217 Today: How farmers and livestock producers are using drones, another tool in the toolbox

One of Jeremiah Gebhardt’s drones flies over a field on April 12, 2024, in Salisbury, Missouri. “I'm a big fan of anything that allows the farmer to be able to do his job efficiently and be able to do his job himself, you know, without having to spend more money,” said Gebhardt.

Monday, August 5, 2024

Today’s headlines:

  • When local schools start in mid-August, some familiar faces will be missing among the teachers.
  • The Environmental Protection Agency has issued an emergency fuel waiver for four states — including Illinois — to help alleviate gasoline shortages.
  • Illinois tax revenues are off to a robust start during the first full month of the state’s fiscal year, despite upticks in inflation and unemployment.

In today’s deep dive, we’ll learn how farmers are using drones over farm fields to make their operations more efficient.

217 Today is produced by Stephanie Mosqueda. Reporting today contributed by Emily Hays, Juanpablo Ramirez-Franco, Dave McKinney and  Makayla Voris.

 

Stephanie Mosqueda

Stephanie Mosqueda is a senior majoring in journalism at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with minors in Spanish and public relations. She is the 217 Today producer and a reporter for the Illinois Student Newsroom.