Galesburg In Focus

WGIL
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Conversations originally heard during Galesburg In Focus, which airs Saturday mornings 8-9 a.m. on 93.7 FM and 1400 AM, WGIL. The interview program includes guests who talk about local topics like sports, not-for profit groups and organizations, businesses, local history, community events and more. It's an audio snapshot of our community.

  1. 2d ago

    Beth Looney, OSF Healthcare — talking suicide prevention, warning signs and local help

    Fifteen years ago, Beth Looney lost her husband to suicide. Today, she works as a behavioral health navigator for OSF Healthcare, helping connect people across the region to mental health care — and she says the most powerful tool anyone has isn't a medical degree, it's a willingness to ask the hard question and listen. Looney joined Galesburg In Focus host Chris Postin for Suicide Prevention Month, sharing warning signs to watch for, how to start a conversation with someone you're worried about, and where to turn locally for help. "We don't have to solve this," Looney said. "We have to be supportive." They talked about: Why Looney became a behavioral health navigator, and what the role actually does Common warning signs, from withdrawal to sudden shifts in mood or behavior Why asking someone directly about suicide can be a relief, not a risk The difference between self-harm and suicidal thoughts Local resources, including OSF's virtual behavioral health services and free community training   🎧 Subscribe to Galesburg In Focus: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

  2. Sep 14

    Knox County Health Department, Food Safety Month — the myths that make you sick

    Rinsing raw chicken under the tap feels like the responsible thing to do. It's also one of the most common food safety mistakes people make, according to the Knox County Health Department — the running water just splashes bacteria across the sink and nearby counters instead of washing it away. Will Hayes, assistant public health administrator, and Sarah Willett, environmental health supervisor, joined Chris Postin on Galesburg In Focus on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, to mark September's Food Safety Month and walk through the habits — at home and in restaurants — that actually cause illness. They talked about: The "Big Four" — clean, separate, cook, chill — and the exact temperatures that matter Why even free food giveaways technically require a health department license New permit fees and a multi-event license coming for food trucks in 2027 How restaurant inspections actually work, and why Knox County never used letter grades Five common food safety myths, debunked one by one   Related story: Knox County Health Department: most foodborne illness happens at home, not restaurants 🎧 Subscribe to Galesburg In Focus: Apple podcasts.apple.com | Spotify open.spotify.com

  3. Sep 12

    'I would much rather be uncomfortable and have my brother still here today'

    "I would much rather be uncomfortable and have my brother still here today," Corey Harvey said. The Knox College men's basketball coach lost his brother to suicide three years ago, and he joined Sully Sullivan, a member of the Out of the Darkness West Central Illinois walk committee, on Galesburg In Focus with Chris Postin to talk about the conversations that could have made a difference. The interview aired Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, ahead of the walk, which brought the Galesburg community together at Lake Storey Park for suicide prevention and awareness. They talked about: How Sullivan's daughter's hospitalization led him to join the walk committee The warning signs Sullivan says are easy to miss — and hard to act on Why suicide disproportionately affects men, and why that stigma is so hard to break Harvey losing his brother three years ago, and the phone calls that followed How Harvey talks with his own players, ages 18 to 24, about mental health   Related story: 'I'd have a million uncomfortable conversations to have him back': Knox coach on losing his brother to suicide 🎧 Subscribe to Galesburg In Focus: Apple podcasts.apple.com | Spotify open.spotify.com If you or someone you know is struggling, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available by call or text, 24 hours a day.

  4. Sep 8

    'It's like they revert back 50 years' — Dream Flights comes to Galesburg

    Some of the veterans going up Friday morning at the Galesburg airport haven't flown in half a century, and a few of them need help just getting to the plane. They'll ride in the open front cockpit of a World War II-era Boeing Stearman biplane for about 10 minutes over the city. "It's like they revert back 50 years," says Stacey Cremeens, CEO of LTC Support Services. The Hometown Heroes Dream Flight celebration runs 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, Sept. 11, at Harrel W. Timmons Galesburg Regional Airport — free, open to the public, lunch provided. Cremeens and Misty Fike, president of RFMS, joined Chris Postin on Galesburg In Focus to talk about the event, the foundation her late husband Don Fike built to help pay for things like it, and the senior care operation he assembled from a company he started in Galesburg. Misty Fike and Stacey Cremeens joined Galesburg In Focus on Saturday, Sept. 5. Listen to the full interview below. They talked about: What happens when a veteran who can barely walk gets into an open-cockpit biplane The last outing Don Fike made in the community, and what he said when he was thanked for it Why Fike bought a Stearman and then got rid of it How he could look at an empty hillside and describe the campus that would be there in 20 years The family illnesses that shaped what he built What Bounce Back was created to solve, 20 years ago this year The stories about him that Misty Fike says she's still hearing from strangers   Related story: Veterans who haven't flown in decades get one more flight Friday in Galesburg 🎧 Subscribe to Galesburg In Focus: Apple podcasts.apple.com | Spotify open.spotify.com

