Kankakee Public Library Podcasts

Julia Keller is the author of A Killing in the Hills, a crime novel published in 2012 by Minotaur. It is the first in a series about prosecuting attorney Belfa "Bell" Elkins, a headstrong but highly effective crusader against the illegal prescription drug trade thriving in rural America. A Killing in the Hills is set in the fictional town of Acker's Gap, West Virginia, seat of Raythune County, a "shabby afterthought" of a town, according to the novel. She won the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing for her account of the deadly April 2004 Utica, Illinois tornado outbreak, which was published in the Chicago Tribune.

Blue Balliett grew up in New York City and studied art history at Brown University. Balliett and her family now live in Chicago, within walking distance of Frank Lloyd Wright's Robie House. She taught at the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools before becoming a full-time writer. Blue Balliett is a writer of children's art mystery books. As a New York City native, Balliett took public transportation to school and art museums and discovered early that every crowded bus or train is packed with mystery and drama. Her novels marry mystery and art which makes for an exciting and informative read. She was the 2013 Mary Jo Johnston program author and visited Kankakee on Wednesday, April 10, 2013. The program was sponsored by the Friends of the Kankakee Public Library and Kankakee School District 111.

Author and renowned radio personality Orion Samuelson took the stage at KPL to talk about his life, his work, and much more. Known for his work on WGN's US Farm Report, Samuelson has received numerous awards for his work in the field. He is also the author of You Can't Dream Big Enough. Orion Samuelson visited the library on Tue, March 12, 2013.

1963 was a time of social turmoil throughout the United States, and college basketball was no exception. Game of Change is a film documenting the 1963 NCAA playoff game between integrated Loyola and segregated Mississippi State. Filmmaker Jerald Harkness and his father, 1963 Loyola basketball player Jerry Harkness, provided an intimate look into the 1960s, basketball, and civil rights.

This podcast, "An Evening with John Cappas" was sponsored by the Kankakee Public Library. It was recorded before a live audience at the Kankakee Public Library on Tue, November 1, 2012. Cappas talks about his life as a drug dealer, the consequences of his actions, and how he turned his life around.

A candidates’ forum between 40th Illinois senate district candidate Tuck Marshall and Senator Toi Hutchinson was sponsored by the NAACP of Kankakee County. It was recorded before a live audience at the Kankakee Public Library on Tuesday, October 23, 2012. The forum was moderated by Kankakee County NAACP President Theodis Pace. The panelists were Frank Love of the Kankakee NAACP, James Simone of the Kankakee County Hispanic Partnership, and Mike Frey Managing Editor of the Daily Journal.

A candidates’ forum between Kankakee County State’s Attorney Jamie Boyd and candidate Jim Rowe was sponsored by the NAACP of Kankakee County. It was recorded before a live audience at the Kankakee Public Library on Tuesday, October 16, 2012. The forum was moderated by Kankakee County NAACP President Theodis Pace. The panelists were Don Jackson Former President of the Illinois State conference of the NAACP and Rev. Larry Garcia, President of the Kankakee Hispanic Partnership.

A candidates’ forum between 79th Illinois representative district candidates Glenn Nixon and Kate Cloonen was sponsored by the NAACP of Kankakee County. It was recorded before a live audience at the Kankakee Public Library on Tuesday, October 9, 2012. The forum was moderated by Kankakee County NAACP President Theodis Pace. The panelists were Frank Love of the Kankakee NAACP, Rev. Larry Garcia President of the Kankakee Hispanic Partnership, and Mike Frey Managing Editor of the Daily Journal.

Dr. Temple Grandin spoke at the Lincoln Cultural Center in Kankakee on Wed, September 26th, 2012. Her riveting talk provided insight into life with autism from a person who is actually coping with the disease. Not only did she conquer the debilitating effects of Autism, but has used it to rise to the top of her field. Dr. Grandin is a world renowned innovator in livestock management. Her unique mind allowed her to see the world from the point of view of the animals. Her methods are used in half the livestock farms in the United States. Dr. Grandin's life was immortalized in a film starring Claire Danes which told her remarkable story of overcoming autism to be a university professor.

Mayor Nina Epstein of Kankakee and Kankakee Economic Development Director Bill Yohnka discuss Municipal Aggregation of Electricity. The Mayor talks about what this often misunderstood program will mean to the people of Kankakee. She outlines the reasons the City has undertaken this program and why Kankakeeans can expect to save money on their electrical bill.

The 2012 Mary Jo Johnston author series speaker was Andrea Davis Pinkney. The author of over 20 children's books shared her work with 75 attendees at the Kankakee Public Library on Monday, March 26, 2012. Listen as she discusses her life, her stories, and her books, which include Alvin Ailey, Dear Benjamin Banneker, and the award-winning Let it Shine. She is a graduate of Syracuse University, and is married to Caldecott Award winning illustrator Brian Pinkney. This program was sponsored by the Friends of the Kankakee Public Library, Kankakee School District 111, and Olivet Nazarene University.

