(Chicago, IL)  --  A pair of new state laws revamp the admission system for nursing homes across Illinois.  Governor Pat Quinn signed the bills into law yesterday.  One bill says only people who need round the clock care can be admitted to a nursing home.  It also weeds out people with violent pasts from being placed with older folks.  The plan also looks to crack down on fraud in nursing home by imposing strict reporting standards for abuse and neglect.  The new laws come after Quinn formed the Nursing Home Safety Task Force last year to look into nursing home policy across the state.  The laws go into effect immediately.


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(Ottawa, IL)  --  Republican Senate candidate Mark Kirk says he wants to square off in a series of debates with Democrat Alexi Giannoulias, as the two men battle for the seat once held by Barack Obama.  Kirk says he'd like the first of seven proposed debates to be held in Ottawa, Illinois on August 21st.  That's the 152nd anniversary of the famous Lincoln-Douglas debate held there.  Kirk's plan is to follow up that debate with six more spread out over the next two months.  They'd be held in Northbrook, Bloomington, Springfield, Alton, Chicago and Carbondale.  Some debates would focus on specific topics like agriculture or the economy, while others would cover a variety of subjects.  Green Party candidate LeAlan Jones would also be invited to participate.

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(Chicago, IL)  --  The waiting game continues as jurors deliberate in the corruption trial of former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich.  Yesterday, jurors asked judge James Zagel for a transcript of the prosecution's closing argument.  He denied the request on grounds that the closing doesn't qualify as 'evidence.'  Jurors will resume deliberations this morning.  That will be the case each weekend until a verdict is reached.  Blagojevich faces 24 corruption counts including a charge he tried to sell Barack Obama's Senate Seat.  His brother, Rob, is charged as well and stood trial alongside him.  Both men have pleaded not guilty to all charges.

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Even though Regional Superintendent of Schools for Mercer, Warren and Henderson Counties Jody Scott has been quoted as saying that a bit of disappointment was felt when Illinois was rejected for the "race to the top" funds was true, state education officials say they felt rushed during their first try at secure federal money for schools through the competitive 'Race To The Top' grant program.  But now, state board of education spokesperson Mary Fergus says Illinois has revamped its application, and secured the endorsements of more than 60-percent of school districts throughout the state.

http://1330wram.com/audio/MF7-29.mp3|

Illinois is one of 19 states vying for federal money to revamp their education systems.  Illinois is asking for about 400-million of the reported three-point-four-billion available. State officials will make their case for the money next months.  Winners will be announced in September.

The House of Representatives has passed Congressman Phil Hare’s  resolution recognizing the numerous contributions and accomplishments of the freight rail industry and its employees. Hare says  freight rail has had a tremendously positive impact on West Central Illinois since its inception...

http://1330wram.com/audio/PH7-29.mp3|

Hare adds shipping goods by rail has been shown to be among the most efficient ways of transporting freight.  American innovation and billions of dollars of investments throughout the rail industry has led to a decrease in fuel consumption, a reduction in  harmful greenhouse gas emissions, and has reaffirmed an industry-wide commitment to environmentally responsible operating practices.

(Chicago, IL)  --  A federal jury is now discussing the fate of former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich behind closed doors.  Blagoevich is accused of trying to sell President Obama's former U.S. Senate seat and other state business for campaign donations and personal favors.  During closing arguments on Tuesday, federal prosecutors said Blagojevich is guilty because he spoke with Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr.'s camp about appointing him to the U.S. Senate in exchange for six-million dollars.  Defense attorneys say their client simply has horrible judgement in people, but isn't a criminal.  They referred to several former Blagojevich aides and fundraisers being indicted on fraud and corruption charges.  The defense also says Blagojevich never intended to extort money from anyone.

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State education officials say they felt rushed during their first try at securing federal money for schools through the competitive Race To The Top grant program.  But now, state board of education spokesperson Mary Fergus says Illinois has revamped its application, and secured the endorsements of more than 60-percent of school districts throughout the state.  Illinois is one of 19 finalists vying for federal money to revamp their education systems.  Illinois is asking for about 400-million of the reported three-point-four-billion dollars available.  Only Tennessee and Delaware won money during the first round, but upward of 15 finalists are expected to be awarded funds this time.  Fergus says the state's latest application includes a bevy of initiatives including computer technology upgrades and a student growth tracking system.  State officials will make their case for the money next month.  Winners will be announced in September.

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A north-central Illinois woman was killed early Wednesday when she was hit by a freight train. Authorities say the victim, 43-year-old Nancy Alden of Toluca was pronounced dead at the scene of the Marshall County railroad crossing shortly around 1:20 a.m.  Train personnel notified cops that a pedestrian had been hit.  Alden's husband identified her about 12-hours later.  An autopsy showed she died from blunt force trauma.  The incident remains under investigation.

