State and Regional

Friday, November 20, 2009

Senate ethics panel admonishes Burris

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Senate ethics committee on Friday admonished Sen. Roland Burris, D-Ill., for making "inconsistent, misleading or incomplete" statements about the circumstances surrounding his appointment to the seat once held by Barack Obama. The committee didn't recommend any punishment.

Fate of UI's Washington arts program up in air

URBANA – A University of Illinois arts program in Washington, D.C., supported by former Chancellor Richard Herman, is awaiting word on its fate after a review by a high-level campus committee.

"Illinois at the Phillips," the brainchild of art history Professor Jonathan Fineberg, offers UI art students courses and internships at Washington's Phillips Collection, the first museum of modern art in the United States. Fineberg is a trustee of the museum.

Oprah Winfrey ending show after 25 years

CHICAGO (AP) – Oprah Winfrey was set to announce Friday that her powerhouse daytime television show, the foundation of a multibillion-dollar media empire with legions of fans, will end its run in 2011 after 25 seasons on the air.

Winfrey planned to announce the final date for "The Oprah Winfrey Show" during a live broadcast, according to her production company, Harpo Productions Inc. She said at the beginning of the show that she had some news to share and that she would discuss it at the end of the show.

Area update

Sidney board goes to bat for sewer referendum

SIDNEY – With just over two months until voters decide the fate of a proposed $10.2 million sanitary sewer system, Sidney officials continue to try to garner public support for the project.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

UI receives federal grant for carbon dioxide study

CHAMPAIGN (AP) – The University of Illinois is getting a roughly $900,000 grant to study the possible environmental impact of storing the chief man-made greenhouse gas under water reservoirs.

The EPA grant covers what could be a three-year research project involving subsurface storage called sequestration.

Quinn, Hynes trade barbs during debates

CHICAGO (AP) – Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn and Comptroller Dan Hynes disagreed over the best way to raise the state income tax but agreed on their support for a government-run health insurance program during two debates Wednesday between the rival Democratic candidates for governor.

The men traded verbal jabs, with Hynes saying Quinn's tax proposal would "crush the middle class" and Quinn calling Hynes' tax plan "a blank piece of paper" that wouldn't come to fruition soon enough to help the state's finances.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Danville High holding pep rally for football team

DANVILLE – Fans of the Danville High School Vikings football team are putting together a "Communitywide Pep Rally" set for 6 p.m. Friday at Temple Plaza, North and Vermilion streets, in downtown Danville.

City personnel will close off the intersection and from Vermilion Street to the alley on North Street behind the Temple Plaza stage, similar to how the Summer Sounds Concert Series sets up.

Area update

Paxton budget figures spark concern on council

PAXTON – Alderman Bill Wylie gave a gloomy prediction for the city's financial future as he called for the city council to cut some staff positions in response to what he called "real danger signals" revealed by the city's spending and revenue trends so far this fiscal year.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Danville teachers' union ratifies proposed contract

DANVILLE – Danville teachers and other staff are closer to working under a new 1-year contract.

Danville Education Association members "overwhelmingly" ratified a proposed contract on Monday afternoon, union President Robin Twidwell said. The proposal now goes before school board members on Wednesday night.

Autopsy finds Chicago schools president' shot himself

CHICAGO (AP) – An investigation into the death of Chicago's school board president will continue even though an autopsy concluded that the longtime civic leader shot himself in the head on a Chicago River embankment, police said.

Chicago Board of Education President Michael Scott's body and a .380-caliber handgun were found near a riverside loading dock not far from his car about 3:15 a.m. Monday, police said. The Cook County medical examiner's office ruled the death a suicide, but police said an investigation was ongoing.

Monday, November 16, 2009

Officials to inspect Illinois prison for Gitmo inmates

THOMSON (AP) – Federal officials are due to arrive in rural northwest Illinois to inspect a prison that could be bought by the federal government and used to house Guantanamo Bay detainees.

