Belvidere’s DUI arrests up 82 percent from last year

"It’s highly unlikely that such big increases in arrests indicate corresponding increases in impaired drivers on the roads in those towns; it just means more of them were being detected and arrested last year compared to previous years

The biggest increases in arrests among the top departments were in Decatur where DUI arrests jumped by 121 percent in 2008 compared to 2007, Roscoe (99%), Aurora (88%), Belvidere (82%) and Orland Park (47%)

.Also, the Rockford Police Department finished first in the state in DUI arrests among municipal departments with 785 arrests for 2008.

Click on the following for more details:  The Belvidere Daily Republican. - Belvidere’s DUI arrests up 82 percent from last year

Genoa-South Elgin Amtrak route edges out Belvidere

A more neutral view of the Amtrak train decision.

Weber said the research that is needed to prove or disprove Belvidere's contention could not have been finished in time for the stimulus funds application.

Also, the (Genoa) route follows one railroad through its entire corridor," while the Belvidere route would require switching from Metra tracks to Union Pacific tracks to Canadian National tracks, Weber said. "When a train gets handed off from one company to another, we've found that has a negative impact on service dependability."

two construction seasons to upgrade the rail line, build stations, adjust crossing signals to reflect the greater speeds used by passenger trains, build a place for the Amtrak train to park overnight in Dubuque, etc. He said service probably could begin in early 2012.

Click on the following:  Genoa-South Elgin Amtrak route edges out Belvidere :: The Courier News :: Local News

Critics voice concern over video gambling :: Beacon News

Geneva, Il  -- Opponents of video gambling say it would enrich few people, ruin lives, destroy families, create false hopes for independent wealth and harm youth.

"This would make few people rich," said Dr. C. Alfred Patten of St. Charles, a retired senior pastor of Baker United Methodist Church in St. Charles.

Click on the following for more details:  Critics voice concern over video gambling :: Beacon News :: Local News

The Financial Crisis and America’s Casino Culture - NYTimes.com

Great summary of American economic history and discussion regarding whether we will change economic regulation.

Excessive optimism and its close relation — a reckless disregard of risk — are widely blamed for helping carry the United States into the worst financial panic since the Great Depression.

how many people have similarly changed their sense of what the American economy needs. Mostly, it is a matter of whether the country is still feeling lucky; whether the recent crisis will come to feel like an unavoidable toll on the highway to fortune, or whether something deeper has shifted in the American psyche, leaving us shaken in a lasting way.

Click on the following for the story:  The Financial Crisis and America’s Casino Culture - NYTimes.com