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* Text this morning from a legislator describing last night’s evacuation along with a photo of fire trucks blocking the street outside his downtown hotel…

2am today staying at the Wyndham…. 20 floors of stairs… lots of tired people in the lobby […] I’m gonna be tired as [redacted] all day. After about a half hour we got the all clear to go back to our rooms

Here’s video from another subscriber, who was also tired as bleep this morning…

I’ve asked the local fire department for details.

* How’s your day going?

*** UPDATE *** Springfield Fire Department report…

Units dispatched to a report of fire in the basement. A small fire in a storage room was found by E1 and T1. The fire was held in check by a sprinkler head. E1 and T1 extinguished the remaining fire. The sprinkler was shut down in the basement. E3, E4, E5, E7, E8, B2, T2 and the MVU assisted on scene with water management and smoke removal. No occupants were displaced. Fire inspectors reported to determine a cause. Property Damage was estimated to be in the $40,000 range.

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Feb 23, 22 @ 8:53 am

Comments

Doesn’t look too severe. Did someone with a pattern of looking for attention at all costs call in a bomb threat?

Comment by TheInvisibleMan Wednesday, Feb 23, 22 @ 9:01 am
poor souls. speaking of fires, did you see new un report coming about increase in forest fires? unsurprising, given climate change. the cook county forest preserves have more dead timber on the forest floor than standing. you can really see all of it in winter. all the connected do nothings over there better get out and start picking up sticks. the next chicago fire will be on them.

Comment by interesting Wednesday, Feb 23, 22 @ 9:08 am
Anyone know why Edwards Street between College and Spring within the Capitol Complex is closed this morning? I saw a trailer parked within that block on the way to work this morning but nothing else parked there other than barricades. I found nothing on the SJR or City of Springfield pages regarding that closure.

That closure is on top of the ongoing College Street closure between the entrance to the dilapidated parking ramp and Monroe.

Comment by NonAFSCMEStateEmployeeFromChatham Wednesday, Feb 23, 22 @ 9:09 am
TheInvisibleMan- It was a fire in the laundry room in the basement.

Comment by election worker Wednesday, Feb 23, 22 @ 9:09 am
==It was a fire in the laundry room in the basement.==

Wouldn’t surprise me if it was a dryer related fire. Either electrical, or lint-filled dryer vents sorely in need of cleaning.

Comment by NonAFSCMEStateEmployeeFromChatham Wednesday, Feb 23, 22 @ 9:11 am
“cook county forest preserves have more dead timber on the forest floor than standing.”

They are aware. Teams have been doing prescribed burns since the fall to reduce potential issues in the near future as weather allows.

Comment by DeeLay Wednesday, Feb 23, 22 @ 9:32 am
Was wondering what those fire trucks were doing outside the hotel last night. I assumed there were evacuations going on and was afraid I had slept through the alarm. Really glad I’m staying at the Lincoln.

Comment by New Day Wednesday, Feb 23, 22 @ 9:33 am
=Anyone know why Edwards Street between College and Spring within the Capitol Complex is closed this morning?=

The Mobile Museum of Tolerance is parked there today:
https://www.myradiolink.com/2022/02/23/illinois-state-museum-to-host-the-mobile-museum-of-tolerance/

Comment by LakeCo Wednesday, Feb 23, 22 @ 9:35 am
Visiting my daughter in Phoenix and expecting rain and about 50 degrees. 80 my Friday

Comment by Big Mike Wednesday, Feb 23, 22 @ 9:37 am
= How’s your day going? =

Better than that of the folks who were at the Wyndham.

I’m just being careful to avoid all the large patches of ice on the sidewalks. Melt, freeze, melt, freeze - typical Chicago February.

Comment by JoanP Wednesday, Feb 23, 22 @ 9:37 am
@ NonAFSCMEStateEmployeeFromChatham

The closure of College between the parking ramp and Monroe will eventually be permanent, from what I’m aware. The new underground parking ramp between what is, for now, the Stratton north lot and the property across the street will be underneath College. I believe that College, through that area, will be part of the parking lot.

