Illinois Senate approves House’s $5 billion tax hike, $36.5 billion spending plan

July 4, 2017 By Leave a Comment

https://www.ilnews.org/news/state_politics/illinois-senate-approves-house-s-billion-tax-hike-billion-spending/article_e5ee9d88-60cf-11e7-8f43-133a8a4cd8c6.html

Former gubernatorial candidate and Senate Minority Leader Bill Brady, discussing the bills on the senate floor. (Illinois News Network photo)

SPRINGFIELD, IL – (Greg Bishop, Illinois News Network.  Please click on the link above for the full story, and other related stories.  Here is an excerpt below.)

In an historic session on Independence Day, the Illinois Senate approved three budget-related bills that would raise taxes by $5 billion effective immediately and spend $36.5 billion in fiscal year 2018.

Gov. Bruce Rauner has vowed to veto the tax hike. Even with a Rauner veto, if no votes change in either the House, which passed the same measures Sunday night, or Senate, the tax hikes and spending plan will go into effect.

Senators needed exactly 36 votes to send House Speaker Michael Madigan’s tax increase on to the governor, and that’s exactly how many it received. 18 senators voted against it.

Note:  For the amendments passed by the House on Senate bill 0006,  which is for the budget,  Dale Fowler (R – Harrisburg), voted for them, Paul Schimpf (R- Smithston) voted against them.

For the tax increase, SB0009, both Fowler and Schimpf voted it down.

Filed Under: Breaking News, Franklin Co. News, State News

Homestand Highlights, July 4th

July 4, 2017 By Leave a Comment

Press Release from the St. Louis Cardinals

Adult Patriotic Cardinals Socks Promotional Giveaway: The first 30,000 ticketed fans, ages 16 and older, will receive a unique set of Patriotic Cardinals Socks, courtesy of Coca-Cola and Powerade. (#CardsPromo)

  • Kids Patriotic Cardinals Socks Promotional Giveaway: All kids, ages 15 and younger, entering with a ticket will take home a pair of their own Patriotic Cardinals socks, courtesy of Powerade. (#CardsPromo)
  • Cardinals Care Stadium Auction: Fans have the unique opportunity to bid on exclusive autographed Cardinals memorabilia at the game. The auction is a great way for fans and collectors to obtain specialty Cardinals items while helping support the programs that Cardinals Care provides to youth in the community. Auction tables will be located by Gate 1 (Section 137), Gate 3, inside the Cardinals Club, UMB Champions Club and Redbird Club.

 

 

Filed Under: Sports

Football Rules Changes – 2017

July 4, 2017 By Leave a Comment

From the National Federation of High Schools

1-3-1h (NEW): Added that commercial advertising is not permitted on the ball.

Rationale: The ball cannot have commercial advertising added to the surface. The only permissible items on the ball are the ball manufacturer’s name and/or logo; school name, logo and/or mascot; conference name and/or logo; state association name and/or logos; and NFHS name and/or logos.

1-5-1b(3): Further clarifies that the jersey of the home team shall be a dark color clearly contrasting to the white jersey required for the visiting team.

Rationale: Home game jersey specifications were further revised to provide schools and manufacturers additional clarification regarding the current trend of utilizing lighter gray shades. The implementation date of 2021 affords schools and manufacturers the opportunity to ensure that newer dark-colored jerseys will clearly contrast with white jerseys. The requirement for contrasting colors to white is not a new rule, and this new clarification will allow changes to be made during normal replacement cycles.

1-5-1a(2) NOTE, 1-5-4: This change now permits any of the game officials to accompany the referee to meet with the head coach for equipment verification.

Rationale: Member state associations may determine the game official who is to accompany the referee during the required pre-game meeting with each head coach.

2-3-10 (NEW), 9-4-3n (NEW), 9-4 PENALTY: Added a new definition for a blindside block and specifies a penalty for an illegal blindside block.

Rationale: Continuing with the focus on risk minimization, the committee created a definition for a blindside block. This block involves contact by a blocker against an opponent who, because of physical positioning and focus of concentration, is vulnerable to injury. Unless initiated with open hands, it is a foul for excessive and unnecessary contact when the block is forceful and outside of the free-blocking zone.

