Illinois

This is from Medical News Today:State Senators John Cullerton (D-6th District) and Heather Steans (D-7th District) will present a bill to the Illinois State Legislature Insurance Committee on May 8th that could have life or death consequences for the citizens of Illinois. Introduced by Rep. Fred Crespo (D-44th District), HB 1432 will strengthen the Illinois mental health insurance parity law by providing fair and equal insurance coverage for those suffering from anorexia nervosa and bulimia. In the United States, as many as 10 million females and one million males are fighting a life and death battle with anorexia or bulimia, according to the National Eating Disorders Association. Eating disorders are biologically-based psychiatric illnesses and can be deadly. Anorexia nervosa has the high

After a couple frustrating calls to Comcast without any results I finally figured out the right number to call to get taken off their mailing list! This week alone I have received 7 mailers, only 1 of which was actually addressed to me. The other 6 were for apartments that don’t even exist in our building. Okay so here’s the info. The company who does their mailings is Advance Mailing Systems Northlake,IL (708) 836-0600

Some of us hope friends will lift a beer in our honor when we pass from this world. Others are making sure that they will.Bill Bramanti's fits into that second category.Bramanti, 67, of South Chicago Heights, Ill., showed friends and family just how much he loves Pabst Blue Ribbon last Saturday. The Glenwood village administrator held a party. The cooler was a little large and a bit odd, but it made the point. It was the coffin he had designed to look like a can of Pabst Blue Ribbon. You can check out the Southtown Star newspaper story if you need photographic evidence. Bramanti is not ill and hopes to use the casket as a cooler during future events. He says it can hold 15 cases of beer and around 150 pounds of ice. When his time comes, the Pabst Blue Ribbon coffin will be ready and waiti

Champaign County: Adding a bunch of website links...Then taking a breather. ← Previous revision Revision as of 02:51, 7 May 2008 Line 58: Line 58: ==[[Champaign County, Illinois|Champaign County]]== ==[[Champaign County, Illinois|Champaign County]]== *[[Champaign Community Unit School District 4]] - [ District web site] *[[Champaign Community Unit School District 4]] - [ District web site] - + *[[Fisher Community Unit School District 1]] - [ District web site] - *[[Fisher Community Unit School District 1]] + *[[Gifford Community Consolidated School District 188]] - [ District web site?] - *[[Gifford Community Consolidated School District 188]] + *[[Heritage C

← Previous revision Revision as of 02:51, 7 May 2008 Line 156: Line 156: Television: Television: - *ECTV Channel 10, local channel available in Glen Carbon and Edwardsville + *[[ECTV]] Channel 10, local channel available in Glen Carbon and Edwardsville ==Trivia== ==Trivia==

Author: ryan@thesatellitetvguide.com In Illinois, 1.4 million adults do not have health insurance. And this number is expected to rise as insurance costs go up and businesses reduce or drop insurance benefits. So where can you find low cost health insurance in Illinois? Explore Your Options Many Illinois residents are fortunate enough to get adequate health insurance through their [...]

Risk of botulism in Evanger's dog, cat foodThe Food and Drug Administration has issued an order requiring that Evanger's Dog & Cat Food Co., Inc., in Wheeling, Ill., obtain an emergency permit from the agency before its canned pet food products enter interstate commerce.A recent inspection revealed significant deviations from prescribed documentation of processes, equipment, and recordkeeping in the production of the company's thermally processed low-acid canned food (LACF) products, the agency said.The FDA said the problems could result in under-processed pet foods, which can allow the survival and growth of Clostridium botulinum (C. botulinum), a bacterium that causes botulism in some animals as well as in humans.More information & link to complete story: ~Sandy G.

