Weather Woes Plague Ribfest:
Saying,“Hey guys, they’re making us get off because we’ve got a little storm coming in,” the Stray Cats announced to the Naperville Ribfest crowd around 8:40 last night that the event was coming to an early close due to threatening weather; though they squeezed in the popular Stray Cat Strut before officials told everyone it was time to strut out of the park.
It was the event’s second evacuation of the day – the first coming around 5:45 p.m., when officials first decided to close the park because of inclement weather. At that time festivalgoers were told to head to their cars or Naperville Central for shelter, as organizers consulted with safety officials about their next move. The decision was made to reopen at 7:30 pm, with free general admission to both the North and South Park and free front of stage, with shortened performances by Melissa Etheridge and Stray Cats, before the fireworks show, which was pushed to 10 p.m. But Mother Nature wasn’t cooperating; sending her own light show to signal it was time for the crowds to head out.
Unfortunately, the weather took a turn today as well, with the event closing temporarily around 1 p.m. due to a storm. Updates for re-opening can be found on the Ribfest social media sites. If the weather does clear, organizers plan to add a fireworks show at 10 p.m., additional free shuttles, free general admission to the South Park for all after 5 p.m., free admission for veterans and kids 11 and under all day, and free RFID bands for the first 5,000 patrons who arrive to the South Park. Those RFID bands can be used to link a credit card for making convenient purchases of food, beverage and carnival activities in the South Park.
Lightning Sparks House Fire:
Last night’s lightning also sparked a house fire in the 2400 block of West Branch Court. Just after 9:15 p.m. last night, the Naperville Fire Department arrived at the scene to find the roof of a house had caught fire, and were able to extinguish it after an hour. Two residents, their three dogs and a cat were displaced due to damage to the entire second floor, but no one was injured.
Gold for Grace:
Naperville’s own Grace Seiboldt has struck gold at the Special Olympics USA Games in Seattle. On July 3, the 21-year-old captured a gold medal for the 200-meter individual medley. She’s representing Team Illinois in this national event, which continues through Friday. She’s also competing in the 400-meter freestyle and the 200-meter breaststroke. For more on Grace’s journey, see the in-depth story on our website, at https://www.nctv17.org/news/athlete-heads-to-special-olympics/.
