Keep Northern Illinois Beautiful is once again accepting paper, plastic, and glass at its recycling center in Rockford. 

The nonprofit’s development director, Beverly Broyles, says they had to temporarily stop accepting the waste because their partners weren’t able to export it to China. Broyles says the group worked out an alternative arrangement with Rock River Disposal.

“That’s going to be a much more feasible operation for us to do, and we’re also able to work with Paper Recovery Services and have a partnership with them to take our paper products,” she said.

It’s National Safe Boating Week.

Groups like Illinois Conservation Police are stepping up safety education campaigns for state residents headed out on the water this spring. Sergeant Chris Stone says a major issue is boating under the influence, but he’s also seen boaters with inadequate safety gear. 

A high percentage of boating fatalities are a result of drowning and if someone was wearing a proper sized flotation device, it would cut down a lot on the drownings that we have,” he said.

It's national EMS Week. President Gerald Ford designated the week 45 years ago to celebrate the importance of paramedics, ambulance staff, and other pre-hospital emergency workers.

Hospitals around the nation are holding events honoring the work of EMS staff. This includes Dr. Matt Smetana, an Associate EMS Director at MercyHealth in Rockford.  He says the profession has evolved.

Companies that had community solar projects picked in last month’s lottery by the Illinois Power Agency say their projects are just the tip of the iceberg.

The selected projects became eligible to obtain renewable energy credits. The credits help make the projects viable. Solar development companies behind the projects are now looking ahead to building the arrays or "solar gardens" at sites across Illinois.