217 Today: Rushville’s newly restored Wurlitzer organ is ‘such a gift from the donor’

Two men stand on opposite sides of a Wurlitzer organ
Jim Devitt (left) and Chris Trone, below stage with the Wurlitzer organ.

Thursday, May 23, 2024

Today’s headlines:

  • There have been several measures aimed at protecting workers’ rights that have come before Illinois state lawmakers this Spring.
  • The Champaign County Board may censure its own county auditor tonight.
  • Former Texas Longhorn Defensive Back Terrance Brooks joined the Illinois football team earlier this week.

In today’s deep dive, we’ll learn about a world-class musician going to a small western Illinois community to debut on a newly restored Wurlitzer pipe organ that dates back nearly a century.

217 Today is produced by Stephanie Mosqueda. Reporting today contributed by Mawa Iqbal, Mae Antar, Colin Hislope and Rich Egger.

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.