Orland Park Police Chief and retired Secret Service agent Timothy McCarthy visited the Kankakee Public Library on Thursday, January 19, 2012. Chief McCarthy has the unenviable status of being the only Secret Service agent to be shot as he hurled his body in front of a President during an assassination attempt. McCarthy was wounded in the chest on March 30, 1981 when John Hinckley Jr. fired shots into Ronald Reagan’s entourage. He tells the vivid story of how he was put in the position to protect President Reagan that day by a literal flip of a coin. Chief McCarthy also talks in detail about his duties guarding President Harry S. Truman on his death bed, working on the protection details of Presidents Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, and George H. W. Bush, and working anti-counterfeiting stings. His wealth of anecdotes gives the listener a fascinating insider’s view of the mysterious workings of the Secret Service.

On Tuesday, October 12, 2011 the public was invited to the Kankakee Public Library to hear Kankakee Mayor Nina Epstein, Kankakee County Board Chairman Mike Bossert and Illinois State Representative Lisa Dugan outline the importance of the tax rebate program to the City and County of Kankakee and to the State of Illinois. That also discussed their view on the merits of the lawsuit against Kankakee concerning the tax rebate program brought by the City of Chicago, the Regional Transit Authority and various other municipalities. Representative Dugan also talked about the legislative strategy she is promoting in the state house. Questions were taken from the audience.

Illinois State Senator Toi Hutchinson (D – 40th) State Representative Lisa Dugan (D - 79th) visited the Kankakee Public Library on Wednesday, September 14th to hold a joint town hall meeting. The Senator and Representative spoke to a full house about a variety of topics, but most extensively on the current fiscal crisis in Illinois. Both took questions from audience members. Also on hand was Illinois Department of Revenue Director Brian Hamer. Mr. Hamer gave a 20 minute presentation on corporate taxation.

Kankakee native Sharon Fiffer talks to Bill Yohnka and Allison Beasley of WKAN AM 1320 about her visit to the Kankakee Farmers’ Market. She is the author of more than 10 books, including the Jane Wheel mysteries. Each of the Wheel mysteries have the distinction of taking place in Kankakee, IL. In Backstage Stuff, Antiques picker Jane Wheel finds trouble when assisting her friend Tim in an estate sale and the staging of a local play. Strange events occur at the mansion, and Jane investigates a murder on the set of the play.

Award-winning cartoonist and nationally recognized comic advocate Josh Elder spoke at the Library on Thursday, April 21st. He discussed his educational nonprofit organization Reading with Pictures. Reading with Pictures advocates the use of comics in classrooms to promote literacy and improve educational outcomes for all students. This organization works with academics to cultivate groundbreaking research into the proper role of comics in education and collaborates with cartoonists to produce exceptional graphic novel content for scholastic use. It also partners with educators to develop a system of best practices for integrating comics into their curriculum. For more information on Reading with Pictures, visit the website at www.readingwithpictures.org.

The Kankakee chapter of the NAACP sponsored a candidate's forum for the Kankakee City 2011 aldermanic races. This podcast is that forum in full. The election is April 5, 2011. The participating candidates were as follows. • 2nd Ward — Democrat James Stokes Jr. and Republican Jeff Kinkade are vying for an open seat. • 3rd Ward — Republican incumbent Steve Linneman is being challenged by independent Michael James Duval. • 4th Ward — Republican incumbent Danita Grant-Swanson is being challenged by Democrat Mike Pitts. • 5th Ward — There are two races. Rayleen Harris, the Republican incumbent is being challenged by independent Dexter Thompson for the four-year term. Democratic incumbent Tyler Tall is being challenged by independent Bruce Wilson for the two-year term. • 6th Ward — Republican Dennis Baron is being challenged by Democrat Linda Abel. • 7th Ward — Democratic incumbent P. Carl Brown is being challenged by independent Pete Martin.

The Kankakee chapter of the NAACP sponsored a candidate's forum for the Kankakee School District 111 school board race. This podcast is that forum in full. The election is April 5, 2011. Seven candidates are competing for three board seats. The candidates are: Ben Garcia, Richard Harris, Bill Sole, Roosevelt Green, Karen Johnston-Gentry, Dana Washington, Barbara Wells.

Greg Lindsay, author of Aerotropolis: The Way We'll Live Next, explores how air travel and transportation are largely responsible for the shape and scope – and winners and losers – of globalization. He speaks extensively about the social impact and politics of the controversial "third Chicago airport" during his talk. He also reads from his book Aerotropolis and takes audience questions. Lindsay is a contributing writer for Fast Company, and has written for Fortune, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, Wired, Time and many more prestigious magazines. Read more on Lindsay at his website: www.greglindsay.org.

Black History Month was marked by a special visit from author Christopher Benson. Author of several books, including Death of Innocence: The Story of the Hate Crime that Changed America and Special Interest, Benson is also a professor of African American Studies and Journalism at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. Community Scholarships were presented. Sponsored by the Kankakee Public Library, the City of Kankakee, Kankakee Community College, the Kankakee Chamber of Commerce, the Kankakee Chapter of the NAACP, Brother 2 Brother and Sister Circle.