Free Republic

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WICS/WRSP) — Gov. JB Pritzker’s office hopes Illinois is ready to fully reopen early this summer. The Governor’s Chief of Staff, Ann Caprara, told senators during a budget proposal hearing on Tuesday, April 6, that she hopes Illinois can move into Phase 5 in the beginning of this summer. Phase 5 would be a complete relaxation of all COVID-19 restrictions, such as indoor capacity limits and gathering sizes. Masks are expected to remain.

LANSING, Mich. — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is hinting at a possible timeline for Michigan businesses to return to some sort of normalcy. Speaking on CNN Tuesday night, the governor said continued progress on the COVID-19 vaccine front will be key to our state lifting its restrictions.

A senior minister would not rule out a third lockdown, following government scientists saying that a January 2021 shutdown may be enforced on the nation as payment for having a few days of freedom over Christmas. Environment Minister George Eustace also said on Monday that the even just the beginning of a return to normality might not happen until the summer — only if a vaccine is approved and made widespread.

MADISON — Eric Oertle, owner of Computer Adventure, a sales and service store in Kenosha, Wisconsin’s Uptown district, will have to start all over. Last month, Black Lives Matter rioters destroyed the business Oertle, 71, and his wife, Pat, spent more than 30 years building. For now, the business is boarded up, but the Oertles are in no hurry to rebuild and reopen, as much as they would like to. They’re worried the rioters, the looters, the criminals will come back.

NH Global Cooling on the horizon.

Hot town, summer in the city Back of my neck getting dirty and gritty Been down, isn't it a pity Doesn't seem to be a shadow in the city

Summer is coming early this year, and it has nothing to do with this week’s scorching weather in the Twin Cities. The summer solstice takes place on Saturday at 4:43 p.m. CDT, making it the earliest official arrival of the summer season in 124 years. On Saturday afternoon, the sun’s rays will be directly over the Tropic of Cancer, the farthest north they’ll go all year. As the Earth orbits the sun, it wobbles around on a 23.5-degree axis, giving us seasons as the Earth tilts towards the sun at varying angles. The Twin Cities’ northerly latitude (the 45th parallel,...

SACO (WGME) -- One of the state's largest amusement parks says it will stay closed this summer. Funtown Splashtown in Saco is the latest Maine attraction to cancel or close for the 2020 season.

I need some help and I can't think of a better place to get it then my very intelligent and informed and wise Free Republic community. I have a vacation scheduled for June 5th through the 13th flying from Cincinnati to Las Vegas renting a car from Hertz and going to Zion National Park and the north rim of the Grand Canyon and then Canyonlands and Arches. I would be staying in 3 Inns. Tomorrow on the 18th I plan to call Delta and the three ends and hurts and see if any of this is actually possible to happen....

Illinois public health officials reported Thursday the state was getting closer to “bending the curve” when it comes to new cases of COVID-19. On Thursday, the Illinois Department of Public Health reported 1,344 new cases and 66 additional deaths. The governor was asked if summer events, including festivals, could go on as planned. "I think everybody needs to think seriously about canceling large summer events,” Pritzker said. “From my perspective today, I do not see how we are going to have large gatherings of people until we have a vaccine, which is months away.”

     When Summer gathers up her robes of glory,   And like a dream of beauty glides away. I LOVE to wander through the woodlands hoary   In the soft light of an autumnal day, When Summer gathers up her robes of glory,   And like a dream of beauty glides away. How through each loved, familiar path she lingers,    Serenely smiling through the golden mist, Tinting the wild grape with her dewy fingers   Till the cool emerald turns to amethyst; Kindling the faint stars of the hazel, shining   To light the gloom of Autumn’s mouldering halls,...

“Summer afternoon—summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.” – Henry JamesAnd with that in mind I need to get back to work in the pantry. I don’t want to miss another opportunity to enjoy a juicy peach dripping down my chin in the middle of the afternoon.Enjoy it while you can.  The season seems so short.Posted from: MOTUS A.D.

