News

GHNS ILLINOIS BUDGET (1/15/08)

Posted January 14, 2008 10:00 pm

Here are the top Illinois stories coming today from GateHouse News Service. Stories are available at www.gatehousenewsservice.com. Please check http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/midwest/illinois/news in the evening for changes to story lineup, including breaking news.

Contacts:

- Jean Hodges, 630-348-3350, 630-956-8834, jhodges@gatehousemedia.com

- Michael Toeset, 630-835-8870, 708-785-4355, mtoeset@gatehousemedia.com

NOTE: The GHNS Lifestyle content schedule is posted on the site in the budget category. To see the schedule, follow this link: http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/midwest/illinois/budget/x469075948

****SPECIAL SERIES****

HIDDEN VIOLATIONS: A seven-month national investigation conducted by Small Newspaper Group found that Illinois has one of the worst track records for removing errant teachers from the profession. Story links are packaged here: http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/midwest/illinois/x1925661685

ABOUT THE SERIES: "Hidden Violations" is a series made available to GateHouse News Service from the Small Newspaper Group. Its predecessor, "The Hidden Costs of Tenure," won nine national journalism awards. For the current investigation, 300 FOIA requests were filed with governmental entities across the nation, and a national database of teacher disciplinary actions was built from scratch. Supporting documents for the series have been posted at http://hiddenviolations.com. The Small Newspaper Group is sharing this with Gatehouse because some newspapers in our group ran the predecessor, and also to maximize the impact of the series. The group's only request is that the work be attributed to Small Newspaper Group. If you have questions, please contact Scott Reeder at sng@springnet1.com, or (217) 525-8201.

--NEWS: http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/midwest/illinois/news

(Please note that this news list is not all-inclusive; other stories will move in Illinois News as well.)

STATE BRIEFS: A collection of briefs from GateHouse newspapers across the state. By 6 p.m. / Illinois and Illinois News

-NOTE: If your paper has a digest item you'd like to share, please email it to Illinois@gatehousemedia.com.

BEAMAN APPEAL: The Illinois Supreme Court today will hear Alan Beaman's appeal. Argument begins at about 11 a.m. and should last for an hour. RRS / Evening / Illinois and Illinois News

MASS TRANSIT: There is a glitch in the governor's plan to give all senior citizens a free pass on mass transit systems around the state. According to the language his office drafted, each transit district can decide whether to give seniors a free ride. It is possible that Rockford seniors may not be able to ride for free in Chicago or Springfield and vice versa. RRS / Evening / Illinois and Illinois News

BREAST CANCER SCREENING: Sangamon County Department of Public Health has been added to a list of agencies working with the Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program to increase breast and cervical cancer screenings for uninsured women. Since Jan. 1, nine agencies have gotten involved to increase awareness. Illinois is the first state in the nation to provide access for all uninsured women who need breast and cervical cancer screenings and treatment. This expansion makes more than 260,000 additional women eligible for the IBCCP. Sexton / evening / Illinois and Illinois News

PEORIA MEDICAL: Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board is expected to decide whether to grant "certificate of need" to a proposed new medical facility in Peoria that would offer colonoscopies and related medical services. Colindres. / evening / Illinois and Illinois News

HOTEL LOAN: Owners of a Springfield hotel in default of their state-backed building loan have dropped efforts to fight foreclosure proceedings. Finke / evening / Illinois and Illinois News

ELECTION:

-- 18th district: congressional candidate forum, 5 p.m., University of Illinois Public Affairs Center Conference Room C/D. same story format as last week's. schoenburg, photo planned / Springfield / evening / Illinois and Illinois News

-- Early Voting: Moving Illinois' primary to Feb. 5 up from mid-March is making the state relevant, as intended, in the 2008 presidential race, some state and party officials say. Early voting began Monday and runs through Jan. 31 for Sangamon County voters who, unlike absentee voters, don't need a reason to cast a ballot early. As of late afternoon, 36 people had used that early voting option Monday, said Stacey Kern, the county's election director. Schoenburg / Springfield / evening / Illinois and Illinois News

MOVIE AND VALENTINE: operation homefront Illinois and family video are encouraging the public to "send a soldier a movie and a valentine." / Springfield / evening / Illinois and Illinois News

