Segments - FIRST LIGHT

College of DuPage Psychology professor Kenneth Grey Back in January, when it was cold and the daylight hours were shorter, you may have fantasized about not having to leave your home for work every morning. Now as the ‘Stay at Home’ order forces that fantasy to become a reality; and you may find yourself longing for days in the office. Many people have found working from home creates unforeseen struggles. First Light host Brian O’Keefe spoke this week with College of Dupage Psychology professor Kenneth Grey…he’s developed some suggestions for how to deal with those challenges

This week in our look at stories from around the state, we have this story from central Illinois, the cross roads of America. Truck drivers practice social distancing all the time. They drive alone. They often sleep in their cabs. You might think the pandemic requiring isolation would be business as usual; but drivers still have to eat, shower, and use the bathroom. Illinois Public Radio’s Jon Norton has the story of how the industry that keeps food on the shelves of local grocery stores are coping with the shutdown

As the state begins the second full week of Governor JB Pritzker’s ‘stay at home’ order, people may be feeling increased stress and anxiety. Geri Kerger is the Executive Director of NAMI-Dupage, the local chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. The agency has transitioned its services to phone consultations for people in crisis; but Kerger says NAMI-DuPage has kept its drop-in location ‘The Living Room’ open. She expects there will be an increased need for mental health services in the days and weeks to come. NAMI DuPage’s ‘Living Room’ is one of the services provided at the Community Health Center at the DuPage County Government complex

An expanding galaxy observed with the Hubble Space Telescope (photo courtesy of NASA.gov) Each month at First Light, College of DuPage Astronomy professor Joe DalSanto joins First Light host Brian O’Keefe for a discuss of space news, exploration, and discovery. They also take some time to let backyard astronomers know what there is to see in the night sky in the coming weeks. This month Joe and Brian started their conversation with a look at the 30-year life of the Hubble Space telescope The Hubble Space Telescope celebrates 30 years of service this year

DuPage Forest Preserve District naturalist Stephanie Touzalin With spring comes an increasing number of people-animal interactions, in particular, baby animal interactions. That fact also means it’s a busier than normal time at the DuPage Forest Preserve’s Willowbrook Wildlife Center and its animal hospital. I stopped by the wildlife center last spring to talk with naturalist Stephanie Touzalin

This week…in our look at stories from around the state, hospitals and clinics are limiting elective or non-emergency procedures. The goal is to conserve medical equipment and reduce the number of people in hospitals as the state prepares for a surge of patients with COVID-19. The limitations hit the state’s small rural hospitals particularly hard. Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network Executive Director Pat Schou talked with Illinois Public Radio’s Mary Hansen. Schou says the limits are a challenge for rural hospitals

Illinois Public Radio’s Lee Gaines has a story on how education is happening around the state. When Governor Pritzker closed schools, he gave districts schools the power to decide how to teach students online; but student resources at home vary widely. And that has teachers doing what they can to meet student needs

DuPage PADS Executive Director Carol Simler The homeless are one of the most vulnerable populations during the COVID-19 outbreak. Historically, DuPage Public Action to Deliver Shelter has provided night shelters at churches and temples across the county; that changed last weekend. DuPage PADS executive Director Carol Simler says the response to the pandemic, the agency had to make a difficult choice. First Light host Brian O’Keefe spoke with Simler about the decision and what DuPage PADS is doing now

Whiskey Acres Co-owner Nick Nagele holds one of the first bottles of hand sanitizer the Dekalb distillery produced and bottled Dekalb’s Whiskey Acres has won awards for its bourbon, vodka, and rye…but it’s putting the operation on hold as part of the response to the COVID-19 outbreak. Owner Jamie Walter says the federal government gave Whiskey Acres permission to use its equipment and expertise to help meet an immediate need across the region. First Light host Brian O’Keefe spoke with Jamie about what Whiskey Acres is doing to help The Whiskey Acres team, masked up and keeping their distance while bottling an early batch of hand sanitizer

As Illinois enters the second full week of Governor Pritzker’s ‘remain at home’ order people are increasingly looking for things the CAN do outside. John Cebula says one solution to cabin fever could be as close as your backyard. John operates the field-trip program for the DuPage Birding Club. While the club has cancelled all of its usual spring migration field trips, John created a virtual field trip on the group’s Facebook page. First Light host Brian O’Keefe talked with John this week about birding as a break from ‘remain at home’

This week in our look at stories from around the state, this story from Champaign. Emergency physicians are on the front lines, caring for patients who are hospitalized for COVID-19. That means they’re at greater risk of being exposed to the coronavirus. To learn more about what it’s like to be an E-R doctor in Illinois right now, IPR’s Christine Herman spoke with Dr. Ernest Wang. He’s president of the Illinois College of Emergency Physicians

When schools closed many young people lost a consistent source of healthy meals. Then thousands of people lost their income when Governor JB Pritzker closed bars and restaurants across the state. Those two factors, plus countless others have many families wondering where their next meal will come from and how they’ll pay for it. First Light host Brain O’Keefe talked Julie Yurko, she’s President and CEO of the Northern Illinois Food Bank. Yurko expects the COVID-19 outbreak is already affecting food insecurity across the region

While we’re all spending more time indoors these days, First Light host Brian O’Keefe wanted to revisit one of his favorite stories from last summer when thousands of people lined the train tracks across the region to catch a glimpse of a gigantic locomotive as it rumbled through. The Union Pacific Railroad says more than 45-thousand people visited the rail yard in West Chicago to see the Big Boy. It was a special experience

Blues before Sunrise host and author Steve Cushing Every week at midnight, as Saturday becomes Sunday Steve Cushing takes the air here at listener supported 90.9 FM WDCB and wdcb-dot-org. For the second time, Steve’s released a book of material culled from more than 40 years of his show “Blues Before Sunrise.” ‘Blues Before Sunrise-2’ is a compilation of interviews and stories that have been part of the radio show

More than 100 years ago a global pandemic interrupted daily routines.  Illinois Public Radio’s Sean Crawford  looks back more to what was referred to as “Spanish Flu.” He spoke with reporter Tara McClellan McAndrew about that pandemic, its history, and what we can learn from it During the 1918-19 pandemic more soldiers died from flu and pneumonia than combat.NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINISTRATION