Get with the Times
The Vermilion Times
A podcast from The Vermilion Times — a new, bold media voice sharing news, culture, and social issues impacting the people of Vermilion County, IL.
Episodes
Danville Farmer's Market: Feeding VC Families & Supporting Local Farmers and Artisans, feat. Susan Franklin
Vermilion County, Illinois, is surrounded by farmland, but one in four of its children goes hungry — the highest rate of child food insecurity in the Eastern Illinois Foodbank's entire 18-county service area. About 4,100 children — 24 percent of the county's child population — don't have reliable access to enough food. That number has been climbing for years.On this episode of Get With the Times, we sit down with Susan Franklin, president of the Danville Farmers Market, to talk about what local food access actually looks like in Vermilion County and how the market is attempting to alleviate food insecurity in the VC while supporting local farmers and artisans and keeping VC money in the VC.Susan talks about who the market serves, some history of the Danville Farmer's Market, ways people living in poverty can get access to fresh, pesticide-free produce, and more.
A Daddy-Daughter Dance, A Celebration, and Two Families Who Refused to Wait for Help To Arrive
According to The Murder Accountability Project, Danville has had 39 homicides between 2018 and 2024, and only one of those was solved. While the family of one victim still waits for justice, they have started a foundation in their daughter's name.On this episode of Get With The Times, Kaighla sits down with two families who have spent the last year building what their community needed while fighting to be heard by the people elected to help them.Phillip and Yolanda Davis lost their daughter Aniyah to gun violence in Winter Park in June 2025. Instead of waiting for justice that hasn't come, they built the Aniyah Davis Foundation — and they're hosting a Banquet and Daddy-Daughter Dance on April 3rd in her honor. Michael and Catherine Ewing have kept Danville Rescue open for a full year through sheer determination. To mark one year of keeping the doors open, the Ewings are hosting a celebration on April 11th.Both families join Kaighla to talk about what they've learned and what they still need from their elected officials and their community.Two events. Two families worth showing up for. Links in the show notes: https://vermiliontimes.com/get-with-the-times/
The System Is Not Sacred: How They Built It and How We Can Change It
Our governmental system isn't sacred; it's man-made, and it can be man-unmade and rebuiltIn preparation for upcoming primaries (March) and mid-term elections (November), this season of "Get With The Times" will be all about civics: the study of the rights and duties of citizens and of how government works.In this third episode of Season 2, we examine a simple but powerful idea: government isn’t destiny — it’s design. From tribal consensus systems and monarchies to the U.S. Constitution’s checks and balances, we examine how societies throughout history have organized power, why legitimacy matters, and how American democracy was intentionally constructed to manage conflict rather than eliminate it. As midterm elections approach, we ask a deeper question: if people built this system — through social contracts, amendments, civil rights movements, and sustained civic pressure — what responsibility and power do we have to shape it now, both nationally and here in Vermilion County?For show notes, visit www.vermiliontimes.com/get-with-the-times
How Local Government Affects Your Daily Life (and ways you can influence it)
In preparation for upcoming primaries (March) and mid-term elections (November), this season of "Get With The Times" will be all about civics: the study of the rights and duties of citizens and of how government works.In this second episode, we discuss the multiple layers of government, starting with local government, to figure out exactly how everyday people can have a say in how their day-to-day reality plays out.Joining us for this episode are Alderman Doug Ahrens (Ward 7) and Chairman Mike Puhr (Ward 5) from Danville's City Council. They share the insights they've gained across more than two decades of participation in City government, as well as their opinions on ways things could improve. They also share stories of times when public involvement had a major hand in making changes.For show notes, visit https://vermiliontimes.com/get-with-the-times/
Civics 101: Who Rules? Government, Power, and the Fight to Influence It
