Yes, last week’s storms are quite literally old news. But this stat from a Chicago Tribune article I read over the weekend startled me:

Illinois averages 50 tornadoes per year. This year, the state has already experienced over 100.

And we’re only about 55% of the way through 2024, FYI.

It’s tough to find a clear consensus on whether (or if so, so what degree) tornado frequency is increasing in our area. But this year’s remarkable uptick — and studies like this one from the NOAA and Northern Illinois University — seem to provide evidence of a trend.

Also from the Tribune:

It’ll be interesting to see what the rest of the summer has in store for us — particularly given the forecast of hotter-than-normal months ahead (more on that below).

Reminder: Geneva is offering a special brush pickup this week to collect storm debris.

_{LOCAL SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT}

Ah, porch season is in full swing. It’s a glorious feeling.

But you know what’s even more glorious? Knowing that you’ve set yourself up for years to come with the perfect outdoor space.

Now’s the time to prepare. Your deck or porch is your outdoor living room — and our partners at 212° Construction Group have the skills and experience to build one just the way you like it.

You could wait til’ next year…but what’s the fun in that?

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☑️ Bouncing back: Kane County is urging local businesses that suffered losses due to last week’s storms to reach out to see if they qualify for financial assistance.

☑️ Wild river: Last week’s storms created hazardous conditions in the Fox River, prompting IDNR to enact a temporary ban on recreational boating from north of McHenry to south of Aurora.

☑️ Drug bust: Police found 100 grams of fentanyl in the car of a Chicago man pulled over on I-88 in Elburn last week.

☑️ Tread carefully: The Better Business Bureau has been warning Chicago area residents to beware of scammers who aim to rip off people who need storm repairs.

☑️ Know you reps: With election season approaching, you can use the interactive map to identify all of your elected representatives based on your exact location.

☑️ Bringing the heat: Weather experts are predicting an extended summer for our area with above-average temps for August, September and October.

☑️ Art on the Fox: Batavia's Public Art initiative is looking for local artists to help create a mural series on the east side of the government center building overlooking the riverwalk.

☑️ Eyes to the sky: Thanks to a generous donation, visitors to Creek Bend Nature Center in St. Charles are having fun exploring the cosmos with its new telescope.

☑️ Kautz Road project: Construction continues on Kautz Road in Geneva and St. Charles, though the storm outages delayed ComEd’s utility work. Here’s an update on what to expect next.

☑️ Thoroughfare upgrades: The St. Charles East Side Post Office was officially renamed as the Veterans of the Vietnam War Memorial Post Office during a special ceremony on 7/17.

☑️ Year of the ‘wig: STC nature expert Pam Otto explains why she believes it’s been such a big year for earwigs around here (did you know earwigs were considered “rare” locally as recent as the 70s?).

🔒 Bucket list trip: Six Kane County residents completed a 10-day biking adventure around Lake Michigan, stopping at 20+ breweries along the way before finishing at Art History Brewing in Geneva.

St. Charles is now hosting acoustic jams on Tuesday evenings in Mt. St. Mary Park through August 27 — which is also included in this week’s music roundup.

Bike bus: Geneva’s Bike & Pedestrian Committee is encouraging residents to join a “bike bus” to travel together to Wednesday evening’s concert in River Park.

☑️️ Entrepreneurial spirit: Business startups in Illinois have surged 47% above pre-pandemic levels from 2019. Check out the growth numbers for Kane County and other local counties.

☑️️ What’s Up St. Charles: The latest podcast episode features a conversation with Brittni Thorne, owner of The Dance Lab, a new local studio that offers lessons, dance parties and more.

☑️️ $8.5M transaction: A developer has purchased the St. Charles retail center that’s currently home to Syrup, Consume Cannabis, CD One Price and La Huerta Market.

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🎟️ Roaring River Cruise | Tues 7/23, 6PM | STC Paddlewheel Riverboats | A historic riverboat ride with live music from local musicians.

☑️ Trivia Under the Stars | Tues 7/23, 6:30-8:30PM | Preservation, Geneva | Outdoor trivia like you’ve never played it before — plus delicious fare from Preservation and Atlas Chicken.

🎟️ Jewelry Wine Night | Wed 7/24, 6-8PM | Up North Wine Tasting, Geneva | Interactive jewelry making with wine!

🎟️ Unrehearsed Shakespeare Festival | Fri thru Sun | Moonlight Theatre, STC | Entertaining Shakespearian plays using unrehearsed cue script techniques.

☑️ Local home sales: See recent property sales including seven in Batavia, 12 in Geneva and five St. Charles — including this Geneva house along Eagle Brook Golf Course for a shade under $1M.

☑️ Local obits: Tri-Cities funeral homes posted obituary information for several individuals in the area last week.

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🌩️ Today: High 82F | Low 63F | A storm possible

🌩️ Tuesday: High 82F | Low 65F | Same as Monday

🌤️ Wednesday: High 78F | Low 61F | Muggy, chance of rain

🌤️ Thursday: High 79F | Low 57F | Super nice

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