Regional budget for 10/25/07
GateHouse News Service Regional Budget (10/25/07)
Here are the top Illinois stories coming today from GateHouse News Service. Stories are available at http://ghns.ghnewsroom.com
*Please check this Web site in the evening for changes to story lineup, including breaking news.
Contacts:
Regional Editor Jonie Larson, (217) 816-3343, jlarson@gatehousemedia.com
National Editor Jean Hodges, (630) 348-3350, jhodges@gatehousemedia.com
NASCAR PAGE: Debuting Thursday for Friday publication is our weekly NASCAR page. The page includes a column/centerpiece by Yahoo! NASCAR writer Jerry Bonkowski, 3 Questions With …, and a rail with analysis of the numbers in the Chase. Take a look at http://ghnewsroom.com/news.php?newsid=1193182019 You will be able to download the page from the news service. It will be available in Quark 4 and 5 and In Design. ALSO MOVING TODAY IN SPORTS: PREP FOOTBALL PLAYOFF RANKINGS: GateHouse papers from across Illinois have compiled a postseason ranking of the eight classes in the Illinois high school football playoffs. We rank the top 10 teams in each of the eight classes as they enter postseason play this weekend. There will be a lead-in story about the rankings in general and each paper is welcome to write a story focusing on their teams. The rankings will be attached to the introductory story. Moving in Illinois Sports this evening.
News
HERITAGE AREA: Lincoln heritage area legislation should be passed by U.S. House today. Lahood is pushing it. WETTERICH/SPRINGFIELD/this evening/Illinois, Midwest and GHNS-News.
UPSET MOM: The mother of Chris Ferguson who died last year when he was struck by a car is upset at how the justice system works. The man who hit him was convicted of a misdemeanor and fined $500. She says that's unfair to the memory of her son. Prosecutors say the case didn't rise to a felony and even the grand jury refused to indict. KRAVETZ/PEORIA/this evening/Illinois and Illinois News
OLDER WORKER: (w/pic) Dave Thompson, 66, of the Granville Drugstore is being honored today at Illinois' Outstanding Older Worker. When a tornado damaged the drugstore three years ago, Thompson worked to make sure customers still received their prescriptions. SMITH/PEORIA/this evening/Illinois and Illinois News
SECOND CASE OF SOYBEAN RUST: (with art) Soybean rust has been found a farm field south of Macomb, only the second location in Illinois this year. "It's kind of like finding a needle in a haystack," Loretta Ortiz-Ribbing, a University of Illinois Extension specialist in crop systems in Macomb, said. MACOMB/posted/Illinois and Illinois News
WOMEN'S VOICES: A group of women legislators, all Republican members of the Illinois House, has been traveling the state on a listening tour and today discussed some of the issues that people have brought up with them. COLINDRES/CAPITOL BUREAU/Illinois
PAT QUINN: (tentative, depending on merits) Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn is having a news conference this afternoon in Springfield. We think it has something to do with UNICEF. Might be a brief or a regular story. HEUPEL/CAPITOL BUREAU/Illinois News
BRIDGE SITUATION: State officials have posted a new weight limit on a Springfield-area bridge, which could affect heavier traffic such as trucks and school buses. FINKE/CAPITOL BUREAU/Illinois News
STATE BRIEFS: roundup of state news/moving before 6 p.m./Illinois and Illinois News
Check for additional postings on the site.
Sports
NEXT UP, BALL STATE: A non-conference date on homecoming weekend for Illinois, Ball State brings a few story lines to Memorial Stadium -- including one of the best quarterbacks in the Midwest. SUPINIE. Champaign. Illinois sports and Big Ten. Moving this evening.
MIKE NADEL: Bears/NFL column. Moving this evening/MIKE NADEL, Pro Sports and Bears.
FASTLANE: Column. MILLER/this evening/Illinois Sports
PREP FOOTBALL PLAYOFF RANKINGS: See note at top of budget. GATEHOUSE NEWSPAPERS/moving on Illinois Sports this evening.
Opinions
HEALTHY EATING NEEDED: We are not sure if it has anything to do with the dangers of fall and winter eating, but the government is launching some new ads this month aimed at trying to stem the dangerous increase in America's rate of obesity. EDITORIAL/SPRINGFIELD/posted Tuesday evening/Illinois Opinions and GHNS-Opinions.
BRITT: Toon relating the California wildfires to global warming. CHRIS BRITT/SPRINGFIELD/Illinois Opinions and GHNS-Cartoons
MAN VS. MICROBE: Use common sense to battle an antibiotic-resistant form of staph. EDITORIAL/PEORIA/Illinois Opinions and GHNS-Opinions.