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Weather Alert

Weather Alert

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...Cold air funnels will be possible...

Cold air funnels are expected today. These cold air funnels are
developing underneath a few showers that are moving across the
area. Underneath these showers...spinning columns of air that look
like tornadoes may continue to develop. These funnels usually are
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Cold air funnels are due to very cool air aloft...warm moist air
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area of low pressure in the upper levels of the atmosphere. Due to
little or no wind shear...they are usually weak and very brief.

Local Juneteenth celebrations wrap up with gospel, basketball tournament

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Local Juneteenth celebrations wrap up with gospel, basketball tournament

CARTERVILLE, IL (WSIL) -- Local communities close out their Juneteenth celebrations ahead of the new federally-observed holiday this Monday.

Marion held a 3-on-3 basketball tournament and Carbondale closed out its week-long celebration with a Gospel Sing.

Dozens of people were at Jones Park in Marion Sunday afternoon for music, food and competition on the court. Several teams competed for a grand prize of $300.

It's Organized by Genext of Southern Illinois and the Boyton Street Community Center of Marion. Organizer committee member Michael Neal says it was a team effort and they're enthused by other local communities hosting their own celebrations.

"I'm glad every community is having a Juneteenth of their own, it's spreading like wildfire, Marion has their own, Carbondale, John A. (Logan College) even did something yesterday," says Neal. "It's nice to see the small communities just having their own, because that's great, and I think ours have went great, I know Carbondale went great, it's been a great event for everybody."

This is the third year for Marion's Juneteenth Celebrations. Neal says they add more events and entertainment hoping to make it bigger and better each year.

And in Carbondale, gospel singing sponsored by the Black Resource Center at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, closed out a week of Juneteenth celebrations.

More than 100 people were at SIU Student Center Auditorium Sunday afternoon singing the program-opening song together, "Lift Every Voice and Sing," the black national anthem.

Organizer Corene McDaniel, co-founder of the African American History Museum in Carbondale, says ending the week with a gospel program touches on the history of slaves expressing their struggles in song.

"They sung, they moaned, they did all kinds of things to express how they were feeling at the time," says McDaniel. "We're hoping that we will express some of that tonight and hear some of the old negro spirituals that will help us to understand more about Juneteenth."

McDaniel adds Juneteenth is also a day of service, doing something for someone else. Carbondale's African American Museum has more than 25-years of organizing Juneteenth celebrations in the community.