The Mississippi River impacted by low water levels last summer and fall. Are things improving this spring?

Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford speaking to the RFD Radio Network this week.

Governor JB Pritzker has floated the idea that about a billion dollars is needed to rebuild and replace two prisons - one in suburban Will County and another in Logan County.

There has been worry that the woman’s correctional facility in Logan County would be torn down but not rebuilt in the same area and now a recent IDOC report says it prefers the woman’s prison to be moved to Crest Hill and built next to a new Statesville Correctional facility. Governor JB Pritzker says a long process still needs to play out before any prison closes and jobs and prisoners are moved from one part of the state to another.

Logan currently serves as one of the state’s two prisons from women. Much of its structure dates back 90 years ago.

The American Red Cross is in need of blood during the summer months at least as much if not more than during the rest of the year, according to the head of the agency. 

As a rule, donations fall off between May and August, but there are numbers that indicate they are seeing the lowest number of donors in the last 20 years or so. Red Cross Executive Director Beth Elders says they need more people to donate as often as they can.

She says it’s important that donors make an appointment to give now before heading out for summer activities to help maintain a stable blood supply in the coming months. You can find information about how to donate here: www.RedCross.org

The Bears have a plan to spend $2 billion of their own money on a $3.2 billion stadium to be built on the lakefront in Chicago. 

But it also needs as much as $1.5 billion more in infrastructure spending to address future traffic and other concerns. The NFL team figures the state can extend a Chicago hotel tax for decades to come and find more than a billion dollars in other spending to cover the rest. 

Speaker of the House Chris Welch, a Democrat from suburban Chicago, says he told the team last month, this isn’t a great time to ask lawmakers for billions in handouts.

Bears President Kevin Warren said last week, he wants to see lawmakers in Springfield to approve the funding part of this plan by the end of the current spring session.

The Battle Cross Crusaders program from Clinton will be organizing its 11th World War II veterans Drive By Honor Parade to honor Green Valley US Army WWII veteran Richard Lohnes for his 106th birthday on Sunday, May 5 at 3 pm at the Green Valley Fire Department.

Lohnes served as the Green Valley Fire Chief for 26 years and was a volunteer fireman for 32 years as well.

After the honor parade, everyone is invited back to the firehouse and Lohnes will be presented the Quilt of Valor, and a patriotic mural signed by all participants immediately after the honor parade, among a few other gifts from Battle Cross Crusaders. 

They are also working with Operation Song, a patriotic group of Nashville songwriters to have a free song written to Lohnes service which will be played after the Honor Parade and all parade participants are invited to hear it for the first time with him.

T/S Dick Lohnes served in North Africa, as a member of the 756th Tank Battalion that liberated Casablanca in November 1942.

The 756th, an independent light tank battalion, was assigned to different commands but for most of the war was attached to the 3rd Infantry Division.

From Casablanca, they went into Italy after landing at Salerno and were with the first Allied unit to arrive at Monte Casino, and participated in all phases of the drive on to Rome.

Then followed an amphibious assault on the south coast of France on August 15, 1944.

They pushed north through France along the Rhine Valley, reaching Strasbourg on November 26. The battalion experienced heavy fighting early in '45 in the Colmar Pocket, then crossed the Rhine into southern Germany in a successful seizure of the German Siegfried Line.

Followed by the capture of Nuremberg, Munich, and Hitler's personal retreat The Berchtesgaden.

Lohnes's unit was preparing to go into Salzburg, Austria, when the war in Europe ended on May 8, 1945 (V-E Day).

From Casablanca to Salzburg the 756th had traveled approximately 5,000 miles, and from October '44 to May '45 was almost continuously engaged in combat, except for one ten-day period in Italy when it was relieved after suffering heavy casualties.

May is National Eggs Month and a University of Illinois Extension nutrition educator is working to dispell some of the myths around eggs that have taken form over time.

Eggs can be a contentious topic among some health advocates but Caitlin Mellendorf at the University of Illinois Extension in DeWitt, Macon, and Piatt Counties says research shows eggs are extremely nutritious.

According to Mellendorf, advancements in research around eggs are showing that they are very beneficial despite the sometimes perceived risks with cholesterol. She points out research advancements have shown that the cholesterol risks are actually not as detrimental as once thought.

A common question surrounding eggs is the white eggs versus brown eggs and the difference between them. Mellendorf says the nutritional value of a white egg to a brown egg does not change.

Mellendorf says eggs have a lot of versatility and can be prepared or incorporated into meals in a lot of ways. For tips on how to do that, visit extension.illinois.edu/dmp for more from her and other experts at the Extension. 

It's not unusual to see an uptick in domestic disturbances as the cooler spring transitions to summer.

What is concerning is a trend within some of these calls. Monticello Police Chief Rob Bross on the WHOW Morning Show Tuesday told Regional Radio they are seeing an increase in stalking.

