Illinois
Missouri, Illinois push forward with new solar projects
ST. LOUIS (First Alert 4) — Overlooking the bluffs of the Mississippi sits Principia College, a small liberal arts school with a big goal of sustainability. They just broke ground on a solar array that, when complete, will produce nearly 30 percent of the energy for the campus. It’s just one of the projects in the bi-state leaning into the affordability of solar power.
“For us, the solar farm is a statement of our values. So it’s one step, out of a lot of steps, in reducing our energy consumption,” said Dr. Nicholas Johnson, assistant professor of sustainability at Principia College.
State and federal tax incentives mean solar energy is becoming more affordable, and more places are leaning toward clean energy.
On Earth Day, President Joe Biden announced $7 billion in federal grants for residential solar projects serving 900,000-plus households in low- and middle-income communities. St. Louis City will receive some of those grants.
Ameren Missouri says 2024 is going to be a record year for solar.
“In 2023, Ameren generated more carbon-free energy than at any other time in recent history. In 2024 we’re expecting the two largest-ever solar facilities in company history to come online, capable of supplying the energy to tens of thousands of homes. By the end of 2026, we anticipate generating enough solar energy to power more than 150,000 residences,” said an Ameren spokesperson.
According to Ameren Illinois, “energy legislation calls for the state to achieve 100% clean energy by 2050 and contains provisions allowing Ameren Illinois to construct solar and battery energy storage facilities in East St. Louis and Peoria. Construction of the East St. Louis Solar Energy Center was completed in December 2022. The East St. Louis Gross Ave. Solar Energy Center broke ground in October 2023 and is scheduled to be in service by the end of 2024. It will be comprised of solar generation and battery energy storage systems. Construction of the Peoria Solar Energy Center is expected to be completed in 2025.”
Copyright 2024 KMOV. All rights reserved.
Illinois
Do you live in one of Illinois’ wealthiest counties? Here are the top 10 in the state
A recent study from financial techology company SmartAsset aggregated the 10 wealthiest counties in Illinois, ranking them state and nationwide.
The study compared median income, property value and investment income to give each county a “wealth index score,” ranking each accordingly.
Woodford County came in at 13th statewide, with other nearby counties falling lower on the list. Take a look at SmartAsset’s findings about wealth in Illinois and local counties.
What are the top 10 wealthiest counties in IL?
SmartAsset data is based on median income, investment income, median home value and wealth index. The top 10 counties in Illinois are:
- Lake County ($104,553)($144,643)($353,559)(35.31)
- DuPage County ($107,035)($72,712)($401,641)(34.06)
- Kendall County ($106,358)($26,804)($360,529)(31.64)
- Will County ($103,678)($35,444)($339,705)(31.00)
- McHenry County ($100,101)($61,544)($333,572)(30.99)
- Kane County ($96,400)($49,121)($343,964)(29.82)
- Monroe County ($100,685)($34,250)($296,096)(29.59)
- Cook County ($78,304)($116,986)($306,108)($27.38)
- Grundy County ($89,993)($39,720)($290,793)(27.17)
- Boone County ($80,502)($44,572)($250,642)(24.48)
Illinois’ median income is $62,930. The average investment income is $29,748, and the median home value is $151,016.
Where do local counties rank on the list?
Woodford County earned the highest spot in the Peoria area, coming in at No. 13 in the statewide rank. SmartAsset lists the median income as $80,093, the median home value at $198,874 and the investment income as $33,976. Woodford is the No. 712 wealthiest county nationwide.
McLean County ranked just below at 15th in the state with a median income of $75,356. The county reported a median home value of $75,356 with an investment income of $34,164. McLean’s national rank is 786.
Tazewell County took the No. 22 spot on the list. The county reported a median income of $74,606, a median home value of $167,019 and an investment income of 31,594. Tazewell County ranks No. 1,014 nationally.
Peoria County ranked No. 28 on the list, with a median income of $63,409. Peoria reported its median home value as $143,026, and an investment income of $82,322. Peoria falls at No. 1,262 nationally.
What lllinois county has the highest median income?
DuPage County, which holds the No. 2 spot for overall wealth, was reported to have the highest median income at $107,035.
Kendall County, beating its No. 3 spot in overall wealth, had the second highest median income at $106,358. While Lake County ranked as the wealthiest county overall, it had the third-highest median income of $104,553.
