Illinois
Illinois grape growers prepare to take on spotted lanternfly
:quality(70):focal(1380x990:1390x1000)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tronc/WLDPHMDYLNDEZOS2TTGNSM4A5Q.JPG "Illinois grape growers prepare to take on spotted lanternfly")
At least once a week, Ethan Wirth grabs his pest management book and traverses the 5-acre vineyard at DC Estate Winery in South Beloit. As he looks at the grapes, he’ll sometimes reference the book, which lists common insect and fungal issues.
“Scouting,” as the 33-year-old operations manager called it, is an important step in creating high-quality wine. It also might be the primary way grape growers ward off spotted lanternflies. The moth-size invasive pests eat vines, which can damage or kill the grapes.
“I’m definitely concerned about it,” Wirth said. “It’s just one more thing that we’ve got to scout for and know the best plan of attack for treating that issue.”
The black spotted insects were identified for the first time in Illinois in September. Since then, there’s been at least seven more positive sightings, according to Scott Schirmer, the nursery and northern field office section manager at the Illinois Department of Agriculture. One of them was in DuPage County, while the rest were in southern Cook County, he said.
Schirmer doesn’t expect them to cause “widespread plant or tree death” across the state, at least in the near future. But they may have more immediate impacts on the “agritourism industry,” including orchards, pumpkin patches and vineyards, leaving businesses like Wirth’s looking for solutions.
“A lot of grape growers, the winery is also maybe a bed-and-breakfast, but then you come drink wine and sit and watch the sunset, and nobody wants to do that or have a wedding there when there’s insects flying all over or there’s sticky, sooty honeydew everywhere where you sit or walk,” said Kelly Estes, a state survey coordinator for the Illinois Natural History Survey.
Native to East Asia, the spotted lanternfly was first detected in southeastern Pennsylvania in 2014. They’ve steadily made their way west, clinging to wheel wells on vehicles or boarding trains and planes, and laying eggs along the journey. They’ve also been identified in Indiana, Michigan and Ohio.
High levels of traffic and movement within Chicago make the region vulnerable to the introduction of invasive species, Estes said. The bugs can sneak into small cracks and crevices during travel, and most of the time people don’t know they’re along for the ride, she said.
“Our focus has been on the northeast part of the state and Cook County in particular,” she said. “You think Illinois, cornfields and Midwest, but you look at the Chicagoland area specifically with airports and industry and rail — there’s many different ways things can move through there.”
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In fact, the first confirmed sighting of a spotted lanternfly in Illinois on Sept. 16 was by a resident in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood. The resident told the Tribune she noticed the bug while walking her dog near North Broadway and Briar Place.
To prevent the bug’s population from becoming “very established,” Estes said authorities are mainly focusing on early detection and education. She encourages anyone who spots the bug to report it to lanternfly@illinois.edu; the site has already garnered more than 100 responses, she said.
As winter approaches, the time of year when adult lanternflies freeze to death, Estes said it’s important to look out for their eggs. She described a “grayish brown putty laid over top of the eggs,” and said they can be on “just about anything” from telephone poles to trees to rusty metal.
After taking a photo, Estes said it’s best to crush the adults. To kill the egg masses, scrape them into a container with hand sanitizer or rubbing alcohol. See it, snap it, squish it, Estes said.
Schirmer added that people should check their vehicles, boats and campers for the eggs. He said the research and regulatory communities “are continuing to learn” about the insect’s behaviors, potential impacts and effective management strategies.
“Early detection is key in this effort,” he said. “The Department of Agriculture and its partners will continue to monitor the area, work with impacted property managers on best management practices and follow up on reports in the future.”
Some in the wine and grape industry have concerns with a wait-and-see approach, especially after seeing millions of dollars in damages in other states because of the bugs. One study using data from the 2017 Census of Agriculture and a survey of crop production experts calculated a $43 million economic impact to Pennsylvania agriculture, with fruit growers the hardest hit.
When spotted lanternflies feed on vines, farmers might lose grapes that year, Estes said. But she said what is perhaps more concerning is that the health of the vines could be affected for years to come.
“We’re not exactly sure how it will impact grapes in Illinois, but the threat is definitely there,” she said.
Ryan Phelps is vice president of the Illinois Grape Growers and Vintners Alliance, a nonprofit that supports the nearly 165 wineries and tasting rooms across the state. He’s also the chief operating officer at Walker’s Bluff vineyard, in Carterville, Illinois.
He first heard about the spotted lanternfly about a decade ago while working as an instructor at Western Kentucky University. He knew that the bug would eventually spread throughout the country but wants the state to ramp up its containment and eradication programs to give the industry more time to prepare.
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“We’ll do what we can to control it. It being an invasive species, it would be nice if the state would do something to try to eradicate it,” Phelps said.
