New OKC cafe provides job training to those experiencing homelessness
Rise Cafe, located at 725 W. Reno Ave. in Oklahoma City, provides employment and resume building for those in the community experiencing homelessness.
Addison Kliewer, Oklahoman
Those experiencing homelessness in the Springfield area will soon have more options for shelter, according to a press release.
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The Kitchen Inc. will break ground at 11 a.m. Jan. 10 on a second group of units for its Emergency Shelter program.
The new group will feature 12 modular units at 1855 E. Chestnut Expressway, each of which has a private bathroom and kitchenette. A half-court basketball court will also be part of the addition, adding to already-existing amenities that include a laundry room, computer room, playground, animal kennels and on-site case management, according to the press release.
“This expansion addresses Springfield’s urgent need for temporary housing solutions, offering a supportive environment for families and individuals as they transition to permanent housing,” said Meleah Spencer, CEO of The Kitchen Inc.
What is the Emergency Shelter program?
The Emergency Shelter program opened in November 2018 with 13 units and a 50-bed capacity, according to The Kitchen. It is a 90-day program that provides temporary shelter for individuals and families experiencing homelessness.
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“This program creates a path to permanent housing and this expansion marks a significant step in our mission to end homelessness in Springfield,” Spencer said in the press release. “In shelter, participants have the safety and support to address their barriers to stable housing. Case Managers work with these individuals to connect them with the necessary resources. Emergency Shelter 2.0 will provide a safe haven for individuals and families, giving them the resources and support they need to rebuild their lives and achieve independence.”
More: Springfield’s Victory Mission + Ministry provides resources, meals for more than 1,500
Illinois has seen more tornadoes in 2026 than in any year on record.
Following several more tornadoes confirmed this week across the state, Illinois has recorded 143 tornadoes so far in 2026, beating the previous record of 142 tornadoes set in 2024. With reliable records dating back to 1950, Illinois averages just 54 tornadoes per year. But in recent years, the state has experienced many more:
2023: 121
2024: 142
2025: 126
2026: 143 and counting
Unlike 2024, when a record two-day tornado outbreak accounted for a large share of the year’s tornadoes, the activity in 2026 has been spread out across several months.
On Thursday, June 11, a tornado outbreak brought at least 21 confirmed tornadoes to northern Illinois and northwest Indiana, 13 of them in Illinois. Two tornadoes that day — in Streator, Illinois, and Hebron, Indiana — reached rare EF-3 intensity, with winds over 135 miles per hour. Numerous injuries were reported from the storms, but there were no fatalities.
Confirmed tornadoes from June 11:
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Long Point to Streator, IL: EF-3
Wenona/Osage Township, IL: EF-1
Graymont to Dwight, IL: EF-1
Lee, IL: EF-U
Harpster to Elliott, IL: EF-0
Pembroke Township (Leesville), IL: EF-U
St. John to Schererville, IN: EF-0
Paxton/Loda, IL: EF-1
Merrillville to Hobart, IN: EF-2
Ludlow, IL: EF-1
Cedar Lake, IN: EF-0
Schneider to Hebron, IN: EF-0
Watseka, IL: EF-0
Hebron to Kouts, IN: EF-3
Wellington/Prairie Green Township, IL: EF-1
Bartlett, IL: EF-1
Boswell to Atkinson, IN: EF-1
Ade to Mount Ayr, IN: EF-0
Naperville to Lisle, IL: EF-0
Hickory Hills to Garfield Ridge: EF-2
Morocco, IN: EF-0
Though most of the Chicago area dodged severe weather from storms this week, the National Weather Service confirmed a brief tornado touchdown Wednesday night in Lake County near Grayslake. The EF-0 tornado had estimated winds of 80 miles per hour and was on the ground for about a quarter-mile. Damage consisted of several downed or split trees and sporadic minor roof damage along a narrow corridor in the Saddlebrook Farms subdivision.
Four more tornadoes were confirmed Wednesday in western and central Illinois. NWS crews are still surveying damage in central Illinois, and more tornadoes may be added to the count in the coming days.
With 143 tornadoes so far this year, Illinois leads the nation in tornado count for the third time in the last four years — a remarkable statistic for a state not typically thought of as being in Tornado Alley.
The recent increase in tornado activity across Illinois and the Midwest fits research showing a shift in tornado-favorable environments away from parts of the traditional Plains Tornado Alley and farther east into the Midwest and South. Climate change is one likely factor, as warming temperatures are expected to make the Plains hotter and drier overall, shifting tornado ingredients eastward toward the Mississippi River.
BEECHER CITY, Ill. (WAND) – Farms were damaged in Effingham County Wednesday evening when a powerful storm swept through at around 8 p.m.
The McKay Farm in Beecher City was heavily damaged when the rapidly moving storm hit.
“Two buildings were totally destroyed,” Dan McKay told WAND News on Thursday. “We’ve got five grain bins and they’re all damaged.”
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The buildings collapsed onto farm equipment and a semi that were parked in the structures. A utility pole was snapped and ripped out of the ground.
In nearby Shumway, another farm was hit. A barn collapsed, with a grain bin being ripped apart and debris traveling several hundred feet through a nearby corn field. A house on the property was also damaged.
