News Stories For Tuesday February 26, 2019

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News Stories For Monday February 26, 2019

1. Wisconsin Police get training to detect people driving high. In December, Michigan became the 10th state in the country to legalize recreational marijuana. But for Wisconsin communities along the border of Michigan, that means law enforcement will likely see an increase of impaired drivers on the road. Preparing for that potential trend, police and sheriff’s departments across the state of Wisconsin are training officers on how to detect impaired drivers.
2. Iowa woman who got stuck in ambulance during snow storm gives birth to baby girl. Arye Washington says she was able to make it to the hospital to give birth to her daughter after her ambulance got stuck in Sunday’s snow storm
3. Pennsylvania mother and daughter accused of killing 5 family members. They claim all five wanted to die. A Pennsylvania woman and her teenage daughter are charged with killing five members of their own family who, the mother later told police, all “wanted to die,” according to a probable cause affidavit.
4. Dead Cat, Litter: Kristin Laue was shocked when she came upon this sight by the Highway Department driveway yesterday. It was a tote that had a cat in it. A dead cat. Kristin said in her Facebook post, “This is the reason I like animals better than people. To the asshole who dumped this tote that had a poor cat in it. I hope you go straight to hell! I pray this poor cat passed away quickly. This not the way I like to start my week.”
6. Unnecessary Roughness. Captured by a person in the stands at a local basketball game.
7. PHK Bicycles is proud supporter of “Bikes 4 Stripes”. MISSION: To provide free bicycles to qualified Stephenson County veterans who are in need of viable transportation in an effort to promote mobility and independence. ‘BIKES 4 STRIPES’ is a program of Immanuel Lutheran Church’s Military Outreach Program, an exempt organization as described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church · 1993 W Church Street · Freeport · IL · 61032 · (815) 235-1993
8. Bond set at $750K for Naperville man charged with fatally striking Downers Grove student. Bond has been set at $750,000 for a Naperville man accused of fatally striking a high school student with his car in Downers Grove.
9. Wisconsin Governor Orders National Guard Troops to Leave Border. Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers on Monday ordered the state’s National Guard troops to withdraw from the border with Mexico, drawing the ire of a Republican congressman from Illinois who serves as a pilot in the Wisconsin detachment. He said there’s not enough evidence to support Republican President Donald Trump’s declaration that a national emergency exists and there’s no justification for Wisconsin troops to remain.
10. Wisconsin National Guard reviewing Illinois congressman’s criticism of Evers over troop withdrawal. The Wisconsin National Guard is looking into whether an Illinois congressman who belongs to a Madison-based Guard unit violated state law by criticizing Gov. Tony Evers publicly and releasing information about a troop withdrawal. Wisconsin state law requires punishment be leveled against “any commissioned officer who uses contemptuous words against the president, the vice-president, members of congress, the secretary of defense, the secretary of a military department, the secretary of homeland security, or the governor or legislature of the state of Wisconsin.”
11. Potholes Getting Filled: Happy to report seeing the street department folks filling the potholes on this section of Empire street just west of Empire School in Freeport. The area is like dodging a minefield. The street department folks were filling potholes all along the roadway this morning.
12. Visitors choosing to ‘Enjoy Illinois’ reaches all-time high. Jan Kemmerling, acting deputy director of the Illinois Office of Tourism, presented the annual State of the State Tourism Address. Kemmerling recapped the success of Illinois Tourism’s marketing initiatives and programs and stated the following facts: Illinois welcomed about 114 million visitors in 2017, an all-time high. Visitor spending totaled $39.7 billion, up 3.5 percent from 2016, and generated more than $3 billion in state and local tax revenue.
13. The fight for a progressive income tax in Illinois is coming to Springfield — and your TV. Just three months removed from the most expensive gubernatorial campaign in the nation’s history, divisive political ads could soon begin populating Illinois residents’ screens once again, this time relating to a “fair tax” — or a “jobs tax” — depending on whose ad is being seen. Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker wants to adopt a “graduated” income tax structure that charges higher rates to higher income earners, an effort staunchly opposed by Republican lawmakers.
14. Three Steps To Fixing Illinois’ Pension Crisis. If this were a clickbait article, I’d have titled it “three easy steps” or “one weird trick” or the like. But the fact of the matter is that as much as I’ll break down the necessary solutions into three steps, they are not easy.  They are, in fact, difficult, and will require real sacrifice and the expenditure of political capital rather than platitudes, because, however much Gov. Pritzker might wish otherwise, there are no “weird tricks” (asset transfers, re-amortizations, pension bonds) to escape the problem.
