Latest news with #UIC
CBS News
3 hours ago
- Climate
- CBS News
How Chicago beaches' water quality is rapid tested for safe swimming
Chicago beaches are tested for bacteria every day during the summer season to make sure it's safe for swimmers to get in. And the testing that happens here is some of the fastest and best in the country. Lake Michigan is a favorite destination all summer long, and especially when Chicago is facing the kind of extreme heat and humidity forecast this weekend. But there's a lot of work that happens behind the scene to make sure the water is safe for swimmers. "We are testing for bacteria, using standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency, that lets you know the risk of becoming ill from swimming, and I'm happy to report we have pretty clean beaches," said Cathy Breitenbach, director of cultural and natural resources for the Chicago Park District. The park district has a partnership with the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health to test the water at every beach in the city every day. Rapid tests are what make the difference. "Chicago has been this pioneer in implementing this rapid method for beach monitoring," said Abhilasha Shrestha, UIC School of Public Health. They said most other public beaches still use a culture method, which delays results by a day. So, the results that are posted each day are actually from the day before. But Chicago's rapid tests deliver results in mere hours. "Students from UIC are out collecting samples every morning an we get the results back late morning, so it takes two to three hours, in time for when the beaches open for swimming at 11," Breitenbach said. Shrestha recently presented the work they're doing in Chicago at a water conference in the Netherlands. "I don't think there's any other city that does monitoring like Chicago does," she said. This weekend's heat won't impact Lake Michigan water quality, but other weather changes do. The park district keeps a close eye on those changes, and their website allows members of the public to see their work. "It's really important people are looking at the results and they are choosing what's best for them and their family," said Shrestha.
CBS News
4 days ago
- CBS News
Car crashes into building on UIC campus near Congress and Racine
A car crashed into a building near the University of Illinois at Chicago campus Monday morning. The gold car struck a building at Congress and Racine on the UIC campus. While the car didn't cause major damage to the building, there were some visible cracked bricks. The car itself sustained heavy damage to its front end, which was crushed, and also left a field of debris around the building. UIC police were investigating the scene Monday morning. No information about the cause of the crash was immediately available. It was also not known if anyone was injured in the crash, or if anyone had been cited or taken into custody related to it. CBS News Chicago has reached out to Chicago police and UIC police for more information and are waiting to hear back.
Hans India
5 days ago
- Sport
- Hans India
Kickboxing competitions held
Hyderabad: The national-level live kickboxing competitions held at LuLu Mall in the city concluded successfully. Organised by the UIC, the three-day event started on Friday and ended on Sunday. The first day featured a Face-Off event, while the second day showcased exciting kickboxing matches. A total of 16 fighters participated in 8 matches, including two female competitors. In the Welter Weight category, Vahid emerged as the champion. The final day highlighted Muay Thai competitions. Speaking at the event, Abdul Khadeer Shaik, Regional Director of LuLu Group, stated that these competitions were organised to promote sports in Hyderabad. He mentioned that such events would help increase public interest in sports. As expected, the competitions received a tremendous response from visitors. Mohammad Sharif, Regional Manager, and Ezhil Arasan, Mall Manager, thanked everyone for making the event a grand success. They also noted that it was the first time such competitions were held inside a mall in the city. On the first day, Bandi Ramesh, Vice President of TPCC and Congress Kukatpally In-Charge, attended the event. He expressed pride that Kukatpally hosted such competitions and appreciated the efforts of LuLu Mall management. He expressed hope that many more such events would be organised in the future.