  5. Sep 4

    SFC Kyle Wehrly Memorial Highway dedication — full ceremony audio

    Sgt. 1st Class Kyle B. Wehrly of Galesburg was killed by a roadside bomb in Ashraf, Iraq, on Nov. 3, 2005, at the age of 28. On Friday, Sept. 4, 2026, several hundred people gathered on the west side of the Galesburg Public Square in 94-degree heat to dedicate the stretch of U.S. Route 150 running through his hometown as the SFC Kyle Wehrly Memorial Highway. This is the complete audio of that ceremony, recorded by WGIL from the front row and posted unedited. Speakers, in order: Retired Col. Corey Wise, master of ceremonies, who commanded Wehrly's unit in Iraq The Rev. Peter Wehrly, Kyle's father, invocation Reading of House Joint Resolution 0061 Galesburg Mayor Peter Schwartzman Brig. Gen. Lenny Williams, assistant adjutant general and commander, Illinois Army National Guard Lt. Col. Jeramy Miles, Wehrly's platoon leader in Iraq State Sen. Mike Halpin, 36th District State Rep. Dan Swanson, 71st District, who introduced the resolution Presentation of ceremonial signs and roses to the Wehrly family Army song, performed by the 144th Illinois National Guard Band The Rev. Peter Wehrly, benediction   Related story: Now, thousands will drive past Kyle Wehrly's name every day. His hometown gathered to see it happen. Related story: Kyle Wehrly's highway is dedicated Friday. The man in the seat behind him tells what happened.

  6. Aug 31

    Discovery Depot's purse auction: seven years later, still keeping the lights on

    Discovery Depot Children's Museum's purse auction wasn't born out of glamour — it was born out of survival. Executive Director Denise Gerstenberger launched Purses to Inspire in 2020 to keep the museum funded through a stretch of low pandemic attendance, and the event returns for a 7th year Thursday, Sept. 3, at Discovery Depot Children's Museum. Doors open at 4 p.m., and online bidding — already live since Sunday — closes at 6:30 p.m. that night. "It was something that we did because we had to do it," Gerstenberger said. "We needed some funds to keep the museum going." Gerstenberger joined WGIL's Chris Postin on Galesburg In Focus on Saturday, Aug. 29. Listen to the full interview above. They talked about: How a pandemic-era necessity turned into one of the museum's biggest annual fundraisers This year's Mexican-style menu, themed cocktails and a new flower bar How proxy bidding can help you land — or lose — the purse you want Why Gerstenberger says the auction doubles as early Christmas shopping What's inside "Game On," the museum's new traveling exhibit opening this month What's still ahead this fall, from Boos & Brews to the Festival of Trees   🎧 Subscribe to Galesburg In Focus: Apple podcasts.apple.com | Spotify open.spotify.com

  7. Aug 11

    Blaine Clark, OSF Medical Imaging Director — new breast cancer screening technology in Galesburg

    About 40% of women have dense breast tissue, which can make it harder to spot abnormalities on a standard mammogram. Blaine Clark, director of medical imaging operations at OSF HealthCare St. Mary Medical Center in Galesburg, Holy Family Medical Center in Monmouth and St. Luke in Kewanee, joined Chris Postin on Galesburg In Focus to explain a new supplemental screening option now available locally, along with a wave of new imaging technology arriving at OSF facilities in the region. Blaine Clark joined Galesburg In Focus on Saturday, Aug. 8. Listen to the full interview above. They talked about: What ABUS is, and why it's not a replacement for a mammogram Who's a candidate for the additional screening A new CT scanner and suite at Holy Family Medical Center that's cut scan times in half New CT, MRI and nuclear medicine equipment coming to OSF's Galesburg, Monmouth and Kewanee locations Free cross-training helping OSF grow its own imaging staff locally Walk-in mammogram days at all three OSF locations   🎧 Subscribe to Galesburg In Focus on Apple Podcasts and Spotify

  8. Aug 4

    Knox Community Health Center — National Health Center Week

    Medical care can start as low as $10 a visit at the Knox Community Health Center, no matter whether a patient has insurance. Reina Reyes, the center's chief operations officer, and Staci Simpson, its director of operations, joined Galesburg In Focus host Chris Postin on Saturday, Aug. 1, to preview National Health Center Week, running Aug. 3-9, and to explain how the center's sliding fee scale works for Knox County patients. They talked about: How the sliding fee scale works, and how low costs can go for medical, dental, and mental health visits Why the health center calls itself a "one-stop shop" for medical, dental, and behavioral health care Who's eligible to become a patient — insured or not New providers who've joined the center, including a psychiatric APRN who treats patients age 6 and up How the center is marking National Health Center Week with staff, patient, and partner appreciation days Where to find the center's outreach team in the community this week, including tonight's National Night Out   🎧 Subscribe to Galesburg In Focus: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

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About

Conversations originally heard during Galesburg In Focus, which airs Saturday mornings 8-9 a.m. on 93.7 FM and 1400 AM, WGIL. The interview program includes guests who talk about local topics like sports, not-for profit groups and organizations, businesses, local history, community events and more. It's an audio snapshot of our community.

Information

  • Creator
    WGIL
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    197
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright WGIL. All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Galesburg In Focus