Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Kirk overtakes Giannoulas in Senate Race

It is very early in a long race but the clouds of the family banking scandal many be raining on Giannoulas’ campaign.

 

Freeport Mayor to take pay cut

Mayor Gaulrapp is also the Democratic candidate for  U.S. Representative for the 16th District currently held by Donald Manzullo[R].

 

image Freeport Mayor George Gaulrapp announced Monday, April 5, he will take a pay cut of up to 10 percent, saying it is his “fiscal duty” to share in the economic pain being felt by Freeporters.

The pay cut would go into effect May 1 and extend through Fiscal Year 2010-’11.

Click on the following for more details:   Mayor to take pay cut - Freeport, IL - The Journal-Standard

The Potawatomis are coming | Daily Chronicle

An Indian casino in Illinois? 

128-acre parcel near the village of Shabbona …. purchased in 2006, Dyer explained that the tribe contends that the land has been reserved for them since they and the United States signed the Treaty of Prairie du Chien in 1829, and that the Potawatomi plan to build a gaming facility on the land. The county sent a letter to the National Indian Gaming Commission in May 2007 requesting a clear determination from the federal government as to whether the land is a reservation, which county officials contend is necessary to operate a gaming facility. The tribe has said it does not need Gaming Commission approval, but has said it has not built on the land because it prefers to avoid  possible litigation.

Click on the following for more details (this will be available for only 7 days):  Schrader: The Potawatomis are coming | Daily Chronicle

Few answers available regarding Amtrak decision | Daily Chronicle

Little is known about how the decision was made to run Amtrak passenger rail through Belvidere instead of Genoa….

On Friday, IDOT spokeswoman Marisa Kollias confirmed that the Chicago-to-Dubuque service would stop in Belvidere on the Union Pacific route, and earlier this week confirmed the route was decided by Quinn and not transportation officials.

Messages left Friday and Tuesday with Quinn's office seeking more information have not been returned. Kollias said that the governor's office would likely circulate calls back to IDOT, but that she had "very, very little" information about the decision.
Genoa officials say they're also being left in the dark.

Click on the following for more details:

Few answers available regarding Amtrak decision | Daily Chronicle

Special grand jury to review Kane coroner's case

alleged theft of a television set in 2007 from a deceased man's home in Carpentersville by employees of the coroner's office, multiple sources have confirmed. The Kane County Sheriff's office and Colburn, on behalf of the local state's attorney, have been conducting a joint investigation into the office since last summer.

Click on the following for more details:  Special grand jury to review Kane coroner's case :: The Courier News :: Local News

Local interest in Tea Party alternative brewing - Rockford, IL -

 Coffee Party USA founder Annabel Park met with a dozen local Coffee Party organizers at Katie’s Cup, 502 Seventh St….“We’re not interested in starting a third party,” she said. Instead, she said, “We want to show the people in Washington we can come together and make decisions.”

Click on the following for more details:  Local interest in Tea Party alternative brewing - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star

Daimler, Renault and Nissan Said Close to an Alliance - NYTimes.com

A good summary of the current situation of many alliances in the world auto/small truck industry. 

Daimler, Renault and Nissan — are expected to announce an alliance as soon as Wednesday

Click on the following for more details:  Daimler, Renault and Nissan Said Close to an Alliance - NYTimes.com

20,000 Illinoisans exhaust jobless benefits -

 

first group of 20,000 unemployed Illinoisans has exhausted 99 weeks of state and federal benefits, and another 7,000 are expected to do so in the next five weeks, a spokesman for the Illinois Department of Employment Security said Monday….

Congress recessed last week without approving money for extended benefits that add 73 weeks to the standard 26 weeks of state benefits. Democrats and Republicans in the U.S. Senate are at odds over paying for the program.

Even if Congress approves additional funding when it returns April 12, the number of recipients using up their extended benefits is expected to grow.

“It will continue unless they approve additional tiers (beyond 99 weeks

20,000 Illinoisans exhaust jobless benefits - Springfield, IL - The State Journal-Register

Tea party crowd rallies at fairgrounds - Springfield, IL -

 

2,000 people gathered at the Illinois State Fairgrounds Monday for a visit by what was billed as the Tea Party Express III….Among the traveling group was singer Lloyd Marcus of Deltona, Fla., who led the crowd in a song that promised "this socialist nightmare must come to an end -- because we're going to vote them out in 2010."

Click on the following for more details:  Tea party crowd rallies at fairgrounds - Springfield, IL - The State Journal-Register