217 Today: Focus 580, WILL-AM’s long-running local call-in show, connected station to community

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Thursday, April 7, 2022

Today’s headlines:

  • Illinois House Democrats are out with their budget proposal for the next fiscal year. It suggests putting more toward tax breaks and public safety than the governor wanted –nearly $1.4 billion instead of $1 billion.
  • Illinois’ Prisoner Review Board is operating with only six of its 15 seats filled.
  • The Champaign County Audubon Society has started taking local residents out into nature to bird-watch.

In today’s deep dive, we’ll look back at a longtime staple in the WILL-AM lineup … the Focus 580 talk show — for WILL’s 100th anniversary. 

217 Today is produced by Farrah Anderson. Reporting today contributed by Alex Degman, Emily Hays, Eva Bein and Jim Meadows.

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Farrah Anderson

Farrah Anderson is a 2024 graduate of the University of Illinois. At Illinois Public Media, Anderson works as a general assignment reporter focusing on police and investigative stories.