Broken jaw will keep state lawmaker in Colorado
<p class="BODY" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><font face="Imperial">State Sen. Dan Rutherford, R-Chenoa, will miss scheduled legislative days today (Wednesday) and Thursday because he is hospitalized in Colorado, recovering from a broken jaw suffered in a fall in Vail.</font>
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<p class="BODY" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><font face="Imperial">Rutherford, 52, issued a news release about the accident Tuesday. His office originally said the injury resulted from a skiing accident, but that information later was corrected to say he was hurt in a fall.</font>
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<p class="BODY" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><font face="Imperial">Specifics about the accident weren't available. Rutherford hadn't responded to a reporter's e-mail inquiry as of Tuesday evening.</font>
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<p class="BODY" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><font face="Imperial">In the news release, Rutherford said his fractured jaw is wired shut.</font>
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<p class="BODY" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><font face="Imperial">"I can speak, but I am somewhat limited at this time," he said. "I cannot accept phone calls. But what I can do is to be fully engaged, communicate with my staff and conduct business for the district with electronic communication."</font>
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<p class="BODY" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><font face="Imperial">He is keeping in touch with staff and constituents via e-mail at danrutherford@danrutherford.com.</font>
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<p class="BODY" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><font face="Imperial">Rutherford said he'll stick to a "limited appointment schedule" for the next two or three weeks. But he expects to recover fully and plans to return to the state Capitol when the General Assembly reconvenes in February.</font>
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<p class="BODY" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><font face="Imperial">Rutherford has served in the Illinois Senate since 2003. Prior to joining the Senate, he was in the House for 10 years. In 2006, he ran for statewide office as the GOP candidate for secretary of state, losing to incumbent Jesse White, a Democrat.</font>
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<p class="BODY" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><font face="Imperial">He represents the 53rd Senate District in north-central Illinois. The district consists of portions of Tazewell, Woodford, McLean, LaSalle, Livingston, Champaign, Vermilion and Iroquois counties, as well as all of Ford County.</font>
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<p class="BODY" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt"><font face="Imperial">Adriana Colindres can be reached at 782-6292.</font>