcamp. Mike Suhadolnik is a Springfield CrossFit coach who wrote the book “I Knew We Had a Cure,” and he is doing so at 75 years old. Mike inspired many people with chronic diseases to eat healthy and exercise.

For NPR Illinois podcamp I’m Max Alessia. Have you ever wanted to play around with pictures and videos for a job? Because Blake Wood does just that.

Today I am talking to Molly Hall about her first job, how she became the Executive of the Energy Education Council, or the EEC.

Hi, I’m Alexander Shapinsky from NPR Illinois Podcamp. Scott Faingold is the new Student Media Director at UIS, and the Editor in Chief of the Activator magazine in Springfield, IL.

For NPR Illinois Podcamp, I’m Gabriel Villegas and this is a story about fire safety. That’s certainly not something you want to hear on a normal day!

Hello, I am Madelyn Moore for the 2019 Illinois Podcamp. The world of journalism is constantly changing, and is extremely competitive. Even within the Springfield area, there are numerous outlets competing for people’s attention. The Illinois Times has carved out a distinct place within that landscape. I had a chance to talk with the Associate Publisher of the Illinois Times and Springfield Business Journal, James Bengfort. James got a degree in marketing which he uses in his work as publisher.

Hello, I’m Manu Mamillapalli for NPR Illinois Podcamp You might have heard of the Kidzeum in downtown Springfield, but you might not know what goes on behind the scenes of the whole operation. I had a chance to interview Leah Wilson, the Executive Director of the Kidzeum.

Hello, I’m Sandro Garcia for the 2018 NPR Illinois PodCamp. While most musicians aim to be local stars, Springfield, Illinois resident, Isaac Edwards, has other goals. He does not really want to pursue fame, but wants to teach other people.