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Copper thieves suspected in home blast
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WORDEN, Ill. (AP) — Investigators say they might never know exactly what touched off an explosion that leveled a southwestern Illinois farmhouse, but they suspect copper thieves could be to blame. Nobody was hurt in the blast about 1 a.m. Thursday near Worden, a Madison County community about 45 miles northeast of St. Louis. Prairietown Fire Chief John Gusewelle says copper pipes outside and inside the home on the 57-acre property had been cut out. But he says the damage has left it impossible to determine the exact cause of the explosion. Neighbor Joel Bradler says he's been doing renovations for the property's owner and that when he was there Wednesday he didn't notice an odor of leaking gas or anything else unusual. The home's previous occupants both died in 2011. 
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Rock island, IL Details |
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Today is Thursday, May 23, the 143rd day of 2013. There are 222 days left in the year.
1863 — 150 years ago: Messrs. J. and M. Rosenfield have moved their leather and hidestore to the building formerly occupied by Temple Bufords's store. They buy and sellhides, pelts, furs, wool, beeswax, lard, tallow, etc.
1888 -- 125 years ago: The Rock Island Lumber Company has recovered 5,000 of the8,000 logs that were carried away by the Mississippi River flood last week.
1913 -- 100 years ago: John J. Ullemeyer has been awarded the contract to furnish RockIsland fire and police department members with uniforms, at the city's expense.
1938 -- 75 years ago: Work on Aledo's new $38,000 swimming pool was started thismorning at South Park when ground for the pool was broken by Mayor John W. Murphy.
1963 -- 50 years ago: Students and teacher at Moline High School called today "MissLeona Day" day at the school in honor of the government teacher who retires at theend of the school term. Although she's been teaching for 43 years at the school, Miss Dayfound a new way of arriving at the school this morning. At 7:30 a.m., a police squad carpulled up in front of Miss Day's home and escorted her to school. A caravan of students' cars joined the procession along the way.
1988 -- 25 years ago: Barbecue cooking and riverfront antics are planned for Discover the
River Day Saturday in Leach Park, Bettendorf. A 5K run, wind surfing, a canoe race, hogcalling and more will round out the day under the Interstate 74 bridge.
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