(SPRINGFIELD) Despite Illinois having nearly four million background checks done on gun owning residents in 2023, Illinoisans who want to buy a firearm would have to undergo state-approved training and three background checks if a proposed bill is approved in Springfield. While opponents of the plan say this is the latest tactic to keep law-abiding citizens from buying guns, those in favor say it’s another extra step needed to keep guns from criminals. Some respond by saying criminals do not worry about buying guns legally.
(SPRINGFIELD) As the solar eclipse brings a spectacular show in the sky on next Monday, April 8th, viewers can also follow its path online as the Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring (WARM) program at the Illinois State Water Survey in Champaign offers real-time monitoring of changing weather conditions during the event. Monitoring will begin about 10:00 that morning on the WARM website, at warm.isws.illinois.edu/warm/eclipse. All 19 stations in the Illinois Climate Network across the state, a part of WARM, will be measuring weather impacts and updating the data every minute. Officials anticipate the impacts Monday will be similar to those seen during the partial eclipse in 2017.
(SPRINGFIELD) Speaking of next Monday’s eclipse, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources is sending out a reminder to the public that while visitors to many State Parks in southern Illinois will be looking for places to park, they should be aware of parking spaces for hunters, since Monday is also the first day of the spring turkey hunting season. State DNR officials say each State Park open for hunting will have designated areas for parking.
(SPRINGFIELD) The Illinois Department of Transportation is asking the public to provide feedback on the state’s transportation system and IDOT’s overall performance through its annual Illinois Traveler Opinion Survey. Available now through April 26th, the survey can be taken online by visiting the idot.illinois.gov website. Conducted in partnership with the University of Illinois Springfield, the survey is a chance for people to give their opinion on a range of topics. This year’s survey asks for input from the public on road conditions, ice-and-snow removal, planning priorities, the use of electronic vehicles, and much more.