Illinois is facing a shortage of volunteer firefighters, but a new plan from State Senator Patrick Joyce may help address this issue. On Friday, Joyce advanced a plan out of the Senate that would allow for more people to complete firefighter training. Senate Bill 1611, also known as the Firefighter Training Leave of Absence Act, would provide state employees with leave from their job to attend firefighter training courses. This would allow more people to gain proper firefighter training and become experienced volunteers in their communities. "The number of volunteer firefighters has been declining for almost a decade," said Joyce. "From administering first aid to maintaining equipment to responding to calls, volunteer firefighters help out our communities tremendously. It's crucial that we take action to address this shortage to ensure fire departments have enough people and resources to continue protecting our community."  

A group of women is learning about what it takes to be a firefighter and the challenges that come with it. A dozen ladies took part in Carbondale Fire Department's Badd Axe Ladies program this weekend. It's a three-day course where female students learn from female instructors. Southern Illinois University student Mikayla Robbers says it's an eye-opening experience, participating in a career field largely dominated by men. "I feel like for me being able to do these exercises and feeling a lot more comfortable than I thought I would be doing them--and lifting the heavy weight and carrying the heavy gear," explains Robbers, "I feel like if I can do it, I know so many other women that are maybe a little smaller, a little bit bigger, that might be a little self conscience about whether or not they can do it and, they can."  

A Byron resident is dead after energized power lines fell on a house Saturday morning. According to the Byron Fire Protection District, around 8:47 a.m. fire crews were dispatched to the 100 block of W. 3rd Street for an electrical emergency. Arriving firefighters found power lines laying on the the house, which was on fire. A victim was found dead outside the house, officials said. First responders from many neighboring counties were called in for assistance, authorities said.  

No residents were injured, but two cats and several other pets were found dead after fire broke out in an Elgin home Sunday morning, authorities said. Elgin Fire Department officials said the residence in the 900 block of Chippewa Drive was left uninhabitable until repairs can be completed. The residents were not at home at the time of the fire, which caused an estimated $400,000 in damage, officials said. Fire officials said firefighters responded to the home at about 7 a.m. after receiving a report of black smoke coming from the single-family residence. Fire companies arrived in less than five minutes and found smoke pouring from the front windows. They extinguished the fire 10 minutes after they arrived, officials said. Damage was confined mainly to the front room, but the entire home incurred extensive smoke damage.  

PHOTOS: Seven people are dead and several others are injured after an explosion at a chocolate factory Friday in West Reading, Pennsylvania, police and city officials said. Two additional bodies were recovered from the rubble at the site of the factory Sunday night, West Reading Police Chief Wayne Holben said at a press conference. While they still need to identify the victims, it's believed they're the two people who were previously considered missing, the chief said. One person had been found alive overnight in the rubble, officials said earlier. Tower Heath said earlier its hospital in West Reading received 10 patients from the explosion. Of those, two were admitted and are in good and fair condition and six have been discharged. Two others were transferred to other hospitals, it said.  

VIDEO: If there is one thing each community in the Ohio Valley has in common, it's a big heart. In Newell, the volunteer fire department is honoring its members with special banners. New banners picturing both past and present Newell Volunteer Firefighters line the power poles throughout the city. The new program hopes to promote growth for the fire department within the community of Newell and beyond. That's the mission Newell Volunteer Firefighters strive for each and every day. Mike Nixon, who was born and raised right here in Ohio Valley, has been a part of the department since 1974. He says volunteer firefighters are the forgotten heroes of our communities. This new banner program honors the sacrifices and hard work each volunteer member gives to uphold the mission of protecting life and property. Volunteers are a vital part of any community, and Nixon says Newell's department has been struggling to get new members.  

VIDEO/PHOTOS: The Dayton Fire Department was on scene for more than 12 hours after a fire broke out at a historic Wright Brothers site early Sunday morning. According to Montgomery County Regional Dispatch, crews were called to the area of Inland Avenue near West Third Street in Dayton around 2:28 a.m. on Sunday. Mutual aid from area departments was requested around the same time crews were dispatched. Officials confirm the fire was at one point a 3-alarm fire. A release from Dayton Fire identifies the building as historical, which was once the Wright Brothers' manufacturing facility. "It is listed on the National Historic Register as the first aircraft manufacturing facility founded by the Wright Brothers, and currently stands as the oldest aircraft manufacturing facility in the world," the release says.  

Illinois is facing a shortage of volunteer firefighters, but a new plan from State Senator Patrick Joyce may help address this issue. On Friday, Joyce advanced a plan out of the Senate that would allow for more people to complete firefighter training. Senate Bill 1611, also known as the Firefighter Training Leave of Absence Act, would provide state employees with leave from their job to attend firefighter training courses. This would allow more people to gain proper firefighter training and become experienced volunteers in their communities. "The number of volunteer firefighters has been declining for almost a decade," said Joyce. "From administering first aid to maintaining equipment to responding to calls, volunteer firefighters help out our communities tremendously. It's crucial that we take action to address this shortage to ensure fire departments have enough people and resources to continue protecting our community."