Illinois State Fair Mega Passes On Sale

State Fair "Mega Passes" On Sale

(Springfield, IL) -- Thinking about the dog days of summer may be a bit of a tease as the official start of winter approaches, but Illinois event organizers want you to plan ahead. So-called "mega passes" for next August’s Illinois State Fair are on sale now through the end of the year. The passes get you onto most carnival rides as many times as you want, and are about $20 cheaper than they will be next summer. You can visit "illinoisStateFair.info" to buy the $55 passes.

University Of Illinois Alum Set For Spacewalk

(Houston, TX) -- A U of I graduate will be performing three upcoming spacewalks to make urgent repairs to the International Space Station. Air Force Colonel Mike Hopkins and another astronaut will perform their first walk this Saturday to try and fix an external cooling loop that malfunctioned last week. It will be the first spacewalk for the 1991 Illinois alumnus, and he'll become the third Illini graduate to perform a spacewalk for NASA. A second walk is scheduled for Monday, and if the crew needs more time for repairs, a third walk is planned on Christmas.

More Deaths On Illinois Roadways This Year

(Springfield, IL) -- More people are dying on Illinois roadways. Nearly 1,000 people have been killed in car crashes this year in the Land of Lincoln, 20 more than this time last year. Officials say there are more people driving these days, which increases the odds of accidents. They also say the holiday season can be particularly troublesome and urge drivers to slow down and get a designated driver if planning on drinking.