2-16-2h: Clarified that illegal participation fouls by the receiving team occurring during the kick are now enforced under post-scrimmage kick fouls.

Rationale: Illegal participation fouls by the receiving team occurring during the kick are now enforced under post-scrimmage kick fouls. Illegal substitution and illegal participation fouls by the receiving team occurring at the snap continue to be enforced from the previous spot.

2-24-10 (NEW), 6-1-11 (NEW), 6-1 PENALTY: Added a new definition for a pop-up kick and specifies a penalty for a pop-up kick.

Rationale: Continuing with the committee’s efforts to minimize risk, a pop-up kickoff has been defined. A pop-up kick is a free kick in which the kicker drives the ball immediately to the ground, the ball strikes the ground once and goes into the air in the manner of a ball kicked directly off the tee. Such kicks will be penalized as a dead-ball free-kick infraction.

2-32-16: Expands the definition of a defenseless player by incorporating specific examples.

Rationale: The committee adopted specific examples of a defenseless player. By adding these examples, the committee continues to focus on risk minimization and responded to requests on the annual NFHS football rules questionnaire from participating coaches, game officials and state association representatives.

3-4-7 (NEW): Added a new option to the offended team to start the clock on the snap for an accepted penalty inside the last two minutes of either half.

Rationale: The committee added an option for the offended team on an accepted penalty inside the last two minutes of either half. The referee continues to have the authority to start or stop the clock if a team attempts to conserve or consume time illegally.

4-2-2l (NEW): Specifies that the ball is declared dead if a prosthetic limb comes completely off the runner.

Rationale:  With this change, the ball becomes dead when a prosthetic limb comes completely off the runner.

7-1-6: Now stipulates that it is encroachment to strike the ball or the snapper’s hand/arm prior to the snapper releasing the ball.

Rationale: Defensive players are restricted from contacting the ball or the snapper’s hand(s) or arm(s) until the snapper has released the ball.

7-5-10: Removes non-contact face guarding from the pass interference restrictions.

Rationale: This change eliminates the previous foul for non-contact face guarding forward-pass interference.

 

2017 EDITORIAL CHANGES

Facilities Statement; 1-3-2; 1-5-1a(1); 1-5-1a(2) NOTE; 1-5-2b; 1-5-3b(6); 1-5-3c(2); 1-5-5; 1-6-1; 1-6-2; 2-5-3; 2-41-3; 2-41-5; 3-4-8; 3-5-7f; 3-5-8b(2); 3-5-10b; 3-5-10c; 4-2-2k; 7-5-6a; 9-3 PENALTY; 9-4-3k; 9-8-1h; 10-5-1c; FOOTBALL FUNDAMENTALS – VI-2; PENALTY SUMMARY; INDEX.

 

2017 POINTS OF EMPHASIS

 

  1. Responsibility on Players to Avoid Illegal Contact
  2. Illegal Helmet Contact
  3. Sideline Management and Control, Professional Communication Between Coaches and Game Officials
  4. Proper Enforcement of Penalties for Violations of the Equipment Rules

NFHS

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Filed Under: Uncategorized

Massey, Werner Voted 2017 All-Stars

July 4, 2017 By Leave a Comment

From the Southern Illinois Miners

MARION, IL – The Southern Illinois Miners are proud to announce that shortstop Craig Massey and closer John Werner have been voted as Frontier League All-Stars, and will represent the team at the 2017 Frontier League All-Star Game on July 14th at Slammers Stadium in Joliet.

For the Bells, Tennessee-native Massey, this year’s selection represents the third midseason all-star appearance in three years in the Frontier League, having previously been an all-star in 2015 with the Schaumburg Boomers and last season as a starter in the outfield with the Miners. The veteran shortstop is currently leading the Miners with a .310 batting average along with one home run, 18 RBIs, six doubles, three triples and 52 total hits through 44 games. He also owns the top on-base percentage on the team, at .405 with 27 walks against only 24 strikeouts. He has played in every game but one for the Miners while batting leadoff in nearly every game played as well.

