Susan Stephens
Reporter, All Things Considered HostSusan is an award-winning reporter and writer at her favorite radio station. Her first goal is to tell the most compelling stories in the fewest words possible, ideally with a touch of humor. She is also WNIJ's "Perspectives" editor, "Under Rocks" contributor and host of "All Things Considered." Her interests outside the newsroom include spreading the word about pawpaws, using her skills as a Master Naturalist, thinking about baseball and pretending she will get around to playing her theremin.
WNIJ does not offer or accept money for coverage or interviews.
Anyone who makes such an offer or request is not a WNIJ employee and does not represent WNIJ or NPR.
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There's a good reason people have been dragging shovels, poison, and sharp objects into tiny Illinois cemeteries this month: They're restoring remnants of some of the state's original prairies. WNIJ's Under Rocks team caught up with volunteers from Friends of Illinois Nature Preserves at Temperance Hill Cemetery near Amboy. We also visit with the people who have a vision to take an abandoned pioneer cemetery in DeKalb County to a new level. -
STRONG SOUND = STRONGER STORIESUse of sound sets public radio reporting apart. Always ask yourself what sound you can get as you are planning your story… -
Poet Carl Sandburg knew blue collar culture – You know, “hog butcher for the world” and all that. Maybe that’s why he latched onto the lowly pawpaw, the “poor man’s banana,” as the root of a decades-long joke he shared with friends (who got it), the President of the United States (who didn’t get it), and reporters (who knows if they got it, but it made a fun story!). -
Encore Mt. Morris has a mission: To create a unique rural arts environment in northwest Illinois. And boy, did they nail it with the annual Straw Sculpting competition. We meet up with organizer Jeff Bold and artists Chris and Cecelia Mann. -
Toynbee idea in movie 2001. Resurrect dead on planet Jupiter. What? And why is this message on a tile in the streets of Rockford, Illinois? The Under Rocks team investigates. -
Rockton holds its 6th annual Pelican Fest Saturday from 10 to 4. -
The Under Rocks team goes on a treasure hunt with a real life detectorist. -
Rockford, DeKalb, and Aurora were among the 3,000+ cities holding rallies and marches Saturday. -
If you grew up anywhere near Rockford, Illinois, in, oh, the last century or so, you probably have eaten at least a handful of Mrs. Fisher's potato chips. This regional delicacy started in Ethel Fisher's kitchen and still maintains that small-batch flavor, even as the company goes through 2.6 million pounds of local potatoes every year. So join Mrs. Fisher's vice president Chris Spiess as he takes the Under Rocks team on a tour of Rockford's salty treasure. -
¿Del tamaño de una moneda? ¿De una pelota de golf? ¿De una pelota de sóftbol? ¿Más grande? Las severas tormentas de marzo descargaron granizo de dimensiones récord sobre Kankakee. Y ahora es oficial.
