A deadly explosion is under investigation in Zeigler after a home went up in flames early Thursday morning. Police and firefighters were called to North Pine Street just after 5:00 a-m, where they found the house fully engulfed, with flames spreading to nearby homes. One person was found dead inside, while another suffered burns and was taken to a hospital. A firefighter was also hurt but has since been treated and released. The Illinois State Fire Marshal’s Office is now working with the Franklin County Coroner to determine what caused the blast.
Ed Histed
Ed launched his radio career in 1975 and has spent more than five decades in the broadcasting industry. During that time, he has served in a wide range of roles including Air Personality, News Director, Sales Manager, Operations Manager, and General Manager at numerous radio stations in various markets across the country. Beyond on-air and management responsibilities, Ed has also worked extensively on the technical side of broadcasting. His background includes RF engineering and information technology, with particular experience configuring digital automation systems and remote voice-tracking platforms used by stations across the country. Ed was also among a select group of industry professionals invited by Google to its California headquarters following the company’s acquisition of Scott Studios. He was one of just 12 broadcasters nationwide chosen to participate in discussions and provide input during the design and rollout of Google’s digital broadcast automation platform. Although the majority of Ed’s career—spanning roughly four decades—was rooted in music radio, he transitioned into news and information programming in 2012. He says the move into spoken-word broadcasting was a natural evolution after decades of experience in multiple areas of the industry.