Originally from Anaheim, California, Werner makes his first Frontier League all-star appearance in his first season with the Miners. Coming to Southern Illinois from the Texas Rangers organization, the right-hander is a perfect nine-for-nine in save opportunities out of the bullpen, with a 2-0 record and a 2.49 ERA. He has struck out 28 batters in 21 2/3 innings while walking only four and allowing just 14 hits for an opposing batting average of .182, tops on the Miners’ pitching staff.

“It’s a great recognition for Craig and John, and an acknowledgement for how hard they worked and how they have performed this season,” Miners manager Mike Pinto said. “Our staff is proud and happy for them both.”

The Southern Illinois Miners are the 2016 Frontier League West Division Champions, the 2014 and 2015 Frontier League East Division Champions and the 2012 Frontier League Champions. They have been awarded the Frontier League Organization of the Year award three times since their inception, and also set a new Frontier League attendance record in 2007, their inaugural season. For ticket information, contact the Rent One Park box office at (618) 998-8499. For any additional information, visit our website at www.southernillinoisminers.com.

 

Filed Under: Slider, Sports

Miners Drop Series Opener In Schaumburg

July 4, 2017 By Leave a Comment

From the Southern Illinois Miners

The Southern Illinois Miners fell 4-3 on Monday night in 10 innings on a walk-off single by David Harris with two outs against the Schaumburg Boomers in the opener of a three-game series at Boomers Stadium.

In a game that featured eight combined errors, four committed by both teams, the Boomers struck first on back-to-back two-out RBI singles by Harris and Josh Gardiner against Chris Washington for a 2-0 lead. Washington settled down from there, however, as the rookie left-hander would allow no more runs while working into the seventh for Southern Illinois on the hill to turn in the quality start.

The Miners did not score until the sixth inning as they were held in check by Boomers starter Conrad Wozniak. But three consecutive errors opened the sixth by Gardiner at shortstop, bringing home Kurt Wertz, Jr. for the Miners’ first run and making the score 2-1. After Craig Massey laid down a sacrifice bunt, Ryan Lashley came through with a go-ahead, two-run double to deep center field, plating Ben Moore and London Lindley while giving the Miners a 3-2 advantage.

In the seventh inning, the Boomers had runners at first and third base and no one out after Washington departed, but Kyle Tinius was able to get out of the jam with no runs scoring for the home team thanks to a fielder’s choice and a big double play groundout to keep the Miners in front. In the eighth inning, however, the Boomers got their leadoff man in Kyle Ruchim on base on a two-base error by Lashley before a throwing error on Zack Weigel’s bunt by Tinius scored the tying run to make it 3-3.

Tinius got out of the eighth inning without any further damage done, and the game went to extra innings. In the bottom of the tenth, with two outs, a Massey error allowed Sean Godfrey to reach second base. After an intentional walk issued to Seth Spivey, Harris lined a base hit down the left field line to win the game for the Boomers.

Southern Illinois will look to bounce back on the 4th of July holiday, facing the Boomers again on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. Zach Cooper will pitch for the Miners in the contest.

The Southern Illinois Miners are the 2016 Frontier League West Division Champions, the 2014 and 2015 Frontier League East Division Champions and the 2012 Frontier League Champions. They have been awarded the Frontier League Organization of the Year award three times since their inception, and also set a new Frontier League attendance record in 2007, their inaugural season. For ticket information, contact the Rent One Park box office at (618) 998-8499. For any additional information, visit our website at www.southernillinoisminers.com.

Box Score

Batting Stats

S Illinois
# Batter P AB R H RBI BB SO AVG
23 Massey, C SS 4 0 0 0 0 0 .302
19 Lashley, R 3B 5 0 2 2 0 1 .249
6 Wiley, B 2B 4 0 0 0 0 2 .242
11 Massoni, C 1B 4 0 0 0 0 2 .259
15 Earley, N RF 4 0 2 0 0 0 .258
25 Martin, W DH 3 0 0 0 1 1 .277
26   Plant, C PR 0 0 0 0 0 0 .286
8 Wertz Jr., K LF 4 1 0 0 0 0 .208
7 Moore, B C 3 1 0 0 1 0 .220
2 Lindley, L CF 3 1 0 1 1 1 .278
34 3 4 3

