Illinois
Local girl inspires passage of ‘Bee Bill’ in Illinois – Evanston RoundTable
This week is Nationwide Pollinator Week and State Rep. Robyn Gabel (D-18th) joined State Sen. Laura Wonderful (D-Ninth); Mark Clifton, the manager director of the North Shore Mosquito Abatement District; volunteers from the Clark Road Seashore Chicken Sanctuary, and the 12-year previous star of the afternoon occasion: Scarlett Harper, a rising eighth-grader on the Carleton Washburne Faculty in Winnetka.
The group gathered in Evanston lately to rejoice the passage of Illinois Home Invoice 3118, affectionately generally known as “The Bee Invoice,” which amends the Environmental Safety Act. It restricts using “pyrethroid” pesticides and says that they’ll solely be utilized “if an evidence-based mannequin of utility complying with specified necessities is used.”
The legislation additionally requires that the EPA make guidelines for licensing business applicators of such pesticides in residential areas. It additionally says the EPA could make any vital guidelines to implement the brand new legislation.
Gabel and Wonderful sponsored the laws and shepherded it by means of the two-year-long legislative course of, however the inspiration got here from Scarlett.
A few years in the past, she stated, she observed that her household’s backyard was not buzzing with bees. A nature lover and burgeoning environmentalist, she stated she beforehand had been capable of rely “a minimum of seven totally different species of bees,” however lately she hadn’t been capable of rely even seven bees in whole.
Scarlett stated she did some analysis and located a hyperlink between pesticides and bee inhabitants decline. Teams as various because the U.S. Division of Agriculture, the Nationwide Wildlife Federation and the Journal of Financial Entomology all say that some pyrethroid pesticides are poisonous to honeybees.
Scarlett stated there’s a ripple impact from every motion, even when the impact is unintended.
“Bees pollinate crops, which additionally feed livestock,” Scarlett stated. “One-third of our meals provide depends on them.”
She additionally stated that as a result of remedies’ overuse, “mosquitoes have gotten proof against the pesticides.”
She stated the affect is far-reaching.
“It’s about public well being, our meals provide [and] the steadiness of our ecosystems,” she stated.
Scarlett’s analysis about bees’ affect on the meals provide can also be backed up by unbiased analysis.
The Heart for Meals Security says that, “in North America, honeybees alone pollinate practically 95 sorts of fruits.”
As soon as she discovered the data, Scarlett stated she determined to do one thing about it. She wrote to Gabel, which led to a gathering at which they mentioned her concept – to ban using the pesticides that had been killing mosquitoes but in addition killing bees.
Gabel was enthusiastic and contacted Wonderful, who was on board. Wonderful introduced it to the Normal Meeting and a few of her colleagues from southern Illinois – an space heavy with farmland – contacted her with their issues about how the regulation would possibly have an effect on Illinois farmers. They labored on the language within the invoice to handle the farmers’ issues, and the invoice finally handed with bipartisan help, 111 to 1 within the Illinois Home and 50 to 0 within the Illinois Senate.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed the invoice on Could 27 and it’ll go into impact on Jan. 1.
Gabel introduced Scarlett with a replica of the invoice signed by Pritzker and browse the letter from him congratulating Scarlett on making such an affect at such a younger age. Scarlett’s dad and mom and grandparents beamed proudly as Gabel spoke.
“She’s been very simple to guardian,” her father stated. “That is all her. We don’t push her, we simply kind of get out of the way in which.”
Following the presentation and some images, the group walked over to the doorway of the Clark Road Seashore Chicken Sanctuary, a migratory chicken cease. This space was landscaped particularly in 2015 to draw birds, pollinators, decomposers and different kinds of pure fauna. Ultimately rely, the Evanston North Shore Chicken Membership has recorded sightings for 194 totally different species of birds.
Illinois
Michael Madigan once controlled much of Illinois politics. Now the ex-House speaker heads to trial
Illinois
Officials celebrate completion of $73 million project to preserve shoreline at Illinois Beach State Park near Zion
The governor along with state and local officials celebrated the completion of a $73 million project to preserve the rapidly eroding shoreline at the Illinois Beach State Park near Zion.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and local and state officials gathered on Monday to celebrate the completion of the Illinois Beach State Park Shoreline Stabilization Project.
