Archive for June 24th, 2009
June 24th, 2009
At a presentation by the Rockford Area Economic Development Council, where they’re talking about things like the trip to the Paris Air Show last week.
Eric Voyles, the group’s vice president of national business development, went and, according to a colleague, “didn’t even make it off the airport property” in Paris. In his time there, he made contact with 33 aerospace/aviation companies about Rockford, including seven “hot leads”. Those hot leads could lead to up to $100 million in development and 700 jobs from foreign companies. And, hopefully, a bonus eclair for Voyles.
The Rockford area has a burgeoining aerospace and aviation cluster, with more than 90 companies in those industries. The hope is to build on that to make Rockford a target for more companies.
June 24th, 2009
Just talked to Randall Brassell, spokesman for the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees - which represents track inspectors and others - about resident reports that the Canadian National Railway track through Rockford had washouts several times in recent years, including one that could have caused Friday’s derailment.
He said three in three years is not alarming. “It wouldn’t be uncommon to have washouts somewhere every time you have a major rainstorm.”
The question is what kind of precautions and inspections happened after the rain storms. And it’s too early to say that CN didn’t follow proper procedures, Brassell said: “I could see you having a big rainstorm and an inspector going out and riding the tracks and it looks fine and the water builds and washes out the tracks behind him.”
I’m going to talk to the union’s director of safety for a story this weekend, along with other sources. We’re trying to get corroborating data that there is a history of washouts on that track, and if there have been is there an unusual frequency.
Question for those who live in the area and/or are rail experts - are washouts there or in general fairly common? Anything unsusual about this situation? What do we need to know and ask in our reporting
June 24th, 2009
Chicago Rockford International Airport has a new ad campaign at the Belvidere tollway oasis. Here’s an appropriate sign next to the bathrooms:
June 24th, 2009
It’s played out as I predicted - Rockford region gas prices have dropped 17 cents since the peak on June 9, while the nation as a whole has gone up six cents since then. The supply problems in Chicagoland abated, sending our prices back down a bit. Nice to see a little balance in the markets.
Here are the prices from this morning (courtesy of AAA’s fuelgaugereport.com):
Gasoline: Rockford dropped almost two cents to $2.76 a gallon today, an eight-cent drop in the past week. We’re third in the state and 68th of the nation’s 280 metro areas, behind the entire states of California, Connecticut, Hawaii, New York, Oregon and Washington. The Illinois average dropped a cent to $2.81 a gallon, down just two cents in the past week. The national average dropped less than a cent to $2.68 a gallon, even with a week ago. Illinois has the eighth-highest gas prices in the nation, including the District of Columbia
Diesel: Bad news here, however. Rockford rose three cents to $2.70 a gallon, an four-cent increase in the past week and 43-cent hike in the past month. Diesel prices could pass gasoline prices this week. We have the second-highest diesel prices in the state. The state average stayed at $2.69. The national average remained at $2.63. Illinois has the 13th-highest diesel prices in the country, including the District of Columbia.