Fielding
A: C.Massey 5 (107), R.Lashley 3 (60), B.Wiley 6 (39), B.Moore 2 (16), C.Washington (7), K.Tinius 2 (4).
DP: 4 (B. Wiley(2B) – C. Massey(SS) – C. Massoni(1B),B. Wiley(2B) – C. Massey(SS) – C. Massoni(1B),B. Wiley(2B) – C. Massoni(1B),B. Wiley(2B) – C. Massey(SS) – C. Massoni(1B)).
E: C.Massey (3), R.Lashley (12), B.Moore (2), K.Tinius (2).
PO: C.Massey 2 (79), R.Lashley (17), B.Wiley 5 (27), C.Massoni 13 (55), N.Earley 3 (74), B.Moore 4 (248), C.Washington (2).
SBA: B.Moore (47).
TC: C.Massey 8 (189), R.Lashley 5 (89), B.Wiley 11 (73), C.Massoni 13 (58), N.Earley 3 (78), B.Moore 7 (266), C.Washington 2 (9), K.Tinius 3 (6).

Schaumburg
# Batter P AB R H RBI BB SO AVG
8 Ruchim, K LF 5 1 0 0 0 1 .281
12 Weigel, Z DH 4 1 2 0 1 0 .297
31 Godfrey, S CF 5 1 1 0 0 1 .295
15 Spivey, S 1B 2 1 1 0 3 1 .424
18 Harris, D RF 5 0 2 2 0 0 .326
10 Gardiner, J SS 4 0 2 1 0 0 .250
20 OMalley, R 3B 4 0 1 0 0 1 .210
16 Keller, J C 3 0 0 0 1 0 .226
5 Parenty, J 2B 4 0 1 0 0 0 .290
36 4 10 3 5 4

Batting
RBI: D.Harris 2 (36), J.Gardiner (16).
SB: Z.Weigel (5).
Team LOB: 8.

Fielding
A: S.Godfrey (2), J.Gardiner 5 (64), R.OMalley (15), J.Parenty 5 (67), C.Wozniak (10).
DP: 2 (J. Parenty(2B) – J. Gardiner(SS) – S. Spivey(1B),J. Parenty(2B) – J. Gardiner(SS) – S. Spivey(1B)).
E: S.Godfrey (2), J.Gardiner 3 (13).
PB: J.Keller (3).
PO: K.Ruchim (79), S.Godfrey 3 (91), S.Spivey 12 (198), D.Harris 3 (31), J.Gardiner 3 (51), R.OMalley (21), J.Keller 7 (233).
SBA: J.Keller (31).
TC: K.Ruchim (80), S.Godfrey 5 (95), S.Spivey 12 (263), D.Harris 3 (32), J.Gardiner 11 (128), R.OMalley 2 (38), J.Keller 7 (249), J.Parenty 5 (104), C.Wozniak (11).

Pitching Stats

S Illinois
# Pitcher IP H R ER BB SO ERA
16 Washington, C 6.0 8 2 2 2 4 3.20
40 Tinius, K 2.0 1 1 0 1 0 2.28
18   Sessions, C 1.2 1 1 0 2 0 4.38
9.2 10 4 2 5 4

Pitching
BF: C.Washington 25, K.Tinius 8, C.Sessions 8.
P-S: C.Washington 79-54, K.Tinius 26-15, C.Sessions 23-16.

Schaumburg
# Pitcher IP H R ER BB SO ERA
37 Wozniak, C 6.1 4 3 0 0 3 2.79
33 McDonnell, R 1.2 0 0 0 1 1 5.85
11 Winning Pithcer  DeYoung, D 2.0 0 0 0 2 3 7.71
10 4 3 0 3 7

Pitching
BF: C.Wozniak 24, R.McDonnell 6, D.DeYoung 8.
P-S: C.Wozniak 96-64, R.McDonnell 22-12, D.DeYoung 27-15.
WP: D.DeYoung (1).

