Illinois' Audio Recording Law Under Scrutiny

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - Illinois residents don't have the right to record audio of their conversations with police, a law that some state legislators say needs to be changed, especially with the likelihood of protests at this spring's NATO and G8 summits in Chicago. Illinois' strict eavesdropping law requires all parties in a conversation to give consent in order for it to be audio-recorded. Rep. Elaine Nekritz, D-Northbrook, is sponsoring a bill that would allow for exceptions. She says she doesn't believe there is an expectation of privacy for public officials on public property doing public duties. The current law faces multiple challenges in state and federal court. Illlinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan filed for the state Supreme Court to address the law after a Crawford County judge declared it unconstitutional last September. - http://goo.gl/uJBcA

Gun Group Appeals Illinois Concealed-Carry Ruling

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - A gun-rights group has appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court after a federal judge in Illinois ruled against allowing people to carry firearms on the street. The Second Amendment Foundation announced Monday it's appealing the decision by federal district Judge Sue Myerscough. Currently only Illinois and the District of Columbia prohibit the concealed carrying of weapons. Gun owners say that infringes on their 2nd Amendment right to keep and bear arms. Myerscough ruled Friday that the 2nd Amendment allows citizens to protect themselves with guns in their home but not on the street. Second Amendment Foundation founder Alan Gottlieb says citizens "don't check our constitutional rights at the front door." A similar Illinois-based lawsuit backed by the National Rifle Association remains in federal court. - http://goo.gl/5tjTa

Bald Eagle Presentation to Be Held at Carlyle Grade School February 11th

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will be hosting a program called "All About Eagles" on Saturday, February 11th at 12:30pm at the Carlyle Grade School Gymnasium. The program is being presented by the World Bird Sanctuary. The sanctuary will have a live Bald Eagle on display for an up close view. After the presentation, eagle viewing will take place at various locations around Carlyle Lake. Participants are encouraged to bring binoculars and dress accordingly for the weather. Bald Eagles have recently been sighted in various locations at Carlyle Lake. Carlyle Lake staff performed the "Midwinter Bald Eagle Survey" at the lake on January 14th and 15th. Three-bald eagle sightings were confirmed in the one-hundred miles surveyed in the lake area. Two-eagles ere identified as mature birds, with one immature eagle spotted. The population of Bald Eagles in Illinois has steadily increased over the past several years due to Federal laws and conservation efforts. In past years, active nests have been located at Carlyle Lake. With the increased numbers of eagles visiting the lake, it is possible that additional eagles will remain in the area and nest. For more information on the presentation, or on Bald Eagles, please contact the Carlyle Lake Project Office at (618) 594-2484, or email at carlylelake@usace.army.mil. - http://goo.gl/Je2bJ

Marion County Police Beat for Saturday, February 4th, 2012

A 22-year-old Centralia resident has been arrested by Centralia Police for alleged theft and battery. Terry Lynn Hamburg of South Poplar remained in custody at the Marion County Jail on Saturday morning. A 30-year-old Benton, Arkansas man, Randall Parker, posted $300 bond after being arrested by State Police for alleged driving under the influence. 25-year-old Ann Elizabeth Rudy of South Lincoln in Centralia turned herself in at the Marion County Jail on an outstanding traffic warrant. She was release after posted $300 bond. Salem Police are investigating a vehicle burglary. Cassandra Phillips of the 400 block of North Jefferson reported electronic games, handheld game counsel, and a nursing bag stolen between Thursday night and eight Friday morning. - http://goo.gl/S3Rqz

Wamac Man Arrested Following One Car Crash

A 23-year-old Wamac man escaped serious injury when his car rounded the intersection of Walnut Hill Road and Perrine Street Road early Saturday morning and struck a street sign. Marion County Sheriff's Deputies arrested Brian Ely of Reserve Street for alleged driving under the influence and not having a drivers license. He posted $300 bond and was released from the Marion County Jail. Two passengers in the car also escaped injury and were not ticketed. The Centralia Fire Protection District was called to the scene, but deputies say there was no entrapment. The accident occurred at 1:03 Saturday morning. - http://goo.gl/eGCMY

Illinois Department of Agriculture Hosting Valentine's Promotion For State-Produced Products

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - Followers of the Illinois Department of Agriculture's social media sites will be eligible to win prizes during a Valentine's promotion of state-produced products. The "I Love Illinois Products" contest will be Feb. 10-14.

