STATE OF ILLINOIS

Senator Dick Durbinn to Receive Waterways Council Award

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) will receive the 12th Annual Waterways Council, Inc. Leadership Service Award on March 19, 2013 at the Loews Madison Hotel in Washington, DC.  He will receive the award during WCI’s Washington Seminar at approximately 2:45 p.m. Senator Durbin is the 47th Senator from the State of Illinois, the state’s senior senator and the convener of Illinois’ bipartisan Congressional delegation.  He serves as the Assistant Majority Leader/Majority Whip, the second highest ranking position in the Senate.  Senator Durbin has been elected to this leadership post by his Democratic colleagues every two years since 2006. Elected to the U.S. Senate on November 5, 1996, and re-elected in 2002 and 2008, he is a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Senator Durbin is a long-time supporter of America’s inland waterways, most recently serving as a critical champion to help keep the Mississippi River open to shipping during the drought-inflicted low-water crisis.      www.waterwayscouncil.org

Tugz Given Green Light To Enter FL Market

Tugz International L.L.C., an affiliate of the 101-year old The Great Lakes Towing Company, and a member of The Great Lakes Group, announced Tuesday that the Broward County (Florida) Board of County Commissioners, by a 6-3 vote, awarded Tugz a tugboat and towing service franchise for Port Everglades, Florida. This action put an end to the 43-year monopoly on tug service in the port previously held by Seabulk International, Inc., formerly known as Hvide Marine, Inc.

Illinois River Locks Out Vessels From Valley City To Havana

The U.S. Coast Guard said on Friday it had closed the Illinois River from Valley City to Havana, Illinois, due to rapid changes in river stages, current flow and ice movement. The river is a major channel for grain flowing to the U.S. Gulf of Mexico and into export markets. The changes in water flow were a result from an emergency closure of the LaGrange Lock and Dam, which was filled with ice, they said. As of Friday morning, river officials were unsure how long the river would be closed

Barges Start Moving South of Peoria

Barges were moving through the LaGrange Lock south of Peoria on the Illinois River on Tuesday after workers broke through a wall of ice near the lock late on Saturday, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers spokeswoman said. "LaGrange is open but traffic is moving slowly. Ice is still very intense but we're still locking boats with a width restriction of 95 feet," said U.S. Army Corps of Engineers spokeswoman Justine Barati. "There was up to eight barges waiting but we're down to three southbound tows

Warmer Temperatures, But Mississippi Traffic Still Slow

Warmer temperatures across the U.S. Midwest were seen easing navigation on the Mississippi River near St. Louis but barge traffic continued slow on the Illinois River due to ice buildup, river officials said. "Milder temperatures over the weekend cleared the navigational channel of ice in the St. Louis area and water levels are about foot higher than they were a week ago," said Charles Camillo, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers spokesman at St. Louis.

Possible Support for Riverboat Gaming

Illinois Gov. George Ryan signaled he may be willing to support the transfer of a dormant riverboat gaming license to Cook County, despite campaigning against the idea last year. While not explicitly endorsing a specific casino site, he acknowledged without the crucial support of legislators who want riverboat gaming in the county, no gambling package could move forward in the Illinois General Assembly. Cook County is the only Illinois county prohibited by law from having a riverboat casino

Mobex Purchases Watercom From ACL

Mobex Communications has entered into an agreement with American Commercial Lines (ACL) for its subsidiary Waterway Communications System LLC (Watercom), which is a provider of automated ship-to-shore voice, data and telecommunication services. Headquartered in Jeffersonville, Ind., Watercom provides communications for towboats, yachts, dredges, survey vessels, cruise/dinner boats and gaming vessels in more than 20 states on the Gulf of Mexico, as well as those situated along the Mississippi

Harrah’s Gets New Barge Mounted Casino

Harrah’s recently opened a new barge mounted casino at their Joilet, Illinois property on the Des Plaines River near Chicago. The building on a barge replaces two USCG certified vessels that have been at the facility since 1993, the M/V Northern Star, a cruise-ship type vessel, and M/C Southern Star, a sternwheeler. The barges for the new facility were designed by DeJong & Lebet, Inc. Naval Architects, Jacksonville, Florida. DeJong & Lebet, Inc

Maersk Begins Reflagging Process

Maersk Line, Limited Brings the First of Two Project Cargo Ships Under the U.S. Flag.   Maersk Line, Limited (MLL) completed the reflagging under U.S. registry of the MAERSK ILLINOIS, its newest multipurpose heavy-lift vessel. The ship is one of two sister vessels that MLL acquired in September 2011 and which will sail for Maersk-Rickmers U.S. Flag Project Carrier (Maersk-Rickmers), providing breakbulk and project cargo service for shippers requiring U.S. flag service

Flooding Halt Mississippi River Barge Service

The U.S. Coast Guard and Army Corps of Engineers said that record floods will continue to obstruct barges on the Illinois River and parts of the Mississippi River until at least early next week, Reuters reported. Ten locks were closed on the Mississippi River and four on the Illinois River late last week. Though the rivers have crested at most locations, the majority remain closed, Reuters said. “Record flooding prompted the Coast Guard to close the Illinois River to all