The $73 million investment provided for the preservation of several miles of natural Lake Michigan shoreline in three areas of the park.
Pritzker said the state park is “one of the many natural beauties that make our state special,” with dunes and swales, sprawling marshes, forests of oak and vast arrays of animal life and vegetation — including the last remaining natural shoreline in Illinois.
“And I am so proud and grateful that we could come together to protect it,” Pritzker said.
“Thanks to all those who tirelessly worked to execute this project – Illinoisans will continue to visit the lakefront here for generations to come, and we’ll keep this habitat and the local economy flourishing,” he added.
Officials say Illinois Beach State Park required immediate intervention to restore the natural lakefront, which was eroding at more than 100 feet per year and putting rare habitats at risk.
The new offshore stone breakwater structures shelter the Lake Michigan shoreline from wave energy and preserve the surrounding ecosystems.
The breakwaters assist in retaining the newly placed sand, slowing down the littoral process, and enhancing public access to the beach.
“Illinois Beach State Park is a natural treasure, and this project ensures its beauty and ecosystem are preserved for future generations,” said Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton. “Protecting our environment is not just about today but about creating a legacy of stewardship that will benefit our communities for years to come.”
Illinois Department of Natural Resources Director Natalie Phelps Finnie said it was a “very real possibility” prior to the project that the shoreline and the landscape beyond it would “vanish forever.”
“By working together, we were able to preserve precious natural shoreline and irreplaceable habitat,” Finnie said.
“In addition to the ecological benefits, this restoration is already attracting more visitors and special events to Illinois Beach State Park, to the Illinois Beach Hotel, and to the surrounding communities, driving more tourism dollars into this region,” she said.
The park remained open to the public throughout the construction of the breakwaters, which led to careful coordination with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to ensure safety and accessibility as 35,000 truckloads of sand were hauled within the park.
The general contractor, Michels Construction, collaborated with landscape architecture firm Living Habitats to install various habitat features at the park, including 10 tern nests, limestone ledges, 36 vegetated ecoblocks, 15 pieces of driftwood habitat salvaged from the area, five rock spurs, custom 3D-printed ecoblocks and 4,000 tons of cobblestone.
Beach Park Mayor John Hucker said the beachfront at the state park has always been a great place to visit for kids of all ages. “It is great to see the improvements completed so future generations can enjoy the beach and all that park has to offer.”
The Illinois Beach State Park Shoreline Stabilization Project marks the first project in the Midwest to achieve Waterfront Edge Design Guidelines (WEDG) Verification.
The WEDG Verification is a national rating system that recognizes resilient, ecological and accessible waterfront projects.
The project was also selected for the 2024 Best Restored Beach award through the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association (ASBPA).
State Senator Mary Edly-Allen, D-Grayslake, called the state park “one of our community’s greatest assets.”
“Over the years I have witnessed the landscape change and evolve, so to now see it revitalized to this magnitude gives me great joy. As a member of both the Senate Environment and Conservation Committee and the Appropriations Public Safety & Infrastructure Committee, this project highlights the investment in assets that cannot be replaced – our environment. I hope the one million annual visitors to the park can see how committed Illinois is to preserving and protecting our environment,” Edly-Allen said.
“Illinois Beach State Park is situated within a larger 4,500-acre complex of globally significant habitat,” Lake County Chair Sandy Hart said.
“Along with other public landowners such as the Lake County Forest Preserves, the Village of Winthrop Harbor, and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, and in partnership with private landowners, a bi-state public-private partnership is caring for this rare dune and swale habitat, which has been designated a Wetland of International Importance. The State’s investment in Illinois Beach State Park will accelerate the protection of this critical landscape,” Hart said.
PEORIA (25News Now) – 2024 was one of Illinois’ busiest construction seasons ever.
With an increase in the state’s gas tax, Illinois spent $249.5 million for 10 major projects in IDOT’s District 4. The gas tax is at 47 cents per gallon for Fiscal Year 2024-2025.
The new eastbound McClugage Bridge is one of the major projects on the list.
“Once the deck is complete, then the contractor can focus on finishing the pavement approaching on the new bridge, installing all new fences and railings,” said IDOT spokesperson Paul Wappel. “There’s still a lot of work to complete, but we hope to open the bridge to vehicle traffic in early December.”
