State regulators work to avoid federal Clean Air Act sanctions
Continued noncompliance could result in loss of federal highway funding.
Smoke from Canadian wildfires returns to Midwest
CHICAGO — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has posted air quality alerts for several states stretching from Montana to Ohio because of smoke blowing in from Canadian wildfires. The National Weather Service said Sunday that “air quality alerts are in place for much of the Great Lakes, Midwest, and northern High Plains … due to…
Strong storms possible later today
The National Weather Service in Lincoln says thunderstorms are possible in Central Illinois after midday on Wednesday. A chance (20-40%) for scattered showers and thunderstorms exists this evening as a cold front slowly moves into the region. A few storms along and south of I-72/Danville may produce damaging wind gusts and hail. Storms may then…
U of I researchers: wildfire air pollution impacts the labor market
Canadian wildfire smoke is not only impacting your health but the economy, says a new study.
Over half of Vermilion County lost power during severe storms in late June. Can solar panels prevent the next outage?
Most homes with solar panels are connected to the utility grid, and they lose power alongside their neighbors for worker safety reasons.
Tornado and drought damaged areas in Illinois will receive disaster funds
Farmers can apply for emergency loans after tornadoes and drought last spring.
Strong storms moving through Central Illinois Wednesday afternoon
The National Weather Service in Lincoln says strong storms are moving through Central Illinois on Wednesday afternoon and evening. Tweets by NWSLincolnIL
Springfield residents go days without power after ‘widespread, devastating’ derecho winds
Observers said the devastation easily matched that of other Springfield-area weather disasters of memory, including a March 2006 tornado and a March 1978 ice storm. The severe weather phenomenon kicked up straight-line winds topping 70 mph and drove rain horizontally.
Live updates: Power restored to thousands; branch debris collection starts Monday
Storms cause damage to Willard Airport in Savoy, flip trailers on interstates and destroy countless trees.
Here’s why you better get used to a smoky stubborn summer in much of America
Neither the 235 out-of-control Canadian wildfires nor the stuck weather pattern that’s responsible for this mess of meteorological maladies are stubbornly showing no signs of relenting for the next week or longer.
Canadian wildfires are causing unhealthy air quality again in Central Illinois
A National Weather Service meteorologist says fires in northern Quebec and low pressure over the eastern Great Lakes are sending smoke to Michigan, Wisconsin and Illinois.
China owns 380,000 acres of land in the U.S. Here’s where
In 2021, a Chinese company bought land near an Air Force base in Grand Forks, N.D., sending lawmakers into a frenzy. Lawmakers feared that China, which many policymakers view as a strategic adversary even though it’s the country’s top trading partner outside North America, could gain control over the U.S. food and energy supply, as…
Midwest hospitals see an uptick in respiratory cases as wildfire smoke swirls in the region
As wildfires burn in eastern Canada, smoke and pollutants drift over the heavily impacted Northeast and into the Midwest. Poor air quality levels in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska, may be hurting people with more sensitive breathing conditions. Some healthcare providers in the Midwest say they are seeing more respiratory illnesses in the past few…
Ancient fish, modern problem: How the pallid sturgeon could be a warning for the Missouri River
The pallid sturgeons outlasted dinosaurs, but human changes to the Missouri River nearly wiped out the prehistoric fish. Some experts think the fish’s struggle could signal larger problems on the Big Muddy, especially as climate change accelerates. Every day in the spring and fall when water temperatures are right, a team of scientists meet at…
Environment | Health | Weather
Alert issued for unhealthy air quality throughout all of Illinois on Friday
Air quality in Illinois is expected to be unhealthy for sensitive groups on Friday, June 5.