Storms bring damage across state
Strong thunderstorms moved through Illinois Thursday, downing trees, blowing over semis and knocking out power to thousands.
Normal police were asking residents to avoid certain areas because of numerous downed power lines. Illinois State Police responded to I-57 near Tuscola after high winds rolled over multiple semis.
At one point, utilities reported nearly 20,000 people in Springfield were without power, and more than 9,000 in Decatur also were without power.
State grows rainy day fund
On Friday, as required by the Illinois state fiscal year 2023 budget, the final deposit will be made into the Budget Stabilization Fund, and the state of Illinois’ Fiscal Year 2024 budget will deposit an additional $138 million. That will boost the fund to over $2 billion, the highest balance in state history.
Illinois created the Budget Stabilization Fund in 2001 with the intent to use it as a ‘rainy-day’ fund for future fiscal emergencies or economic downturns.
Cahokia Mounds app recognized
The Cahokia Mounds Museum Society is being honored. The museum received an award of excellence from the American Association of State and Local History for “Back to the City of the Sun,” the site’s augmented reality experience for visitors.
The exhibit brings the past to the present with audio and video through an app. On the tour, visitors can see the temple that once stood on Monks Mound and other cultural aspects of the site that were present 1,000 years ago through the camera of a smartphone or other device.