This story in today's Washington Post relates the circumstance of Tabitha Pollock , whose conviction has been overturned by the Illinois State Supreme Court:With a felony record, she cannot become a teacher, as she wants. She cannot collect damages from the Illinois government. On a trip to Australia, where customs officials questioned her when she arrived, she learned that the murder conviction always follows her. To fully clear her name, Pollock -- as well as a dozen or so other former Illinois inmates who have been exonerated -- needs an official pardon, which only the governor can give. She applied in 2002 but has received no word. A spokesperson for the Governor Rod Blagojevich (D) explains that he is currently flooded with petitions and just doesn't have the time to focus on Pollock'

Pittsburgh Steelers#23 OverallRashard Mendenhall (RB) IllinoisPittsburgh got screwed by Carolina and Atlanta trading up for OL. The Steelers primary need is help for their O-Line. That being said, Willie Parker will be made much better by the presence of Mendenhall. And Mendenhall represented excellent value at #23. Pittsburgh was the perfect spot for him to land. Willie Parker's fantasy value just took a huge hit though.

Designer Leslie Jones Zeller, of Chicago’s Leslie Jones & Assoc. Inc., created a winning combination of textures—sisal, silk and linen, to name a few—and Art Deco and Moderne home furnishings to produce a backdrop for her clients’ photography collection. The result? A Design Excellence Award from the American Society of Interior Designers’ Illinois chapter for Zeller and her work in this Lake

We’d like to welcome Christy Healy as a new advertiser on the website. Christy currently has 4 male bengal kittens available which will be ready to go to new homes on May 19. See breeder ad for dull details, photos and contact info. addthis_url = 'http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bengalclassifieds.com%2Fnews%2F2008%2F04%2F22%2Fbengal-kittens-for-sale-in-illinois-4%2F'; addthis_title = 'Bengal+Kittens+for+sale+in+Illinois'; [...]

The Chicago Sun-Times reports:[Alton] Logan walked out of Cook County Jail on Friday after a judge vacated his conviction in the murder of a security guard during a January 1982 robbery of a South Side McDonald's. The judge ordered a new trial, citing new evidence, including the words of two attorneys who testified in court this year that their client committed the murder.See story in the Chicago-Sun Times here. See previous PardonPower posts on his case here:* Governor Ignores Alton Logan 3/12/08* The Governor's Next Pardon? 3/10/08

At 1:38 AM EDT, the same location that shook Friday morning from a Mag 5.2 quake experienced a Mag 4.2 earthquake early Monday morning. The aftershock was centered 5 miles NW of Mt. Carmel, IL or 37 NNW of Evansville, IN. Midwest quakes rare, not unexpected Strong Aftershock Shakes Region Overnight | 14 Aftershocks Reported in Illinois [...]

Tamara N. Holder interned with the Cook County State's Attorney's Office (Chicago) and Miramax Films (Los Angeles) before graduating from The John Marshall Law School. As principal of The Law Firm of Tamara N. Holder, LLC, her practice focuses on criminal defense, expungement, racial discrimination, police brutality, public policy, and pro bono work. Holder founded The Rainbow PUSH Expungement Clinic, where she meets regularly with individuals to review criminal records and provide advice on expungements and other legal issues. She exposed improper employment practices in the railroad industry regarding those with criminal records and spearheaded a Congressional inquiry and a hearing before the Congressional Committee of Homeland Security in February of 2007. In July of 2007, Holder testif

Midwesterners received the shock of their lives this morning- an earthquake, measuring 5.4 on the richter scale, rattled the Midwest from St. Louis to Indianapolis early this morning. The earthquake center was about 6 miles from West Salem, Illinois, but the seismic activity was felt up to 350 miles away. Earthquake activity, while extremely rare, does occur occasionally in the region due to the New Madrid fault line, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (earthquake.usgs.gov). A lesser known northern extension of the New Madrid fault line, the Wabash fault (or Wabash Valley fault), is also believed to have been involved in today's earthquake.Watch this sleepy resident describe his experience:Nonetheless, it was a very surprising wake-up call this Friday morning.View the AP news source

(Welcome IrishTrojan Readers) UPDATE 11:45a: At 11:14a EDT there was a 4.6 Aftershock… Around 5:30 AM EDT an earthquake with a magnitude of 5.4 shook parts of the Midwest centered around Mt. Carmel and West Salem IL.Initial reports from WISH-TV in Indianapolis reports that “it shook tall buildings in downtown Indianapolis,” and was “felt as far [...]

Join the Message Board WEST SALEM, Ill. - A 5.4-magnitude earthquake that appeared to rival the strongest recorded in the region rocked people up to 450 miles away early Friday, surprising residents unaccustomed to such a powerful Midwest temblor. The quake just before 4:37 a.m. was centered six miles from West Salem, Ill., and 66 miles from [...]