Weather pending, East Peoria’s Streets Department Supervisor Rick Semonski said the nearly $14 million Springfield Road project will finish before the end of October. He said it would not cause any issues for the annual Festival of Lights parade and the famous Winter Wonderland.
“Crews are milling and paving now, which is getting close to one of the final steps,” Semonski said. “The final steps, of course, would be cleanup, striping, and there’s some concrete work to wrap up.”
If all goes according to plan, the project from start to finish would only have lasted six months.
Below is a list of projects the Illinois Department of Transportation provided 25News, which outlines the statuses of the projects. Comments from IDOT spokesperson Paul Wappel are listed in bold.
Peoria County
- Eastbound War Memorial Drive (U.S. 150) at Adams Street (Illinois 29) in Peoria: The current extended lane closure is Illinois American Water. IDOT said they are not sure how long they will be there.
- Adams Street (Illinois 29) between Lorentz Avenue and Eureka Street in Peoria: Will stay the same until the new McClugage opens to traffic.
- I-474 at Airport Road (exit 5) near Peoria: Stage 1 of the project is complete, and the contractor is working on Stage 2 now. Weather permitting, they hope to get the Stage 2 deck poured this year, but the overall completion of the project is not until October 2025. This project is currently well ahead of schedule.
- Illinois 8 just east of Oak Hill; closed: The road is scheduled to reopen by early November.
- Illinois 91 north of Dunlap; closed: This reopened the Friday before Labor Day (Sept. 30).
- I-474 near the I-74/Illinois 6 interchange: The contractor is currently building crossover pavement that will be used over the next two years to reconstruct the bridges on I-474. Traffic control is expected to remain in place until just before Thanksgiving.
Tazewell County
- Illinois 78 over I-74: Currently finishing up stage 1 completing earthwork and Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) and will be switching to stage 2 in about 2 weeks which entails removing the second part of the bridge. The estimated project completion is the end of December, weather permitting.
- U.S. 24 between Cummings Lane and Main Street in Washington: On Monday, October 7th, we will have a traffic shift on US 24 in Washington from Cummins to Main. The road will still be down to one lane in each direction, but we will switch from traffic using the inside (passing) lanes to the outside (driving) lanes. Currently, we are down to one lane in each direction, with traffic using the inside (passing) lanes.
- Ongoing construction to realign the intersection of Nofsinger Road and U.S. 24 in Washington will require lane closures on U.S. 24 that started in May. This stage of the project will reduce U.S. 24 to one lane in each direction between Cummings Lane and Main Street. Work is expected to be completed in October.
- I-155 near Hopedale and at Queenswood Avenue, Broadway Road; Allentown Road, Illinois 122, and Armington Road: The Queenwood Road and Broadway Road bridges over Interstate 155 project in Morton began in August. The project involves replacing bridge joints and resurfacing the bridge decks, and will require lane closures on both bridges through the end of November.
- Cedar Street Extension (Illinois 116/8) in East Peoria: This is part of the ongoing overhaul of the Cedar Street Bridge (Illinois 8/116) across the Illinois River. A new traffic configuration began in August. This is the first of 3 adjacent consecutive projects over the next several years. Currently, we have 2 ramps closed, and we will be closing all 4 ramps on 10/14 for 2 weeks. Hopefully, by the end of November/early December, (weather permitting) we will reopen all traffic on Cedar Street. In Spring 2025, there will be minor closures to paint the bridge.
McLean County
- U.S. 24 2 miles east of Chenoa: Stage 2 is underway. The contractor has completed driving, piling, and currently pouring the abutments. Beams will be set once curing is complete. The project will be complete by the end of November.
- Illinois 9 east of I-55/74 in Bloomington: Contractor continues to replace PCC curb and gutter, driveway entrances, and side roads. The city of Bloomington is nearing completion of the water main relocation, so the contractor can begin the reconstruction of White Oak Road. A pre-pavement meeting is scheduled for next week, as the contractor plans to begin Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) surface removal next week on Market Street and pave new HMA the following week. The estimated completion date is June 2025.
Woodford County
- U.S. 24 west of Eureka: Work on the U.S. 24 bridge continues with two-way traffic shifting from the eastbound lane to the westbound lane, controlled by temporary signals. This configuration is expected to last through October.
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