52,000 deer harvested
Hunters in Illinois harvested a preliminary total of 52,354 deer during the first weekend of the Illinois firearm deer season Nov. 18-20. That is compared to nearly 49,000 deer during the first firearm weekend in 2021.
The top three counties for deer harvest were Randolph, Jackson and Adams counties. Illinois’ seven-day firearm deer season will conclude Dec. 1-4. Other deer hunting opportunities in the weeks ahead include muzzleloader-only deer season Dec. 9-11, and archery deer season, which continues through Jan. 15.
Parking enforcement at malls statewide
Secretary of State Police will be conducting parking stings at shopping malls statewide throughout the holiday season and ticketing individuals who illegally park in spaces reserved for persons with disabilities.
They will be enforcing the provisions of the Parking Program for Persons with Disabilities at shopping centers through the end of December. Drivers caught misusing a placard face a six-month driver’s license suspension and a $600 fine.
Airlines plan route cancellations
In an effort to deal with staffing shortages, many airlines are cutting flights ahead of the holiday season. American Airlines, with a hub in Chicago, announced in August plans to cancel nearly 16% of flights this fall.
Regional airports are enduring much of the impact of all the flight cuts and cancellations across the United States. Some smaller cities have now been left without any airline service at all. Cities like Dubuque, Iowa, are operating with no air carrier.