What is power, really? Who holds it, who’s lost it, and how do we reclaim it in our everyday lives?In this Season 2 premiere of Get with the Times, a podcast from The Vermilion Times, we break down the concept of power from the ground up.This season will be all about Civics: the study of the rights and duties of citizens and of how government works.In this first episode, we start from the bottom, exploring power — using ancient Western philosophy, Indigenous governance, modern politics, and even baboon behavior to understand how power operates, and how everyday people can start shifting its balance. From the Iroquois Confederacy to the Patriot Act, Sun Tzu to social contracts, we ask: What kind of power do we really want to have in our communities, and what will it take to claim it?In this episode:• Cooperation vs. competition in the “state of nature”• The psychology of hierarchy and sociology of leadership (with baboons!)• Ways to spot authoritarianism on the rise• What yellow journalism and corporate personhood reveal about modern control• And how small groups of united, organized people can, and do, change everythingFor show notes, visit https://vermiliontimes.com/get-with-the-times/
On Fighting Food Insecurity Among VC Residents
Food insecurity is on the rise in the United States, as the Trump regime has declared there will be no emergency spending to help fund SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) while the government is shut down (though such funds could be used technically, and the USDA has a plan in place.) Since 16.3% of the people of Vermilion County rely on SNAP benefits for food — and 30% of all VC children — organizations and small businesses all across the VC are stepping up to fill that gap. On this episode, we feature just one of the many organizations working to ensure Vermilion County residents have food — St. James United Methodist Church. Congregants and other volunteers have been running St James' food pantry since 2008, where food is given freely every third Wednesday of the month. For show notes, visit https://vermiliontimes.com/get-with-the-times/
On Midwifery As Resistance to Medical Bias & Mistreatment
On this episode of Get With The Times, our guests are local midwives Isis Rose, Hannah Landis, and Elizabeth Cannon. Hannah is a homebirth midwife and the founder of The Danville Birth Project, while Elizabeth serves as the Executive Director. DBP is a non-profit that employs an innovative, community-driven model to connect babies, mothers, and families to services proven to improve outcomes and change lives.Isis is a student midwife studying under Hannah. She will soon become the first Licensed Professional Midwife in Champaign-Urbana upon completing her training and certification. She is also the founder of BIPOC for Better Birth — a nonprofit that offers free and low-cost trainings for BIPOC people who want to become doulas, midwives, lactation professionals, childbirth educators, and herbalists.For show notes, visit www.vermiliontimes.com/latest
On Healing Shelter Animals (And Being Healed By Them)
On this episode of Get With The Times, our guest is Alyssa Julian, Executive Director of The Humane Society of Danville — a non-profit, no-kill shelter, which is dedicated to the care and welfare of animals in Danville, Illinois.The HSD's mission is to provide safe shelter for animals in transition, serve as advocates for animals and their people, work to end animal overpopulation, and educate the public about compassion and responsibility towards all animals.For show notes, visit www.vermiliontimes.com/latest
On How Supporting Kids & Families Builds Better Communities
On this episode of Get With the Times, we discuss Project Success — a local nonprofit that provides children and family services to kids all across Vermilion County. Their mission is to empower area children and families to achieve their highest potential, so they can become responsible and productive members of our community.Our guests on this episode are Jamie Nightlinger (Violence Prevention and Family Outreach Services Coordinator), Jazmyn Gaines-Tharp (parent and Liberty Elementary School Project Coordinator), and Zavier Simmons (a Danville native who is a new employee of Project Success).For show notes, visit www.vermiliontimes.com/latest
On Accountability, Community Service, and Second Chances
On this episode, we discuss Peer Court — an alternative path for juvenile offenders to avoid entering the criminal justice system. Our guests on this episode are Katie Osterbur, Executive Director of Peer Court, Inc. in Danville — one of the first such programs in the nation — and Jermaine, a recent graduate of the program. For show notes, check out www.vermiliontimes.com/latest
On Homelessness, Belonging, and the Visibility of Suffering
On this episode, we hear from Michael & Catherine Ewing and Ed Alio of Danville Rescue. We discuss reasons for homelessness in Danville, the City's recent decision to criminalize homelessness, and some key misunderstandings out there about people who are homeless.Topics discussed include: Some history of Danville Rescue (previously Vermilion County Rescue) Homeless SheltersThe group's personal experiences of being homelessThe myth of homeless people "not wanting help"Root causes of homelessnessThe tendency of privileged people to lack empathy for the suffering of the working classThe interconnectness of us allAmerican society's puritanical view that poverty = immorality For show notes, visit www.vermiliontimes.com/latest
