|
Contact the WDCB News Dept:
Phone: (630) 942-3700
|
Public Opinion Shifting on Medical Marijuana
posted May 23rd, 2013
Earlier this month, a Fox News poll revealed 85% of Americans believe adults should be allowed to use marijuana for therapeutic reasons. The result represents the highest level of support ever recorded in a scientific poll regarding the legalization of cannabis. Dan Riffle is the director of government relations for the Washington-based Marijuana Policy Project. He says that shift in public support is one of the main reasons why Illinois lawmakers passed a medical marijuana bill last week after years of failed attempts. Riffle tells WDCB News a policy change at the federal level could be on the horizon. He says Congress will likely attempt to implement a national law. If Governor Pat Quinn signs the bill, Illinois would become the 19th state to legalize the medical use of marijuana.
Naperville Moves Forward With Nature Center Plan
posted May 23rd, 2013
The Naperville Park District is getting a piece of more than 15-million dollars in open space grant money. Governor Pat Quinn allocated $400,000 for a project at Knoch Knolls Park. Park District Director Ray McGury says the grant will help shine a spotlight on the more than 200-acre park. McGury tells WDCB News the district plans to build a nature center at the park in south Naperville. He says the facility will try to capture the essence of the DuPage River and the 220 acres of Knock Knolls Park. McGury says the center will be located right on the river, adjacent to the DuPage River Trail and across the street from the Conservation Foundation's headquarters, so the district couldn't have chosen a better spot. The Naperville Park District plans to break ground for the project in July.
McGury wants to have the facility complete and ready to welcome visitors by the summer of 2014.
Both Chambers Over Ride Quinn's Veto
posted May 23rd, 2013
When state regulators wouldn't let Com-Ed raise rates to pay for "Smart Grid" technology, the utility turned to lawmakers. This week the General Assembly rejected Governor Pat Quinn's veto of the utility backed bill. The Citizens Utility Board supported the Governor's veto. CUB Executive Director Dave Kolata says in politics you don't always get what you want. He tells WDCB News the consumer group will now focus on the future. Kolata says studies show "smart grid" can benefit consumers, if it's done correctly. He says not only does the technology improve the reliability of the electric infrastructure, but it can also enhance the efficiency of the state's power system and save consumers money in the process. Kolata says implementation of "smart grid" technology will require the attention of CUB and other consumer protection groups. He says the plan can be good for Illinois residents, if Com-Ed does it right.
Local Tea Party Rallies Against IRS
posted May 22nd, 2013
Tuesday, dozens of Tea Party supporters gathered near the Downers Grove-based Internal Revenue Service office to voice their displeasure. The event was one of several Tea Party rallies held around the country to protest the federal agency. The protests were fueled by recent revelations that the IRS targeted certain conservative groups for extra scrutiny. But some Tea Party leaders believe the incident is also sparking a renewed interest in the organization. Denise Cattoni is the founder of the Illinois Tea Party. She tells WDCB News she’s noticed an uptick in website visits and social media activity over the past couple weeks. Cattoni hopes the momentum continues and draws more people to the Tea Party. In the short term, she wants Congress to conduct an independent investigation to determine whether criminal charges are warranted.
Glen Ellyn Resident Working to Create Memorial
posted May 22nd, 2013
A Glen Ellyn resident is leading an effort to turn an overlooked parcel of land into a memorial for veterans. Ron Aubrey says the idea to renovate Spalding Point was born a few years ago while researching the history of the Glen Ellyn Park District. He uncovered a series of interesting stories about the parcel of land across the street from Glenbard West High School. According to village archives dating back to the 1920’s, Glen Ellyn residents used to gather at Spalding Point to celebrate Memorial Day. Aubrey says somewhere along the way that tradition faded. He tells WDCB News he wants to create a new memorial that honors the sacrifices made by local veterans. Aubrey says the project was made possible by an anonymous $95,000 donation. He’s hoping to start work on the memorial this summer.
Group targets 6-K New Acres of Open Space
posted May 22nd, 2013
For more than 40 years the Conservation Foundation has worked to promote and facilitate open space preservation in the region. The Naperville based organization is renewing preservation efforts. Conservation Foundation C-E-O Brook McDonald says that's why the group released an updated
"Open Space Master Plan" for the county. McDonald tells WDCB News the job of preserving open space in the county is still incomplete. He says the county, forest preserve, park districts and others have all done a wonderful job of implementing the original open space vision over the past several decades, but the job's not done. McDonald says the county's almost there, there' not a whole lot left to do to complete that vision and everyone needs to continue to work together to make sure they finish the job. The plan identified six thousand acres of new or potential open space across the county. McDonald says most of the parcels are small, but they provide important links between existing open spaces and to complete trail systems.
