Man killed in Interstate 80 crash near Sheffield

A Rockford man is dead from a two-vehicle crash on Interstate 80 near Sheffield.  The accident happened during Monday night’s storms.  District 17 State Police Trooper Craig Graham says Tzantera Bach-Dalton, 48, was stopped on the shoulder of westbound I-80 at mile marker 41 when his SUV was struck from behind by a vehicle driven by Christina Elmers, 18, of Albany, Illinois.  The SUV ended up in the ditch on the north side of I-80 while her Jeep came to rest in the westbound passing lane.  Elmers was taken to Perry Memorial Hospital in Princeton.  Bach-Dalton was pronounced dead at the scene by the Bureau County Coroner’s Office.  An investigation into the crash continues by the Illinois State Police.

Illinois Briefs - 5/22/13

Bill Clinton Backs Gay Marriage Bill

Former President Bill Clinton is backing the proposed Illinois legislation to legalize gay marriage.  Yesterday, Clinton urged the Illinois House in a statement that was distributed by gay-rights advocates.  In the statement, Clinton wrote the nation must extend rights to people who have been previously denied.

Fracking Bill Clears House Committee

An Illinois House committee has unanimously approved a bill to permit and regulate hydraulic fracturing.  The vote came amid chants of "shame" from opponents of fracking who packed yesterday's hearing.  The controversial method of extracting oil and natural gas by using a high-pressure mixture of water, sand and chemicals carries environmental challenges.  The bill that now moves to the full House would require companies to disclose the chemicals they use and test ground water before and after drilling.  The bill has already passed the Senate.

Tornado Relief Volunteers Urged To Wait

The Red Cross is advising Illinoisans who want to volunteer with recovery efforts in Oklahoma City not to go there on their own.  Erin Miller of the Red Cross in central Illinois says people should volunteer through a recognized relief agency like the Salvation Army or the Red Cross and then wait until disaster coordinators in Oklahoma ask for additional help.  In the meantime, the Red Cross says the best way to help is with a cash

Heavy storms bring damage and power outages

A long line of thunderstorms rolled through the area last night, downing trees and power lines, causing road hazards and numerous power outages.  District 17 State Police responded to a two-vehicle traffic accident on Interstate 80 just before 10 pm.  The crash happened in the westbound lane at mile marker 41 ½ near Sheffield.  Injuries and lane blockage was reported.  A request was put in to IDOT for closure of the road.  We’ll have more details on the accident as they’re made available.  A scanner report indicated a tornado near Henry and in Dover, the roof of Ultra Foam was blown off.  Trees and power lines were not only down in Princeton, but about a half-mile east of town on Route 6, a tree was down across the road, blocking traffic from both directions.  Bradford experienced much damage.  The street heading out of town to the east is closed due to downed trees and power lines.  Michlig Ag in Bradford suffered major damage with dryers tipped over grain legs toppled onto bins and roofs ripped off sheds.  In Tiskilwa, trees were down on electrical wires.  The wires were sparking.  Wenona had multiple electric poles down with live wires near the ground.  The storms also left hundreds of customers without power.  As for rainfall totals, most areas reported receiving between an inch-and-a-half and two inches.

Illinois Briefs - 5/21/13

Senate Committee Moves On Limiting Ammo

It looks like a ban on high-capacity magazines is coming.   The state senate is moving a bill that will ban the sale of magazines with more than 10 bullets.  The bill sailed out of committee yesterday with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle voting yes.  It could get a vote on the floor as early as today.  

Tanning Ban Headed To Quinn

Tanning could soon be a thing of the past for Illinois teens.  Lawmakers passed a bill that would ban anyone 18 and under from using indoor tanning beds.  The idea is to reduce the number of cancer cases in the state.  Officials with the American Cancer Society say skin cancer is the second most common form of cancer for people between 15 and 29, and statistics show nearly 25-hundred people in Illinois will be diagnosed with melanoma this year.  But, they say keeping kids out of the UV lights will cut that number down significantly.

Republican Lawmakers Not Happy About Quinn Appointment

Republicans say Governor Quinn may be trying to protect a Democratic candidate for Congress.  Quinn appointed David Gill as Assistant Director of Public Health just one week after Gill announced he was running for Congress next year.  Republicans say the appointment may be a political payoff to keep Gill from running against the Democrats' candidate of choice, Judge Ann Callis.  Callis quit the bench the same day Quinn

More severe weather expected

The sun may be shining but don't let it fool you. There's still a chance of more severe weather.  Severe thunderstorms are expected this afternoon and tonight.  This comes on the heels of a round of tornadoes that ripped through the Midwest.  The twisters caused minor damage in several small towns in Illinois over the weekend.