GHNS Illinois Budget (3/6/08)
GHNS Illinois Budget (3/6/08)
Here are the top Illinois stories coming today from GateHouse News Service. Stories are available at www.gatehousenewsservice.com. Please check www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/midwest/illinois/news in the evening for changes to story lineup, including breaking news.
If your paper has a story, digest item, opinion piece or standalone photo to share, please e-mail it to Illinois@gatehousemedia.com.
Contacts:
- Casey Laughman: 630-348-3353, 217-816-3343, claughman@gatehousemedia.com
- Jean Hodges: 630-348-3350, 630-956-8834, jhodges@gatehousemedia.com
TODAY'S SPOTLIGHT:
SPOTLIGHT: Loss of shift leads to vandalism, threats of violence
BELVIDERE - A Chrysler LLC official said the company asked for a beefed-up police presence at the plant after several vehicles on the production line were vandalized and because of persistent rumors of violence. The plant will be losing its third shift on Friday. By Alex Gary of the Rockford Register Star.
ILLINOIS NEWS
http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/midwest/illinois/news
STATE BRIEFS: News from around the state. Will be posted this evening.
From Butcher Holler to Peoria, Loretta can still knock 'em dead
PEORIA - Loretta Lynn has been a queen of country music since the 1960s, but it was her 2004 collaboration with Jack White of Detroit rock band The White Stripes that critics called her best work. By Danielle Hatch of the Peoria Journal Star.
http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/midwest/illinois/x691144220
IHSA PHOTO FLAP: A Senate committee approved legislation that would clarify that news publications are free to sell photos from high school sporting events. This legislation results from a spat between the Illinois High School Association and the Illinois Press Association. By Adriana Colindres of the Statehouse bureau.
SPRINGFIELD - Illinois' elected officials could be recalled by voters under a proposed constitutional amendment unanimously approved by a House committee Wednesday. House Joint Resolution Constitutional Amendment 28 applies to judges, state lawmakers and the six statewide elected officials, including the governor. It would not apply to local officials. By Doug Finke of the Statehouse bureau.
http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/midwest/illinois/x688581497
Mitsubishi hopes Eclipse will shine in China
NORMAL - Mitsubishi Eclipses manufactured at the Japanese automaker's only North American plant in Normal are about to head to a new market for the company: China. Osamu Masuko, president of Mitsubishi Motors Corp., revealed at the Geneva International Motor Show this week that the company's first-ever expansion into the Chinese market is part of a three-year business plan that aims to build a company base for sustainable growth. By Matt Buedel of the Peoria Journal Star.
http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/midwest/illinois/x688581417
$1,000-an-ounce prospects prompt new gold rush
SPRINGFIELD - With the price of gold less than $15 from the elusive $1,000-an-ounce mark, Petersburg resident Scott Kirkman thought it would be the perfect time to stop by The Gold Center Inc. in Springfield and get some old jewelry appraised. By John Reynolds of the State Journal-Register.
http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/midwest/illinois/x1993294336
State agency yanks dentist's license for abandoning patients
SPRINGFIELD - A state agency revoked the license of a Pekin dentist who abandoned two patients, leaving one unable to consume hard foods and the other with a painful toothache. By Meagan Sexton of the Statehouse bureau.
http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/midwest/illinois/x1775724680
Feds say anti-drunk-driving-grant money misused
SPRINGFIELD - An owner of a Springfield advertising agency who is also a former TV newsman is accused of stealing $500,000 in federal funds that was supposed to pay for anti-drunken-driving billboards. By Amanda Reavy of the State Journal-Register.
http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/midwest/illinois/x1092580734
ILLINOIS OPINIONS
http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/midwest/illinois/opinions
BRITT: John McCain's running mate: War. Will be posted this afternoon.
MICHELLE TEHEUX: Similac or Enfamil? Neither one is a good deal
http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/midwest/illinois/opinions/x1092580705
PAM ADAMS: Democrat voters sorted by skin color, sex
http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/midwest/illinois/x513683572
MICHAEL MILLER: Extreme Makeover - Church Edition
http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/midwest/illinois/x1379332033
ILLINOIS SPORTS
http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/midwest/illinois/sports
MIKE NADEL: JUPITER, Fla. - Adam Wainwright was garbage. The St. Louis Cardinals' newly anointed ace had better get his act together. A pretty tough assessment, especially in early March, right? Well, don't shoot the messenger. The harsh criticism comes from Wainwright himself. Will be posted this evening.
ILLINI: CHAMPAIGN - Illinois vs. No. 17 Michigan State. Tipoff is 8 p.m. First story by 10:30 p.m. Story with quotes and report card by 11:40 p.m. By John Supinie.
JANE MILLER: Gordon's lucky break 'extraordinary and unusual'
The whole thing didn't go away, but Robby Gordon did get a break from the National Stock Car Racing Commission on Wednesday stemming from the appeal of his penalty from the Daytona 500.
http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/midwest/illinois/sports/x691143737
FOR THE WEEKEND:
CARIBBEAN PRIDE: 15-year-old looks forward to U.S. citizenship but misses Cuba
Sometimes, 15-year-old Lisbet Matos just wants to feel the sand between her toes again. She wants to take a break after school and watch the sun on the water. Or relax with her friends as they watch dusk turn to twilight. The Cuban-born Matos says she's a little bewildered by the rigid schedules and daily grind in the U.S. There's no room for spontaneity, she says, and longs for the island culture she knew in Cuba. By Betsy Lopez Fritscher of Espejo, a Spanish-language weekly of the Rockford Register Star. Will be posted Friday afternoon.
ONE OWNER, LOW MILES: Almost 30 years later, Z28 is still one sweet ride
ROCKFORD - There was just something about that 1979 Camaro Z28. Greg Currens was 21 years old, with some money in his pocket and his eye on a candy-red sports car. There was a six-month waiting list, but Currens finally got the call. He gladly
paid $7,800 for the car, and was thrilled to drive away in it. It's been nearly 30 years since Currens first sat in his Z28, and he's still as happy as ever to have bought that car. He's never considered selling it - although he estimates the car is now worth around $25,000 - and brings it out on only the sunniest days. By Elizabeth Davies of the Rockford Register Star. Will be posted Friday afternoon.
SEMIS, BOXES, FARMS AND WAREHOUSES: No load is too big (or too small) for Midwest Food Bank
PEORIA - Whether it comes in semis or boxes, the Midwest Food Bank can use it. The organization that started on a family farm has grown to the point that it's providing food for more than 100,000 familes annually. By Ryan Ori of the Peoria Journal Star. Will be posted Friday afternoon.