July 01st, 2015

Since winning the Stanley Cup in 1961, the Chicago Blackhawks have won it 3 more times in the past five years. Amazing! The Blackhawks set another record in June... the highest TV rating for Chicago viewers in its history! On a low note: 25 people were arrested after the championship, and many more got away with looting and/or vandalism. Some police officers were injured, and squad cars were damaged. Those law breakers aren't true fans!

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Rumor had it that the Jelly Belly Visitor Center with store and distribution warehouse on Green Bay Road in Pleasant Prairie is moving and the building is for sale. Not true. The rumor was false. Well, some of it is true. The building is definitely not for sale. The Visitor Center (tours and store) will continue, but the distribution part is moving out of state. What is taking its place? The company will announce its plans in the near future.

After Lake Michigan produced a record-low water level in 2013, there were concerns. But now, 2 years later, the lake has rebounded to an above-average level and is increasing every week. The lake provides water usage for millions of people, so the more water, the better!

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It's official... goodbye Hamilton. There's going to be a new face on the $10 bill soon. And it's going to be a woman. Which woman? The selection committee doesn't know yet, but the announcement will be made later this year. 

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There was a near crash with two passenger jets at the Chicago airport on June 16. But it was not in the air and it was not at O'Hare. The two planes at Midway were taking off on intersecting runways at the same time, before one controller started shouting, "Stop, stop, stop!" They both put the brakes on and avoided a certain tragedy.

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Jeralean Talley of Michigan was born in the 1800's and she died this year. It's true! She was born in 1899 and became the oldest person in the world. After her husband died in 1988 at the age of 95, Jeralean lived another 27 years before passing at the age of 116 on June 17!

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Finally, Brian Williams has admitted to lying and deceiving TV viewers, as well as his co-workers. He really did not have a choice... admit it or quit. He did have to step down from his $10 million "NBC Nightly News" gig and be demoted to a lesser news anchor with less pay. And who is going to replace him? Lester Holt. Remember Lester Holt? He anchored the evening news for Channel 2 in Chicago for 14 years before going to MSNBC and, ultimately, NBC. And guess what? He wants the same pay ($10 million) as Williams was getting, and NBC might have to fork it over! I've always liked Lester. He will do a better job than Williams ever did.

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Okay, you must have heard by now that Donald Trump is running for president. Does he stand a chance? I don't think so, but who knows. He said that he is really rich ($8 billion or so) and that he is going to fund his whole campaign without lobbyists or donors. The Donald said, "I will be the greatest jobs president that God has ever created!" And who will be his running mate? Trump wants Oprah to be his vice president! Sounds like a made-for-TV reality show special!

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