Burning trash sets field on fire

    For the second time in 4 days, Leonore Fire Department has extinguished a field fire. Thankfully, the acreage affected Sunday wasn’t as large as Thurday’s 70 acres. Leonore Fire Chief Don Miller said a resident on Spring Lake Road, just outside Streator, was burning trash around Noon Sunday.

    Flames jumped over into a field and burned about 5 acres.before firemen could put it out. Brush trucks from Leonore, Reading, Cornell and Long Point were on the scene about 1 hour.

Fire Chiefs instituting “burn bans”

With the dry conditions, the Cedar Point Fire Department is putting a burn ban in effect starting at 7am Monday. The ban is district wide and will remain in effect for 24 hours. Tonica District is already under a burn ban TFN.   Leonore Department has handled 2 field fires over 4 days.

Actor Eddie Murphy honored Sunday

Eddie Murphy will be honored Sunday night in Washington D.C. The comedian, actor, director and producer is this year’s recipient of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.

Dave Chappelle, George Lopez, Kathy Griffin, Arsenio Hall, Trevor Noah and Whitney Cummings are among the stars who will salute Murphy at the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts. Also on hand will be alumni from “Saturday Night Live.”

Murphy drew national attention after joining the cast in 1980 at age 19.

Feds could examine “gun owners’ rights”?

The Supreme Court has so far resisted elaborating on 2 landmark decisions that established a nationwide right to defend one’s home with a gun. That could change with a new appeal filed by gun owners that challenges a Chicago suburb’s assault weapons ban.

The appeal by Doctor Arie Friedman and the Illinois State Rifle Association argues that the city of Highland Park has violated their constitutional rights by banning all semi-automatic guns and ammunition clips of more than 10 rounds.

Heritage Harbor hosting benefit party Sunday

They’re not jumping into the river Sunday for charity; they’re doing something else at Heritage Harbor. Perhaps, building on the success of the annual “Penguin Plunge”, you’re now invited to Heritage Harbor for a “Plunge in and Pig Out Bears Tailgating Party”. A Pig roasting starts at 11am, domestic beer, cash bar, door prizes and 50/50 competition. The Pig Roast buffet is $15 with $3 of each meal going toward the “Make-A-Wish Penguin Plunge” in 2016.

Cold temperatures limited to northern Illinois

   How cold did it get where you live? Here at “Classic Hits 103-9 WLPO” it reached 25 degrees in the 6am hour Sunday. A few other cities got just as cold. Sterling 27, Rochelle 26, and Aurora 26. It appears the further south you go, temperatures were in the 30’s and even low 40’s overnight.

   The National Weather Service expects temperatures to warm to 60 in the Illinois Valley Sunday and 70 Monday. With that warm up, comes wind and the added threat of fire spreading easily because of the dry conditions.