Officials from the Federal Bureau of Prisons and the Department of Defense are expected Monday at the Thomson Correctional Center. It's about 150 miles west of Chicago.

Some options for recycling remain viable in Vermilion

Alan and Carla Pollman of rural Georgetown have had a pile of recyclables just sitting beside their garbage for a while.

"I just don't have the heart to put it in the garbage," said Carla Pollman, who had been taking recycling to the now-closed county recycling site in Georgetown. "We had finally gotten good at it and then they took the bins away."

Carla Pollman said not separating out the plastic, glass and paperboard from their trash has increased their garbage stream by three bags a week.

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Getting Personal: Illinois Suprme Court Justice Rita Garman

What time do you typically get up? What do you do the first hour of the morning?

I get up at 4:45 a.m. I work out – run, walk, lift weights and/or go to Curves.

Expert's straight talk on taxes unpopular but accurate

Listening to a presentation from Ralph Martire, the executive director of the Chicago-based Center for Tax and Budget Accountability, is almost painful.

It's not that Martire is a poor speaker. He's actually entertaining, a policy wonk with a penchant for shtick. But his message about Illinois' worsening financial outlook is so ugly and depressing. Such as:

Saturday, November 14, 2009

FutureGen group says project costs have dropped

MATTOON – Members of the Coles Together group promoting the proposed $2.4 billion FutureGen clean coal power plant said Friday they remain optimistic that the federal Department of Energy will green-light the project early next year.

"I feel positive about the progress that we've made this year. I feel good about our chances in January, but I'm not going to assume anything until it's done," said U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill.

Gibson City identified as finalist for 'green' business

GIBSON CITY – A business that plans to create dozens of high-paying jobs has chosen Gibson City as a finalist for the business to locate.

The Gibson City Economic Development Task Force plans to make the announcement at a news conference Wednesday that Gibson City is "one of two community finalists by a business that will provide 30 to 50 direct 'green' jobs," according to a news release from Gibson City Mayor Dan Dickey.

AREA UPDATE

Savoy's 'old town' drainage to be discussed

SAVOY – The village of Savoy will be scheduling a public meeting to be held within the next six weeks about the "old town" drainage project.

Friday, November 13, 2009

Critics, supporters of video gaming speak out on issue

URBANA – Opponents of video gaming in Champaign County said Thursday night it would create social problems, while backers said it is essential to supporting a $31 billion construction program in the state.

About 100 people attended a joint study session at the University of Illinois' Beckman Center for members of the Champaign County Board and Urbana and Champaign city councils. Only two members of the Champaign council – Mayor Jerry Schweighart and Council Member Karen Foster – attended the session. Five of seven Urbana council members and eight of 27 county board members were in attendance.

No Danville inmates going free early

DANVILLE – No inmates from the Danville Correctional Center will go free under an early prisoner release program that aims to save the financially strapped state money.

The Illinois Department of Corrections will release about 1,000 prisoners in the coming weeks – a move that Gov. Pat Quinn says could save the state about $5 million. The first group of 62 were released on Tuesday.

AREA UPDATE

area update

Meetings set to gather

input on ambulance issue

VILLA GROVE – The city council has scheduled two public meetings to discuss the future of the town's ambulance service.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Crowd gathers to say thanks to veterans

URBANA – Ron Hubert vividly recalls setting the first stone for the veterans monument in downtown Urbana in 1992. It was under the Army panel.

"I was the construction engineer on the job. It was done with all volunteer labor," he said proudly.

AREA UPDATE

area update

Ford County looking to expand jail capacity

PAXTON – Just as its jail bonds were paid off this year, Ford County may be looking to put nearly $1 million into a renovation of the facility in order to board more prisoners.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Herman withdraws as New Mexico State candidate

URBANA – Richard Herman, former chancellor at the University of Illinois' Urbana campus, removed himself from consideration as the next president of New Mexico State University on Tuesday.

"We just decided it wasn't the right thing at this time. (Wife) Susan and I thought they were very gracious people doing some wonderful things, but this just isn't the right time," Herman said Wednesday.