Comment by Osborne Smith III Wednesday, Feb 23, 22 @ 10:01 am
==The closure of College between the parking ramp and Monroe will eventually be permanent==

Meanwhile, Pasfield between Edwards and Monroe isn’t wide enough to handle the excess traffic caused by the College closure. Also, do you know if the parking ramp is going to eventually be replaced or will it still exist? If the latter, I wonder if it would be possible for traffic to also be able to exit the ramp onto Pasfield and West Capitol? Especially those entering from or exiting to the north, rather than making a detour via Edwards to either Walnut or 2nd.

Comment by NonAFSCMEStateEmployeeFromChatham Wednesday, Feb 23, 22 @ 10:15 am
I appreciate the inconvenience of a late-night/early morning fire alarm at a hotel, but dear legislator, you must know that there are worse things which keep us awake at night.

Comment by Morningstar Wednesday, Feb 23, 22 @ 10:18 am
== lots of tired people in the lobby […] I’m gonna be tired as [redacted] all day. ==

I think we can easily guess what the redacted word might be (actually 2 good guesses).

Since the House has seemed like a preschool this past week, maybe out of respect for the tired legislators and staffers sleeping at the Wyndham, maybe the Speaker could force everyone to take naps in the chamber for an hour today? And the Senate could do the same. No different than having to take naps in preschool and kindergarten back in the day.

Comment by NonAFSCMEStateEmployeeFromChatham Wednesday, Feb 23, 22 @ 10:20 am
Sure but the kindergarteners could fit on those mats. Also less misbehaving with the Ks.

Comment by cermak_rd Wednesday, Feb 23, 22 @ 10:47 am
Yikes on the evacuation at the Wyndham. I usually take a high floor for the view and the cool creaking sounds, but maybe I’ll rethink that. Although I guess it isn’t likely to happen again. Glad it wasn’t serious.

Comment by Leslie K Wednesday, Feb 23, 22 @ 12:31 pm
yikes, fire. I have been thinking about the big Sun Times piece on convicted Chicago Council Members, and Tom Cullerton today, it’s just really sad. Know that NJ and Louisiana also have their issues, but Illinois has given us so many Quilty. when you have met or worked with many of the guilty, it’s just stunning.

Comment by Amalia Wednesday, Feb 23, 22 @ 12:58 pm
Accidentally posted this on the Stratton and Valencia thread but it should go here. Sorry about that.

IIRC in the over 10 years he’s been on the Springfield City Council, Ward 7 Ald. Joe McMenamin (who is actually an independent-leaning Democrat) has never voted yes for a Springfield city budget (their FYs start Mar. 1). He continued his No streak last night.

McMenamin is almost like the Rauner of Springfield. Surprised Rauner didn’t actually try to recruit and send some money McMenamin’s way and get him to oppose Sam McCann for the 50th Senate in fall 2016 (even if it meant the Governor supporting a DINO).

https://www.sj-r.com/story/news/2022/02/23/springfield-city-council-move-forward-3-new-firehouses/6889205001/

Comment by NonAFSCMEStateEmployeeFromChatham Wednesday, Feb 23, 22 @ 1:14 pm
==The Mobile Museum of Tolerance is parked there today:==

And yet a Mattoon radio station is the first to break that this great exhibit is in Springfield today. But nothing reported in the SJ-R about the museum in town or the road closure. At least WTAX has something about the Mobile Museum, which for Thursday and Friday will move to Root History on East Cook downtown:

https://wtax.com/news/101101-all-aboard-for-tolerance/

SJ-R also has not reported one iota about the College Street closure and the new underground parking deck. Ten or even 5 years ago, I’m sure the SJ-R would have had a report on the closure and new deck, plus the Mobile Museum in town. And yet they want us to consider buying a digital subscription with the promise of “breaking news alerts” which don’t get posted online to begin with.

Comment by NonAFSCMEStateEmployeeFromChatham Wednesday, Feb 23, 22 @ 5:48 pm