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Storm Damage Pick Up Area
During last night’s storms our Public Works Department and Police Department drove the community to assess damage. Our Public Works Department was able to clear roadways by last evening to make them passable. One area in town, outlined on the below map, suffered extensive damage where dozens of large...
DeKalb Co. multi-vehicle crash sends 2 to hospital
DEKALB COUNTY, Ill. (WIFR) - Two people are in the hospital after a three-vehicle crash Tuesday morning near Waterman. Just after 4:30 a.m., DeKalb County Sheriffs were called to the scene of a multi-vehicle crash on State Route 23 and Watson Road. According to the sheriff, vehicle one veered out of their lane and hit two vehicles traveling southbound. Vehicle one hit the front end of vehicle two and clipped the the front right side of vehicle three.
Tornado Warnings Around the Tri-Counties Illinois
A Radar indicated tornado warning has been issued for parts of Rock Island, Mercer, Whiteside and Henry Counties. The warning is currently from the Quad Cities to Atkinson but the warning is expected to extend southeast. VERY strong winds have been confirmed with these storms. Funnel clouds have been spotted but any possible spin-up may be rain-wrapped. Stay alert and keep a device with you to stay up-to-date with warnings. Update: Galva, Annawan, and Hoopole are in the extended warning area. UPDATE: 7:28 PM, huge spin-up north of Preemption, headed east towards Sherrard and Orion.
Illinois quick hits: Earthquake shakes Illinois; researchers look into cicada damage; sinkhole grows in Alton
Earthquake shakes northern Illinois Parts of northern Illinois shook Monday as a 3.4 magnitude earthquake struck in the early morning hours. The earthquake was centered northwest of the DeKalb County village of Somonauk. According to the United States Geological Survey, the trembler had an estimated depth of about 6 miles. The earthquake could be felt as far as Joliet. Researchers look into cicada damage ...
Combining inspection techniques to ensure quality tubing
Sometimes the drive to excel comes from within, and sometimes it comes from your customers. But for the truly ambitious, it comes both ways. That’s where GL Precision Tube in Aurora, Ill., found itself a few months ago when it got wind of a new tool from Xiris Automation that the tubemaker thought might strengthen its position in the market.
Illinois Wins $334M for Electric Vehicle Plant Reopening
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and U.S. Representatives Bill Foster (D-IL-11) and Eric Sorensen (D-IL-17) today announced that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is awarding Stellantis $334,763,050 in Domestic Auto Manufacturing Conversion Grant program funds to assist in the reopening of the Belvidere Assembly Plant and in the construction of the plant’s new electric vehicle battery production facility. Stellantis has pledged to invest additional funding of its own to ensure the modernization of the plant is fully-funded.
Activists, lawmakers protest proposed rate hikes by water utilities
(The Center Square) – More than 1.5 million Illinois consumers may soon be paying a lot more for water. According to the Citizens Utility Board, Aqua Illinois and Illinois American Water customers are affected by proposed rate hikes, which could cost households nearly $30 a month. Illinois State Rep. Dagmara Avelar said inflation has made everyday costs burdensome, especially for lower and fixed-income households. ...
$1.15B Great Lakes dam project enters construction phase
The states of Michigan and Illinois signed an agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to cosponsor construction of the $1.15 billion Brandon Road Interbasin Project, which will prevent invasive carp and other aquatic nuisance species from entering the Great Lakes, per a July 1 news release from Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s office.
Illinois trucking companies push back against Biden’s EPA standards
(The Center Square) – The owner of an Illinois-based trucking company says the latest EPA emissions standards for trucks are implausible. The new rules state that 30% of heavy-duty vocational trucks would need to be zero-emission by 2032. The EPA calculated that new electrified trucks would save operators a total of $3.5 billion in fuel and other costs from 2027 to 2032, paying for themselves in two to four years,...
Illinois tries to expand automatic voter registration as SAVE Act passes U.S. House
(The Center Square) – Illinois voter integrity groups warn non-citizens that registering to vote in federal elections is a felony. The warning comes after U.S. House Republicans passed the SAVE Act to increase protections. President Joe Biden has vowed to veto the measure if it passes the Senate and reaches his desk. House Republicans passed the SAVE act, which seeks to require proof of citizenship when a voter casts a ballot in a federal election. Currently it is illegal for a non-citizen to vote in...
Lawmakers say two recently passed bills save motorists time, enhance convenience
(The Center Square) – The Illinois legislature voted to provide motorists an option at the DMV of a four-year or eight-year driver’s license. They also approved the option of having a digital driver's license. State Sen. Andrew Chesney, R-Freeport, who supported Senate Bill 275, said the eight-year license is double the cost, but the time savings and convenience will be attractive to many motorists. Similarly, Chesney called House Bill 4592 a "good bill" in a news release. ...
Central Illinois Braces for Potential Tornadoes, Damaging Winds Tonight
Central Illinois – Severe thunderstorms are forecasted to track southeast across central Illinois tonight, posing significant risks to residents. The National Weather Service (NWS) in Central Illinois has issued a warning for damaging wind gusts and isolated tornadoes, with the primary storm window between 9 p.m. and 3 a.m.
Maaco Opens 16th Location in Illinois
Maaco announced that Bobby Kehagias has opened Maaco’s newest retail center located at 3232 W. Grandville, Waukegan, Ill. Kehagias has had a longtime passion for the automotive industry and has loved being around cars since he was a child. After a 25-year corporate career for a retail company, Kehagias wanted to pivot to a new path that revolves around one of his passions — cars.
Federal court issues split decision in Illinois inmates’ quest for greater mail and media access
CHICAGO (CN) — Illinois inmates at the Will County Adult Detention Facility won a partial legal victory Monday, with a federal judge in Chicago ruling that several of the jail's media and mail policies violate their civil rights. U.S. District Judge LaShonda Hunt, a Joe Biden appointee, found the...
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