PANNIER COMES HOME: (w/pics) The body of Private Phillip Pannier, the Roanoke soldier who was killed last week in the war in Iraq, returned home Tuesday morning. He was honored by area residents who stood along Illinois Route 116 with American flags as the procession moved from the Air National Guard Base in Bartonville to the funeral home in Roanoke. (5 p.m.) SCOTT HILYARD. PJS / Illinois and Illinois News

WTVP DEADLINE: Today is the deadline for public television station WTVP to come up with an agreement to avoid foreclosure on its $6.9 million bank loan. Bank of America has so far rejected the station's offers to settle the debt. Will see what happens. (merits; by 7 p.m.) TERRY BIBO. PJS / Illinois and Illinois News

MCCARRON DAY 7: (w/mug) The defense has rested and the prosecution will call a rebuttal medical expert to testify about Karen McCarron's mental state. The jury in the murder trial could get the case by Wednesday, so we'll outline in this one the possible punishments if she's found guilty of smothering her autistic daughter, what options of guilty there are, etc. (by 7 p.m.) KEVIN SAMPIER. PJS / Illinois and Illinois News

MARSHALL SHOOTING. There's a hearing in Peoria County on a lawyer's effort to force the Illinois State Police to turn over all information about the fatal shooting of Scott Sheets Jr. of Lacon last April by a Marshall County deputy. The shooting was later declared justifiable and the case closed by Marshall County State's Attorney Paul Bauer. But Peoria attorney Dan Cusack, representing the Sheets family for a likely civil suit, claims in a Freedom of Information suit that state police have failed to turn over many items cited in written reports, or even reply to his FOI requests as state law explicitly requires. He'll ask for a default judgment against the police agency in a hearing that he predicts might get "pretty nasty." (10-12 inches by 7:30 p.m.) GARY SMITH PJS / Illinois and Illinois News

KNOX JAIL: For years, Knox County has been spending money that doesn't belong to it. Galesburg. http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/midwest/illinois/news/x1059357550

HARSH HARE: Harsh words from U.S. Rep. Hare on Iraq, veteran treatment. Galesburg. http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/midwest/illinois/news/x1059357471

--OPINIONS: http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/midwest/illinois/opinions

BRITT: Toon on the dreams of MLK and Hillary Clinton. http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/midwest/illinois/opinions/x603838928

SMOKING ALTERNATIVES: Morning patrons of the d&j cafe at state and laurel are getting around the smoking ban by reviving the carhop: they stay in their cars, and the waitresses bring their coffee out to them. Bakke column, w/photo/S.Kirshner / Springfield / evening / Illinois Opinions

--SPORTS: http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/midwest/illinois/sports

NADEL is off today

ILLINOIS BASKETBALL: The Illini take a five-game losing streak into a home game against Michigan, a program rebuliding under first year coach John Beilein. Preview for game Wednesday. With preview capsule. SUPINIE. Champaign. Illinois sports and Big Ten. Moving early evening.

IHSA DRUG: IHSA approves random drug tests. RRS. http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/midwest/illinois/sports/x1295935456

PACKERS FUN YEAR: This season may be the greatest season of all for area Packer fans. Yes, Green Bay has already gone to two Super Bowls in the last dozen years, but they expected to go then. This year, they just hoped to reach .500. "It's a fun year because it's completely unexpected," Rockford fan Don Anderson said. "At the beginning, we expected the Bears to go to the Super Bowl. Every game you win, you think it might not happen. We haven't been believers until recently." RRS. 5 p.m. / Illinois Sports and Pro Football

--LIFESTYLES: http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/midwest/illinois

AUTHOR'S NEW BOOK: Kimberla Lawson Roby to unveil 10th book in Rockford. With photo. RRS. http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/midwest/illinois/news/x254745598

PASTOR PROFILE: Video: Pastor leads 'herds' to discover faith. Chicago Suburban. http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/midwest/illinois/news/x469075835

SCRAPBOOKING: Slideshow: Click it and pitch it to preserve heirlooms through scrapbooking. Chicago Suburban. http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/midwest/illinois/news/x603839304

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