217 Today: There’s a new Piano Man in town

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Andrew Simek puts his unique style on singing and playing as the new Piano Man.
  • Photo: Kimberly Schofield / IPM News

Thursday, January 16, 2025

Today’s headlines:

  • Today is the first day of early voting for the February Municipal Primary elections in Illinois.
  • Donald Trump’s nominee for US Attorney General says the Justice Department went after the president-elect.
  • Decatur’s new Ellsworth Dansby Junior Magnet school is gearing up to open this fall. 
  • A new measure in the Indiana statehouse would explore letting secession-minded Illinois counties join the Hoosier State.

In today’s deep dive, we’ll listen to Andrew Simek discuss his take on his new position and music’s role in his life.

217 Today is produced by Stephanie Mosqueda. Reporting today contributed by Arjun Thakkar, Sagar Meghani, Anulika Ochuba, Alex Degman and Kimberly Schofield.

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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.