Friday, March 5, 2010

Ill. judge won't toss torture suit naming Rumsfeld

Judge Andersen [a George H. Bush appointee] said his decision "represents a recognition that federal officials may not strip citizens of well settled constitutional protections against mistreatment simply because they are located in a tumultuous foreign setting."

Read the details by clicking on the following:  Pantagraph.com | News from Associated Press

Gov. Doyle of Wisconsin signs state ban on BPA in children’s cups - - HealthyRockford.com

Bisphenol A, commonly abbreviated as BPA, is an organic compound with two phenol functional groups. It is a difunctional building block of several important plastics and plastic additives. With an annual production of 2–3 million metric tonnes, . 

The potentially dangerous chemical Bisphenol-A will be banned in all cups sold in Wisconsin for young children under a bill signed into law Wednesday by Gov. Jim Doyle.
Wisconsin is the third state, after Minnesota and Connecticut, to pass such a ban.

The American Chemistry Council, an industry trade group that represents BPA producers including Dow Chemical Co., has said BPA is safe and has been widely used for more than half a century.

The FDA has set aside $30 million for additional studies over the next two years.

Chicago also has a BPA ban applying to bottles and cups intended for those 3 and younger

Click on the following for more details:  Doyle signs state ban on BPA in children’s cups - - HealthyRockford.com

Cliffbreakers owners look to restructure in bankruptcy court - - BusinessRockford.com

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more than $10 million in debt. The filing did not list what it owes to its secured creditors, which the company identified in a news release as Fifth Third Bank, Aries Real Estate Fund of Chicago and Edgewater Finance of St. Louis. Its largest unsecured creditors are the Internal Revenue Service, which is owed more than $400,000, and the Illinois Department of Revenue, which is owed more than $240,000 in various taxes.
Victor Mattison of St. Louis, who along with Rockford’s Michael Ellis, owns Cliffbreakers, 700 W. Riverside Blvd., said they already have negotiated a substantial reduction of its debt with its secured creditors that should allow the operation to emerge from bankruptcy with much better cash flow.

hotel and restaurant will remain open, Mattison said.
In Chapter 11, companies are protected from creditors while working out better financial terms. Mattison said they hope to emerge from bankruptcy protection in 90 to 120 days

Click on the following for more details:  Cliffbreakers owners look to restructure in bankruptcy court - - BusinessRockford.com

Cook County Jail, once over-crowded, downsizes as inmate population shrinks | Crain's Chicago Business

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Officials attribute the decline in the number of inmates to a drop in the overall crime rate.

Click on the following for more details:  Cook County Jail, once over-crowded, downsizes as inmate population shrinks | Crain's Chicago Business

Hearing upcoming as NDK investigation continues

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Records show the case is scheduled for a management conference, which typically involves discussion of case logistics.

Chicago-based attorney Gary Vist, who is representing NDK, said the company has no "specific expectations" about the upcoming hearing.

Illinois Attorney General’s Office spokesman Scott Mulford described the case as being in a logistical phase relating to NDK’s analysis of the explosion’s cause.

Officials with the state’s attorney’s office were not immediately available for comment on what is expected from the March 19 hearing.

Click on the following for more details:  The Belvidere Daily Republican. - Hearing upcoming as NDK investigation continues

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Kane County debating freeze on officials’ pay :: Beacon News :: Local News

Kane County  In 2000, the population of the county was 404,119. The population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau for 2008 is 507,579.[1]  Its county seat is Geneva, Illinois,[2] and its largest city is Aurora.

Map of Illinois highlighting Kane County Salaries for Kane County elected officials would be frozen for several years -- in some cases until 2015 -- if an ordinance amendment proposed to the County Board is approved.

Three positions -- sheriff, clerk and treasurer -- would be frozen effective Dec. 1, 2010, through 2013. The sheriff's salary would be fixed at $124,750, the clerk's at $100,000 and the treasurer at $100,000.

Kane debating freeze on officials’ pay :: Beacon News :: Local News

Illinois Department of Insurance Orders American Trade Association, Real Benefits Association, and Others to Cease and Desist Unlawful Insurance Business

 Michael T. McRaithIllinois Department of Insurance

American Trade Association, Real Benefits Association, Obed Kirkpatrick, Incorp. Services, Inc., Smart Data Solutions, LLC, Bart Posey, Serve America Assurance, Ltd., Beema-Pakistan Company, Ltd., Kathleen Cauthen, and Dave Clark…ordered…to immediately Cease and Desist transacting insurance business in Illinois.

Click on the following for more details:  Illinois Department of Insurance Orders American Trade Association, Real Benefits Association, and Others to Cease and Desist Unlawful Insurance Business