Students ensure military service doesn't go unnoticed

MAHOMET – Veterans Day sounds more like Thanksgiving this year.

For the third year, Lincoln Trail School in Mahomet has donated food, toiletries and other gifts to Toys for Troops, a care package for overseas soldiers founded by Laura Stewart of Champaign.

Local vets of wars in Iraq, Afghanistan share stories

CHAMPAIGN – When he drives to work each morning, Shawn Johnston scans the side of the road, looking for places that would make a good hiding spot for improvised explosive devices.

"Still to this day, if I see a car parked on the side of the road, blinker goes on, and I get over to give myself a blast cushion," he said.

AREA UPDATE

Monticello City Council approves pool project bid

MONTICELLO – The city council has accepted a bid for the long-awaited swimming pool project and also approved the financing for the project following two hours of debate after bids came in higher than anticipated.

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Book looks at 150 years of nature, change

The modern story of the plants, animals and insects of Illinois is also the story of the Illinois Natural History Survey.

And it is the story of people and their impact on the landscape.

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Community comes through for A Woman's Place

URBANA – Tara Bossert was almost in tears as she opened the mail at A Woman's Place – not in frustration over the agency's financial problems, but in gratitude for generous donors.

Friday, November 6, 2009

Tribute to 'a bright young officer'

ST. JOSEPH – As the winner of two Bronze Stars and a veteran of campaigns in Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq, Maj. David L. Audo's service to his country earned tributes from Gov. Pat Quinn and top-ranking Army officers.

But at the funeral Thursday, the most tears were shed when a 9-year-old boy spoke about his father.

October saw state's tax revenue continue to fall

SPRINGFIELD – Tax revenue to state government continued to tumble in October, a report by the Illinois Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability says.

Overall state tax-source revenue declined 10.5 percent, continuing a trend that began more than a year ago. The steepest drop continues to be in sales tax collections, which were down 15 percent, or $90 million, from the October 2008 collections. The $515 million in sales tax revenue last month is the lowest amount in seven years. The state had $505 million in sales tax revenue in October 2002.

Thursday, November 5, 2009

A Woman's Place shelter in dire financial straits

UPDATE at 3:51 p.m.:

CHAMPAIGN — The United Way of Champaign County is providing an emergency payment of $18,000 to A Woman’s Fund to allow the organization to remain in operation.

Friends gather in Mahomet to remember stabbing victim

MAHOMET – Hundreds of community members and friends gathered in Mahomet Wednesday evening to share stories and celebrate the life of Holly Cassano, the 22-year-old mother who was killed in her home earlier this week.

Surrounded by trees bedecked with ribbons, friends holding candles shared laughs and tears as they consoled one another over the loss of Cassano.

2009 spokesfamily talks about positive impact of DSC

PHILO – Most days, Stephanie Oates is fine.

She's blessed with a beautiful, bright-eyed 3-year-old son who is doted on by his older sister and (usually) his older brother.

AREA UPDATE

Area update

Rantoul airport reopens after runway repairs

RANTOUL – The Rantoul National Aviation Center has reopened after being closed for two months for repairs to a runway intersection.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

State budget crisis endangers A Woman's Place

URBANA – A Woman's Place could become the latest casualty of the state budget crisis.

The county's only shelter for victims of domestic violence is down to a skeleton staff of six and may have to close if it doesn't get a past-due state payment soon, officials said Thursday.

State shortfall may spell furloughs at UI

URBANA – The University of Illinois has so far seen only $400,000 of $317 million it is owed by the state, leading to a virtual hiring freeze and the possibility of furloughs.

AREA UPDATE

Area update

Sidney board schedules 2nd meeting on sewer proposal

 

SIDNEY – On the heels of a well-attended and heated meeting, Sidney officials have scheduled another informational meeting on a proposed sanitary sewer system.

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Urbana library offers home history online

URBANA – More than 800 pictures, title abstracts and maps showing the history of homes and neighborhoods in Champaign County are available online through the Urbana Free Library.

