Statewide

Reporting from in and around Illinois.Listen to Statewide on WNIJ Saturdays 6-7 a.m. and Sundays 6-7 p.m.

Statewide: Mental Health Needs Mounting; Impact Of Electric Cars In Ethanol Country

NPR Illinois | 91.9 UIS | By Sean Crawford

Published February 28, 2019 at 2:49 PM CST

Less than two years removed from a state budget impasse, social service agencies are still trying to rebound. That includes mental health providers who say the state needs to put more money into the system.

Also, about 40 percent of corn grown in the U.S. is turned into ethanol. But with electric vehicles becoming more popular, the switch has repercussions in Illinois and the rest of the Corn Belt.

That and more on this week's Statewide.

The latest edition of Statewide

* Mary Hansen has our Illinois Issues report that examines the deterioration of roads and bridges maintained by counties and townships in Illinois. Could a state public works program be the answer?

* Jenn White talks with reporters from WBEZ and ProPublica Illinois about their investigation into video gambling in the state.

* Amy Mayer of Harvest Public Medialooks at the rise in popularity of electric vehicles and what that means for corn farmers whose crops end up as ethanol.

* Chase Cavanaugh of WNIJ tells us about research at Northern Illinois University focused on airplanes and icy conditions.

* Daisy Contreras with Heather O'Donnell of Thresholds, a Chicago-based mental health service provider about the need for more funding.

* Rich Egger of Tri States Public Radio has the story behind Maslanka's Symphony Number 10.

* Jaclyn Driscoll reports on efforts to expand insurance coverage for autism treatment.

* Lee Gaines of Illinois Newsroom has the first part of a series on affordable housing in the state. This week, she explains how a local school district used a little known state law to help one family.

Statewide, which brings you reports and conversations from in and around Illinois, is a production of NPR Illinois with help from other Illinois public radio stations. Find all our episodes online at Statewideshow.comListen to Statewide across Illinois:

Bloomington/Normal – WGLT 89.1 (Fridays 11 a.m. - Noon)
Carbondale – WSIU 91.9 (Sundays 6-7 a.m.)
Mount Vernon - WVSI 88.9 (Sundays 6-7 a.m.)
Olney - WUSI 90.3 (Sundays 6-7 a.m.)
Rockford/DeKalb – WNIJ 89.5 (Saturdays 6-7 a.m., Sundays 6-7 p.m.)
Springfield/Decatur - WUIS 91.9 (Fridays 11 a.m. - Noon, 11 p.m. - Midnight, Saturdays 9-10 a.m.)
Peoria – WCBU 89.9 (Fridays 6-7 p.m.)
Pittsfield - WIPA 89.3 (Fridays 11 a.m. - Noon, 11 p.m. - Midnight, Saturdays 9-10 a.m.)
Urbana/Champaign – WILL 580 (Fridays 11 a.m. - Noon, 7-8 p.m.)