Tornado ruins 30 homes in Rochelle; 2 dead in Fairdale - News - Rockford Register Star - Rockford, IL

 

By Ben Stanley
Rockford Register Star

Posted Apr. 10, 2015 at 7:00 AM
Updated Apr 10, 2015 at 5:34 PM

SUNNY STRADER/RRSTAR.COM | Rubble photographed Friday, April 10, 2015, at Grubsteakers restaurant in Rochelle, which was damaged by a tornado the previous night.

By Ben Stanley
Rockford Register Star

Posted Apr. 10, 2015 at 7:00 AM
Updated Apr 10, 2015 at 5:34 PM

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SUNNY STRADER/RRSTAR.COM | Rubble photographed Friday, April 10, 2015, at Grubsteakers restaurant in Rochelle, which was damaged by a tornado the previous night.

By Ben Stanley
Rockford Register Star

Posted Apr. 10, 2015 at 7:00 AM
Updated Apr 10, 2015 at 5:34 PM

ROCHELLE — Dawn broke over twisted strips of aluminum, loose bricks and shards of wood Friday, hours after entire neighborhoods were obliterated by what National Weather Service representatives are calling an EF-4 tornado.

EF-4, used to describe tornadoes with wind speeds reaching 166 to 200 mph, is the second-most-powerful category.

The tornado ripped through multiple northern Illinois counties Thursday.

About 30 houses were destroyed or rendered uninhabitable, Ogle County Sheriff Brian VanVickle said at a news conference Friday.

Two people were killed in nearby Fairdale: neighbors Geraldine Schultz, 67, and Jacklyn Klosa, 69. Schultz was killed during the storm and found in her home. Klosa’s body was recovered Friday morning.

Officials said 20 people were admitted to the hospital Thursday and six stayed overnight; one is in serious condition.

VanVickle, whose residence was destroyed, said there are no warning sirens in Fairdale or in the most heavily affected parts of Ogle County in and around Rochelle.

“We didn’t hear any sirens,” said Dave Schabacker, who hid with his wife in a crawl space while the tornado ripped through their home near Kings, just north of Rochelle.

“Our phones went off about 10 minutes, 12 minutes before (and) said there was a tornado.”

Schabacker said dirt was blowing all around them. “We saw the thing coming. We got our shoes on … and we crawled in the crawl space and just rode her out.”

Schabacker, his wife and members of their extended family sifted through the rubble of the house where the couple lived for 30 years, searching for salvageable clothing and valuables.

“What do you do?” he said.

Gov. Bruce Rauner visited Rochelle to survey the damage and visit with families.

“We’ve obviously suffered a great tragedy here,” he said, declaring DeKalb and Ogle counties as state disaster areas.

About 200 yards east of the Schabackers’ leveled house, T.B. Carmichael assessed the damage to his family’s farm. An equipment shed had been severely damaged, but his parents' home, where he grew up, was unharmed.

“Everybody’s good, the house is good,” Carmichael said, turning to the shed. “All this stuff can be replaced.”

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Online Petition Seeks to Replace Gov as SIUC Keynote | WSIU

 

A SIU Carbondale student has started a petition drive to remove Governor Bruce Rauner as one of the keynote speakers for the university's graduation ceremony next month.

petition originated on change.org to remove Gov. Rauner as a keynote speaker at SIUC's spring commencement.

Credit change.org

The petition created on 'change.org' is circulating through social media.   SIUC student Emily Neal created the petition.  As of Friday afternoon more than 700 people had signed the petition - including a number of SIU students, faculty, and alumni. One individual signing the petition said it's "not fair to the graduates whose accomplishments are being celebrated."   Another expressed similar frustration saying that having Governor Rauner speak at graduation is a "slap in the face to the student body."

SIU-Carbondale spokesperson Rae Goldsmith say the university realized some people would oppose Rauner's commencement visit, but she says it's always an honor to have the sitting governor speak at graduation.  Goldsmith says SIU President Randy Dunn extended the invitation to the Governor in January before Rauner announced his proposed budget cuts for higher education.   She says that makes the Governor's visit even more important to show him the positive and powerful outcome of the state's investment in higher education.

Goldsmith says the university hopes those opposing Rauner's appearance will be respectful of the ceremony and not cause any disruptions. She says SIU-C will prepare for any possible unrest.  Governor Rauner is scheduled to speak on May 16th at the 1:30 p.m. commencement ceremony for students in the College of Business and the College of Education and Human Services.

Online Petition Seeks to Replace Gov as SIUC Keynote | WSIU