Afternoon news update: May 1, 2015

UPDATE: The object of a nearly two day search in Dixon has been found. 17-year old Genesis Riley was found unharmed this afternoon, but the circumstances of her discovery haven’t been released. Police say Riley was last seen early Thursday morning along Washington Ave in Dixon.
Illinois State Senator Steve Stadelman will be co-hosting a state commerce and economic development committee meeting to discuss the river edge historic tax credit that’s due to expire in 2017. Stadelman wants to extend that deadline to 2022. The credit is equal to 25 percent of the rehab cost for a business in an historic district and has been used for a number of local businesses. The meeting will be held Monday at 11:30 a.m., at the State of Illinois building on Wyman Street in Rockford.
A suburban Chicago contractor accused of setting fire to an air traffic control facility last September which shutdown O’Hare and Midway airports has been formally charged. The U.S. Attorney's office announced the charges Friday against 37-year-old Brian Howard of Naperville. Authorities say Howard cut cables and set fire to a basement telecommunications room.
The Rockford Rescue Mission breaks ground on a new addition Tuesday. Pitney Place will serve women and children. It will house the Women's Crisis Center, and add 120 beds, classrooms, childcare rooms, a fitness center, among other resources. Winnebago County Board Chairman Scott Christiansen says the expansion will be a huge benefit to the community. "This is our opportunity, the Rockford Rescue Mission's expansion, will provide food and shelter in a safe setting for these women and children, many who have suffered through domestic violence, trauma, poverty, even addiction." The project's estimated completion date is Valentine's Day 2016.
Wisconsin's Department of Tourism says every county in Wisconsin reported increased visitor spending in 2014. It's the first time in four years counties all reported an increase. The ferry connecting Wisconsin and Michigan is off and running for its 12th season. The Lake Express crosses Lake Michigan between Milwaukee and Muskegon, Michigan. The trip at about 40 mph takes about 2½ hours. The Lake Express makes two trips a day for now and will add a third in the summer.
Officials in Freeport say a downtown makeover will complement a new park opening in June. Tutty's Crossing will be a destination for events as well as an intersection of three hiking and biking trails. Freeport Downtown Development Foundation is using $10,000 in donated funds to finance the improvements.
The Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) continues to work closely with poultry producers, captive bird owners and zoos across the State to reduce the risk of an extremely deadly form of bird flu, which is impacting several states across the nation, including the Midwest. To date, no cases have been detected in birds in Illinois, but several million birds have either died or have been euthanized due to the virus.

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