Each day a winner will be chosen from among those who "like" the department's Facebook page or sign up to follow the agency on Twitter. Prizes include state-produced therapeutic soaps and lotions, wine, and candy from businesses in Owaneco, Utica, Decatur, Rockport, Taylorville, Lacon, Springfield, Vienna, Fairmount and Godfrey.

Many of the companies will be participating in the Illinois Products Expo March 3-4 at the state fairgrounds in Springfield. Winners of wine products must be at least 21 years old. More information is available online: www.facebook.com/IllinoisDepartmentofAgricultureor https://twitter.com/#!/ILAgMarkets  - http://goo.gl/TPKD3

Tests Show No Radiation Increase at Nuclear Plant

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - Illinois Emergency Management Agency officials say lab tests show no measureable increase of radiation after steam was released to cool a northern Illinois nuclear reactor. Officials said Friday that the environmental sampling was conducted earlier this week after the incident at Byron Nuclear Power Plant on Monday.

Agency director Jonathon Monken says the results confirm "no health hazard for people who live and work in the area." The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission said Thursday that the trace amount of radioactive tritium released in the steam was not enough to present a danger to the public.

Monday's outage started when an electrical insulator failed and fell off the metal structure that it was attached to. That interrupted power and caused the reactor to automatically shut down as a precaution.   full story

State Farm Plans to Hire 3,000 Employees

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (AP) - State Farm Insurance plans to hire 3,000 people across the U.S. and Canada and add 900 agents. The Bloomington, Ill.-based company said Friday that the hiring will replace positions it has left open as the country's economy struggled the past few years.

State Farm spokeswoman Holly Anderson said the jobs will be mainly in customer service, claims and IT. Three-hundred will be in Bloomington with the rest widely scattered. The company is the largest local employer with more than 15,000 workers in central Illinois. State Farm has a total of 66,000 employees and another 17,800 agents. Anderson said the company will actively recruit military veterans through job fairs.  full story

AFSCME: Give Us Our Pay Raises

Springfield, IL -- Governor Quinn took a jab at Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels' position on the Right to Work bill in his State of the State speech Wednesday. But AFSCME Council 31 Executive Director Henry Bayer says Quinn's actions are speaking much louder than his words. "It is hypocritical of the Governor to criticize the governors of Indiana and Wisconsin for the actions they have taken, and then to turn around and not honor a collective bargaining agreement", said Bayer.

Quinn advocates for the right to bargain but he has frozen pay increases for more than 30-thousand union state workers. About 200 union members gathered outside Quinn's Springfield office today asking the governor to change his mind.

They say if the state can afford to add 300-million dollars worth of new programs, they can afford to pay out the negotiated 75-million dollars in pay raises. - http://goo.gl/0iXOu

Number of Illinois Wineries Grows to More Than 100

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - The number of wineries in Illinois has sharply increased over the last five years. The State Journal-Register reports the Illinois Grape Growers and Vintners Association counts 106 wineries in the state at the beginning of 2012.

That number has risen from 63 in 2007 and 19 more than a decade ago in 1999. Association president Bruce Morgenstern lauded a 2008 Illinois law that allows wineries to sell directly to the public if they produce up to 25,000 gallons a year. But Morgenstern says some wineries are nearing that 25,000-gallon limit as the industry grows in Illinois.

Wineries that produce more than 25,000 gallons a year must use a commercial distributor. Overall, statistics show Illinois' wine industry is small compared with states like California and Washington. - http://goo.gl/WxpS6