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 R H E
S Illinois 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 3 4 4
Schaumburg 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 4 10 4

 

 

Filed Under: Sports

‘The chickens have come home to roost in Illinois’

July 4, 2017 By Leave a Comment

(Editor’s Note — This is a column I wrote on March 16, 2016 — only 15 months ago — about the tax and spend mentality that has been created by the Illinois General Assembly. There is a lot of discussion about who made the right vote in the recent budget vote in Springfield. Please take a few minutes and read this. It gives a great example of the mess that has been created in Illinois.    JM)

Everybody – from the wealthiest to those just barely scraping by – has a household budget. Those budgets are based on the amount of revenue coming in versus the amount of expenditures going out and when things get out of whack, working families are faced with three choices – spend less, increase revenue or some combination of the two. There’s no other way out.

As we’ve sadly learned year after year here in Illinois that same philosophy doesn’t apply. In the Land of Lincoln lawmakers can squander money like drunken sailors, and then when revenue doesn’t match expenditures they simply raise taxes to refill the coffers. Tax and spend … tax and spend.

This past week Illinois Comptroller Leslie Munger went on a statewide tour to educate the public about the current financial mess in Illinois. Munger broke down the numbers in a way that can be related to a monthly household budget and easily understood. Munger explained the bleak picture by removing six zeroes from all revenue and expenditures. If you thought it was a bleak picture in billions, it’s even more dismal in dollars we can related to.

The state’s backlog of bills is more than $7 billion, so that’s comparable with you having $7,000 in bills on your kitchen table. There’s another $2 billion in unpaid bills, so that’s the same as going to the post office and finding another $2,000 in bills.

And on top of that the state has an unfunded pension system – worst in the nation – that totals $110 billion. Munger said that’s like having $110,000 in credit card debt. She added that the state’s daily revenue is approximately $100 million, which is like having $100 in your bank account. Clearly, a household or business would be bankrupt facing a financial mess like that.

While the media has done a great job of reporting all the proposed cuts to state government very few have reported the ‘why’ or ‘how come’ to the story.  First, Gov. Rauner has been in office 14 months, so he’s trying to clean up a mess he didn’t create.

For decades, Democrats and Republicans in Illinois have been digging a hole financially. Lawmakers would overspend, raise taxes, overspend some more and raise taxes again. And nobody during that time frame ever had the courage to say ‘put the shovel down and stop digging’ until Rauner came along and said the current path is unsustainable and cuts have to be made. And because of that, he’s the villain, he’s the bad guy.

Some of you might be wondering why the state just doesn’t raise taxes again instead of making budget cuts. Let me show you another layer to the current misery in Illinois that has been conveniently overlooked. According to a study by the Pew Charitable Trust Research & Analysis, since 2008 Illinois has shown a 22.5 percent increase in tax revenue, tops in the nation. As a comparison the remaining states in the nation had an average increase of 2.5 percent. And that increase wasn’t because of an increase in jobs it was because of the tax-and-spend mentality in Springfield.  In fact, for every job created in Illinois last year, two families went on food stamps.

So, during the past eight years while there has been a 22.5 percent increase in tax revenue in Illinois the budget deficit has more than doubled from $3 billion to $7 billion and the pension deficit has increased from $48 billion to $110 billion.

Despite those numbers that show Illinois in a financial abyss there are those who continue to say that the state simply needs to raises taxes and continue down the clearly unsustainable road we’re on. The state has been without a spending plan for more than nine months, yet Munger said the biggest problem is that lawmakers want to continue to spend money … even though there is none.

“They (lawmakers) don’t understand the problem. We are out of money,” Munger said. “We’re at a breaking point.”

In other words, after years of tax and spend and tax and spend some more … the chickens have come home to roost in Illinois.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Columns, Editorials, Muir's Musings, Opinion

Old Fred’s Dance Barn catches fire

July 4, 2017 By Leave a Comment

http://www.wsiltv.com/story/35806987/old-freds-dance-barn-catches-fire

CARTERVILLE, IL-  (Erin Frey, WSIL-TV.  Please click on the link above for the full story.  Here is an excerpt below.)

WSIL-TV Photo

A piece of Carterville history has been reduced to a pile of smoldering rubble. The old Fred’s Dance Barn just off Grand Avenue went up in flames around 11 p.m. July 3.

According to the website Southern Illinois Fire Incidents, crews from Cambria, Herrin, Hurst and Williamson County Fire Protection District provided mutual for Carterville.  Our crew on scene says the building has been destroyed.

