Firefighters battle factory fire near Joliet
Firefighters battled a large industrial fire Monday morning at a manufacturing facility near Joliet. Employees arrived at Rovanco Piping Systems and found smoke and called 911. The facility is located near the intersection of I-55 and Route 59 and there are no fire hydrants in the area, so water had to be trucked in to battle the blaze. One firefighter suffered burn injuries.
Ohio River enters flooding status
The Ohio River at Shawneetown has entered major flooding status. The river was expected to crest at 53 feet overnight. Moderate flooding stage is 43 feet. Flooding had already closed down numerous roads in Gallatin County. In the coming days, the communities of Cave-in-Rock and Elizabethtown are expected to be affected by the rising waters.
Lawmakers wants to move USDA to Illinois
An Illinois lawmaker is making an effort to relocate the United States Department of Agriculture to Illinois. State Representative Regan Deering said the USDA should move from what she calls the “swamp” of Washington D.C. to the heartland of central Illinois, specifically Bloomington-Normal or Decatur. Deering said the move would improve coordination with farmers and agribusiness leaders and provide taxpayers with a more cost-efficient and efficient department.