While Phelps doesn’t think it will be “overly difficult” to control the bug’s population with insecticides, buying the right product in sufficient quantities could present an “economic burden.” Beyond the grapes, he’s also worried about them damaging the aesthetics of some of the businesses. Customers might hesitate to book a wedding, for example, at a winery, Phelps said.
Estes said she also recognizes that much of the state’s agritourism industry is made up of “multifaceted” businesses. She said she hopes to work with grape growers to develop management programs.
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To make a property “less attractive” to a spotted lanternfly, Schirmer recommends that people remove their preferred host species, primarily tree of heaven and wild grape vines. He said getting rid of their food sources means they will “be less likely to have a strong affinity” for the property, and won’t show up, feed or “do any significant hanging around.”
Overall, Estes said it’s not all “gloom and doom,” adding that there’s no need to panic yet in Illinois. Over the winter, she said the state will focus on creating an action plan to handle the spotted lanternfly. As business slows down at DC Estate Winery, Wirth is also going to do much the same.
“We’ll definitely be doing some of our own research, and more in depth,” Wirth said. “I’m sure the (vintners alliance) will touch base in one of their classes, and we’ll make sure we’re present and take as many notes as we can.”
rjohnson@chicagotribune.com
Illinois
Illinois or Northwestern? Voters picked the team they hope will win Saturday at Wrigley Field
Northwestern will be the home team Saturday against Illinois at Wrigley Field. Yes, in football. Some of you probably have been too busy sticking pins in your George McCaskey dolls to realize this was about to happen.
In this week’s “Polling Place,” your home for Sun-Times sports polls on the social platform X, we asked which team you’d rather see win the battle for the “Hat” trophy.
“It means more for Illinois,” wrote @JeffreyCanalia, referencing the Illini’s 8-3 record and opportunity to get into a New Year’s bowl game.
Next, we asked if Luke Richardson is the right coach to lead the Blackhawks into their next winning era.
“Nope,” @arrosen76 commented. “He’s not a rebuild coach. He’s a win-now coach.”
“I would like it if he stopped changing his lines so much,” @MeersmanChris offered. “Has he heard of consistency or chemistry?”
Last, we asked how often you’ve been betting on sports.
“Much, much less often than in 2020-21,” @DeyoSahler wrote. “It’s so difficult to win consistently.”
That’s true in gambling. It’s also true for pretty much all Chicago sports teams, just saying.
On to the polls:
Poll No. 1: Which team would you rather see win Saturday’s game at Wrigley Field, Illinois or Northwestern?
It’s time for this week’s “Polling Place.” Let us hear from you! Selected comments will appear in Sunday’s paper.
Poll No. 1: Which team would you rather see win Saturday’s football game at Wrigley Field, Illinois or Northwestern?
— Chicago Sun-Times (@Suntimes) November 29, 2024
Upshot: A 70-30 vote split in favor of the visiting Illini goes perfectly with the 70-30 crowd split we’re bound to see in favor of the Illini.
Poll No. 2: Is Luke Richardson the right coach to help make the Blackhawks winners again?
Poll No. 2: Is Luke Richardson the right coach to help make the Blackhawks winners again?
— Chicago Sun-Times (@Suntimes) November 29, 2024
Upshot: The Hawks went 26-49-7 for 59 points in Richardson’s first season. But then they got it together and went 23-53-6 for 52 points in his second season. Wait, is the second one worse than the first one? Never mind.
Poll No. 3: How often are you betting on sports?
Poll No. 3: How often are you betting on sports?
— Chicago Sun-Times (@Suntimes) November 29, 2024
Upshot: Don’t worry about what others are doing, OK? You just worry about picking that 11-team parlay today that’s totally going to come in.
ILLINOIS — On the weekend, we present a week in review of the top stories and headlines from all across Illinois. Here’s a roundup of some of the most-read stories across the state. You can also find your local Patch and catch up on those stories by clicking here.
Murder Charge Filed In I-80 Road Rage Shooting Death
State police responded to a 911 call of a shooting on I-80 and found a 30-year-old man who had been shot to death after a road rage-related crash, officials said.
Detective Killed In Shooting
Police said the officer, 40, was fatally shot after responding to a report of an armed person leaving a bank. The person accused in the shooting was also shot and is hospitalized, police said.
Happy Friday, Illinois Land!
Instead of doing the usual column with post-Thanksgiving word puns involving side dishes and jokes about turkeys, I will use my time to point out a few things that I now know about college basketball in 2025, and the place that Illinois occupies inside of that stratosphere.
I will also discuss where Illinois fits into the landscape of the Big Ten. I think you’ll like how I see that unfolding. My pending Big Ten Analysis will highlight the lack of good depth in the conference.
It is not exactly a banner year for the Big Ten in men’s college basketball. To say the least.
Despite the fact that the Big Ten has dropped in the national landscape, and despite the fact that Illinois lost to a True Elite in 2025 against Alabama in Birmingham by double digits, it’s great beyond words to have a head basketball coach leading your program playing basketball the way it needs to be played at this present date.