15. Police Say $100 Bill Scammers Now Scammed The Girl Scouts, More Bills In Freeport Recovered. Freeport Police say that just yesterday alone the department received eleven of the fake $100 bills that are currently circulating throughout Freeport as part of a recent series of scams. Police state they are still receiving calls today for these bogus bills, and that the suspects had even passed their fake money to the Girl Scouts, who were selling cookies in front of a grocery store on Sunday. The suspects reportedly purchased four boxes of cookies.
16. (ad) Gemorifics offers a full line of jewelry, accessories and in-store services from engraving on wood, glass, plastic or metal to re-tipping, sizing, mounting or even changing your watch battery while you wait. 840 W. Meadows Drive. 815-232-0005
17. Hillary Clinton says she ‘can’t imagine’ running for president again. “I can’t imagine that, no,” the former secretary of State and 2016 Democratic presidential nominee said Monday on Tina Brown’s podcast “TBD” when asked whether she could change her mind about running in 2020.

Quote of the Day:

“There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.”

News Stories For Monday February 25, 2019

1. As Gov. Pritzker proposes legal sports wagering in Illinois, Cubs place a bet on gambling media. The Cubs were among the named investors last week in the latest round of funding for the Action Network, a sports media outlet targeting fans who gamble by giving them betting content, analytics, real-time odds and other tools.
2. (ad) Gemorifics offers a full line of jewelry, accessories and in-store services from engraving on wood, glass, plastic or metal to re-tipping, sizing, mounting or even changing your watch battery while you wait. 840 W. Meadows Drive. 815-232-0005
3. Yield support: Fed Reserve reports 2018 farmland values steady. Farmland values in a major chunk of the ‘I’ states were steady overall in 2018. The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago reported in its agricultural newsletter Feb. 14 for the Seventh Federal Reserve District that values for “good” agricultural land in the fourth quarter of 2018 were up 1 percent from the previous quarter, according to 183 survey responses.
4. S&P warns proposed Illinois budget could worsen its credit rating. S&P Global Ratings warned that Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s 2020 budget proposal could “weaken the state’s credit trajectory,” said a news release. Illinois already has a BBB- from the credit rating agency, and further weakening of that trajectory would put it squarely in junk bond territory, said the Feb. 22 news release, which S&P specified was not a ratings action. The agency warned it finds the budget’s balance “dubious”…
5. Illinois State Official Beats Federal Drivers Privacy Claims. A Cook County official beat federal court claims that she improperly disclosed speeding ticket data by allowing public access to local traffic citations. The Driver’s Privacy Protection Act doesn’t give an individual the right to directly sue a state official in their official capacity for violating the law, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois ruled Feb. 22.
   • Federal drivers privacy law bars citizens from suing state officials
   • Courts rarely use Eleventh Amendment to kick out claims
6. Will Illinois Be the 14th to Tax Social Security Benefits? Until recently, Illinois has been a bastion of tax friendliness to retirees. Not only does it not tax Social Security income, it also has a state income tax exemption for private pension income as well. That’s extremely unusual, with just a dozen states having full tax-free status for all retirement-related income.  However, Illinois’ fiscal condition is among the worst of state governments in the U.S., and several groups have argued that taxing retirement and pension income would be a good way to offset budget shortfalls in other areas.
7. A LIVE look at the water current of Yellow Creek at the Krape Park dam today in Freeport.
9. Suspect in custody after manhunt near Rapids City; suspect identified. Police were searching for a man considered “dangerous” who fled the scene of a crash earlier in the area of I-80 and the Mississippi River, near Rapids City, Illinois. Illinois State Police identified the subject as Frank M. Scott, 25 of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. When officers attempted a traffic stop, the vehicle fled and a chase began. He has been charged with multiple criminal offenses and traffic violations, according to police.
10. High winds drop from ‘bomb cyclone,’ batter Central Illinois. Powerful wind gusts to more than 60 mph generated by a weather system called a “bomb cyclone” shook up Central Illinois all day Sunday and extending into Sunday night.
11. No one wants to hear ‘You’re fired.’ Is there a better way to dismiss a problem worker? It’s a sentence no one likes to say or hear: “You’re fired.” But with the focus on preventing violence in the workplace after events like the shooting at Henry Pratt Co. in Aurora, Ill., some companies are considering whether there’s a better way to handle potentially volatile firings.
12. A 39-year-old Freeport man was arrested after a passenger in his vehicle was killed in a car wreck in Murfreesboro early Sunday morning. Joshua Williams, of Freeport, Illinois was driving a vehicle when police received a call regarding a domestic situation that was taking place in his car. The caller, who was also the passenger in the vehicle, reported that she had been assaulted by the driver and that he refused to stop the vehicle.
