Tag Archives: Thanksgiving

EPISODE 23 – Thanksgiving/Planes, Trains & Automobiles

Sisters and travel experts Colleen Kelly and Catie Keogh talk you through all the things you need for smooth thanksgiving holiday travel. Also in today’s show the Trip Sisters talk about their favorite places to get away during the holidays.

Foodie Friday – November 17, 2017 – Fairmont Chicago

Fairmont Chicago stops by the Steve Dahl Show for this edition of Foodie Friday! Executive Chef Sean Curry showcases his Thanksgiving Day dishes, including Apricot & Sausage stuffing, Turkey, cranberries, potatoes & gravy and of course pumpkin pie!

Weather, roadwork add up to good forecast for holiday commuters

(CHICAGO) The forecast for holiday travelers is encouraging, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation.

All signs point to acceptable road conditions for Chicagoans who plan to travel over the Thanksgiving weekend, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. Though some roadblocks are inevitable — work on the Jane Byrne Interchange will continue, for example — other lane closures “will be lifted wherever possible,” said Gianna Urgo, spokeswoman for the Illinois Department of Transportation.

For instance, Illinois Tollway officials announced last week that more lanes were being opened on the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway as work wraps up on the $2.5 billion project to rebuild and widen that highway.

Additionally, the National Weather Service forecast for the rest of the week has just a little rain in it, and Thanksgiving itself is expected to be partly sunny. High temperatures will be in the 40s through Sunday.

Still, Priscilla Tobias, director of IDOT’s office of program development, is urging commuters to remain cautious.

“The holiday season is the busiest travel season,” Tobias said, “you’re also at a higher risk for being in a crash.”

There have been 974 traffic fatalities in Illinois this year through November 20, up roughly 10 percent from 2015’s 868. IDOT surveys also show that seat belt use by Illinois drivers in 2016 has decreased slightly, from 95.2 percent last year to 93 percent this year. That has Tobias worried.

“The major contributing factor in vehicular fatalities is lack of seatbelt usage,” Tobias said. “We have people getting ejected [from their cars] in crashes that could have been preventable.”

The Chicago Police Department announced they would have hundreds of extra officers on patrol, and would seatbelt and DUI checkpoints in place through Sunday. That day-and-night effort is an attempt to prevent Illinois’ traffic fatality numbers from reaching their highest in seven years.

State Police Capt. David Byrd says the increased enforcement will not slow down travelers who are obeying the law.

“We’ll have mobile patrols, some traffic stops,” Byrd said. “It shouldn’t slow anybody down too much.”

— Chicago Sun-Times

O’Hare airport workers to announce strike date Monday

(CHICAGO) Thanksgiving holiday air travelers will soon learn when hundreds of workers plan to strike this week at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport.

Service Employees International Union Local 1 officials say they will announce the date of their strike during a Monday news conference. About 500 workers committed to a strike after a vote last week. The workers are trying to organize with the union’s help. They work mainly for private contractors at the airport and include baggage handlers, cabin cleaners, janitors, and wheelchair attendants.

The workers are seeking union rights and a $15 per hour wage.

It wasn’t immediately clear how such a strike would affect operations at O’Hare, which is one of the nation’s busiest airports. The Chicago Department of Aviation has said it doesn’t anticipate any disruption in service.
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed

2.5 Million In Illinois Will Travel Thanksgiving Weekend

By Nick Gale, WLS-AM 890 News
(CHICAGO) AAA projects that 48.7 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home this Thanksgiving, an increase of one million travelers compared with last year. That’s the most Thanksgiving travelers since 2007.
In Illinois, 2.5 million people will be traveling for the holiday weekend, which is a 1.6-percent increase from 2015. Of those travelers, nearly 2.3 million will be driving and 182,000 will be flying.
In Indiana, nearly 1.1 million people are expected to travel. Of those, 980,000 are expected to travel by auto and about 79,000 by air.
AAA says this year’s increase in Thanksgiving travel is spurred by improvements in the economy during the second half of the year, including rising wages, increased consumer spending and overall strength in consumer confidence. Despite recent incremental increases in the national average price of gasoline, AAA estimates U.S. drivers have saved more than $28 billion so far at the pumps this year compared to the same period last year.
This year’s top Thanksgiving destinations include many popular west coast cities, as well as perennial family-friendly favorites. The most popular destinations this Thanksgiving, based on AAA.com bookings, are:
1.Las Vegas, Nevada
2.San Francisco, California
3.San Diego, California
4.Orlando, Florida
5.New York City, New York
6.New Orleans, Louisiana
7.Anaheim, California
8.Fort Lauderdale, Florida
9.Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
10.Seattle, Washington
AAA expects to rescue more than 370,000 motorists this Thanksgiving, with the primary reasons being dead batteries, flat tires and lockouts. AAA recommends that motorists check the condition of their battery and tires and pack emergency kits in their vehicles before heading out on a holiday getaway.
© WLS-AM 890 News

Willie Wilson Wants You To Invite Some Inmates Over For Thanksgiving

Former Mayoral candidate Dr. Willie Wilson is planning to post bond for 100 non-violent, jailed offenders offering them the opportunity to go home for Thanksgiving.

According to DNAinfo, Dr. Wilson is working with clergy members of the Chicago Baptist Institute on Chicago’s south side. Wilson will personally contribute $50,000 to the charitable endeavor, but is urging others to donate as well, as the project will cost approximately $100,000.

“We’re always talking about prison reform and we won’t go in our own pocket to help,” Wilson said.

Most of the non-violent offenders remain in jail, unable to post their inexpensive bonds. The organization is making efforts to identify those particular prisoners.

If you’d like to help with Wilson’s efforts, please visit the Chicago Baptist Institute’s website.