Thieves apparently pay attention to the weather forecast.
Just days before sweltering heat is expected to descend on west-central Illinois, Jacksonville police were called to two separate businesses because someone stole air conditioners.
The first call was to Pawn King, 806 W. Hardin Ave., which reported a man swiped an air-conditioning unit about 11 a.m. Thursday.
About 2:17 p.m., officers were called to Walmart, 1941 W. Morton Ave., where it was reported a man stole an air conditioner about the same time that day, according to a police report.
It is unclear whether the same person was involved in both instances.
While there have been a handful of reports in Jacksonville over the past year of air-conditioning units being damaged because someone stripped the copper wiring from them, taking them from a store is not a common occurrence.
Earlier this year, someone tried to steal an air conditioner during a break-in at The Peachy Nest, 228 S. Mauvaisterre St., but abandoned the effort and left the unit sitting on the steps to the business.
Three air-conditioning units were stolen in all of 2025, according to a check of police reports, all of them from houses or worksites.
The weather outlook for the Jacksonville area next week calls for dangerous heat and humidity, with heat indexes rising above 105 degrees Monday through at least Wednesday.