7am News, Sports and Obits

Latest WGIL news
Click to play or
Right click and "Save Target As" to download
Click for Galesburg, Illinois Forecast
Home - Cancellations - Community Events - Contact Us - Mornings - News - Obituaries - Pictures - Programs - Special Events Audio - Sports - Weather
Chicago Suburb Has Really Large Pumpkin
ST. CHARLES, Ill. (AP) -- Tom McIlvaine of St. Charles only grew two pumpkins this summer, but he still regards the year as successful.

The 51-year-old landscaper at the Wasco Nursery has been growing giant pumpkins for 14 years, and this year grew his biggest yet -- a 1,148 pounder.

McIlvaine says the pumpkin, which has a circumference of 171 inches, grew at a rate of about 34 pounds per day through the summer and early fall.

It dwarfs the other pumpkin McIlvaine grew this summer, which weighs in at a mere 800 pounds.

McIlvaine still hopes to grow the world's largest pumpkin, but he still has a long way to go.

A pumpkin grower set a new world record at the Ohio Valley Giant Pumpkin Growers weigh-off on Oct. 3 with a 1,725 pound pumpkin.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
10 09 09 by Newsroom
News management powered by Xpression News

Click here for the WGIL News Archive

Click here for national news

The following provision applies to all visitors (which shall include persons and representatives of legal entities, whether such representatives are persons or digital engines of a kind that crawls, indexes, scrapes, copies, stores or transmits digital content). By accessing this Web site or digital service, you specifically acknowledge and agree that: (i) Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium; (ii) No Associated Press materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and non-commercial use; (iii) The Associated Press will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions therefrom or in the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages arising from any of the foregoing; (iv) The Associated Press is an intended third party beneficiary of these terms and conditions and it may exercise all rights and remedies available to it; and (v) The Associated Press reserves the right to audit possible unauthorized commercial use of AP materials or any portion thereof at any time.