This year’s winner of the second annual “Coolest Thing Made in Illinois” competition has been announced! Following eight weeks of competition, the Self-Regulating Traffic Signal Heater manufactured by Termico Technologies in Elk Grove Village has been declared the winner of the “Makers Madness” contest.

The Self-Regulating Traffic Signal Heater uses conductive particles to heat traffic signals so they remain visible and free of ice and snow so motorists can safely navigate roadways in winter weather. Because many communities have upgraded to more efficient LED traffic signals, which do not give off as much heat as incandescent bulbs, new technology was needed to ensure that traffic signal lights remained visible during icy and snowy conditions.

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Today is National Love Your Pet Day, and it’s a perfect time to give an animal a second chance. Second Chance for Pets is a non-profit organization specializing in giving cats and dogs a second opportunity at life. They are based out of DeWitt County in central Illinois.

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The Kaskaskia Regional Port District in Red Bud was recently featured on an episode of “World’s Greatest TV Show,” a national television show that spotlights interesting people, places and companies. Ranking as the tenth largest inland port in the country with annual tonnage exceeding 1.5 million tons on the Kaskaskia River, the port district has been a fixture of Red Bud for more than half a century.

The port district features five terminals, with each terminal location having unique capabilities such as river, road and rail access. The port district is home to multiple tenants with operations related to agriculture, steel, scrubber stone and more.

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There’s not much better than good food and beautiful art, and one business in Illinois puts both together under one roof. The Gallery in Lake Forest is a conceptual restaurant combined with an art gallery that features rotating exhibits from various artists and a constantly changing menu, which takes inspiration from the featured art and seasonal foods.

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Julianna Jung, a home baker from Champaign, has been selected to compete in the Holiday Baking Championship on the Food Network.

The first episode of the show aired last Monday, months after taping. Jung was surprised how calm she seemed during the episode, because she recalls how frantic she felt on the inside.

“I was so nervous because I don’t know the ingredients that we have there, I don’t know the oven, how does it work, what are the precautions we have to take we have to take so we’re COVID-safe,” Jung said.

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