Benton, West Frankfort, Illinois News | Franklin County News
Newspaper covering Franklin County, Illinois
Winnetka venture capitalist Bruce Rauner has jumped out to a big lead in the Republican race for governor after spending millions of dollars on television ads to introduce himself to Illinois voters, a new Tribune/WGN-TV poll found.
Here’s the link to the story in the Chicago Tribune.
WLS radio in Chicago is reporting that a complaint will be filed against Illinois state treasurer Dan Rutherford, who is a Republican gubernatorial candidate in the March 18 primary election.
Here’s a link to the story.
SPRINGFIELD – As the clock ticks down on the March 18 Republican primary election, state Treasurer Dan Rutherford says there is no timeline for an independent investigator to finalize a probe into misconduct allegations made by a former employee.
Here’s the link to the story in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
The Gathering of the Juggalos will not return to Southern Illinois this year, organizers say.
Instead, The Gathering and the 10,000 fans who attend the five-day event are headed to Kaiser, Mo. The event, entering its 15th year, has been held at Hogrock Campgrounds at Cave-In-Rock since 2007.
Here’s the link to the story in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
President Barack Obama will lay out a strategy for getting around a divided Congress and boosting middle-class prosperity on Tuesday in a State of the Union speech that reflects scaled-back legislative ambitions after a difficult year.
Here’s the link to the story in the Chicago Tribune.
A coalition of the state’s major public employee and teacher unions filed a lawsuit in Springfield today alleging Illinois’ new pension law is unconstitutional and amounts to “theft.”
Here’s the link to the story in the Chicago Tribune.
INA — The Franklin County Sheriff’s Department is investigating an armed robbery, home invasion and unlawful restraint that took place at the Rend Lake College Place Apartments Saturday night. The apartment complex houses athletes and is located on the south side of the RLC Campus in Ina.
The sheriff’s office was notified about the incident at 8:06 p.m. on January 18 by RLC security.
According to the police report, three individuals, armed with long guns and hand guns, entered one of the apartments and held four residents of the apartments at gunpoint. The perpetrators told the victims they were looking for two individuals who reside at the apartments. The two individuals being sought were not at the apartments, authorities said.
After holding the four athletes hostage for more than an hour, the three intruders took cash and other items from the victims apartment. They then fled in what is believed to be a silver four-door Oldsmobile Alero. There were no injuries.
All the victims are RLC athletes. The sheriff’s department is asking for assistance from the public in identifying the perpetrators. Anyone with information is asked to call 618-438-4850 or the Tip Line at 618-439-9561.
The investigation is continuing.
ST. LOUIS (AP) – The Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge is scheduled to open early next month.
The new bridge will carry Interstate 70 over the Mississippi River. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports the four-lane, cable-stayed bridge and associated highway projects are being funded with a combination of Missouri, Illinois and federal money.
The Missouri Department of Transportation says the bridge will be open from noon to 4 p.m. on Feb. 8 to walkers, runners and bicyclists who want a close-up view of the bridge. Festivities include a ribbon-cutting and a 3 p.m. parade.
Department spokesman Andrew Gates says the agency is preparing for as many as 20,000 people to attend the events.
Gates says the bridge is expected to open to traffic Feb. 9.
By KERRY LESTER The Associated Press
Tax questions are expected to dominate the agenda, including what to do about the pending expiration of the temporary income tax, corporate tax incentives, Chicago pension reform and the possibility of a capital construction bill that could boost Gov. Pat Quinn’s re-election bid.
“It’s going to be popular-vote issues,” House Republican Leader Jim Durkin said. “The financial issues of the state are finally taking root.”
Control of the governor’s mansion is on the line in the upcoming election, as well as the Democrats’ veto-proof margins in the House and Senate. Republicans are aiming to convince voters that they would be better stewards of public funds if put in charge.
Democrats, in turn, will portray the GOP as
hurting the most vulnerable Illinoisans with
aggressive cuts.
Lawmakers return to Springfield on Jan. 28, one day ahead of Quinn’s State of the State speech. Among the things they’re expected to discuss immediately is what to do about the scheduled rollback of the state’s temporary income tax increase from 5 percent to 3.75 percent next January — halfway through the upcoming fiscal year.
In a report released earlier this month, Quinn’s office of management and budget outlined a three-year projection showing the state’s deficit would grow to $1.9 billion in 2015 and $4.1 billion in 2016 if the increase sunsets as scheduled. The state’s backlog of bills would also grow, from an expected $5.6 billion at the end of this fiscal year in July to $16.2 billion in 2017.
