NEWS NOTES ON WGFA for Monday, March 9, 2009 >
Storms sweep area, thousands without power…. Alcohol plays role in fatal crash….. South Korean merchant ship awarded for rescue of American sailor, Leo Sherman…. Voter Registration deadline tomorrow….. Area counties among best in crop production….
Weather > A mostly sunny day today after Sunday’s threatening forecast, high today near 54. More showers and T-storms tonight and Tuesday. 1-2 inches are possible tonight and maybe a half-inch tomorrow.
– KCC, Parkland Women’s Basketball teams earn Regional titles–
* Tornado Watches, Warnings, Severe T-storm Warnings, High Wind Warnings and Flash Flooding all found their way into local/area weather forecasts Sunday. The NWS fielded calls all day while emergency management offices and weather spotters had their eyes on the sky much of the day. Thousands were without power Sunday afternoon after storms brought rain and strong winds through East Central Illinois.
Storms moved rapidly through the area in the early to mid-afternoon. By late afternoon, more than 9,000 customers were without power in Champaign County, according to Ameren. Scattered outages were also reported in Iroquois, Ford, Livingston and Kankakee counties. In Vermilion County, more than 100 customers were reported without power. More than 300 outages were reported in McLean County. In Champaign County, most of the outages were in Champaign and Savoy, with almost all customers out of power in Savoy, according to Ameren. Another 250 outages were reported in Sidney.
Flash Flooding posed a threat. Old Route 45 between Clifton and Chebanse in Iroquois County was barricaded by state officials due to water over the roadway. Snapped power poles due to the wind left lines dangling in some areas. Road signs were left leaning. Ameren reported about 30-40 homes may be without power until Monday morning.
* The weather was most noticeable in Kankakee County. The Herscher, Bonfield, Essex communities experienced the start of a series of reported weather patterns. Funnel clouds left 7,800 residents without power Sunday afternoon, but moved out of the area before any tornados could touch down. Aroma Park and St. Anne areas also had reports of funnels. The storm sparked tornado sirens throughout Kankakee County, causing many residents to seek shelter, and closed several roads due to downed power lines, knocked over trees and rising floodwaters on the Kankakee River.
Despite the reports of high water, high winds, power lines down, Kankakee County ESDA director Brad O’Keefe said there was no serious damage. The NWS had a wind advisory in place thru much of the evening. Winds were clocked at 55-62 mph.
* A Hanover Park man was killed and three others injured in a car crash Sunday in Kankakee County. 43-yr-old Severo Medina died in the colission at Route One and County Road 5000-S at 5 pm. State Police report the driver of the car–41-yr-old Serafin Medina–ran a stop sign and collided with an SUV driven by Ernest Carroll of Momence. Police said Serafin Medina and a second passenger, 23-yr-old Isidro Alcantar of Momence, were seriously injured. Open alcohol and marijuana were found in the Medina vehicle. Several charges are on file, including DUI, possession of cannabis, illegal transportation and disobeying a stop sign.
Kankakee County Sheriff’s Police and St. Anne Police and fire were also on the scene.
* The rescue of Gilman (IL) sailor Leo Sherman has brought honors to a South Korean merchant ship. The Coast Guard recently thanked the captain and crew of the merchant ship Auto Banner for its role in the rescue of Sherman off the coast of Madagascar. Three crewmembers including Sherman aboard the Queegueg II were on a two-year voyage around the world when the boat capsized. Sherman was the lone survivor. Quen Cultra of Onarga and Joe Strykowski of Florida were lost at sea. The Auto Banner is a member of the Automated Mutual Assistance Vessel Rescue System (AMVER), which is a computer-based and voluntary global ship reporting system used worldwide by search and rescue authorities.
* Spring flooding and a late planting season didn’t keep three area counties from being among the state leaders in soybean and corn production for 2008. Champaign, Iroquois and Vermilion counties were three of the state’s top producers of soybeans in 2008; and Iroquois and Champaign counties were two of the top six counties for corn production, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture statistics released last week.
The USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service reported that Champaign County was the second-highest producer of soybeans for the year. County farmers produced 11.8 million bushels of soybeans, second only to McLean County. “Champaign County farmers were pleasantly surprised by how good the yields were out there,” said Champaign County Farm Bureau Manager Brad Uken. Not far behind were Iroquois County, in fourth place with 11.4 million bushels, and Vermilion County, in fifth place with 10 million bushels. “The yields were quite good overall in 2008,” said Ford-Iroquois County Farm Bureau manager David Treece. “But not everyone had good yields, since there were pockets of the county where farmers dealt with weather adversity.”
Iroquois County maintained its reputation as the “buckle of the corn belt” in 2008, producing 62.1 million bushels of corn. Iroquois County finished third in the state in corn production behind McLean and LaSalle counties. Treece said it was amazing for county farmers to produce so much corn since flooding delayed planting in Iroquois County. “Some people didn’t get timely planting in the spring, and the later planting caused delays with the harvesting of corn,” Treece said. “Hopefully, 2009 will be even better for corn production.”
* Tuesday is the deadline to register for the April 7th Consolidated Election. Contact your area elections office for information.
* The Lady Cavaliers and the Lady Cobras are headed to the national junior college basketball tournament. The Women’s B-ball team at KCC won its 4th consectutive Region IV District D championship with an 86-76 in over Moraine Valley Community College Saturday. The 25-6 Cavaliers advance to the national tourney in Peoria. The Parkland Cobras Women defeated Illinois Central College Saturday 58-52. Parkland’s Regional C-ship advances the squad to the national tournament at ICC in Peoria March 18 – 21st.
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