13. Michael Charles at Logan’s (No Cover). Saturday, March 2, 2019 8:00 PM. Logan’s Bar & Grill. 1805 S West Ave, Freeport. Michael Charles musical pilgrimage began over five decades ago in his homeland Melbourne, Victoria Australia.
14. Come Meet The New Business Owners of 9 East Coffee and Catering. Saturday at 12 PM – 2 PM. 9 East Coffee and Catering. 9 East Stephenson st, Freeport. Come hang out and meet the new owners of 9 east  Coffee and Catering, Alexa and Brian Nissen! From 12-2 we’ll have free coffee as well!
15. Kiwanis Pancake & Sausage Day. Saturday at 7 AM – 11:30 AM. Freeport High School. 701 W Moseley St, Freeport. Enjoy delicious fresh-flipped pancakes, whole hog sausage, applesauce and beverage. Drive up curb-side service is available for carry-outs. Advance tickets are available at Freeport Cub Foods, Freeport Sullivan’s Foods, or from any Golden K or Freeport Noon Kiwanis member. Adults – $8 in advance / $9 at the door; Children Age 12 and Under: $6. Tickets include a coupon for a FREE SMALL POPCORN (value $5.50) compliments of Classic Cinemas Lindo Theater.
16. IDNR announces 2019 State Pheasant Fund Project Grants. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) today announced the approval of $241,533 in grants for two wildlife pheasant habitat projects through the Illinois State Pheasant Fund Special Wildlife Funds Grant Program.
17. Craft Club with Teal at Logan’s. Monday February 25, 2019 6:30 PM. Logan’s Bar & Grill. 1805 S West Ave, Freeport. Craft Club with Teal – This will be the 4th Monday of each month.
18. Pediatric First Aid, CPR Class March 23. Learn first aid, CPR and automated external defibrillator (AED) use specific to infants and children at a special Heartsaver® Pediatric First Aid course at FHN. The course is open to the public and will cover first aid basics including controlling bleeding and bandaging, burns, heat- or cold-related injuries, poison emergencies, and fractures and sprains, as well as CPR and AED use, and what to do in case of choking. The course will be offered from 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Saturday, March 23 at FHN Memorial Hospital in Freeport. The cost is $60, which includes the Heartsaver Pediatric First Aid CPR AED Student Workbook and a CPR certification card that is valid for 2 years. To register online or learn more, visit www.fhn.org/heartsaver-pediatric-first-aid.asp or contact the FHN Center of Innovative Learning at coil@fhn.org.
19. (PSA) Two more counterfeit $100 bills reportedly came thru Jimmy Johns of Freeport last night, according to a social media post. The post says this is the 3rd one in the last week. “The water line looked real. Holding it up to the light also looked real. They even passed thru the detector pen”, the person stated. The bills had the exact same serial number, the post said. We were also told by an employee of another local retail store that fake $100 bill’s were used (or attempted) at Shoe Sensation, Shoe Carnival and Rosati’s as well.
20. City Conversations at Cimino’s. Please join Mayor Jodi Miller and City Manager Lowell Crow for an open forum question and answer session. This is in response to those that asked Mayor Miller and Manager Crow to host an evening event. Join us in the Atrium at Cimino’s Little Italy.  421 N. Challenge. Tuesday, March 12, 2019. 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM
21. NYC Bans Discrimination Based On Hairstyles In Groundbreaking Legal Guidelines | NBC Nightly News.
23. Pro-life law firm says Illinois could become ‘Abortion Capital of America’. Peter Breen, Vice President and Senior Counsel for the Thomas Moore Society, said in a news release that should this legislation be successful, “Pritzker and his Democratic supermajorities would convert the ‘Land of Lincoln’ into the ‘Abortion Capital of America.’”
24. Husband and Wife Plead Guilty to Bank Robberies in Northern Illinois. A husband and wife from Crystal Lake have pleaded guilty in federal court to multiple bank robberies in Northern Illinois.
25. Board of Fire & Police Commission Meeting. Central Fire Station – Conference Room. 1650 S. Walnut Avenue, Freeport, IL. February 26, 2019 at 5:30 PM
26. Cody Canada & The Departed is a three-piece Americana roots-rock band based in New Braunfels, Texas.  Rolling Stone called Cody Canada, a poster child of the Red Dirt scene about the man who has been playing guitar and dreaming music since he was 8 years old. Wednesday, February 27, 2019 at Logan’s 5 PM – 10 PM – Get Tickets Here
28. National Guard rescues, shelters drivers stranded by blizzard rescued in southern Minnesota. Authorities have rescued dozens of people stranded by a blizzard that howled across southern Minnesota and dumped about a foot of snow in some places. In east-central Wisconsin, one person was killed and several others injured Sunday in an interstate pileup during whiteout conditions.