Join the Message Board WEST SALEM, Ill. - A 5.4-magnitude earthquake that appeared to rival the strongest recorded in the region rocked people up to 450 miles away early Friday, surprising residents unaccustomed to such a powerful Midwest temblor. The quake just before 4:37 a.m. was centered six miles from West Salem, Ill., and 66 miles from [...]

Information courtesy FOX News: The following facts pertain to earthquakes that have hit Illinois. Largest earthquake in Illinois (until April 18, 2008) Location: Southern Illinois Occurred on: Nov. 9, 1968 Magnitude: 5.3 Intensity VII This was the strongest felt earthquake in southern Illinois since the 1895 Missouri event. Property damage in the area consisted mainly of fallen bricks from chimneys, broken windows, [...]

Even though it isn’t nearly as big as Texas or California, Illinois is currently the fifth most populous state in the nation. And, of the millions of people living in Illinois, 75 percent of them have settled in the northern part of the state. People are drawn to Northern Illinois for many reasons. The [...]

According to a March 7, 2008, article in the Chicago Sun-Times, Sharon Latiker was convicted of "deceptive practice and conspiracy" for allegedly stealing $17,250 from the city treasurer's office while she worked in the corporation counsel office - from March 1990 to October 1990. Latiker was then sentenced to two years' probation for theft, but "violated her probation, leaving a felony on her record."Latiker received a pardon in 1999 before the current Governor, Rod Blagojevich (D) took office.Three years later, on February 12, 2002, the Sun Times featured an article on Latiker that was rather sympathetic. It began, for example, by stating that she had acknowledged that she "made a huge mistake," that she has "gotten down on her knees and asked for forgiveness," made "restitution" and "gl

Warner Todd Huston , a fellow Grizzly Groundsweller, has written an excellent post about the 20 year Constitutional Convention(ConCon)in Illinois' constitution. Inarticle14 ofthe Illinois Constitution, that every 20 years the citizens can call a ConCon to consider chagesto the Illinois...

Today's Chicago Sun-Times reports that Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) will not "open the books" on many pardons he has granted. The Sun-Times reports executive clemency files maintained by the Prisoner Review Board "typically show police reports, court records and letters of recommendation -- all accessible from the agency in the past." But Blagojevich's administration is now denying access to documents regarding the dozens of pardons he has granted by rejecting a Freedom of Information Act request from the Chicago Sun-Times. In 2003, Blagojevich's administration allowed access to most executive clemency files, but a Blagojevich spokeswoman refused to answer questions about the policy shift.The governor has received criticism for pardoning Chandra Gill from a felony battery conviction and for gr

Well had no time to take pictures in Des Moines, IA and probably won’t have time in Molines, another town I have never heard of. And this will be my last trip with the Saltimbanco troup. I’m now moving on to a permanent position with the Kooza tour beginning in Hartford, Connecticut followed by Philadelphia [...]

Gordan Steidl was sentenced to death in 1987 for murder of Karen and Dyke Rhoads, but fought to prove his innocence. He was granted a new sentencing hearing in 1999 and had his conviction overturned in 2003. After consideration of DNA and other evidence, he was freed in 2004. Since winning his freedom, Steidl has applied for a pardon from Gov. Rod Blogojevich (D). But, on February 14, 2008, a letter arrived saying the request for clemency had been denied. Steidl has since learned the denial letter was mailed as a result of a "clerical error." The Governor has not actuality acted on the request. The incident is just the latest in an increasingly bizarre year for the pardon power in the State of Illinois. First, there was the breaking news of the Chandra Gill pardon. Then there was a fascina

To see Michelangelo’s David, you’ll need to book a ticket to Florence. To see his famous scenes from Genesis and The Last Judgment in the Sistine Chapel, you’ll have to head to Rome. But for the next several days, seeing a few of Michelangelo’s sculptures will be as easy as filling up a car with [...]

