SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) – HSHS St. John’s Children’s Hospital in Springfield and Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Illinois have teamed up for a new room to help support local families. 

The Ronald McDonald House Family Room will be a centralized space located near the pediatric intensive care unit. 

According to HSHS, the Family Room will have a bathroom with a shower, a refrigerator, a washer, a dryer, a microwave, along with free food items and other snacks. 

RMHC will operate the Family Room through the partnership. 

“The Ronald McDonald House Family Room offers parents a place to step away for just a moment to rest, enjoy a meal, or simply take a breath, knowing they remain only steps away from their child,” said RMHC of Central Illinois Chief Executive Officer Amber Kaylor in a statement. 

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INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — It’s a scorcher with temperatures climbing over 90 degrees. One local hardware store says its items are flying off the shelves as customers try to keep themselves cool.

At Fusek’s Hardware in downtown Indy, the excessive heat has brought additional customers.

Steve Fusek has owned the store for more than 20 years. “We kinda knew it was all coming, and as soon as the hot humid weather hits, it has been this constant procession of people keeping themselves cool.”

Lemmecca Polk has come in to get a filter for her AC. “Because it’s hot and they say it’s going to get even hotter.”

Fusek says they are sold out of many items. “The kid pools are gone already, and the heat is just starting.”

Another hot buy are hoses and sprinklers, and of course, everyone is a fan of fans. “We got a few fans in the apartment, and we’re making sure they’re still plugged in,” said Sydney Maciejewski. “I would like to get those personal fans that I could wear when walking around to stay cool.”

And while the Fusek’s hardware store is great for those items that keep you cool, some customers want to add something a little sweet to the mix. “Popsicles for the kids and also making homemade lemonade,” said Polk.

The local hardware store won’t be in this location for long. Beginning July, they’ll be moving to 609 North Delaware Street, just a few blocks away from the store’s current location.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) – Law enforcement in Johnson County is preparing for hundreds of thousands of visitors this weekend as multiple major events converge on the area simultaneously.

The Savannah Bananas are playing to a sold-out Kinnick Stadium crowd Friday and Saturday. A Big and Rich free concert is scheduled in Coralville Friday night. Downtown Iowa City will host Jazz Fest all weekend.

Residents prepare for the crowds

In University Heights — a small city nestled inside Iowa City — resident Maria Scott said she and her husband moved to the corner of Koser and Sunset eight years ago for the quiet.

“Thought it would be a place to land and raise our family,” Scott said.

During Hawkeye home football games, Scott said, that quiet corner becomes a high-demand parking spot. The family uses their lawn as a parking lot.

“I think we park 35 cars just on this property,” Scott said.

This weekend, the Scott family is preparing for two nights of full capacity on their property.

Police plan for game-day-level crowds

The University Heights Police Department is also preparing. University of Iowa Public Safety posted a message to social media listing the weekend’s events and asking the public to be patient.

University Heights Police Chief Chris Akers said the volume of activity is not typical.

“Is this normal to have this much going on during a holiday weekend? Absolutely not,” Akers said.

Akers said officers will assist with traffic and crowd control and will also work inside the stadium. He said the department plans to treat the weekend like a game day, with tens of thousands of people in the area over two days.

“When you come in to Iowa City, you come in to Coralville, you come in to University Heights, you come to the University of Iowa — be patient,” Akers said. “Realize that after that game, the stadium holds about 70,000 people and everybody wants to get home.”

Scott said community participation helps make weekends like this work.

“Our kids love it,” Scott said. “They always ask, ‘When do the tailgaters come back?’”