Start of Summer Means Start of Mosquito Season
posted May 21st, 2013
Memorial Day weekend marks the unofficial start of summer and that means spending more time outdoors. The DuPage County Health Department says it can also mean encounters with potentially disease carrying pests. The department’s Dave Haas says the holiday weekend could see the arrival of a new batch of mosquitoes. He says this week’s rainy weather will translate into an annoying weekend. Haas says because of all the rain the region's had it's very likely that we're gonna have a bumper crop of mosquitoes. He says this week's rain will bring an influx of flood water mosquitoes or what he calls "annoying mosquitoes." The flood-water mosquitoes don’t pose a health risk…the mosquito that carries West Nile Virus doesn’t usually show up until later in the year. Haas says you should also be on the watch for ticks…he says the county has seen the number of tick borne illnesses climb in the past 10 years.
General Assembly Creates Civic Education Task Force
posted May 21st, 2013
The state Senate recently approved legislation to create a task force on civic education in Illinois. The House passed the measure last month, now it heads to the Governor’s desk. The Illinois Civic Mission Coalition proposed the idea of the task force and worked with two DuPage County legislators to get the bill through the General Assembly. Coalition chairman Shawn Healy says Illinois currently has some of the weakest civic education requirements in the country. He tells WDCB News the task force will be charged with making a series of recommendations on how to improve the state’s civics offerings.The task force legislation was sponsored by Villa Park state Senator Jill Cullerton and Elmhurst state Representative Deb Conroy. Healy says if Governor Quinn signs the bill, the appointed task force could meet this fall and an issue a series of recommendations by next year.
Local Food Pantry Partners With New York-Based Non-Profit
posted May 21st, 2013
A New York City-based non-profit wants to change the way people think of
volunteering. The New York City Coalition Against Hunger has created a new initiative, “Ending Hunger Through Citizen Service”. The organization is partnering with Naperville-based Loaves and Fishes to sponsor a conference on the topic this Thursday. Loaves and Fishes CEO Charles McLimans says the goal is to come up with better ways to utilize volunteers. He tells WDCB News serving food at a soup kitchen once a month isn’t the only way people can help combat hunger. The “Ending Hunger Through Citizen Service” Conference will be at the DePaul University campus in Naperville.
Glen Ellyn's Former Village President Calls Out Budget
posted May 20th, 2013
Glen Ellyn’s outgoing village president delivered a subtle message to the municipality’s staff and current village board members during his final week in office. Mark Pfefferman elected not to sign the village’s 2013-2014 spending plan. He called the document sloppy and said it fell below Glen Ellyn’s standards. His decision doesn’t affect much, the village board approved the budget by a vote of four to one. But Pfefferman tells WDCB News he wanted to send a message for the village’s current decision makers. Pfefferman decided not to seek re-election. He and new village president Alex Demos are members of the Civic Betterment Party. The organization encourages elected officials to only serve one term. Pfefferman says he has no plans to seek another elected position anytime soon.
DuPage Health Department Offers Free Mental Health Screenings
posted May 17th, 2013
May is national Mental Health Awareness month. The DuPage County Health Department is commemorating the occasion by offering a series of free mental health screenings next week. The Department’s Dave Hass says this is a new initiative. He tells WDCB News recent statistics indicate there’s a tremendous need for mental health resources.
COD and County Partner For First Ever
posted May 17th, 2013
Illinois AARP's Geraldo Cardenas told WDCB News, aging baby boomers are working longer and staying much more active than previous generations.
Serving those active older adults is the goal of a conference Sunday at College of DuPage. COD's Office of Continuing Education and DuPage County Senior Services partnered to host the first ever "Age Well DuPage" conference. Clare Garling is one of the organizers at College of DuPage. She tells WDCB News this event reflects the changing demands of people over 50. Garling says the event is not a senior fair, at all, it's more about the availability of products and services for active older adults. She says the conference will point people in the right direction of a wealth of local services and opportunities. Garling says the conference will also look at employment issues for the county's older residents.
WDCB News Podcasts
