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Welcome to Bill Pickett News .com, and hello to old friends
who may be reading this around the world ... hoping to stay
in touch with what's happening back home in the Danville
area.
 For
those of you who might not know me, I've been a Danville
area resident all of my life. And I've worked as a radio
news reporter in Danville since the fall of 1968. Like most
people in the media, I've had several opportunities to leave
my hometown-- but why leave if you're having fun! I truly
enjoy the Danville area...and the people who make this area
a great place to live and work. (And besides, it's a good
starting point if you're headed to other larger cities -
like Chicago, Indianapolis or St. Louis on a short getaway.)
I mentioned I've been doing radio news since the fall of
1968...but one thing even people I deal with daily might
not know is that I have also worked in television news that
long. I have been the Vermilion county correspondent for
WCIA Television in Champaign, Illinois (about 35 miles to
west of us) -- keeping their newsroom abreast of stories
in this county.
Another thing many people might not know about me is that
I was a volunteer firefighter in Westville, Illinois for
about 22 years. I was Assistant Chief and head of our Emergency
Medical Services when I left the department. I have also
been blessed to have been involved in some other activities
-- such as being elected president of the Westville Music
Parents Association when my sons were in high school. What
a blast my wife, Cheryl and I had attending all of the competitions!!
And speaking of being blessed ... Cheryl and I have been
happily married for nearly 35 years! Our two sons, Bill
and Bob, are grown now and have children of their own.
 As
a reporter, I was literally"baptized by fire"...as
they say. The first time I broadcast live on the radio was
when I did reports about a horrible explosion that occurred
at Lauhoff Grain Company in Danville. I have - of course
- covered thousands of stories since. And for some of that
coverage - I have been honored with awards from the Associated
Press, United Press International and the Illinois Radio
Network. One of those first place awards was for best "spot
news" coverage of a breaking story. United Press International
selected our coverage of a Danville church bombing that
year for the top national award. It's an award that I share
with everyone at our station who worked that fateful day.
There have been numerous other awards -- including one for
the series I did when my boss decided to send me to cover
Danville astronaut Joe Tanner's first flight. Joe may have
been the one rocketing into space -- but boy did my wife
and I have a blast at the Cape!! And I guess that's what's
been interesting about working radio news in a small town
like Danville. Maybe that's what has helped keep me here.
You never really know who you might meet. I have met Presidents
and President wannabes. I also had the thrill of meeting
Danville's famous son's -- Dick and Jerry Van Dyke, Bobby
Short, Donald O'Conner and Gene Hackman. I served as a floor
reporter for the Illinois Radio Network when the Democrats
held their national convention in Chicago. It's been quite
a ride...and it's not over yet! I hope you enjoy following
Danville area news on this site as much as I enjoy bringing
it to you!!
-- Bill Pickett
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