Rock Island Arsenal could gain from Thomson prison deal

 

If the Obama administration is successful at moving a limited number of Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, detainees to Thomson, Ill., the operation will be run, at least temporarily, out of the Rock Island Arsenal, congressional aides and an administration official said Thursday.

Rich Carter, a spokesman for Manzullo, said Thursday that administration officials briefed congressional staff earlier this week. And, Carter said, they were told the administrative offices overseeing the detainees at Thomson would be based at the Arsenal.

Arsenal could gain from Thomson prison deal

Feds to buy Illinois prison even without detainees | Seattle Times Newspaper

Obama administration still wants to buy a prison in northwestern Illinois even if it's not used to hold Guantanamo Bay detainees.

A Thursday letter from the Justice Department to Republican Congressman Don Manzullo says the department would seek to purchase the facility in Thomson even if detainees weren't being considered for transfer.

But the letter also gives no indication the administration is backing away from its plan to bring detainees

Click on the following for more details:  Nation & World | Feds to buy Illinois prison even without detainees | Seattle Times Newspaper

The WorkForce Connection for Boone-Winnebago Counties

Here is website which might help some of our unemployed. 

The Workforce Connection is a partnership of state and federally funded employment and training programs, economic development agencies and educational entities committed to providing a workforce that meets the needs of our business community; now and in the future.
Providing one contact for employers to find workers and for job-seekers to receive training, education and employment services.

Click on the following for more details:  The WorkForce Connection

EPA Launches National Study of Hydraulic Fracturing

will revisit research the agency published in 2004 [4], which concluded that the process of hydraulic fracturing [5] did not pose a threat to drinking water. The 2004 report has been widely criticized, in part because the agency didn't conduct any water tests in reaching that conclusion.

The American Petroleum Institute released a statement saying it expects the study "to confirm what 60 years of experience and investigation have already demonstrated: that hydraulic fracturing is a safe and well understood technology for producing oil and natural gas."

the agency said it will spend nearly $2 million on the research this year and is asking for more money for next year. It promised a transparent, peer-reviewed process that includes stakeholder input. The EPA is seeking input from its Science Advisory Board on exactly how the study should proceed.

Click on the following for more details:  EPA Launches National Study of Hydraulic Fracturing - ProPublica

Report of the February 14, 2008 Shootings at Northern Illinois University

The complete report is available at:  http://www.niu.edu/feb14report/Feb14report.pdf

Supreme Court upholds decision to strip Provena Covenant Medical Center of property- tax exemption

A much more thorough analysis of the issues in the case in editorial form. 

court ruled that the state Department of Revenue in 2004 properly stripped Provena Covenant Medical Center in Urbana of its property-tax exemption because the hospital provided very little charitable care. In 2002, only 302 of its 110,000 patients got free or reduced-rate care through the hospital's charity program. That care was worth just 0.7 percent of the hospital's revenue that year. Because of the state's decision, Provena owed $1.1 million in property taxes to local governments.

The Supreme Court didn't project what would be an acceptable level of charitable care

This court ruling has a clear impact on Provena, which has lost its property tax exemption. Beyond that, things aren't so clear

Click on the following to read more of the details:  Supreme Court upholds decision to strip Provena Covenant Medical Center of property- tax exemption - chicagotribune.com

Illinois high court: Hospital shouldn't be tax exempt

 

there was ample support for the Department of Revenue’s conclusion that Provena failed to meet its burden of showing that it used the parcels in the PCMC complex actually and exclusively for charitable purposes.”

Click on the following for more details:  Illinois high court: Hospital shouldn't be tax exempt - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star

Click on the following to read the court’s decision:  http://www.state.il.us/court/OPINIONS/SupremeCourt/2010/March/107328.pdf

Boone board member did not disclose ties to supplier

Board members Cathy Ward, Kathy Hartwig, Kenny Freeman, Pat Mattison and Peggy Malone were upset that Johnson did not disclose his role in the matter earlier.

Click on the following for more details:  Boone board member did not disclose ties to supplier - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star

DeKalb County Judge: 'We have no room left'

 

Most residents who spoke sided with the naysayers. Josh Boies, of Sycamore, was among them. He’s leading a petition effort that if successful, would send the approval of the sale of the bonds to a referendum in November.
The county board has shown the citizens a lack of respect by voting to authorize the sale of bonds before holding the public hearing, he said.
“Why are we asking for public comment now? You’ve already voted,” Boies said. “The citizens of our county are very smart people. If you state your case on why you want to expand the jail and why you want to expand the courthouse ... the majority of people will want to do what’s right. ... When you are doing a project of this magnitude, why not put it on our ballot and let the voters have a voice?”

Boies has until March 25 to get 4,201 signatures on his petition, he has said. If he reaches his goal, the county board’s decision to issue specific bond amounts will be put on hold. Otherwise the board will vote on the matter in April.

Read the entire article by clicking on the following:  Judge: 'We have no room left' | Daily Chronicle

Boone assistant health administrator resigns - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star

Stephanie [Seaworth] Crawford delivered her immediate resignation to the Boone County Board of Health Wednesday.

last year when it hired Crawford as its top administrator, though she lacked a state-required qualification. Board members said they felt she met the necessary requirements, but the State Board of Health disagreed, saying she needed two years of administrative experience inside a public health department.

Make sure you read the comments posted on the Register Star website.

Click on the following for more details: Boone assistant health administrator resigns - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star

Pantagraph.com | News from Associated Press

 

Kane County state's attorney's office says the 37-year-old Bolivian-born priest abused a St. Charles child over a five-year period between Jan. 1, 2005 and Jan 1, 2010.

Click on the following for more of the story:  Pantagraph.com | News from Associated Press