In this editorial, Eric Zorn of the Chicago Tribune discusses recent issues related to the pardon power in the State of Illinois. The piece suggests the "system" worked for Chandra Gill who attacked an off-duty police officer working security at a high school basketball. Gill applied for a pardon in August of 2006 and scored in January of 2007. Zorn provides several interesting details related to the pardon and considers the decision of Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) in the case to be "scandalous—yet another example of his brazen and capricious use of power." Among other things, Zorn also notes the Prisoner Review Board currently has a backlog of 1,571 applications. To date, Blagojevich has granted 67 pardons and denied 1,160 requests.For additional information on the Chandra Gill pardon, see:

Anti-gay activists are working around the clock to get petitions signed and contact their representatives to defeat the proposed civil unions bill. Please join Equality Illinois in demanding equal rights for all citizens."HB1826, the civil union bill, passed the House Human Services Committee and now is waiting for a vote on the full House floor." Illinois citizens please goto the link below and contact your representatives!

A re-call bill has passed the Illinois House by 75-33. Hopefully i will pass through the Senate also. It is a bill that will allow citizens from Illinois to re-call officials like Californiadidwith Governor Davis. This will help out in...

A native Mexican plant known as Salvia divinorum which is legally available in 42 states and widely available on the Internet, became a Schedule I substance in Illinois this year. Possession or sale of the herb, commonly know as Sally-D, Diviner's Sage and Magic Mint, is a felony in Illinois. Illinois is among eight states that have placed restrictions on the substance, dubbed by some the "next marijuana."

Owens-Illinois Inc has said that they will be investigating their Samuel Adams Beer bottles after issuing a voluntary recall. The Sam Adams bottles are produced in The Boston Beer Co, the ones affected are the 12-ounce bottles The bottles have been made to the same manufacturing specifications as all their other bottles, however after some routine [...]

Audio via Change of Subject:Above is audio from an Illinois General Assembly testimony from Rob Sherman when Democratic Rep. Monique Davis verbally attacked him for his religious views. Here is the transcript of the most heated part of the exchange:Davis: I don’t know what you have against God, but some of us don’t have much against him. We look forward to him and his blessings. And it’s really a tragedy -- it’s tragic -- when a person who is engaged in anything related to God, they want to fight. They want to fight prayer in school. I don’t see you (Sherman) fighting guns in school. You know?I’m trying to understand the philosophy that you want to spread in the state of Illinois. This is the Land of Lincoln. This is the Land of Lincoln where people believe in God, where pe

On Monday Illinois became the third state to attempt to dump the Electoral College by state law rather than by Constitutional amendment. The elimination of the Electoral College has long been a goal of progressives, socialists and the Democratic Party. Attempts to get it abolished in the past by amending the Constitution have failed.

Today at The American Thinker, Rick Moran, has a great post about the corruption in Illinois Politics. It is a cess pool of kickbacks ,sweet deals and other political shenanigans. And it is not only in 1 party. Both the...

We would like to welcome Manzuma Bengals as new advertisers to the website. Manzuma are located in in Romeoville, Illinois and currently have a litter of brown/black spotted bengal kittens (male and female) which will be ready to go to new homes after the 16th of June. They will be TICA registered, current on all [...]

In a case involving a Joliet woman accused of marijuana possession with the intent to deliver, the US Supreme Court ruled that a suspicionless "dog sniff" at a routine traffic stop is not a 4th Amendment violation. The Illinois high court maintains that, despite the specific ruling, there are still grounds available to challenge evidence found in such a manner.

Predator Press [LOBO] I can’t believe this. $1,350!?! My dandruff flake shaped like Idaho hasn’t scored a single bid, and it's twice that size! I mean, I could see if it was a Lucky Charm shaped like the Hubble telescope, or maybe a string of Honeycombs that looked like the Laker Girls. But a Corn Flake shaped like Illinois? … It wasn’t even frosted! I couldn't possibly imagine what Jesus would say. Happy Easter!!!

“There’s a sucker born every minute.” –P.T. Barnum Two sisters, looking for $10 on e-Bay, instead got $1350 for a cornflake shaped like the state of Illinois. It was not reported the brand of corn flake. $1,350 was the winning bid late Friday on eBay. “We already have the money,” a joyous Melissa McIntire, 23, one of the Chesapeake (VA) [...]