Fred’s closed in December 2006, but is currently owned by the Carterville Unit 5 School District. The building was being used as storage. Countless trophies sets for plays and antique school furniture were among the things lost in the fire.

 

Filed Under: Breaking News, Franklin Co. News, Slider

State Senator Dale Fowler week in review – June 26-30

July 4, 2017 By Leave a Comment

Press release from State Senator Dale Fowler, (R – Harrisburg)

SPRINGFIELD, IL – After busting through a midnight deadline on June 30 to resolve the state’s fiscal situation, State Sen. Dale Fowler (R-Harrisburg) remains watchfully positive that progress is being made on a FY 2018 budget.

After 11 days of special session, the Senator, who was at the State Capitol for every day of session, felt that some pieces were starting to come together as the Illinois House of Representatives held a vote on a budget bill that received bipartisan support, and negotiations continued between both legislative leaders and rank-and-file lawmakers.

Fowler meets with area superintendents – On the eve of the Senate’s return to the Capitol, Senator Fowler met with 22 Southern Illinois school superintendents to discuss their current fiscal conditions. It was immediately clear that the state’s ongoing budget impasse had taken its toll on schools in the district, as an overwhelming majority of schools have less than four months of operating budgets. A handful of schools expressed extreme concerns about their ability to open for the first day of school in August.

Marion Senior Fair –  Despite not being able to attend their own senior fair due to session obligations, Senator Fowler and Representative Dave Severin hosted a successful event on June 27. The inaugural senior fair was held at Marion’s HUB Recreation Center and played host more than 20 vendors from the region. Approximately, 150 senior citizens were able to take advantage of a host of free services provided by the vendors in attendance.

Filed Under: Breaking News, Franklin Co. News, State News

Illinois State Police to conduct roadside safety checks thorugh July

July 4, 2017 By Leave a Comment

Press release form the Illinois State Police

DuQuoin, IL – Illinois State Police (ISP) District 13 / 22 Interim Commander, Lieutenant Michael Alvey, announces the ISP will conduct Roadside Safety Checks (RSCs) in Williamson County during the month of July 2017. The use of RSCs combine a strong sense of public awareness and enforcement in order to save lives of the motoring public.

The ISP has zero tolerance for impaired driving in Illinois.  Officers working the detail will be watchful for drivers who are operating vehicles in an unsafe manner, driving with a suspended or revoked driver’s license, transporting open alcoholic beverages, and most importantly:

  •   Driving Under the Influence (DUI)
  •   Safety Belt and Child Restraint use
  •   Speeding
  •   Distracted Driving
  •   All Illinois Vehicle Code and Criminal Violations.

Alcohol and drug impairment is a factor in more than 30 percent of all fatal motor vehicle crashes in Illinois, and throughout the U.S., nearly 10,000 people die each year due to alcohol-impaired driving.  RSCs are designed to keep our roads safe by taking dangerous DUI offenders off the road.  This project is funded through the Illinois Department of Transportation.

Filed Under: Breaking News, Franklin Co. News, State News

Senate adjourns with no tax hike, budget votes

July 4, 2017 By Leave a Comment

https://www.ilnews.org/news/state_politics/senate-adjourns-with-no-tax-hike-budget-votes/article_52a9dbee-5ffa-11e7-acb0-b378fc3cb463.html

SPRINGFIELD IL – (Greg Bishop and Dan McCaleb, Illinois News Network.  Please click on the link above for the full story.  Here is an excerpt below.)

Senate President John Cullerton adjourned his chamber late Monday afternoon without calling for votes on tax hike and spending plans approved Sunday by the House, signaling he doesn’t have enough vote to pass them on to the governor.

Cullerton hinted earlier that the Senate might not be able to move House Speaker Michael Madigan’s $5 billion tax hike legislation without Republicans’ support.

The House tax increase plan approved Sunday night includes a 32 percent income tax increase and a 33 percent corporate tax hike. It received “yes” votes from 15 Republicans and 57 Democrats. Both are scheduled to take effect July 1 if approved in the Senate and the measures survive a gubernatorial veto.

Filed Under: Breaking News, State News
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