Quick hits: Illinois news in brief for Friday, March 4, 2022
Fuel prices high across the state
The price of a gallon of gas in Illinois has surpassed $4 a gallon.
According to AAA, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine caused oil prices to surge above $110 a barrel for the first time in a decade. The average price of gas in Illinois is now at $4.02. According to a AAA survey, 56% of Illinois drivers say they would start to change their driving behaviors given the current price of gas.
More than 1 million COVID vaccine doses wasted
As demand for COVID-19 vaccines dwindles in Illinois and around the country, states are scrambling to use stockpiles of doses before they expire.
The Illinois Department of Public health website shows the state has more than 1 million doses of vaccine that are unusable.
Program managers say that tossing out doses is inevitable in any vaccination program because of the difficulty in aligning supply and demand for a product with a limited shelf life.
Measure would covert abandoned properties for homes
Illinois lawmakers passed a proposal Thursday to create a new statewide program to reclaim abandoned properties and convert them into new homes for people in need.
Republicans voiced concerns that the bill would be funded by $30 million in state appropriations, but if the state couldn’t cover the full amount, the Housing Development Authority would be allowed to dip into ARPA funds.
Search underway for coolest thing made in Illinois
The search is on for the coolest thing in Illinois.
The Illinois Manufacturers’ Association is launching its third annual “Makers Madness” contest in which the public will vote which product earns the 2022 title.
Previous contest winners include a mining truck made by Caterpillar, Inc., which is the world’s largest mechanical truck, and a self-regulating traffic signal heater by Termico Technologies which remains free of ice and snow so drivers can see the traffic signals.
Serial stowaway to be put away
A woman dubbed the “serial stowaway” for her repeated attempts of sneaking past security at airports and getting on flights is headed to prison.
Seventy-year-old Marilyn Hartman pleaded guilty to felony counts of criminal trespass and escape from electronic monitoring and was sentenced to more than three years in prison. Hartman was able to board a plane from Chicago to London, England without a ticket in 2018.
Trapped hawk freed from hardware store
A red-tailed hawk trapped in an Illinois home improvement store is free again.
Wildlife experts tried mice and a dead quail in an effort to entice the bird to leave a Menards in Bradley, but efforts failed. While the store was closed, a technician from a bird removal company used a trap and was able to capture and release the bird outside the store.
Disclaimer: This content is distributed by The Center Square
