Jonathan Ahl
Jonathan is the General Manager of Tri States Public radio. His duties include but are not limited to, managing all facets of the station, from programming to finances to operations. Jonathan grew up in the south suburbs of Chicago. He has a B.A in music theory and composition from WIU and a M.A in Public Affairs Reporting from The University of Illinois at Springfield. Jonathan began his journey in radio as a student worker at WIUM. While in school Jonathan needed a summer job on campus. He heard WIUM was hiring, and put his bid in. Jonathan was welcomed on the team and was very excited to be using his music degree. He had also always been interested in news and public radio. He soon learned he was a much better reporter than a musician and his career was born. While at WIUM, Jonathan hosted classical music, completed operations and production work, was a news reporter and anchor, and served as the stage manager for Rural Route 3. Jonathan then went to on to WIUS in Springfield where he was a news anchor and reporter covering the state legislature for Illinois Public Radio. After a brief stint in commercial radio and TV, Jonathan joined WCBU in Peoria, first in operations then as a news reporter and for the last ten years of his time there he served as the News Director. Jonathan’s last job before returning to Tri States Public Radio was as the News Director/ Co-Director of Content for Iowa Public Radio. During Jonathan’s off time he enjoys distance running, playing competitive Scrabble, rooting for Chicago Cubs, listening to all kinds of music and reading as much as he can. He lives in Macomb with his wife Anita and children Tommy and Lily.
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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency last week reversed a restriction put in place in January that was intended to help the endangered American burying beetle. The agency now says the Enlist brand of weed killer doesn’t pose a risk.
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The University of Missouri’s Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute is projecting a trip to the grocery store will cost 5% more in 2022 compared to last year.
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Small town farm shows are reacting differently to COVID-19 restrictions. Some canceled, some went virtual and some are carrying on as usual.
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Low pay rates exacerbated by the pandemic have left the facilities around the state short-staffed to the point they have empty beds while still having waiting lists.
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The fertilizer applied to corn, soybean and hay fields costs up to twice as much as a year ago, and that's creating uncertainty as farmers approach planting season.
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The federal government is offering grant money to help address the problem, but small towns fear they lack the tech knowhow and resources to defend their systems and are daunted by grant applications.
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Currently $20 million of the state’s annual $400 million in gaming revenue goes toward veterans. A state lawmaker wants voters to increase that share.
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The Missouri governor's State of the State address also included calls to invest $400 million in water and wastewater systems, investments in agriculture and telehealth upgrades and economic development.
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Small towns far from big cities rely upon federal grants to help them, but numerous definitions of what the government considers rural make that complicated.
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The same storm system that hit Edwardsville and ravaged areas in Kentucky, Arkansas and Tennessee first reached tornado status near the community of Defiance.