On the Life & Tragic Death of Aniyah Davis + Ways DPD Is Dropping the Ball
On this episode, we hear from Phillip & Yolanda Davis, the father and step-mother of Aniyah Davis — the 18-year-old DHS graduate and Ball State freshman who was shot to death on June 21 in an incident at Winter Park in Danville.Topics discussed include:Aniyah's brief life and what made her so special and beloved by all who knew herThe night she died + how they found outOn still not knowing exactly what happened to Aniyah & never being provided a police report on her deathPolice Chief Christopher Yates and Mayor Rickey Williams Jr's fake public displays of sorrow + lack of private condolencesThe spectrum of racismThe breakdown of community in DanvilleThe impacts of poverty on the people of DanvilleThe Davises' plans to continue to remember and honor Aniyah and call for justiceFor show notes, visit www.vermiliontimes.com/latest
On Ways Danville Holds Itself Back
On this episode, we hear from Alderman Ed Butler, Rev. Frank McCullough, and Keith Groves all about the Three Kings of Peace and their perspectives on how the City of Danville and its people are holding themselves back from thriving.Topics discussed include:The history of the Three Kings of PeaceWhy and how mentoring helps, especially young Black kidsThe breakdown in community support over the past few decadesThe City of Danville's persistent refusal to adopt the 10 Shared Principles of the NAACP, which would help build trust in the community between police and residentsKarma is a bitch, babeThe City's (mis)use of fundsWhy transparency in government is central to democracyPolicing and diversityFor show notes, visit www.vermiliontimes.com/latest
On Labor Day, Viscofan, and Empowering the Working Class
On this Labor Day episode of Get with the Times, we dig into the history of labor unions, how labor regulation laws were established in the U.S., and the recent decision from Viscofan to unilaterally withdraw recognition of their union contracts. We hear from Connie Smalley, a former Viscofan employee and member of UFCW Local 700, and Rachelle Netzer, Midwest Regional Director of UFCW — The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union.Topics discussed include:The history of labor regulation laws and how unionized strikes helped pressure the federal government to pass themCommon misunderstandings about labor unions"Right to Work" as a propaganda misnomerViscofan's history of labor law violations and Unsafe Labor Practices (ULPs), and its ongoing case with the National Labor Regulations Board (NLRB).Connie Smalley and Victor Nahara's stories of their experience with ViscofanWays people can establish unions at their workplaces, or help keep current unions going
On Vulnerability, Connection, and Looking Out for Black Boys
On this episode of Get with the Times, we chat with Chris Hightower — comedian, teacher, community organizer, and native son of Danville.Topics discussed include:Chris's new nonprofit, The Hightower FoundationThe problems with society limiting men and boys from expressing their emotionsChris's plans for his "Man to Men" eventThe "male loneliness epidemic" Different definitions of patriarchyVulnerability and how important it is for connection and communityThe differences in the way Black boys, especially, are treated by society as compared to white Boys and Black girlsThe importance of giving young Black kids positive Black role modelsVisit vermiliontimes.com/latest for show notes.
On Restoring Our Community w/ Breon Boyd
On this episode of Get with the Times, we hear from Breon Boyd, founder of Danville Restoring Our Community (DROC). This nonprofit organization has been working to help build community and connection in Danville for the past nine years. Topics discussed include:Roots of the breakdown in our community, including broken families and the systemic removal of Black fathers from the householdDiscipline, respect, and self-love as catalysts for connectionThe importance of teaching and modeling emotional regulation to our kidsThe role of community leaders and law enforcement in helping to strengthen the communityWays Danville has changed over the past nine yearsLove as the root of community
On Causes and (possible) solutions to Danville's gun violence issue
On this episode of Get with the Times, we delve deeper into the gun violence issue in Danville with Project Success youth panelists Malia Roberson and Curtis Beasley IV, as well as grassroots organizer and all-around Good Trouble-maker, Mary Catherine (MC) Roberson.For show notes, visit vermiliontimes.com/latest