Largest Earthquake Drill in Midwest History Set For Thursday

ShakeOut is a nine-state emergency readiness drill on Feb. 7.

Governor Pat Quinn today called on every Illinois resident, school and business to particpate in what's being called the "largest earthquake drill in the history of the Midwest" on Thursday, Feb. 7, at 10:15 a.m. The third annual Great Central U.S. ShakeOut is a nine-state emergency preparedness drill designed to encourage residents to think about what to do before, during and after an earthquake. Participants can register for the drill online at www.shakeout.org/centralus and will receive valuable tips and information about earthquke preparedness. More than 410,000 Illinois residents are already registered for the drill, which will highlight Earthquake Preparedness Month in illinois.  "It only takes a minute to register online in the …

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Vicky Kujawa

8:16 pm on Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Great idea, considering that the New Madrid fault line is capable of producing an 8.0 quake (it produced a series of them about 200 years ago).   more ›

Earthquake Strikes Virginia, Felt in Chicagoland

Quake struck early this afternoon.

A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck Virginia today. Fredericksburg, VA, Patch reported that the shaking sent residents scurrying into the streets. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the quake struck about 34 miles southwest of Fredericksburg. Some Twitter users have reported feeling the earthquake here in Illinois. Did you feel today's earthquake? Tell us in the comments section.

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Little Lake Forester's Big Heart Helps Japan

Five-year-old Lucy Mulloy's parents asked what she wanted to do on her spring vacation. She chose to raise money for cancer research and Japanese earthquake victims.

Like many Lake Foresters, Lucy Mulloy, 5 ½, is a businessperson and philanthropist. A cupcake baker and lemonade maker, she’s selling her sweets this week at Lake Forest’s Let’s Have Fun art studio to raise money for the upcoming AVON Breast Cancer Awareness Walk and American Red Cross’ Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami Relief Fund. Over her first two days, she’s raised $144. Lucy began selling sweets Tuesday, each item going for 50 cents or “as much as the customer would like to donate,” and will continue Thursday afternoon and possibly Friday at Let’s Have Fun, 266 Deerpath Road, in Lake Forest. Lucy became adept at the fund-raising method of cold-calling, literally and figuratively, outside the store in Wednesday's mid-30-degrees …

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Lake Forest-Lake Bluff Briefly

Lake Forest Girl Seeks Donations for Two Causes

Will have lemonade stand set up at Let's Have Fun store.

Five-year-old Lucy Mulloy will ask Lake Forest and Lake Bluff residents to donate to two important causes this week in hosting a lemonade stand Tuesday through Thursday (March 29-31) at Let's Have Fun, 266 E. Deerpath Road. Lucy and her mother, Jen Mulloy, will sell lemonade and baked goods in exchange for donations to the Avon Breast Cancer Awareness Walk or the Red Cross relief fund for the people in Japan. The stand will open at 1 p.m. each day.

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Lake Forest-Lake Bluff Rotary Seeks Donations for Japan Relief

Members will be at Lake Forest, Lake Bluff train stations to ask for public's help Wednesday morning.

Market Square in downtown Lake Forest will look a little different on Wednesday morning (March 23). Set up in the grassy area will be a Shelter Box tent and its contents to visually give Lake Forest and Lake Bluff residents an idea of how the Lake Forest-Lake Bluff Rotary Club will be using donations to aid the victims of the Japan tsunami and earthquake from early Wednesday morning collections at four train stations: Lake Forest East, Lake Forest West, Lake Bluff and Fort Sheridan. Similar to an effort two years ago when the club raised enough money to provide emergency relief for more than 700 victims of the earthquake in Haiti, Wednesday's fund-raising efforts will  focus first on using the money to purchase the Shelter Boxes, which …

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Lake Forest Parents Gain Close-up View of Japan's Devastation Through Their Son's Eyes

Ryan Williams is safe in Tokyo, but fears continue over nuclear power plants.

When the devastating earthquake and resulting tsunami struck Japan on March 11, the tragedy hit too close to home for a Lake Forest couple. Ryan Williams, son of Jack and Katie Williams of Lake Forest, has lived in Tokyo, Japan for six years. Ryan, a Japanese major in college, studied in Japan for a year and after graduation decided to return to the country and live there. He works as a recruiter in the insurance industry. “He said you get used to earthquakes there, but this one was different,” said Jack. Ryan was at work on the seventh floor when the earthquake struck. “They all ran out of the building,” said Jack. At the apartment Ryan shares with his Japanese wife, Sana, damage was minimal. Jack said a few things fell off of the walls …

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Ways You Can Help the Devastation in Japan

Update on the horrible earthquake and links to sources of organizations trying to mobilize help.

The incredible photos and information are still coming in from Japan, as the country tries to stabilize after being hit with a record 8.9-magnitude earthquake and the resulting tsunami. Check out these links for more information, including a live camera view from Hawaii: To help those impacted by the Japan earthquakes, here are a few organizations and resources. The list was compiled by Lake in the Hills Patch editor Amie Schaenzer: Do you know of any other ways to donate or help those in need following Japan's earthquake? Share them in the comments section.

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