Worlds tallest water coaster set to come to Illinois

With fall approaching, Six Flags begins plans for the next year with an announcement for a new attraction for summer of 2020 in Illinois.

Six Flags Great America announced their bid for the world’s tallest water coaster, dubbed the “Tsunami Surge.” The coaster is set to take the spotlight summer of 2020 as the ride sits at a massive 86 ft. tall. The coaster features many twists and turns through 950 feet of tunnel, roaring at speeds of 28 miles per hour.

Six Flags Illinois plans to break the current record in 2020, as the “MASSIV Monster Blaster” in Galveston, Texas, which stands 81 feet tall, is bound to fall to the new competition. The “Tsunami Surge” uses new technology in water jets that are used to propel riders upward in rafts through the ride into five breathtaking drops and views. The Water Coaster will be the first of its kind at Six Flags Great America and promises to bring a lot of fun for any family.

Six Flags Great America has more info on the fun to come, which can be found here.

U of I named one of the country's most eco-friendly colleges

• Champaign
• University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) has been named one of the Top 20 Coolest Schools of 2019 by Sierra Magazine, the national magazine of the Sierra Club, which celebrates environmentally friendly colleges across the country.

Sierra Magazine praised a variety of eco-conscious student groups at UIUC, who play a large part in lessening the campus’s environmental footprint.

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TIME names Chicago cocktail bar Kumiko one of the World’s Greatest Places of 2019

• Arts & Culture
• Chicago

Kumiko, a cozy, Japanese-inspired restaurant and bar nestled in Chicago’s West Loop neighborhood, has been named one of the World’s Greatest Places of 2019 by TIME Magazine.

TIME’s list annually spotlights the 100 most noteworthy museums, hotels, parks and restaurants from all over the world. TIME selected Kumiko based on its innovative cocktail menu, which is influenced by co-owner and beverage director Julia Momose’s Japanese heritage. Patrons can enjoy a drink alongside steam buns, short ribs and other small plates crafted from Japanese ingredients by chef Noah Sandoval.

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Jarling's Custard Cup in Champaign named one of the best ice cream shops in the nation

• Champaign

I scream, you scream, we all scream for Illinois ice cream—or custard, that is. TODAY has named Jarling’s Custard Cup in Champaign one of the best ice cream shops in America.

Jarling’s Custard Cup opened in Champaign in 1983 and has been attracting attention ever since. (It’s so good that it garnered a tweet from Tom Hanks!) The locally owned shop offers artisan sundaes, shakes, malts and more made fresh daily with dairy sourced from Midwestern farms. Customers can get their fix in-store, at the drive-thru window or even delivered to their door if they live in the Champaign-Urbana area.

Visit Jarling’s Custard Cup at 309 W. Kirby Ave., in Champaign. Read the full article at TODAY here.