According to Chief Bross, in addition to increases in stalking, the department is seeing an increase in domestic calls, something he notes can be typical for this time of the year.

Chief Bross points out, other domestic occurrences they encounter is a dispute that has spilled over from social media, whether it be kids or adults, and they sometimes get called to intervene. He notes law enforcement intervention is not always necessary for those issues.

If you're involved in a domestic violence situation and would like help working through your situation, Chief Bross directs Piatt County residents to contact Willow Tree Missions in Monticello. 

Helping you afford groceries in trying times continues to be the goal of a Clinton grocery store owner.

On the WHOW Morning Show Monday, Clinton Save-A-Lot owner Dave Jackson called the last four years the most challenging time he's seen after decades in the grocery business.

Jackson says several factors are contributing to inflation - not the least of which he says is retailers adding their own increase to goods.

If you shop at Save A Lot, you know you will be hard-pressed to find more affordability in other places and that is something Jackson remains committed to for his customers despite the challenges of the day.

Jackson has hesitated over the years to name retailers in his price comparisons but he has gotten to a point where he feels you should know what his prices are compared to the prices of other retailers in the area.

Jackson has many more thoughts on the continued challenges of making a profit while trying to keep his prices low as well as what he hears from customers about Save-A-Lot and what his outlook is for the industry in the months ahead. 

The McLean County Museum of History's summer camp registration is underway.

Candace Summers with the McLean County Museum of History indicates these camps are for students entering fifth, sixth, or seventh grades. She indicates they are adding half-day camps in July.

Summers says this year's camp has a great slate of opportunities from city interaction to archaeology day and even zoology.

Summers enjoy the Museum's summer history camps because it is an opportunity to give students the chance to tap into and grow their passions for history while learning about the opportunities they might have when they get older.

Visit mchistory.org for more information and registration information on this year's summer camps through the McLean County Museum of History. 

A cool and wet week made continuing planting a challenge for Illinois producers.

State crop statistician Mark Schluessner says just three days were suitable for planting last week in Illinois. It was a cool and wet week.

Schluessner updates on planting progress for the last week...

Pasture conditions improved for the week but worsened from one year ago. Schluessner reminds motorists to be on the lookout for large planting implements on the roads in the weeks ahead. 

Illinois celebrating Bacon Day at the state capital on May 1. Lana Shovlin is with the Illinois Pork Producers Association.

The first-ever “Bacon Day” in Illinois was recognized last year.

Campuses around the county are now flashpoints when it comes to protests over Israel's on-going war in Gaza. Many of the student protests are asking for universities to divest from companies tied to Israel.

Governor JB Pritzker says his staff has been in contact with university presidents around the state and he wants the rights of both sides to be protected.

Student protesters at the University of Illinois remain on the quad.

Ameren Illinois has been honored by the Arbor Day Foundation with the Treeline USA Award. The award, handed out yearly, honors Ameren's efforts in trimming, maintaining, and planting trees. Rick Johnson is a spokesperson for Ameren and he says to receive the Treeline USA designation, Ameren had to meet five criteria

Ameren takes pride in replacing any tree they are forced to cut down by planting a new tree in an area away from power lines.

The Bears made their draft picks this past weekend, but nothing remains set with their new stadium. Governor JB Pritzker says what’s been put on the table isn’t good enough and taxpayers deserve much more in return than what was made in the first proposal.

Last week, the Bears suggested they wanted lawmaker approval on some specific taxes by the end of May.

Derby Day - the biggest fundraiser of the year for the Clinton Community Education Foundation - returns this weekend.

CCEF Treasurer Chris Shaffer says the event is centered around the Kentucky Derby and those who come out always get into it by dressing up Kentucky Derby garb.

According to Shaffer, during the event, there are 50/50 games, a silent auction and when the Kentucky Derby runs, they put on a big screen for everyone to see.

Shaffer reminds the CCEF is a support system for the school district that provides opportunities for students in various ways.

While Derby Day is the primary fundraiser for the CCEF, they also do a mailing campaign in the winter and Shaffer indicates those two fundraisers help them do all the things they do for the schools.

Derby Day is this Saturday, May 4. Shaffer directs anyone interested in attending to visit ccef15.org. You can also contact Shaffer for tickets at 309-826-1955 or Ruth Lowers at 217-519-2071. 

Social Security’s SSI program provides payments to children with disabilities whose families have limited income and resources. 

In order to qualify, the child must must have a medical condition that results in marked and severe functional limitations. Jack Myers with Socials Security explains this means the condition must very seriously limit the child’s activities and the child’s condition must be expected to last for at least a year or result in death. 

Income and assets will affect SSI eligibility so Social Security will want to talk with you about those things. According to Myers, if a child is under the age of 18 and lives at home, we may consider some of the parent’s income as the child’s income tho they do make allowances for other non-SSI eligible children living in the home when we consider parents’ income.