Irish Independent
05-06-2025
- Irish Independent
Iarnród Éireann releases CCTV footage of level crossing crashes, with 30 incidents so far this year
The majority of level crossing incidents involve road vehicles colliding with crossing gates or barriers, resulting in damage to the crossing/barriers. The most frequent locations involved in incidents are: Serpentine Ave (five incidents, Sutton (three incidents) as well as Bray, Claremont, Coolmine and Sandymount (two incidents each). The data was published on International Level Crossing Awareness day (ILCAD), an initiative of the International Union of Railways (UIC) of which Iarnród Éireann is a member. The theme for this year's campaign is: 'safe decisions – every time.' Iarnród Éireann has partnered with An Garda Síochána and the Road Safety Authority to host information mornings at 10 level crossings on ILCAD. The focus of these information sessions is to inform and educate road users about the dangers of not acting safely at level crossings. Iarnród Éireann has also released footage of incidents at level crossings and have appealed for renewed vigilance from all road users, with particular emphasis this year on making good decisions when it comes to level crossings. Together with gardaí, the state company is planning to operate six garda/Go Safe safety cameras at railway level crossings. The cameras will record motorists using the crossing and will automatically issue a fine of €160 in respect of speeding, or €80 in respect of breaking a red light. Perpetrators will also be liable for three penalty points on their licence. ADVERTISEMENT The cameras will enhance safety for rail and road users alike, including pedestrians and cyclists, by deterring risk-taking at chosen locations. As level crossings represent a new deployment of the garda Go Safe system, the cameras will run in test initially, with activation upon successful test completion. The cameras are easy to relocate and they will be deployed dependent on driver behaviour. Where these safety cameras have been deployed across the roads network, driver compliance of up to 98.6pc has been achieved. At user operated level crossings, Iarnród Éireann continues to install additional train detection warning systems. These measures have now been introduced at 72 user operated level crossings, with a further seven to be commissioned in the coming months and have been well received within the communities that are served by them. There are currently 861 level crossings on the Iarnród Éireann network. These are a combination of automated CCTV crossings, manned crossings and unmanned user operated accommodation crossings. As part of its network wide Level crossing elimination programme, Iarnród Éireann is working to eliminate as many level crossings as practicable. The company has closed 134 crossings between 2014 and June 2025. Almost 300 people die at level crossings across Europe every year and level crossing accidents account for 1pc of road deaths in Europe but 31pc of all rail fatalities. Although Ireland's record is far stronger than the European average, and there have been no level crossing fatalities since 2010, vigilance is essential and Iarnród Éireann is reminding all road users of this on International Level Crossing Safety Awareness day. Jim Meade, Chief Executive of Iarnród Éireann said: 'Driver Behaviour is becoming more and more problematic at level crossings and I believe these measures will result in improved safety for all, protecting rail and road users alike.'
Axios
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Mayor could enjoy a big Trump bump
While New York Mayor Eric Adams has been cooperating with the Trump administration, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is leaning into fights with the White House. Why it matters: Johnson has long criticized President Trump, but his recent rhetoric has hit a new fevered pitch that could actually help him rebound from a midterm slump. Driving the news: Responding to a question about Trump's investigation of Johnson's hiring practices, the mayor last week quipped, "This is not a surprise. [Trump]'s a monster, period." The comment offered Johnson's starkest assessment of the president to date, but also echoed a sentiment likely felt by many who helped elect the mayor. Flashback: Former Mayor Lori Lightfoot scored many of her biggest political points while sparring with Trump during the pandemic, and more recently, Gov. JB Pritzker earned Democratic kudos across the nation for his fiery anti-Trump speech in New Hampshire. What they're saying:"One of the things Johnson needs to do [to revive his popularity] is to pick an enemy and Trump is the logical one," former alder and UIC political science professor Dick Simpson told Axios a week before the "monster" comment. "This would let him represent the people of Chicago against this image of an ogre in Washington." The irony: Last week's letter from the U.S. Department of Justice suggesting that Johnson favors Black hires in his administration could be just the bump the mayor needs to shore up lagging support in the Black community and broadcast his efforts toward greater equity in representation. Reality check: Despite the letter's accusation of hiring bias, Johnson's staff roughly reflects the demographics of the city, albeit with enhanced Black representation. The other side: When Axios asked a DOJ spokesperson for a reaction to the potential upside of the investigation for Johnson, she answered: "No comment." The intrigue: The DOJ says it mailed Johnson notice of the investigation last week, but last Wednesday, Chicago's top lawyer Mary Richardson-Lowry said her office had, so far, only heard about the investigation on social media. "We will respond once we receive it formally and review it accordingly," she said. The bottom line: While a Trump fight could help Johnson rebuild support, Simpson stressed that it must be paired with "actually accomplishing things in an efficient and effective manner … Announcing housing plans is different from actually adding the kind of affordable housing the city needs."
