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Commercial trucking drivers remain remains a booming industry in the U.S. Brendon Nussbaum with Nussbaum Transportation talks about the modern state of the trucking industry and what individuals interested in gaining their license to drive a big rig should know.View the transcript here.

Individuals forced to flee their homes due to war, famine, crime, or natural disaster often struggle long after they have found a new place to live. Dr. Wendy Pearlman has interviewed hundreds of Syrian refugees and shared their stories in three books and a recent lecture at Heartland Community College. Dr. Pearlman discusses the impact that displacement has on individuals and the communities that may not understand the plight of refugees. View the transcript here.

Oksana Perestoronina and her husband fled their home of Ukraine in 2022 when war came to their doorstep. Her search to start a new life led her to Heartland Community College, where she took English as a Second Language Courses. After gaining some confidence with language Oksana took the next steps toward a new career: nursing. View the transcript here.

Getting kids interested in biology can start from the inside out. Instructor Jacinda Shoot discusses the STEM Anatomy Workshops that bring middle and high school kids into a Heartland Community College lab. Jacinda also talks about an interesting hobby that requires some heavy lifting. View the transcript here.

The impact of a tornado can extend far beyond the damage done to persons and property. In his documentary "A Brief History of Chasing Storms," filmmaker Curtis Miller travels to towns defined by tornadoes in one form or another. The film will kick off the Heartland Hawk Film Festival on May 6, 2026 at the Normal Theater. View the transcript here.

Clinical services for substance abuse and mental health disorders are an important part of every community healthcare system. Yet, even in a clinical environment, individuals might struggle to engage in recovery. Clinical psychologist Charles Drebing, PhD, discusses the value that Peer Support Specialists -- individuals with lived experience in mental health or substance use recovery who are trained to support others–– bring to the health care system. View the transcript here.

Was 3-year-old Christina McNeil killed by her own father or, instead, by a suspect who later would be convicted of another murder? Barton McNeil is serving a 100-year sentence for the killing of his daughter. He has long claimed that the murder was committed by an estranged girlfriend, Misook Nowlin, who would later be convicted of killing her mother-in-law. With the help of the Illinois Innocence Project, McNeil has sought to have new evidence introduced for an appeal.  That evidence, and the details of this 1998 case, are the subject of the panel “Beyond the Verdict,” held at Heartland Community College on March 19, 2026.View the transcript here.

Resources for individuals who are leaving prison are available but many incarcerated people have no idea what is really waiting for them on the other side. Support for formerly incarcerated people extends beyond just navigating the rules of release but also includes a change of mindset, according to Toy Beasley, with the Illinois Coalition to End Permanent Punishments. View the transcript here.

Whitney Rapp is Director of the Electric Vehicle Career Pathway Program at Heartland Community College.One of the projects Whitney works on is to promote the Certified Manufacturing Associate Pre-Apprenticeship Training Program. This program consists of students completing modules that are set to be completed throughout a 5-week time span. During this time, students learn the basic skills needed to be able to work in the manufacturing field. The program also prepares students for a career at Rivian Automotive and other manufacturers. View the transcript here.

Jamie Snow is in prison, convicted in 2001 for the 1991 shooting of a gas station attendant, William Little, in Bloomington, IL.For the last several years, a diverse group of people who learned the details of Snow’s case and found troubling elements in his trial have been advocating for his release.In this episode, Snow’s daughter and a former juror on the trial of a co-defendant are joined by an advocate who has devoted years of her life to freeing Snow.They discuss the irregularities they uncovered in the investigation and prosecution of Jamie Snow and the personal impact the case has had on their lives.View the transcript here.

In an age with long-form videogaming, the appeal of Dungeons & Dragons might not seem apparent to some.  But unleashing creativity and storytelling with a little teamwork and a handful of dice takes players to places not found on video screens.An instructor who introduces prospective game players to the role-playing game talks about what drew her to D&D and explains what is needed to get started creating adventures from nearly nothing.View the episode transcript here.

What does the story of Medusa have to do with the Me Too movement?  How does the Hercules depicted by Disney differ from the hero celebrated in 900 BCE?Heartland Community College Outstanding Faculty of the Year Tom McCulley is teaching Greek Mythology not only to college students but also to adult learners and middle school kids.  He says that the stories of ancient Greece resonate in surprising ways to a modern audience.View the episode transcript here.

Dual Credit programs, such as the College NOW program at Heartland Community College, offer not only an early opportunity for students in high school to gain college credits, but they also offer a pathway for students to transform their lives.Three high-achieving students who were selected in the COUNTRY Financial Scholars program discuss how access to early college set them up for success.View the episode transcript here.

Ronnie Carrasquillo spent nearly half a century in prison.  Sentenced in 1977, Carrasquillo first sought parole in 1984 and went before the board over 30 times before finally gaining release in October of 2023. Carrasquillo talks about his initial sentence of 200-600 years, growing up in prison, and his multiple appearances before the parole board.View the episode transcript here.

In May 29, 1856, Abraham Lincoln gave the keynote address at a political convention in Bloomington, IL.  His remarks were called, by his law partner William Herndon, “the grand effort of Lincoln’s Life.”  Today, no written copy of this speech exists.  And some differ on what it was Lincoln said.Historian Bill Kemp discusses the "lost speech" and offers up some theories as to how it got that way.View the transcript here.