Brad Underwood has turned Illinois into a National Program. Do not confuse this with being a national powerhouse.
As I see it, here are the five levels of Illinois basketball. National Championship Contender can replace Blue Blood for Illinois. There was no way for me to get in a shot at Indiana and its fans unless I constituted it this way.
For reference: Indiana is now No. 61 in KenPom (76 in OER, and 51 in DER). I was told that they are the conference favorite. I was also told Illinois cannot play defense. More on this in a bit.
- Conference Bottomfeeder (Year 1-2): 26-39 in his first two seasons, 11-27 in the Big Ten. I would call this 1990s Era coaching. Up the line, full court pressure, etc.
- Respected NCAA Tournament Team (Year 3+): This will be five-straight non-bubble NCAATs for Underwood, six if you count the COVID-19 cancellation of 2020.
- Big Ten Power (Year 3+): In turn, this makes you a Final Four contender on semi-annual basis, at a minimum. I don’t mean make a Final Four, but be a Top Four seed. No one believes that NC State had a better season than Illinois last year.
- National (and International) Program (Year 4+): Playing games on CBS on Thanksgiving by request, re-hiring arguably the country’s top assistant coach (Orlando Antigua), signing two potential lottery picks from two countries outside the United States. I could go on, but I won’t. You get it.
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- Blue Blood (Never): This outdated term continues to keep Indiana fans from jumping off the nearest bridge for the last three-plus decades. Illinois will never be here. UCONN can’t get into the club with six National Championships since 1999.
Having said that, I’m going to say this.
John Calipari is in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He has taken three different programs to the Final Four: Massachusetts, Memphis and Kentucky. He is an all-time great coach with a dazzling record (814-260, for a .758 winning percentage).
Calipari won an NCAA Tournament and cut down the nets in 2012, his third year in Lexington leading the Cats. He was outstanding at Kentucky (410-123), winning games at a .769 clip during his 15-year tenure.
He inexplicably missed the NCAA Tournament twice, going just 9-16 in 2021. His last three years, Kentucky lost 30 games and twice in the NCAAT to vastly inferior teams against No. 15 St. Peter’s and last year against No. 14 Oakland.
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Please read the words I type. Do not create a false narrative around comparing Calipari and Underwood, in totality.
Underwood certainly has not had the career of Calipari — it’s not close — nor will he likely end up in the Hall of Fame anywhere outside of Champaign. Not impossible, but not likely.
Looking to the future, it’s clear which coach of the pair from the Thanksgiving matchup in Kansas City has the brighter future. This isn’t close, either.
While Underwood’s Illini blitzed Arkansas with a barrage of threes, high ball screens and floor spacing for play makers, Calipari and Kentu…Arkansas…had a plan “to attack the rim all game,” according to Calipari post-game.
Arkansas ATTEMPTED 17 threes. Illinois MADE 15. Illinois was +30 in in this category.
Frees (points at the free throw line) and threes (points behind the arc) is something I look at during every halftime, and after every game.
Illinois was +29 in this category. BU’s squad scored 90 points on the elite Arkansas defense, which was ranked No. 8 in KenPom DER prior to the contest.
The Illini had 60 of their 90 points (67.7%) of their points on Frees and Threes. Check on this stat every game that Underwood and Illinois play the entirety of the season. It will likely tell the story.
Factor in 2P% defense and you can get the winner of every game Illinois plays this year. The defensive strategy of Illinois is to defend the bucket and the arc. Despite giving a bucket full to Alabama in the lone loss (100-87), Illinois is currently No. 21 in DER.
Let’s take a look at pace of play, and how it affects efficiency, from a large scale perspective. What Illinois is doing is hard to copy.
For that matter, the Illinois offense is now No. 18 in OER (Offensive Efficiency Rating). Of the top 21 in DER on KenPom, Illinois has the FASTEST tempo, at No. 36.
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In summary, Illinois plays in the Top 10% in pace of play and ranks even better in efficiency at both ends. It’s not only extremely difficult to do, but largely unnecessary.
When you play fast and efficient on offense, defense lessens in importance in direct correlation with how more efficient your offense can be. In short, play fast and good on offense and you outscore your opponent and win based on simple math.
Here are the avearages for defensive and offensive efficiency. The lower the number, the faster the pace.
Top 5 DERs in terms of pace average: 260.6
Top 5 OERs in terms of pace average: 66.8
Illinois pace of play: 36 (Top 21 in both DER and OER)
I know it’s a lot of numbers. I get it. Underwood has embraced the numbers game and turned Illinois from a Big Ten Bottomfeeder to a National Program.
You may not like it, but you’re gonna learn to love it.
Please take The Scientific Poll.
Poll
What is the win ceiling for Illinois men’s basketball in 2024-25?
This is threes and frees. This is creating space. This is the winning formula.
This is Illinois Basketball.
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