"There's a sucker born every minute."--P.T. BarnumTwo sisters, looking for $10 on e-Bay, instead got $1350 for a cornflake shaped like the state of Illinois.It was not reported the brand of corn flake.$1,350 was the winning bid late Friday on eBay."We already have the money," a joyous Melissa McIntire, 23, one of the Chesapeake sisters selling the item, said minutes after the sale ended and the winner made an electronic payment."We are so excited," McIntire said. "There's a lot of good spirit here. We're still amazed we sold a corn flake for over $1,000! Who would have thought?"Melissa's 15-year-old sister, Emily, found the flake earlier this month. They decided to sell it on eBay.There were 68 bids from 29 bidders. The highest had appeared to be $1,325, placed Thursday at 3:26 p.m. Then,

The pardon power has received a little more attention than usual in the state of Illinois given the fact that Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) has yet to act on the case of Alton Logan and is being scrutinzed for the pardon of Chandra Gill. Now federal Judge Joan Gotschall has informed Blagojevich that he cannot sit indefinitely on pardon applications. The decision - which can be downloaded as a .pdf file here - was issued in response to a case brought by ten felons who are seeking executive clemency. Seven of them have already had applications denied. Judge Gotschall interprets the Illinois constitution to require the governor to make decisions on pardon applications "within a reasonable period of time." Margaret Love, the Justice Department's chief pardon attorney from 1990-1997, says she hopes

By JIM SUHR, Associated Press Writer ALTON, Ill. - Banished to the basement, the 29-year-old mother with a childlike mind and another baby on the way had little more than a thin rug and a mattress to call her own on the chilly concrete floor. Dorothy Dixon ate what she could forage from the refrigerator upstairs, where [...]

Two sisters from Virginia who are selling a corn flake shaped like the state of Illinois on eBay say the online auction Web site canceled their listing. “Something really dramatic just happened with our corn flake,” Melissa McIntire, 23, of Chesapeake, Va., said Tuesday, explaining that the sisters received an e-mail from eBay saying the [...]

A former Illinois parole board member has filed a lawsuit against Attorney General Lisa Madigan and other state officials, alleging they falsely accused him of trading his vote to free a notorious mob hit man. A Sangamon County judge cleared Victor Brooks last year of charges he voted to free Harry Aleman in 2002 in exchange for help landing Brooks' son a job as a singer in Las Vegas. Former

Wow, what a week in the news; Eliot Spitzer, Geraldine Ferraro, Tony Rezko, Jeremiah Wright, and gas prices jumping to record highs. What impact do these people and events have upon the housing market? Plenty. Experts were surprised this week to learn that the predicted increase in retail sales in February never materialized as retail sales [...]

Because of a recent partnership between Intel, Microsoft, and the University of Illinois, a new research center is currently being built there. The Universal Parallel Computing Research Center, which will cost $8 million to make, will involve 22 faculty members from the school’s computer science and computer engineering departments. However, the center will focus [...]

In law school, future attorneys are trained in the "ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct" and most are tested on these rules as part of the Bar exam. However, once practicing attorneys, they must abide by the individual ethics rules of the state - or states - in which they are licensed. This creates a particular challenge for the nearly one-third of Illinois attorneys licensed in multiple jurisdictions.

How does a realtor profit from a short sale?When formally requesting a short sale commitment from the bank, realtor commissions are usually included if a realtor was involved in the deal. The bank may counteroffer to lower the commission. Realtors can also "hunt" for short sales by talking to clients that have had their homes listed for a long time with no success. The realtor can explain the short sale process and help the owner negotiate with their lender to get it sold and the realtor gets their commission.Contact me today so we can evaluate your individual situation.

Como dicen en la descripción de la subasta en ebay: esta es tu oportunidad de tener un corn flake (hojuela de maíz) ¡con la forma del estado de Illinois! La hojuela fue sacada de la caja y no ha sufrido alteración alguna en su forma o apariencia. ¡Su parecido (con Illinois) es complemente natural!Jajaja, qué locuras de la gente ¿verdad?, sin embargo, según consta en eBay, la subasta está en $200,500.00...