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(Pinckneyville, IL)  --  Southern Illinois Authorities say the body found in a Perry County creek last weekend was a 15-year-old runaway girl.  Family members have identified the victim as Sidnee Stephens of Pinkneyville. She was pulled from the Beaucoup Creek near Pinckneyville Sunday.  The teen's cause of death has not been identified, but they are investigating it as a homicide.

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Governor Pat Quinn has declared 12 counties, including Henderson County, as state disaster areas this week after heavy rains caused flooding throughout much of northern Illinois. The state disaster declaration will help communities in the 12 counties recover from devastation caused by flooding resulting from a series of thunderstorms Friday night into Saturday. Along with Henderson, other counties declared state disaster areas include: Carroll, Cook, DuPage,Jo Daviess, Lee, Mercer, Ogle, Rock Island, Stephenson, Whiteside and Winnebago. On Monday, 125,000 sandbags and 20 rolls of plastic sheeting from the state stockpile were sent to Henderson County.

(Chicago, IL)  --  The fate of former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich will soon be in the hands of jurors. Following closing arguments yesterday, defense attorney Sam Adam Jr. says he's confident jurors will come back with an acquittal.  During his closing, Adam told jurors that Blagojevich was a terrible judge in character, but not a criminal.  He reasoned with jurors that trying to bribe the President-elect of the United States is a preposterous concept.  Adam even questioned his client's intelligence, saying he naively followed the advice of his inner circle, but never intended to commit a crime.  Prosecutors though say Blagojevich knew what he was doing.  They say he and his co-defendant and brother had clear intentions to profit from the sale of Barack Obama's former Senate seat.  After jury instructions this morning from Judge James Zagel, jurors will begin deliberations. If convicted on all 24 counts charged against him, Blagojevich could face more than 400 years in pr [ ... ]

(Springfield, IL)  --  A substance known as 'legal pot' won't be legal in the state of Illinois much longer.  Governor Pat Quinn signed a law this week outlawing 'K-2' a synthetic drug with affects similar to marijuana. But Larry Lindenman of the Illinois Drug Enforcement Officers Association says that doesn't mean this is the last we'll hear of synthetic drugs.  He says that's because scientists will inevitably come up with new types of drugs that aren't illegal.  As of January 1st, buying, selling or possessing 'K-2' will carry the same penalties as marijuana.  Currently, 'K-2' is marketed as a potpourri and is primarily traded via the Internet and in some head shops.  Lindenman says the drug is mostly used by teens and young adults.  The measure passed through the General Assembly unanimously earlier this year.  Other states, including Missouri, are pushing to place similar laws on the books for 'K-2.'

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A McLean County judge has found a 21-year-old man guilty but mentally ill in the 2009 murder of his father.  Prosecutors say LSD and marijuana put Liam McCauley in a psychotic state when he stabbed and beat 57-year-old Joseph McCauley to death.  The verdict came after a five day bench-trial. McCauley could face 20 to 60 years in prison, but is also eligible for mental health services.


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The plan preperation for the four-laning of U.S. 34 from Monmouth to Gulfport has been funded, but not for construction. Western Illinois State Representative Rich Myers says the Illinois Department of Transportation only has money in the budget to improve exisiting roads and bridges, however Route 34 is an exception... http://1330wram.com/audio/RM7-26.mp3| IDOT engineer, Tony Sassine, says $270 million is still needed for the completion of the U.S. 34 project from Monmouth to Gulfport.

It was a close call for the pilot of a crop duster in western Illinois over the weekend.  Knox County officials say Pilot Gary Denevan of Nebraska suffered only minor injuries when he crashed into a field.  The crop duster apparently lost power without warning, causing it to crash Sunday afternoon near Yates City.  The crop duster was badly damaged. Deneven told authorities he was flying out of the Monmouth airport.

A day full of surprises in federal court featured Rod Blagojevich's lawyer telling the judge he'd rather go to jail than follow his order.  That order from Judge James Zagel forbids Sam Adam Jr. from bringing up a list of witnesses not called, including convicted political fundraiser Tony Rezko, during his closing argument.  Zagel told Adam he'd be held in contempt of court if he did.  That closing argument is expected to take place this morning.  It comes a day after prosecutors summed up their case for jurors.  In another unexpected twist, Blagojevich brought his two daughters to court yesterday to hear closing arguments.  The 14 and seven-year-old had not been in court before yesterday.  Deliberations could begin as this afternoon.

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A federal judge will is expected to decide whether Illinoisans will vote in two different Senate elections this November. That's because appointed Senator Roland Burris is only allowed to serve up until the November 2nd election.  He was sent to Washington by Rod Blagojevich, shortly before he was impeached.  So voters would pick for someone to hold the seat for about six weeks until either Democrat Alexi Giannoulias or Republican Mark Kirk takes over permanently in January.  Party leaders would get to pick who runs in the special election.  They could simply allow the general election to run in the special election as well.


