CHICAGO (AP) - Voters can begin absentee votingThursday for Illinois' primary election. The primary is March 20. Voters will choose candidates for state legislative and congressional seats, among other elected offices. Absentee voting can be done in person or by mail. The Illinois State Board of Elections says the voter must complete an application. In many cases, absentee ballots are used by members of the military who are not living in their home state. But state officials say that a voter can request an absentee ballot at a polling place as well. No reason is needed. Early voting starts on Feb. 27 and ends March 15. - http://goo.gl/C175r
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Marion County Police Beat for Thursday, February 9th, 2012
A 48-year-old Centralia man has been arrested by Centralia Police for alleged possession of a controlled substance. Kenneth Thornton of Watts Lane allegedly had the synthetic drug 'bath salts' in his possession. 34-year-old Sandra Young of Avery Branch Road in Mulberry Grove was arrested by State Police on an outstanding Marion County misdemeanor warrant. 37-year-old Cheri Jahraus of South Marshall in Salem posted $120 bond and was released after being arrested by State Police for alleged driving under the influence. - http://goo.gl/7U9c6
Former Fairfield High School Teacher Receives Three Year Prison Term On Sex Abuse Charges
FAIRFIELD, Ill. (AP) - A former southern Illinois high school teacher has been ordered to spend three years in prison on charges related to sexual misconduct with one of her female students in 2010. Thirty-three-year-old Haven Kirkpatrick of Fairfield apologized to the judge before also being sentenced Wednesday in Wayne County to four years of supervised release after her prison term. Additionally, she was fined $3,000 and was ordered to pay the family of the now-18-year-old victim more than $500 in restitution for counseling and medical expenses. Kirkpatrick was convicted in October of eight counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse. She was serving as a health and gym teacher at Fairfield Community High School when the alleged sexual misconduct took place. She was arrested in July 2010. - http://goo.gl/PVwf0
Governor Hopes To Address Caterpillar's Concerns
PEORIA, Ill. (AP) - A spokeswoman says Gov. Pat Quinn hopes to address some concerns about Illinois' business climate that Caterpillar Inc. cited in its decision not to build a new plant in the state. Spokeswoman Brooke Anderson yesterday said Quinn plans to announce pension and Medicaid reforms later this month. She declined to provide details. Peoria-based Caterpillar says it ruled Illinois out of plans to relocate a factory and 1,400 jobs from Japan over logistical problems and ongoing concerns about Illinois' business climate. Caterpillar explained its decision in an email to Peoria County leaders. The county was one of fewer than a dozen Illinois locations trying to win the new plant. In the email, the company says proximity to Caterpillar's division headquarters in Cary, N.C., was also a key factor. - http://goo.gl/7tBhx
IDES Garnishing Tax Returns of Unemployment Cheats
CHICAGO (AP) - The Illinois Department of Employment Security plans to garnish the state tax returns of people who wrongfully collected unemployment insurance. The agency on Wednesday said the initiative will save the state $40 million per year. IDES Director Jay Rowell says the agency also will seek to garnish federal tax returns to recover $158 million from people who refuse to enter into a payment plan. Unemployment insurance benefits are funded through business contributions, so Rowell says stopping fraud and recovering improper payments reduces the cost of doing business in Illinois. - http://goo.gl/iJekd
Illinois Fourth In Nation In Wind-Farm Capacity
NORMAL, Ill. (AP) - Illinois is now fourth in the nation in terms of wind-farm electric capacity behind Texas, Iowa and California. That's according to David Loomis, director of the Center for Renewable Energy at Illinois State University. Loomis spoke to about 300 people attending a wind farm conference in Normal on Wednesday. The (Bloomington) Pantagraph reports that Loomis says the wind energy of all states equals about 40,000 megawatts, which roughly equals electric production in Illinois from all sources, including nuclear and coal. Loomis calls the growth in wind energy "phenomenal." The center estimates the overall economic impact of Illinois wind farms at more than $4 billion. That includes income from about 11,000 construction jobs, about $10 million to landowners who lease land for turbines and $22 million in tax revenue. - http://goo.gl/hcnpy
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