WUIS cuts two positions

Public radio WUIS has eliminated two part-time news anchor positions as part of efforts to address "ongoing internal deficits" at the station.

In a June 25, 2008, article in the Springfield State Journal-Register, General Manager Bill Wheelhouse said the move was in no way performance-related: "I'm really trying to get our budget in check." He said the cuts will save money without affecting programs.

Download a pdf file of the article

20080625-SJR-WUISCuts.pdf

Redfield says Governor's tour of flooded areas helpful

Gov. Rod Blagojevich stepped back into the public eye to visit flooded communities along the Mississippi River recently and to take a turn filling sandbags in Pike County. Area residents greeted Blagojevich with smiles and handshakes, a change of pace for the embattled Governor.

Kent Redfield, professor emeritus of Political Science at UIS, noted that appearances such as these are reminders of Blagojevich's role as the state's leader and also help let people know that officials are aware of their problems. "You can't look bad out showing concern for disaster victims," he said.

Redfield's comments appeared in an article that ran in the June 20, 2008, Peoria Journal Star.

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20080620-PJS-FloodsBoostBlagojevich.pdf

Mooney quoted in article on Obama's ability to win in rural areas

As a new member of the Illinois Senate, Barack Obama began trying to forge connections with voters in the southern part of the state; the results were mixed. Today he is the apparent Democratic presidential candidate, and some in the party are still concerned about his ability to win over voters in largely rural and blue collar areas.

In an article that appeared in the June 15, 2008, Washington Post, UIS Professor of Political Science Chris Mooney noted that one reason Obama has had an impact in southern Illinois is his constituent service.

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20080615-WP-RuralIllandObamasElectability.pdf