Here it is, the end of August already.Labor Day is looming on the horizon, its hot breath bearing down on our necks. That means that some school districts have already restarted their indoctrination programs, and the others will do so within the next 2 weeks.Feeling the intractable advance of time bearing down on my “jobs to complete this summer” list convinced me to sub out today’s post, without permission but with attribution, to Mr. Van der Leun. In his post, Back to School, Gerard turns a sympathetic eye to the plight of a 10 year as he views his life...

Well it's 95 degrees out there here in Southern Connecticut and expected to top out around 98 degrees. Tomorrow will be another hot day with a projected high of 99 degrees here in Newtown. Really hoping it hits 100 to tell you the truth - in the same manner that on a cold winter night, I'm rooting for the temperature to hit zero as I sit by a roaring fireplace. Not sure why I think this way but I get sort of bummed when it only gets down to one degree or up to only 99 degrees. Feels like I...

As heat expands across the northeastern United States, highs near the century mark will be common, with some locations experiencing dangerously high AccuWeather ReelFeel® Temperatures well above 100 F -- but not before what's left of Barry sweeps through with localized flooding downpours. While temperatures may be briefly held back in areas that receive a thorough drenching for a day or so, intense July sunshine, combined with a northward retreat of the jet stream will allow an impressive heat wave to build even for midsummer standards.

When you hear about an ultra in the state of Tennessee, it usually stirs up images of the famed Barkley Marathons. Though the state’s namesake ultra is the crown jewel of Gary “Lazarus Lake” Cantrell’s race series, extreme runners seek out the other challenges he offers once winter thaws out and southern heat moves into the Volunteer State. These include classics like Big’s Backyard and the Strolling Jim 40-miler. But only one race leaves state lines: The Vol State. With a 10-day cutoff, there’s a heavy emphasis on self-sufficiency. That doesn’t mean runners are on their own the entire race....

The annual summer solstice — when the northern pole on our ever-twirling planet achieves its maximum tilt toward the mighty sun — marks the arrival of the year’s longest day and the year’s shortest night. It’s an enchanted moment, surrounded by many other nearly-as-long days and nearly-as-short nights, a miraculous excess of bright sunlit hours that conspire to push darkness into retreat. And to celebrate this bounty? The birds warble at 5 a.m., your neighbor mows his lawn at 9 p.m., and your kids beg to stay up way too late. Rude brightness wakes you up at a God-awful hour...

It’s officially summer as of 11:54 a.m. ET today. I’ve reached an age where I no longer take this lightly as the road isn’t as long as it once seemed.So I follow the advice of the world weary – and who among us can’t be counted in that camp these days – get out there and enjoy this glorious season to the hilt. The long days, hot nights and farm fresh produce. It’s strawberry season (finally) here! That means shortcake. And jam.Wishing everyone an endless summer with a little less rain than normal.Carpe Diem! Now get out there and leave...

His latest slip, in which he said that he had been contacted by the late Margaret Thatcher (d. 2013), expressing concerns about President Donald Trump, was great fun. It’s particularly amusing because Biden’s last known big British politician gaffe concerned Neil Kinnock, Thatcher’s great rival, whom he plagiarized horribly during his 1988 run. We should be fair: the Thatcher-May error was hardly big, especially by Biden’s standards. It’s not comparable, for instance, to the time he called out ‘stand up Chuck, let ’em see ya’ to wheelchair-bound Sen. Chuck Graham. Biden obviously meant to name Britain’s current and second woman...

I would be in trouble if I was still of school age as I overslept this morning. No particular reason, wasn’t up particularly late, didn’t sleep any worse than usual, just protesting the end of summer I guess. Apparently I’m still at step one of grieving the end of summer: denial.I will eventually move on through the other 4 stages, sometime around Thanksgiving, but for now I will remain in denial. That should be easy as it’s supposed to hit the mid-90’s today with the heat index topping 100. Unfortunately it’s also the first day of school around here which...