This Day in History - March 19, 2010 Hope College Defeats Rochester 86-75 to Advance to DIII Championship Final

  

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (AP) March 19, 2010 — The Flying Dutch of Hope College punched their ticket to the NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Championship final Friday night, defeating the University of Rochester Yellowjackets 86-75 in a hard-fought semifinal at the Shirk Center at Illinois Wesleyan.

The game featured intense competition, including a moment when Hope’s Philana Greene and Rochester’s Jodie Luther wrestled for a loose ball. Ultimately, the Flying Dutch pulled away with strong offensive play and clutch shooting to secure the victory.

Hope College will now advance to the championship game, looking to claim the national title.

This Day in History: Washington University Faces Illinois Wesleyan in NCAA Women's Basketball Matchup

 

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (March 18, 2011) — Brittany Hasselbring maneuvered around the top of the key during an NCAA women's basketball game between the Washington University Bears and the Illinois Wesleyan Titans at Shirk Center on Friday.

The matchup featured intense competition as both teams fought for a spot in the next round. Hasselbring played a key role in the Titans’ offensive efforts, looking to create opportunities against Washington University's defense.

Illinois Wesleyan hosted the game at Shirk Center, drawing a strong home crowd in support of the Titans.

This Day in History - March 17, 2018: Sharin of the Green

 

On March 17, 2018, the quaint town of Normal, Illinois, came alive with the spirited revelry of its annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade, a cherished tradition that painted the streets with hues of emerald and echoes of jubilation. As the calendar aligned with the feast day of Ireland’s patron saint, the community gathered under a crisp spring sky to celebrate heritage, unity, and the promise of renewal that the season whispers.

The parade, a vibrant procession through the heart of Normal, wove its way along familiar avenues, drawing families, friends, and visitors into a shared tapestry of festivity. Floats adorned with shamrocks and streamers rolled gracefully by, while local bands filled the air with lively tunes that stirred the soul and quickened the pulse. Marchers, clad in green regalia, waved to the onlookers, their smiles as bright as the sun that occasionally peeked through the clouds, casting a golden glow on the scene.

This was more than a mere spectacle; it was a testament to Normal’s enduring spirit—a small town with a big heart, where history and modernity dance in harmony. The St. Patrick’s Day Parade of 2018 stood as a beacon of camaraderie, inviting all to partake in the “Sharin’ of the Green,” as the event is fondly known. Children scampered along the sidewalks, clutching treasures tossed from passing floats, while elders reminisced about parades past, their tales weaving a thread of continuity through generations.

In a world often hurried and divided, the Normal, IL, St. Patrick’s Day Parade on that March day offered a pause—a moment to revel in simplicity, to honor roots both Irish and otherwise, and to embrace the collective joy that binds a community. As the last notes of the pipers faded and the crowds dispersed, the memory of that celebration lingered, a verdant promise of spring and togetherness etched into the town’s story.

American White Pelican Migration - Emiquon National Wildlife Refuge

  

The vast expanse of the sky shimmered with the soft glow of dawn as the great white pelicans set their course northward. Their long, broad wings stretched wide, catching the spring thermals that carried them effortlessly over rivers, fields, and wetlands. With each beat of their powerful wings, they followed an ancient route, one that had guided their ancestors for generations.

As they soared over the Mississippi River, the waters below teemed with fish, a promise of the abundance that lay ahead.

Their destination was Emiquon, a vast floodplain in central Illinois, where nature had reclaimed the land and restored it to its former glory. Once a drained agricultural field, Emiquon had been revived into a wetland haven, rich with life and sustenance for the migrating flocks. It was a sanctuary, a place where they could rest, feed, and gather strength for the journeys still to come.

As they descended, the pelicans were met with the scent of fresh water and the symphony of life that thrived in the marshes. Swirling eddies of fish glimmered beneath the surface, while reeds swayed in the gentle breeze. Other birds—egrets, herons, and ducks—greeted their arrival, sharing in the wealth of the wetland.

They would spend weeks here, regaining their strength before continuing farther north to their breeding grounds in the upper Midwest and Canada.

For now, Emiquon was home—a place where the rhythm of migration paused, where the wild heart of the wetlands pulsed strong, and where the white pelicans found peace under the wide, open sky.

Image from March 20, 2019.

Sioux Falls Storm visits Bloomington Extreme

  This Day in History:

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (March 14, 2009) — Sioux Falls Storm quarterback Mitch Tanney delivered a pass under pressure Saturday night as the Bloomington Extreme defense closed in at U.S. Cellular Coliseum.

Tanney, facing an unblocked rush from defensive lineman Leif Murphy, managed to get the throw off before being hit. The Storm traveled to Bloomington for the matchup against the Extreme in the indoor football showdown.

Both teams looked to gain early momentum in the season as they battled in front of a lively crowd in downtown Bloomington.

Today in History: Toilet Paper Shortage Sparks Panic Buying Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

 Today in History"

NEW YORK (MAR 13, 2020) — As the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the United States in March 2020, an unexpected crisis unfolded in grocery stores and supermarkets nationwide: a severe shortage of toilet paper. Panic buying and supply chain disruptions left shelves empty, prompting concern, confusion, and at times, conflict among shoppers.

The shortage, fueled by fears of prolonged lockdowns and supply interruptions, saw consumers rushing to stockpile essential goods. Retailers struggled to keep up with demand as manufacturers worked around the clock to replenish inventory.

Images and videos of customers hoarding toilet paper, sometimes filling multiple carts, quickly went viral on social media. Reports of altercations in store aisles emerged, with some shoppers resorting to reselling toilet paper at marked-up prices online.

Supply chain experts pointed to a combination of panic-driven purchasing and shifts in consumer behavior as key factors. With more people staying home, demand surged while commercial supply chains—geared toward businesses and institutions—failed to adjust quickly.

Toilet paper manufacturers ramped up production, but the industry’s just-in-time inventory model left little room for rapid response. The situation gradually stabilized as retailers implemented purchase limits and supply chains adapted to new consumer patterns.

By late spring, stores began to recover, though some areas continued to experience sporadic shortages. The toilet paper crisis of 2020 became a defining symbol of the early days of the pandemic, highlighting the fragility of supply chains and the power of consumer psychology in times of uncertainty.

Today in History March 12, 2016: Leo Lions Battle Le Roy Panthers for IHSA Class 1A Title

 

PEORIA, Ill. (AP) — The Chicago Leo Lions battled the LeRoy Panthers on Saturday at Carver Arena in the Peoria Civic Center IHSA Class 1A boys basketball championship.

LeRoy, making its first appearance in the championship game, fought valiantly. LeRoy’s impressive run to the title game cements its place among Illinois’ top small-school programs.