Free Republic

For some, the possibility of tolls on Interstate 70 across Indiana is going over like a flat tire. But Republican lawmakers who control the legislature say they could help fund new driving lanes and only those who use the road would pay for them. “I think it’s totally unfair,” said Judy Anderson, president of the Vigo County Board of Commissioners. “I don’t think we would be supportive at all.” Pending legislation would let the governor place toll lanes on interstates and bridges, subject to federal approval. Many Vigo County residents commute to jobs in Indianapolis and a large number of...

PASADENA, Calif. — Shattered cave formations in the central United States may preserve one of the longest records of powerful earthquakes in this region. Historical records from European settlers provide vivid accounts of deadly earthquakes in states such as Missouri, Tennessee and Illinois. For instance, in 1811 and 1812, people saw the ground ripple like ocean waves when the New Madrid Fault Zone unleashed earthquakes thought to be greater than magnitude 8. However, no written accounts exist from before Europeans arrived. And most earthquake faults in the Midwest are hidden deep beneath the surface, so scientists can't dig into the...

To the surprise of many, the earthquake on April 18, 2008, about 120 miles east of St. Louis, originated in the Wabash Valley Fault and not the better-known and more-dreaded New Madrid Fault in Missouri's bootheel. The concern of Douglas Wiens, Ph.D., and Michael Wysession, Ph.D., seismologists at Washington University in St. Louis, is that the New Madrid Fault may have seen its day and the Wabash Fault is the new kid on the block. The earthquake registered 5.2 on the Richter scale and hit at 4:40 a.m. with a strong aftershock occurring at approximately 10:15 a.m. that morning, followed...

Magnitude 4.5 Date-Time * Monday, April 21, 2008 at 05:38:30 UTC * Monday, April 21, 2008 at 12:38:30 AM at epicenter Location 38.473°N, 87.823°W Depth 10 km (6.2 miles) set by location program Region ILLINOIS Distances * 8 km (5 miles) NW (323°) from Mount Carmel, IL * 12 km (7 miles) WSW (238°) from Allendale, IL * 12 km (8 miles) NE (37°) from Bellmont, IL * 35 km (22 miles) SW (230°) from Vincennes, IN * 60 km (37 miles) NNW (337°) from Evansville, IN * 211 km (131 miles) E (94°) from St. Louis, MO Location Uncertainty...