Quinn’s February budget address will serve as the opening salvo of negotiations with lawmakers as he announces his spending priorities for the year.
The Chicago Democrat has not yet said whether he wants to extend the tax increase. Three of the four GOP candidates — Winnteka businessman Bruce Rauner, state Sen. Bill Brady and State Sen. Kirk Dillard — want the hike to lapse. The other, state treasurer Dan Rutherford, has said he could be open to negotiations.
The issue will be vital to the GOP’s voting base in the 2014 general election. Democratic lawmakers are seeking to keep it in place by spelling out doomsday scenarios of draconian cuts to schools and social services should there be a rollback.
Either way, legislative appropriators find themselves in a pickle, as they’ll spend months budgeting before getting any certainty on revenue projections, forcing them to plan for a worst-case scenario.
“I don’t think we should be appropriating money that I’m not sure we’re going to have,” said state Sen. Julie Morrison, a Deerfield Democrat.
Besides debating the temporary income tax extension, lawmakers also are expected to look into the idea of a graduated income tax. Democratic state Sen. Don Harmon has proposed an amendment to the state constitution that would set different income tax rates depending on individuals’ incomes — essentially making the wealthy pay more.
Some conservatives have resisted that proposal. The advocacy group Americans for Prosperity is running video spots against Democratic lawmakers in moderate, suburban districts who are seen as vulnerable in their re-election bids. Among the targets is Rep. Marty Moylan of Des Plaines, who says he hasn’t yet made up his mind on the issue.
“We have to get more information,” he said. “I’m getting criticized from both sides for not taking a stance.”
Corporate tax incentives also are expected to come up during the session, as members of both parties figure to talk on the campaign trail about keeping businesses in Illinois.
Lawmakers adjourned for the year in December without granting tax breaks to several large companies that requested them, including Archer Daniels Midland, Univar and Office Max.
Democratic Rep. Jack Franks of Marengo is pushing for the state’s main economic development tool, the EDGE program, to be revamped, citing a culture of “insider deals” that’s blunting the state’s economic recovery. Supporters of the breaks argue they are important for keeping and attracting more jobs.
After having dealt with the state’s own pension problems last spring, Democrats intend to take up the pension crises affecting Chicago and other Illinois cities.
Democratic Senate President John Cullerton, who has said Chicago’s pension problem is even worse than the state’s, wants to take up the issue as soon as lawmakers return. Spokeswoman Rikeesha Phelon said Cullerton was “keeping his schedule open” to meet with other legislative leaders this week to discuss a plan. A vote could be especially difficult for Chicago Democrats who rely on support from the Chicago Teachers’ Union.
Although most of the lawmakers won’t face a major challenge until the November general election, the Republican battle for governor figures to be hotly contested leading up to the March 18 primary — halfway through the legislative session.
Durkin said among the bills on the table is one to fund a capital construction program, which could help Quinn portray himself as a job creator.
The last construction spending plan was approved by Quinn in 2009 — a $31 billion infusion creating thousands of jobs and helping rebuild the state’s crumbling infrastructure. It was paid for through higher taxes and a vast expansion of legalized gambling.
Republicans up and down the ticket also will aim to show solidarity in opposing and supporting specific policy, Durkin said.
“We’re going to be partners with Senate Republicans and gubernatorial candidates,” he said. “We want to be on the same page with the same message.”
Work sought for Cancer Center
(CARBONDALE, IL) – Southern Illinois Healthcare (SIH) is issuing a call for artists in an effort to adorn the walls and interiors of the new cancer center with local art and mixed media.
SIH is extending an invitation to an “Inspiring Hope Through Art” event, which will provide artists’ some insight into the type of artwork being sought for the center.
SIH System Director of Cancer Care Services Jennifer Badiu said the organization recognizes the importance of art in the healing process.
“Art has been proven to provide positive distraction, and is said to aid in reducing stress and bringing hope and comfort through positive imagery,” said Badiu.
Artists are invited to meet on January 28 at the SIH System Office at University Mall in Carbondale from 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM. The hour-long program will take artisans on a virtual tour of the center. They will learn how their artistry can blend with the SIH vision and learn more about this unique opportunity to have their work commissioned for the center.
“We want to incorporate artwork that has relevance to the southern Illinois region and local community,” said Badiu. “Our goal is to provide a relaxing and positive experience for our patients and their families while they are receiving cancer care.”
A mixture of mediums and styles will be incorporated, while keeping with the architectural style of the new SIH Cancer Center now under construction in Carterville.
For more information, please call 618-457-5200, extension 67129.
