REGIONAL BUDGET 7/19/07
GateHouse News Service Regional Budget (7/19/07)
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
News
PUBLIC CORRUPTION: 1:30 p.m. news conference by u.s. attorney to announce creation of public corruption task force and tip line. Dettro/Springfield/moving this evening/Category: Illinois News
CITY CRACKDOWN. (w/pic) - good one to localize - City is no longer content to give people warning after warning to cut their grass. As of July 1, you get one warning. This is part of an effort to crack down on litter, weeds and other 'environmental hazards.' The neighborhood leaders we talk to think this is great, as do many city council members. City officials assure us this will not be taken to the extreme so that people are picked on for having a stray piece of litter in their yard. (12-15 inches by 5 p.m.) DAVIS/PEORIA/moving this evening/category: Illinois News
SCULPTOR: Local sculptor George Kapatas spent $2 million creating and sculpting figures from biblical scenes at Lil's Garden in Monroe Center. "Little Jerusalem" took him six years to build and attracts 8,000 people from all around the world every year. He immigrated from Greece after being awarded an agricultural scholarship in 1958. GRACE MATTIE/Rockford Register Star, evening/Category: Illinois News
PHOTOS: Done, assigned Sunday, 7/8; MONTVILLE
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE: Story developing. Statehouse Bureaus
SPERM BANK: Strong genetics don't necessarily guarantee academic or financial success, Slate Magazine editor David Plotz says he concluded after he did some non-scientific research on the now-defunct "Nobel Prize Sperm Bank" for super-smart people. He did the research for his 2005 book, "The Genius Factory." Strong parenting seems to have a bigger impact, he told The State Journal-Register in advance of his scheduled July 24 talk at SIU School of Medicine. Olsen. w/mugshot of Plotz/SPRINGFIELD/moving this evening/Category: Illinois News and Health
DOWNING DIES. (w/pic) Four-star general Wayne Downing of Peoria died late last night. He had the highest rank possible and was in Peoria in May for the unveiling of the WWII memorial. Will look at his life. KRAVETZ./PEORIA/moving this evening/Category: Illinois
Opinion
SIN TAX BENEFITS: Last week the budgeteers from the House and Senate as well as budget staff from the governor's office were approached by the American Lung Association of Illinois with a proposal to significantly raise the tax on a pack of cigarettes in Illinois."Significant" in this case translates to a $1 per pack bump. That would put Illinois' per pack tax at $1.98 - making it among the highest in the nation. That's probably enough to get some people to either stop flicking their Bic or to drive to Missouri to buy their cigarettes where the tax is a mere 17 cents per pack. But this is an interesting proposal both from a public health and a budget health standpoint. Editorial/Springfield/moved Tuesday evening/Category: Illinois Opinion
BRITT CARTOON - Toon on Louisiana Sen. David Vitter's sex scandal/CHRIS BRITT/Springfield/posted/category: Illinois cartoons and Cartoons
Sports
MIKE NADEL - Best of the Baldest Truth/column/moving this evening/Category: Illinois Sports and Columns.
FASTLANE - Jane's weekly autoracing column/PEORIA/moving this evening/Category: Illinois Sports and Columns.
Travel
LET'S RIDE: Bucking broncs and bulls, beautiful queens and the best young cowboys and cowgirls in the world are returning to Springfield as the National High School Finals Rodeo rolls into town for its second consecutive year. REAVY/SPRINGFIELD/moved earlier in week/for use this weekend/Category: Travel and One-Tank-Trips
PEORIA AIR SHOW. (w/ supplied pic) Prairie Air Show is Saturday and Sunday at Greater Peoria Airport. (ORI)/PEORIA/Category: Travel and One-Tank-Trips
Coming Thursday
Cardinal Notebook for weekend use./PILGER/Springfield