"Historic Champaign County Neighborhoods and Homes" is seen as a "first phase of a portal" to a digital record of the county, according to Anke Voss, director of the historical Champaign County archive at the library.

Danville alderman to run for Black's seat

Veteran Danville Alderman Michael Puhr on Friday filed petitions to run as a Democrat for state representative in the 104th House District.

For now, Puhr has no Democratic Party opposition. One Republican, former Catlin Mayor Chad Hays, also has filed to run in the district that includes almost all of Vermilion County and much of eastern Champaign County. The filing period for the Feb. 2 primary election ends Monday.

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Today's trick-or-treat hours

Arcola, 6 to 8 p.m.

Belgium, 4 to 8 p.m.

Friday, October 30, 2009

$20 million loan announced for C-U sanitary expansion

CHAMPAIGN – The Urbana and Champaign Sanitary District is getting a $20 million interest-free loan from the state to pay for environmental projects to improve the wastewater system.

Emergency official urges residents to sign up for alerts

URBANA – If you are interested in warnings about tornadoes, floods, other severe weather, fires, hazardous materials spills and other emergencies in Champaign County, you can get them as e-mails, or as text messages on cell phones, through the Champaign County Emergency Management Agency.

Agency Director Bill Keller said 1,200 people have signed up for the county's MyStateUSA Alertsense emergency alert system since it was launched in June.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Rain record set in 1941 could be washed away

CHAMPAIGN – With 7.16 inches of rain reported so far this month at the Illinois State Water Survey station in south Champaign, this is already the fifth-wettest October on record.

And there's "an outside chance," said WILL chief meteorologist Ed Kieser, that the all-time record of 9.01 inches, set in 1941, could be broken.

State attorney general chides Danville panel

DANVILLE – The Illinois Attorney General's Office has found the city of Danville in violation of the Illinois Open Meetings Act for action taken at a public works committee meeting in April.

Kids learn about dangers of drugs, alcohol, tobacco

CHAMPAIGN – Teens and younger children competed in a trivia contest at the Don Moyer Boys and Girls Club on Wednesday, but it wasn't just fun and games.

A sample question: The most commonly abused drug in the United States is a) marijuana, b) alcohol, c) cocaine, d) heroin. (Answer: a).

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Applications for Christmas assistance being accepted

DANVILLE – The Danville Salvation Army will take applications for Christmas assistance beginning Monday and running through Dec. 4.

Applications for food and toy assistance are taken from 9 to 11 a.m. and 1 to 3 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and 9 to 11 a.m. Fridays at the Salvation Army office, 855 E. Fairchild St.

Volunteers sought to help people complete tax forms

DANVILLE – AARP is seeking volunteers in the Danville area to help middle- and low-income taxpayers complete their federal and state income tax forms for 2009.

Volunteers will assist with preparing and electronic filing of tax returns. Training is free, and volunteers are asked to serve a minimum of three hours per week from Feb. 1 through April 15.

AREA UPDATE

Subdivision will not get work from city crews

VILLA GROVE – City workers will not be completing a list of repairs needed to move the Pheasant Point subdivision into the next phase of development.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Candidates begin filing for February primary

Republicans will have a three-way race for county board in District 1 in northwest Champaign County in the Feb. 2 primary election.

With candidate filings beginning Monday morning, incumbent Chris Doenitz of rural Mahomet brought his candidacy petitions Monday morning to the Champaign County clerk's office, as did challengers Stephanie Holderfield and Gary Maxwell, both of Mahomet.

Soldier killed in Afghanistan back home in Rantoul

The Rantoul community welcomed Sgt. Christopher Rudzinski home Sunday.

Sgt. Rudzinski, 28, who served in the Army, died Oct. 16 from injuries sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle while on patrol near Kandahar, Afghanistan.

It marked his fourth deployment to an area of conflict. He previously had served one tour of duty in Kosovo and two in Iraq. Sgt. Rudzinski was assigned to a military police brigade based at Fort Stewart, Ga.

