Jacob McCleland
Jacob McCleland spent nine years as a reporter and host at public radio station KRCU in Cape Girardeau, Mo. His stories have appeared on NPR’s Morning Edition and All Things Considered, Here & Now, Harvest Public Media and PRI’s The World. Jacob has reported on floods, disappearing languages, crop duster pilots, anvil shooters, Manuel Noriega, mule jumps and more.
He has a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology and Spanish from Southeast Missouri State University and a master’s degree in Environmental Studies from the University of Illinois at Springfield.
Jacob warns us he won't answer the phone when the St. Louis Cardinals are playing a postseason game. Fun fact: his high school mascot is the Appleknocker.
-
Springtime is severe weather time in many parts of the United States. Strong storms and tornadoes can be a daily occurrence. Technology has improved to warn people days in advance, but effectively communicating severe weather remains elusive.
-
A judge in Oklahoma City has sentenced Daniel Holtzclaw to 263 years in prison. The former police officer was convicted of raping and sexually assaulting women when he was on the job.
-
Behind the walls at Emerson High School in Oklahoma City, construction workers found old chalkboards with drawings and class lessons, written almost a century ago and in remarkable condition. -
Oklahoma continues to battle flooding from storms in the region, which brought the state out of a four-year drought. Rain is expected every day until Sunday.
-
The University of Oklahoma has given members of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon until midnight to move out of their fraternity house. A video surfaced of members singing and using a derogatory racist chant.
-
Short, unlit towers are used to prospect for new wind farms. But the structures pose a threat to crop-duster pilots. Transportation officials are urging better markings and other safety improvements. -
State Rep. Mike Bost's rants on the Illinois House floor are the stuff viral dreams are made of. Bost says he has good reason to be upset, and wants voters to share his anger. -
A breakthrough in oil cleanup technology allows crews to skim spilled oil off the water's surface at a much faster rate. The new device wasn't developed by Exxon, BP or any of the major oil companies — it's the work of Elastec/American Marine, based in Illinois.