An Illinois-Look-A-Like corn flake on has been offered more than $1,000 in Ebay. According to it's sellers, the breakfast cereal looks like the state of Illinois and has not gone any alterations.Two sisters listed 'The Great Illinois Corn Flake' on the auction site, promising that it had undergone no cosmetic alterations to make it look more Illinoisy.Emily McIntire, a 15-year-old sophomore in high school from Chesapeake, Virginia, said she was grabbing fistfuls of cereal on her way to class when she found the flake. Link

3/13 - Illinois: Further Objection to Gill Pardon3/10 - Illinois: The Governor's Next Pardon?3/7 - Illinois: Report3/6 - Illinois: Investigation (Update)3/4 - Illinois: A Grant. A Pardon. An Investigation.

The Champaign News-Gazette reports that one of the officers involved in the arrest of Chanda Gill is not at all pleased to learn that Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich (D) has pardoned Gill. DeAnn Winn-Maurer says she would have objected to the pardon in advance, had she had the opportunity. Winn-Maurer says she feared for her own safety during the 2002 fight between Gill and Latasha Cain and the disruption put an end to a 13-year career. The Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. says, however, that Gill's conviction was "insane" as it did not involve "raucous behavior or stealing." Winn-Mauer respectfully disagrees and has four hand surgeries as evidence to the contrary. To this day, she suffers from a dull ache and painful involuntary spasms in the hand. See complete story here. See also: Illinois: A Grant. A Pa

In a recent post, here, PardonPower related the story of a man, Alton Logan, who has been in prison half of his life while an actual murderer went free. Two attorneys were aware of the wrongful conviction but felt compelled to keep the information secret because of the attorney-client privilege. The client in question is now dead. In this 60 Minutes segment, Logan and the two attorneys speak out. An attempt is being made to get a new trial, but Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich (D) could right the wrong instantly, with the stroke of his pen. Such an indisputably appropriate use of the clemency power might ease the sting that the Governor is currently experiencing as a result of his pardon of Chandra Gill. Meanwhile, Logan says the State of Illinois is "quick to convict, but they are slow to correct

Woodstock, Ill (ThaLunatic Daily) -- Laura E. Sieradzki, a 34 year old former teacher at McHenry High School, has avoided jail after admitting to having sexual contact with a student. She was sentenced to probation and limited sex offender registration.Sieradzki, who was a special ed teacher at McHenry's West Campus, was arrested after having a sexual encounter with a 17 year old boy at a party, according to police. She was originally charged with criminal sexual assault and aggravated criminal sexual abuse, but admitted guilt in exchange for a plea arrangement.In court, Sieradzki admitted to having sexual contact with the student. She also admitted to giving under aged girls body piercings which police say were placed in inappropriate places.As a result, she went to jail was sentenc

The Atlantic features an editorial which discusses the dilemma of two public defenders who have announced that a deceased client killed a man nearly thirty years ago. All the while, a wrongfully convicted suspect, Alton Logan, has been in prison - a pretty gloomy consequence of the attorney-client privilege. The editorial notes former Illinois Governor George Ryan (R) commuted 156 death sentences out of concern that just one of the sentenced might be innocent and submits: "Surely Governor Rod R. Blagojevich (D) can grant a single speedy pardon for one irrevocably wronged man?"Editor: Indeed, Blagojevich's awkward pardon of Chandra Gill - see posts Illinois: A Grant. A Pardon. An Investigation and Illinois: Investigation (Update) - would suggest that, absent some startling and immediate rev

If your Illinois business accepts checks, you may have turned to your “State Attorney Office” to get it collected. This is certainly one option for businesses, and it is a free option.There are other choices to collection Illinois NSF checks, Illinois stop payment checks, and Illinois closed account checks. Unlike using an Illinois State’s Attorney bad check restitution program, there are free bad check collection services available to businesses in Illinois and every other U.S. state. These services can actually be less time consuming than a State’s Attorney Office.You may find a list of check recovery services at this link: If you choose to visit www.bumchecks.com you will also find some information about NorthStar Technologies. NorthStar is a leading provider of bad check

Republican Jim Oberweis, running for a U.S. Congress seat from Illinois, was busted this week by the Chicago Tribune for running ads with a fictional family who supports him. The family doesn't exist, it's a stock photo with a fake name, address, income, and line about supporting Oberweis. See the evidence in the video below.Oberweis has also been using the same old Republican fear propaganda with his Democratic opponent, Bill Foster. Oberweis is misquoting Foster in commercials, using Foster's critical line that, "you can improve anything by throwing money at it," without revealing the context it was said, in which Foster was criticizing politicians for overspending and instead calling for his own plans to pull back spending. Oberweis is also running ads critizing Foster's calls to end th

Illinois is one of the few states where officers can—and often do—take a driver's license during routine traffic stops. But a group of state officials is trying to change that. In an era when a government-issued photo ID is often needed to board an airplane or make a credit-card purchase, the practice is antiquated, they said.