Family of girl found in landfill once called Paxton home

PAXTON – The mother and grandparents of a 7-year-old girl who was found dead last week in a Georgia landfill used to live in Paxton.

Janeene Bradley of Rantoul said the family of Somer Thompson of Orange Park, Fla., has been in shock since investigators discovered the suburban Jacksonville, Fla., child's body under trash in a landfill near the Florida-Georgia state line Wednesday.

DACC board considering bond issue as insurance

DANVILLE – Earlier this year, Danville Area Community College officials had to borrow money from the college's working-cash fund to keep operations going – because of not one but two late state funding payments, totaling about $2 million.

Now faced with even more uncertainty as to when this year's state payments will arrive, DACC trustees on Tuesday could take steps to ensure that the college doesn't run out of money this spring.

Danville residents invited to join tree-planting program

DANVILLE – Next month, the city will be planting trees around town, and residents can boost the city's tree-planting efforts by getting involved in the Leaf A Legacy program.

Since 2003, the city's Pride Grows Program has offered individuals, businesses, organizations and others the opportunity to buy a Leaf A Legacy tree that's planted in a city park or other city property and marked with a plaque.

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Vermilion County men taking charge with vehicles

DANVILLE – Every day, Judge Michael Clary drives his 2001 Ford Ranger truck to work with the "check engine" light shining, but never "checks" his engine.

He's not worried.

His truck has no engine.

It also has no exhaust system, no gas tank and no radiator.

The truck looks like any other Ford Ranger, but runs on an electric motor and 24 six-volt golf cart batteries – six under the hood and 18 in the truck bed – that weigh about 65 pounds each. Open the gas cap door to fill 'er up, and there's an electrical plug.

The circuit judge bought the truck in March, gutted it, and from April to August spent most nights and weekends in his garage transforming it into an all-electric vehicle.

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Paxton among 30 DCFS offices set to close

PAXTON – The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services is closing 30 of its offices across the state, including one in Paxton, as a cost-cutting measure that DCFS officials stressed would have no impact on the services the department provides.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Carle Foundation Hospital offers to buy Carle Clinic

URBANA – Carle Foundation Hospital has offered to purchase Carle Clinic and its subsidiary, Health Alliance Medical Plans, for $250 million, according to documents filed with the state this week.

Funds or no funds, Lincoln Hall renovation fete is on

URBANA – University of Illinois officials are planning to celebrate the beginning of the restoration of Lincoln Hall on Friday – even though the long-anticipated project is still without a primary funding source.

March set for today in Champaign

CHAMPAIGN – Young people from Champaign-Urbana will march and speak out today against police brutality and harassment.

Aaron Ammons, co-founder of C-U Citizens for Peace and Justice, said the group will march with students beginning at 4 p.m. Thursday starting at the Illinois Terminal, 45 E. University Ave., C, and ending at the Don Moyer Boys and Girls Club, 201 E. Park Ave., C.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Fraser to say goodbye on Thursday evening

CHAMPAIGN – There's a strong chance Judy Fraser's eyes will be partly cloudy Thursday evening.

That's when the popular WCIA-TV weathercaster makes her last regularly scheduled appearance on the 6 p.m. news.

Officials say resignation was right move for UI

URBANA – An admissions scandal, years in the making, had many expecting Richard Herman to resign as chancellor since last month, when Urbana's faculty-student senate voted to recommend that both he and the president of the University of Illinois step down.

The Sept. 14 resolution, approved 98-55, called for an orderly transition. Less than two weeks later, on Sept. 23, UI President B. Joseph White obliged by exiting first.

Friends say soldier was determined to serve his country

RANTOUL – From grade school on, Army Sgt. Christopher Rudzinski was ready to serve, say those who knew him in Rantoul.

Sgt. Rudzinski, 28, died Friday from injuries sustained when a bomb detonated near his vehicle near Kandahar, Afghanistan, according to the Department of Defense. He had been assigned to a military police brigade based in Fort Stewart, Ga.