Learn more with the Social Security publication Benefits for Children With Disabilities available at www.ssa.gov or at www.ssa.gov/ssi.

Charting the summer weather outlook for Illinois. State Climatologist Trent Ford has been looking at models.......

Meteorological summer runs June through August.

Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) on the U of I campus of Champaign Urbana have reestablished an encampment of tents on the quad.

Students had begun to take it down this weekend, only to rebuild it later on Sunday afternoon. The University says the tents violate campus rules. The protesters behind SJP want the university to divest investments in Israel.

The protests in Champaign Urbana mirror many around the county, others have turned more combative between police and protestors. US Senator Dick Durbin says protesting is a protected freedom.

Classes are expected to be running as normal on Monday.

With severe weather expected throughout the Midwest this week, the National Weather Service is promoting weather awareness.

Ed Shimon at the National Weather Service in Lincoln says to keep an eye to the sky and be aware of the latest weather forecasts.

After a wet weekend, next week is predicted to be ideal as farmers look to find windows to get the crop in the ground through all this rain. 

Fifth-grade students interested in being a part of The Vault next year are encouraged to attend 'Fifth Grade Night' in May.

Jason Kitson is the Program Director at The Vault in Clinton and says this is an open-house style event for The Vault that allows fifth-grade students to learn more about The Vault.

The Fifth Grade Family Night is Monday, May 6 from 4-5:30 pm. Visit the thevaultclinton.org or find The Vault on Facebook or Instagram.

Encore Developmental Services is recovering from a January flooding incident after a burst pipe did extensive damage to its program spaces.

On the WHOW Morning Show Thursday, Stephanie Coonce, Executive Director of Encore Developmental Services, told Regional Radio the pipe burst in a closet and flooded the entire program area.

Coonce reminds the day services are a core part of the mission of Encore. The day programs give Encore clients a place to go during the day with several opportunities.

According to Coonce, while the flooding forced Encore to close its doors for nearly a month for clean-up and restoration, they were able to make some positive changes to the space to better serve its clients.

Despite not being able to offer services to clients during the month-long restoration, Coonce explains they tried to still have things for their clients to do to keep them active.

Coonce says Encore is fortunate that insurance covered most of the repairs for damage as they continue to deal with getting the facility up to code for the Illinois Fire Marshal's Office. 

We'll have more on that process with Coonce in the weeks ahead on Regional Radio. 

We will see a lot of rain this weekend and even some severe weather but once that moves off, we're in store for more spring-like weather next week. 

Ed Shimon at the National Weather Service in Lincoln indicates next week will be a very pleasant week.

The above-normal temperature signal remains strong as we get into May and Shimon anticipates some very nice weather days in the month ahead.

In addition to some pleasant days in May, Shimon is predicting a very pleasant summer as we continue to see an above-normal temperature signal carry us all the way to next winter. 

Illinois Farm Bureau and the Illinois Specialty Growers Association promoting a great resource highlighting farmers market, local foods, and agritourism.

Raghela Scavuzzo serves as Illinois Farm Bureau Associate Director of Food Systems Development.

Moving past the brick-and-mortar projects and to infrastructure projects is the focus of Warner Hospital officials.

That's according to CEO Paul Skowron who on the WHOW Morning Show Wednesday told Regional Radio the emergency room renovation and the west side entrance will continue this year. In fact, he points out the west side entrance has experienced a setback in its timeline of completion.

For Skowron and his administration, this year is about moving past the things visible and onto their electronic medical records update.

Among those visible projects they hope to have completed very soon is the new storage unit going up on the east side of town between Wallace Fields and Love It Once More Thrift Store.

The grant is from the State of Illinois and Skowron points out it will become a storage space for emergency supplies.

As the physical projects conclude, the next big project is the electronic medical records project. Skowron points out this is necessary on several fronts. The current system the hospital has is outdated but it will also bring them in line with the larger hospital systems.

According to Skowron, the new electronic medical records software will also allow patients to make appointments and even get access to their own records.

Skowron indicates that effort will get started very soon and will take time to have in place.

He notes they have financially been preparing for this for a couple of years knowing this was going to eventually be necessary. 

DeWitt County has a new EMA Director.

Board Chair Dan Matthews indicates the Board approved the hiring of a new EMA Director after Micah Gallardo resigned for a new opportunity. Will Pavelek takes over the position starting May 20. 

While the County awaits the new director to take over, Matthews indicates Gallardo is still stepping in where he can. Matthews wishes Gallardo well in his new professional opportunity.

Matthews points out Gallardo started in DeWitt County right out of school. He feels it is a nice pipeline they have created to establish relationships with local universities to give young people looking for a jumpstart to their careers the opportunity to work in DeWitt County.