State - News, Photos and More on the Windy Citizen

No return to normalcy at NIU

Sun, 07 Sep 2008 13:36:39 -0500

Almost seven months after former student Steven Kazmierczak burst through an unlocked door at NIU's Cole Hall and fatally wounded five students before killing himself, life at the DeKalb campus is returning to normal. But reminders, fears and anxieties linger, even for those not directly affected by the Valentine's Day spree.

Top Senate Republican calls for compromise on capital bill

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 00:00:05 -0500

Illinois Sen. Republican Leader Frank Watson (R-Greenville) has been meeting with Gov. Rod Blagojevich and other Senate and House leaders in hopes of passing a capital improvement bill to repair the state's weakening infrastructure. The bill would generate state and federal funds for road and bridge repairs, school construction projects and public transit.

Bridge repairs hinge on capital funding compromise

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 12:17:17 -0500

A shortage of capital funding has delayed repairs on thousands of Illinois bridges, causing many of them to fall below acceptable safety standards, state transportation officials said Tuesday.

Some 1,400 bridges statewide are in worse condition than the Interstate 35 bridge in Minneapolis prior to its collapse into the Mississippi River one year ago.

Gov. Rod Blagojevich called on state lawmakers to pass a capital improvement bill that would fund major bridge and highway repairs in addition to generating money for education and public housing.

Mass notification system used by military adapted for campus use

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:00:05 -0500

“If you have scrolling LED signs we can display a message over that. We can monitor fire alarm systems, chemical or biological detection, close gates. It’s virtually limitless what we can program WAVES to do,” said Kyle Berry, a technical demonstrator with Cooper Notification.

Protesters lobby Senators to restore $43 million in slashed funds

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:00:05 -0500

More than a thousand demonstrators gathered at the James R. Thompson Center on Tuesday, calling for state lawmakers to override Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s veto of $43 million in funding for alcohol and substance abuse recovery services.

Is the Grand Calumet river worth saving?

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 11:03:26 -0500

The Grand Calumet river meanders for 13 miles—most of it through Northwest Indiana. It winds from a lagoon in Gary to Hegewisch on Chicago’s South Side, and eventually dumps into Lake Michigan.

What it dumps has been a big concern for decades: tons of sludge contaminated with mercury, PCBs and cyanide. There have been efforts to clean up the river.

But in spite of those efforts, the Grand Cal remains one of the biggest threats to the health and vitality of Lake Michigan.

Ill. levee breaches force small town's evacuation

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 10:19:18 -0500

GULFPORT, Ill. - Floodwaters breached two levees in western Illinois on Wednesday and threatened more Mississippi River towns in Missouri after inundating much of Iowa for the past week.

The breaches 45 miles south of Gulfport flooded farmland near the hamlet of Meyer and south of there in the Indian Graves levee district, Adams County Emergency Management Agency spokeswoman Julie Shepard said.

Chain O' Lakes closed following weekend storm, flooding

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 16:41:03 -0500

All Chain O' Lakes waterways have been closed to boaters following weekend storms that caused severe flooding and left thousands in the area without electricity.

State plans to implement pollution collection system for I-294

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 00:06:39 -0500

I-294 brings up images of collecting tolls but, as of 2010, the tollway authority plans to start collecting pollution.

The ongoing $6.3 billion lane-widening project will culminate with the installation of bioswales, depressed patches of land planted with native grasses that help control pollution and flooding from highway runoff.

The bioswales will be installed by the Illinois Tollway along the roadside stretch of tollway running north from O'Hare International Airport to the state line after the existing road is rebuilt.

Political lobbying isn't just for the pros

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 00:00:05 -0500

For the price of an Amtrak ticket, Illinois residents can get off the train in Springfield, walk a few blocks to the Capitol and knock on any senator or representative’s door to discuss legislation that matters to them.

Although often less experienced, concerned citizens bring a personal dimension to legislation that gives them a distinct advantage over professional lobbyists, insiders say.

But that doesn’t mean that there isn’t an art to effective lobbying, and the pros have a few tips to help you hone your skills.

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