Spanning all counties, the overall median income is $62,930.
What Illinois county has the highest investment income?
Lake County was the IL county with the highest investment income, sitting at $144,643.
Cook County, eighth in overall wealth, was second on the list with an investment income of $116,986.
Despite charting at No. 28 in the list for overall wealth, Peoria County had the third highest investment income at $82,322.
What Illinois county has the highest median home value?
DuPage County scored first on the list, with a median home value of $401,641. Coming in second was Kendall County, with a median home value of $360,529, and in third Lake County with a value of $353,559.
What Illinois county had the lowest ranking in wealth?
With a median income of $40,365, Alexander County ranked last out of Illinois’ 102 counties. Alexander County’s median home value is $40,082, with an average investment income of $15,656. The county ranked No. 3,034 nationally.
Illinois
Former state Rep. Eddie Acevedo takes stand in ex-Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan trial
CHICAGO (WLS) — It is week 11 in Michael Madigan’s bribery trial.
The government on Monday called to the stand a former legislator, who has already served prison time himself.
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The former Illinois House speaker is accused of using his position to get Eddie Acevedo two lucrative contracts that did not require him to do any work.
Former state Rep. Acevedo took the stand as a witness Monday afternoon.
A political ally of then-Speaker Madigan, Acevedo is a reluctant witness, who fought and failed to squash the subpoena issued to compel his testimony.
Acevedo waited patiently Monday morning for the handicap access doors at Dirksen Federal Courthouse to open for him. He then waited several hours more before taking the stand.
Acevedo served six months in prison for tax evasion in 2022, and is being given immunity in exchange for his testimony.
Mike Madigan trial live updates: Former state Rep. Acevedo to testify in ex-speaker trial
The government alleges the former assistant majority leader, who left the general assembly in 2017, used his relationship with Madigan to receive two no-work contracts: one from ComEd and one from AT&T, worth over $140,000.
Those contracts, prosecutors say, were bribes given in exchange for the speaker’s legislative help in Springfield.
On the stand earlier, former Madigan aide and AT&T contract lobbyist Tom Cullen, whose contract Acevedo was under, testified he never saw any real work from Acevedo, saying that a report he had been assigned to write “was just kind of a joke.”
Acevedo’s testimony continued Monday evening, and will continue into Tuesday, when the government might rest its case against Madigan.
Madigan and co-defendant McClain face bribery and racketeering charges.
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Illinois
Champaign creative agency named finalist in Illinois flag redesign competition
Meet Peoria Journal Star reporter Christina Avery
Journal Star reporter Christina Avery covers breaking news and trending topics throughout the Peoria area.
A Washington native and his creative firm were chosen as a top-10 finalist for the Illinois state flag design contest.
Clanin Creative submitted eight designs, and one was chosen out of roughly 5,000 entries.
Colleen Hayes, a Clanin Creative graphic designer, conceptualized the flag chosen as a finalist, receiving input from colleagues, including owner Scott Clanin, Oscar Aguilar, Jess Johnston and Jason Reitmann.
Clanin Creative’s flag features 21 stripes to depict rows of crops and open plains symbolizing Illinois’ agricultural history. Three six-pointed stars denote the northern, central and southern regions, and their 18 points reference the founding of the state in 1818. A rising sun, which captures a piece of Illinois’ current flag, symbolizes renewal. The flag’s colors — blue, green and yellow — symbolize unity, agriculture and a bright future, respectively.
Clanin Creative, based in Champaign, acknowledged there are strong feelings surrounding the possible redesign of the state flag. Clanin said his team’s goal was to respect the existing flag while giving it a fresh, contemporary look honoring the state’s diversity and shared values.
“My hope is that design inspires appreciation for Illinois’ past, present and future, while uniting everyone in our state, no matter where they’re from,” Hayes said in a press release.
The Illinois Flag Commission’s Top 10 selections are displayed online. Public voting will begin in January 2025. The public can vote for one of the 10 new designs, or for one of the previous flag designs, including the current state flag, the 1918 Centennial Flag and the 1968 Sesquicentennial Flag.
After the public votes, the Illinois Flag Commission will report the results to the Illinois General Assembly by April 1. Assembly members will vote on whether to adopt a new flag, return to a previous version of the flag or retain the current flag.
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