Illinois
Illinois Department of Natural Resources hosting New Year’s Day hiking event
:quality(70):focal(469x529:479x539)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/shawmedia/6TANQTVQU5H2ZJBNC4PCLWDTKQ.jpg?ssl=1 "Illinois Department of Natural Resources hosting New Year’s Day hiking event")
DIXON – The Illinois Department of Natural Resources wants outdoor enthusiasts to start the year off on the right foot with a First Day Hike at an Illinois state park on Wednesday, Jan. 1.
The IDNR is hosting free, self-guided hikes at 15 state parks across Illinois on New Year’s Day. These parks will feature stickers and special photo opportunities for hikers, who are encouraged to share photos and videos of their hikes on social media using the hashtags #ILStateParks and #FirstDayHikes.
“There’s no better way to clear your head, say goodbye to the stress of the holidays, and welcome a new year than to get outdoors for some fresh air and exercise,” IDNR Director Natalie Phelps Finnie said. “The trails at Illinois state parks are ready and waiting for you.”
The following is a list of participating state parks:
- Beall Woods State Park in Wabash County
- Beaver Dam State Park in Macoupin County
- Cache River State Natural Area in Johnson County
- Castle Rock State Park in Ogle County
- Eagle Creek and Wolf Creek State Park in Shelby County
- Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area in Clinton County
- Ferne Clyffe State Park in Johnson County
- Fox Ridge State Park in Coles County
- Giant City State Park in Jackson County
- Illinois Beach State Park in Lake County
- Pere Marquette State Park in Jersey County
- Rock Island Trail State Park in Stark County
- Sand Ridge State Forest in Mason County
- Sangchris Lake State Park in Sangamon County
- William Powers State Recreation Area in Cook County
First Day Hikes is a campaign in partnership with the America’s State Parks Foundation encouraging participants to hike, bike and visit state parks on the first day of the new year since 1992. Hikers can find trail maps and other useful information at the Illinois First Day Hikes website.
For more information contact dnr.parksadmin@illinois or call 217-782-6302.
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Illinois
Illinois man’s Memorial Day weekend in Key West was derailed after he went bar hopping in a stolen police car
Imagine your unofficial start to summer taking place in Key West, Florida. You’ve made the trip for the Memorial Day weekend from suburban Chicago, and you’ve got plans to enjoy some of the local establishments.
You have an evening of drinks planned on Saturday when all of a sudden those plans get derailed. Bar hopping was likely on the agenda, but there’s no chance doing so in a stolen police car was ever mentioned.
According to the Key West Police Department, John Mack, 38, of La Grange, Illinois, hopped into and took a patrol car from an officer working off-duty at Dante’s Key West Pool Bar & Restaurant.
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Local 10 reports that the KWPD said Mack had been drinking inside the bar and restaurant before the incident, which surveillance video shows took place just before 6:20 p.m. Police say the footage shows him “walking out of the pool bar with two friends and standing a couple of feet away from the patrol vehicle.”
Mack then, allegedly, opened the door, got inside, and drove off, almost hitting two men. A security guard reportedly got the attention of the officer the patrol car belonged to and as other KWPD officers were responding to the bar, Mack drove the car around the parking lot.
An Illinois man was arrested in Key West after allegedly stealing a police car and taking it for a ride. (Getty)
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Police say they later found him nearby outside of the Boat House Bar & Grill. He had successfully, it would appear, drunkenly bar hopped in the stolen police car. While he claimed to have had only three to six Coronas, according to police, he failed the field sobriety test.
They then allege he resisted arrest, which caused him to sustain cuts from a fence. He refused a breathalyzer and wasn’t in possession of a valid driver’s license at the time of his arrest. He only had an Illinois ID card on him.
A Memorial Day Weekend trip to Key West for an Illinois man included an arrest after he allegedly stole a patrol car. (Getty)
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Mack, who is obviously innocent until proven guilty, was arrested on charges of DUI, burglary, grand theft, grand theft of law enforcement equipment, reckless driving, refusal to submit to DUI testing and resisting arrest without violence.
That is a full Memorial Day weekend no matter how you look at it.
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