'Meat shoots' target of Swansea, Ill. village board

SWANSEA, Ill. - A southwestern Illinois town is considering a new law that could make it more difficult to have fundraisers known as "meat shoots."

The Belleville News-Democrat reports on meat shoot fundraisers in which attendees compete for steaks and other prizes by shooting at targets placed against bales of hay.

During one recent shoot at a local meeting hall, someone walking nearby the hall heard shotgun blasts and was startled. Now, the village wants civic groups holding the shoots to obtain liability insurance first.

The village board is drafting an ordinance and could vote on it next month.

An official at the meeting hall warns that requirement might end up costing the village money if groups decide to hold meat shoots elsewhere.  full story

Seven hospitalized in Chicago after grill used indoor

CHICAGO (AP) — Seven people were hospitalized with carbon monoxide poisoning after someone used a charcoal grill inside a Chicago home for Thanksgiving.

The Chicago Tribune reports that ambulances were called to a home on Chicago's North Side before 11 p.m. Thursday. Twenty people reported symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Seven people were taken to area hospitals. The others were treated at the home.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns that charcoal should never be burned inside because it gives off carbon monoxide.  http://bit.ly/uORZ6W

Wednesday Marion County Court Report

A 29-year-old Centralia man has been sentenced to 240 days in jail as part of a guilty plea in Marion County Court to a domestic battery charge. William Eagan admitted to pushing Katie Herman against a wall and slapping and punching her. Eagan will also have to pay court costs. In addition, Eagan faces a 20 day county jail sentence for direct criminal contempt of court for outbursts that had occurred during a court appearance on November 17th. Three people face new drug charges in Marion County Court. Bond was set at $100,000 for 20-year-old Dustin Cody of South Pine in Centralia after he was charged with three counts of unlawful delivery of a controlled substance. He's accused of delivering heroin to a Centralia Police confidential source in March of this year. 32-year-old Samuel Bass of Tulsa Street in Salem had bond set at $25,000 for unlawful possession of less than 15 grams of heroin. 30-year-old David Gibson of East 17th in Wamac had bond set at $5,000 for possession of drug paraphernalia. Four Centralia residents have been formally charged with failure to register as a sex offender following a check on sex offenders last week by the U.S. Marshall's office and Centralia Police. They are 24-year-old Matthew Stebbins of Brookside Avenue, 37-year-old Richard Warren of South Cherry, 48-year-old Kary Prather of South Pleasant, and 59-year-old Anita Schneider of East Broadway. All are accused of moving without notifying police of their new address within three days. A 27-year-old Salem man has been charged with domestic battery. Quinton Nix of North Miller is accused of biting Sarah Nibert on the arm. Bond was set at $7,500 and a public defender appointed to represent him. Bond was set at $5,000 for a 20-year-old Centralia man charged with escape. Tyler Wilkins of Linden Street is accused of failing to report to the Marion County Jail to begin serving a jail sentence. 40-year-old David Hopper of Case Street in Wamac has been charged with resisting a peace officer. He is accused of running from Wamac Police when they were trying to take him into custody on an outstanding warrant. Bond was set at $7,000.  http://bit.ly/tenSb0

Unemployment up slightly in Jefferson County

Unemployment in Jefferson County rose to 9 percent in October, up from 8.8 percent in September and down from 9.1 percent in August.
Jefferson County is still below the state unemployment rate, which was at 10.1 percent in October, according to information released Wednesday by the Illinois Department of Employment Security. The county was even with the national unemployment rate for the month at 9 percent.
"Historically, the unemployment rate tends to creep upward at this time of year as weather conditions limit work opportunities," information from IDES states. http://goo.gl/19b2T