It is reported here and here that Governor Rod Blagojevich has gotten nearly 2,800 clemency requests since he stepped into office five years ago and has granted only 67 pardons. An additional 1,160 requests were denied and the remaining 1,500 remained in limbo. The figures have taken on significance since it has been learned that one of Blagojevich's rare pardons was given to Chandra Gill, an administrator at a school that mistakenly received a $1 million state grant. In 2006, the latest year for which the Prisoner Review Board has issued an annual report, Blagojevich got 651 clemency requests. He granted one, denied 24 and took no action on the rest.

The Chicago Tribune reports that Gov. Rod Blagojevich's administration has "presented a confusing picture" of what his office knew about a woman who received a criminal pardon while her school received a $1 million state grant. William Quinlan, general counsel to the governor, told reporters the pardon "had absolutely nothing to do" with the school's request for grant money and that, at the time, the governor was aware of no link between Chandra N. Gill's and the school. Spokeswoman Abby Ottenhoff said Blagojevich was swayed by Gill's "good works" and the fact that she "was improving her life and doing good things with her life."But the Tribune has already uncovered the fact that the connection with the school was at the heart of Gill's request for the pardon. The August 2006 petition stat

The Chicago Tribune is reporting that Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) granted a pardon to an officer of a church school in the midst of approving a $1 million state grant that would help programs affiliated with the church. On top of that, the money eventually went to a private school which bought a Loop office condo. Rep. Kack Franks (D-Woostock) a member of the state legislature has scheduled hearings to investigate the grant and the Governor's office says it is now looking into whether or not the school associated with Pilgrim Baptist Church is "viable." Rep. Franks says the Governor basically gave "a non-existent school a million dollars to buy a floor on a condo building with no students, no faculty, no clear date of opening, and that apparently didn't have a tax-exempt status until they wer

Congratulations to Team Illinois who fought tooth and nail to win the Illinois State Championship last weekend. Although the Fury surged late in the season with wins over Belle Tire and Compuware,... This is a content summary only. Visit the vlog for the full story,

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville - Competitive Graduate Award The purpose of the Competitive Graduate Award (CGA) program is to support highly qualified new students, including students from underrepresented groups, who are accepted into advanced degree programs at SIUE. There is usually 18 CGA awards for the nine-month academic year. They include a monthly stipend, as well as waiver

Download part1, part2 (rapidshare)192kbps / 105mbYear: 2006Label: Asthmatic Kittymyspace.com/illinoiseisprettyMore about the bandSimilar artists: Stereolab, Jim O'Rourke, Cass McCombs, The Choir Practice, Elliot SmithAMG: 3.5"Sufjan Stevens' Come on Feel the Illinoise was a long, gorgeous, and occasionally convoluted kaleidoscope of folk, pop, and orchestral rock fused with personal regional history that somehow managed to lure listeners of all ages and genre allegiances into its pompon-wielding arms. Like Illinois, The Avalanche -- leave it to Stevens to release a 21-track collection of outtakes and extras from a record that boasted 22... [..] The Avalanche slows down considerably near the record's end, but so did Illinois, making an even better case for the "Super Director's Cut" that w

Days before his term ended in 2003, Illinois Governor George Ryan (R) commuted the death sentences of 167 inmates to life in prison. Since then, 13 men have been sentenced to death in Illinois -- Eric Hanson became No. 14 Wednesday. It took the DuPage County jury only 90 minutes to decide. In 2005, Hanson shot his parents while they slept in their Naperville home. He then moved their bodies to his sister's Aurora home after bludgeoning Kate Hanson-Tsao and her husband, Jimmy Tsao, earlier that evening. Story here.