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--  People who make fake 9-1-1 calls could soon spend up to three-years in jail.  Governor Pat Quinn signed a bill into law yesterday stiffening penalties for pranksters.  This legislation comes after Kankakee County Sheriff's Deputy Dave Stukenborg was seriously injured in a car accident when responding to a prank call made to 9-1-1.  Under the new law, placing a fake 9-1-1 call is a Class four felony.  Currently, it's a class 'A' misdemeanor.  The new law passed the Illinois General Assembly unanimously and takes effect January 1st, 2011.


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The Galesburg High School wrestling coach died while running in a race over the weekend.  Forty-one-year-old John Chapman was participating in the Quad City Times Bix 7 with his wife Saturday.  He collapsed during the sixth mile of the race.  He died of an apparent heart attack and was unresponsive when EMS teams arrived.  This is the third death on record during the Bix race history.  Chapman was the wrestling coach at Galesburg High School.  He has two children.

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Closing arguments are expected today in the federal corruption trial of former Governor Rod Blagojevich.  The final statements are expected much earlier than expected after the prosecution rested weeks early and the defense opted not to call a single witness, including Blagojevich himself.  Former federal prosecutor Patrick Collins, who helped secure the conviction of ex-Governor George Ryan in 2006, tells the "Chicago Tribune" that the defense must still criticize their client for his conduct in office.  Collins says in order to prove Blagojevich's innocence, his lawyers have to admit to his poor conduct in office, his foul language and his expensive taste in clothing but then stress that none of it was actually illegal.

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The “hot one day, rainy the next” kind of weather the Warren County area has been experiencing has not only affected the growth and maturity rates of corn and beans, but it has also had an affect on prices as well.  Bill Ramsey, with the Risk Management Group in Kirkwood goes into detail about what’s referred to as a “weather market”….

http://1330wram.com/audio/BR7-23.mp3|

According to Ramsey, the weather forecast changed again, and pushed corn prices back down into the $3.50 range.

Having met their goal last year, the Warren County United Way is looking forward to another successful year.  Vicki MacNamara with the Warren County United Way says that Becky Spires is the new Campaign Chairperson…   http://1330wram.com/audio/VM7-22.mp3|

Susan Savage is also recognized as a new board member.

Both Abengoa Bioenergy and Poet LLC hope to have the first commercial cellulosic ethanol plant in the world and expect to begin operation in the next few years.  Poet’s Emmetsburg, Iowa, plant is slated for operation in 2012, capable of producing 25 million gallons from corncobs and high-cut material, according to Adam Wirt, Poet’s technology development specialist, who discussed the project at the Energy & Environmental Research Center’s Biomass ’10: Renewable Power, Fuels, and Chemicals Workshop July 20 and 21 in Grand Forks, N.D. “Our goal is to build the first in the world,” he told attendees. “We’ve heard a lot of companies say that.” Poet has worked with equipment manufacturers to establish collection methods for the feedstock and has identified 600 area farmers to contribute.   The facility will require 270,000 bone-dry tons of the residues per year, equivalent to about 300,000 acres. “We feel that up to 25 percent corn stover removal is environmentally su [ ... ]

Heat Advisory-
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE QUAD CITIES IA IL
329 AM CDT FRI JUL 23 2010

...DANGEROUS HEAT NOW EXPECTED THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING...

.ABUNDANT LOW LEVEL MOISTURE WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE AREA
THROUGH EARLY THIS EVENING. DEW POINTS IN THE LOW TO MID 70S COMBINED
WITH TEMPERATURES IN THE LOWER 90S WILL RESULT IN DANGEROUS HEAT.
THERE ALSO WILL BE SOME LOCATIONS THAT SEE DEW POINTS IN THE UPPER
70S WITH THE HEAT INDEX AROUND 105 OR EVEN HIGHER THIS
AFTERNOON. MANY AREAS THAT DO NOT EXPERIENCE RAIN COOLED
THUNDERSTORM OUTFLOW MAY STAY IN THE UPPER 70S OR AROUND 80
DEGREES TONIGHT INTO EARLY FRIDAY MORNING.

A HEAT ADVISORY MEANS THAT A PERIOD OF HOT TEMPERATURES AND HIGH
HUMIDITY IS EXPECTED.  THIS COMBINATION WILL LEAD TO POSSIBLE
HEAT ILLNESSES.  DRINK PLENTY OF FLUIDS...STAY IN AN AIR-
CONDITIONED ROOM...STAY OUT OF THE SUN...AND CHECK ON RELATIVES
AND NEIGHBORS...ESPECIALLY THE ELDERLY.

(Peoria, IL)  --  A Jacksonville man has been arrested after authorities say he walked into a "To Catch a Predator" like sting-operation.  Federal charging documents say 55-year-old Donald Fisher had taken part in a series of sexual conversations over the internet with officers posing as an underaged girl and her 42-year-old mother.  He allegedly went to Peoria to meet the women for sex, when Peoria County Sheriff's Deputies swooped in and made the arrest.  The complaint alleges Fisher sent nude pictures and videos of himself to the "women."  He faces ten-years to life in prison if he is convicted.


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