For the first time in Illinois since 1990 when the Uniform Premarital Agreement Act was adopted in the state, a prenuptial agreement was overturned. The written order was signed and entered by the Honorable Judge Martin Zopp in McHenry County today, and declared a multi-million dollar estate to be marital property.

This interview is brought to you by Nanotech Insights and www.Nanotechnology.com. Darrell Brookstein, Managing Director of The Nanotech Company, LLC and author of Nanotech Fortunes has described, step by step, and in his usual “direct”, no-nonsense style, the true state of “small” and advanced tech investing in 2008, in seven enlightening articles known as Nanotech Insights (October 2007 to February 2008).Nanotechnology.com is offering 10 readers their choice of Nanotech Fortunes or a 15-minute phone consult with Darrell Brookstein. Just answer A. or B. to the following question (10 winners will be chosen at random from the responders):I believe the typical investor with $10,000 to invest in Nanotechnology stocks would prefer:1. to invest in 2- 6 different stocks that they or their

I’ve been asked about posting notice for the Illinois Employee Classification Act.  For  more information about the Act, see my 2/10/08 post. This is a simple provision of the Act.  It’s contained in Section 15 Notice.  All businesses with “one or more individuals perform[ing] services who are not classified as employees under . . . this [...]

After the horrific tragedy that took place on Thursday, our thoughts and prayers here at The Sports Flow go out to the lives lost, students, families, faculty, and all of Northern Illinois University. We want you to know that we mourn for you along with the rest of the world and you are all in our prayers.

In Illinois last Thursday, over 20 people were shot and injured in the Northern Illinois University campus. Six of the twenty students were shot to death, including the shooter who shot himself after the shooting. The gunman of the rampage-shooting, Steven P. Kazmierczak, open-fired Thursday at around 3 pm during an on-going Geology class. He kicked the door open, rushed into the lecture hall while the class of 160 students were having a power-point lecture, and shot around 30 times, also killing himself. Many witnesses and victims of the scene said the whole time this was going on, all they could hear was screaming and yelling, things like “He’s got a gun, get out!”. A few minutes later, the university police arrived, and the school was put on lockdown. They quickly found out that t

Details are beginning to emerge from another mass killing at a school by a young person. Some information suggested a young man interested in corrections, other information suggest he was being treated for mental illness. Preventing these kind of tragedies needs to be a high priority effort by all of us. The solution can not be found by locking up everyone who might be violent, we can't afford that many jail cells. It must be based on how we raise and educate our children, not just academically, but emotionally. We can no longer afford to ignore emotion education. ABC News Stephen Kazmierczak, the 27-year-old who opened fire on a crowded Northern Illinois University lecture hall, killing five and then himself Thursday, was described as "fairly normal" and an "unstressed person" by NIU

Although I’ve got a post in progress about something adoption-related, I can’t finish it. The news yesterday evening about the shootings at Northern Illinois University has both broken my heart and made me furious.My heart, which is braced for the anniversary of the Virginia Tech shootings last year, goes out to the victims, their families, and to the Northern Illinois community. No one should live through such an experience, and more importantly, no one should die in it. Yet again we’re watching a tragedy unfold that defies logic and reason. And again, we'll turn back to our regular activities afterward.I’m sick of it. I’m sick of gun control polarizing this country, sick of the misguided thought that a perceived right to carry a firearm without control trumps the lives lost to

Kyzera Bengals, located in Ozark, Illinois, have a litted of brown spotted and brown marble bengal kittens which will be ready to go to new homes on April 24th. They will be TICA registered, wormed and have their first shots given prior to placement. See breeder ad for full details, photos and contact info. [...]

A client recently asked me about a new State of Illinois law the Employee Classification Act (if the link is expired, then check Google), public act 095-0026, which became effective January 1, 2008. I thought that a brief post might be useful considering that there might be some confusion regarding this Act. Additionally, [...]

I just got confirmation that CTS, which handles applications for nurse licensure in Illinois, has increased the application fee from $79 to $82. Both CTS' Web site and the application packet that can be downloaded from the Illinois Dept. of Financial and Professional Regulation Web site shows the fee increase.

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