29. (ad) Browse over 65,000 books, CD’s, vinyl records, magazines, puzzles and more at Voices Book Nook inside the Freeport Lincoln Mall. Open 10-4 Monday-Saturday. Open until 7 Thursday. Freeport Lincoln Mall, 1255 W Galena Ave.(815) 821-2665.
30. Western Wisconsin county declares Snow Emergency. High winds and drifting snow is causing hazardous driving conditions in western Wisconsin prompting one county to declare a Snow Emergency.    At 4:30 PM, Trempealeau County declared a Snow Emergency and said it is pulling all of its plow trucks off the roads by 6 PM.
31. New Hampton opens church for stranded motorists. Drivers are getting stranded in New Hampton Sunday as drifting snow continues to cover area highways. New Hampton Mayor Deb Larsen said motorists have been getting stuck in the town as Route 63 has become impassable.
32. Regional Fun Fact: You know Cheap Trick, but do you know Fuse? Those who know, chime in.
34. (ad) BEST PRICE ON FILTERS: Enjoy huge discounted savings on all auto, truck, ag equipment, even heavy duty equipment filters at Carqust in Freeport. Before you buy call (815) 232-6106 and compare Carquest prices. Locally owned and operated at 1791 S West Ave, Freeport, Illinois. Open M-F 7:30AM–6PM and Saturday 8AM–3PM. (815) 232-6106.
35. After deployment to U.S. border, Illinois congressman says he backs Trump’s emergency declaration for wall. U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, recently back from an Air National Guard deployment to the U.S.-Mexico border, said Sunday that he won’t vote to block President Donald Trump’s national emergency declaration to build a wall along the United States’ southern boundary.
36. VIDEO: Iowa lawmakers push ahead on abortion bills despite rulings. Iowa Republican lawmakers are moving forward with bills to limit or even eliminate abortions despite recent court rulings that struck down previous abortion restrictions.
37. 16th Annual Moonlight Serenade: Freeport Masonic Temple Ballroom Saturday, March 2, 2018 7:00 — 10:30 p.m. Enjoy a fun evening of fine big band music and dancing Featuring the smooth sounds of The Freeport High School Jazz Ensemble and The Highland Community College Big Band Tickets are $7.50 and are available at the Highland Community College Box Office, Monday through Friday, 1:00 to 5:00 p.m., or at the door. Call (815) 990-1739 for more information. Appetizers and snacks will be provided Coffee, pop and water will be available
38. McHenry County deputy cited for crash in DeKalb County. A McHenry County sheriff’s deputy is cited after a crash that sent one person to the hospital, Sunday morning.
39. Hepatitis A Outbreak Reported In Illinois. The Illinois Department of Public Health is reporting a hepatitis A outbreak with 44 confirmed cases across the state.
40. Illinois Highways Need Up To $15 Billion For Maintenance Over Next 10 Years. Driving around Illinois, chances are you’ve experience the jarring crack of a tire hitting the bottom of a pothole. This week, acting transportation secretary Matt Magalis put a cost on that feeling: between $13 billion and $15 billion.
41. New store specializing in hemp and CBD oil coming to La Crosse. Local entrepreneurs are opening a new store in La Crosse specializing in hemp and cannabidiol oil, better known as CBD oil.
42. (ad) Did you Know? Cimino’s Freeport offers “FREE DELIVERY” to Business ($10 min) from 11-am – 2 pm. Monday thru Friday 815 235-8700.
43. Jo Daviess GOP chair says there are better options than new minimum wage bill. As Gov. J.B. Pritzker prepares to sign a bill today raising Illinois’ minimum wage to $15 over six years, his gaffe last week when he claimed GOP lawmakers had compromised to reach the legislation is fading from memory.
44. Analysis: Freeport administrators rank 592nd in state for average pay. Administrators in Freeport School District 145 earn an average of $90,527 per year, ranking 592nd out of 864 districts in the state, according to a NW Illinois News analysis of the latest Illinois schools report card.
45. (ad) Find out why more buyers and sellers choose NextHome First Class. Call (815) 232-4433. Residential, Commercial, Land & Farms. Browse homes here.
46. Plains man arrested after 6-hour standoff with deputies. A Pleasant Plains man was arrested Sunday morning after a six-hour standoff that ended peacefully. Dustin Hudspeth, 33, could be charged with unlawful use of a weapon and aggravated assault, the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office said.
47. More than 100 vehicles involved in massive I-41 pile-up. One person was killed in a massive pile-up crash that involved about 100 vehicles on I-41, the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office said Sunday. The Sheriff’s Office says a call for the crash first came in at 11:10 Sunday morning on I-41 southbound in the area of County Road G. Whiteout conditions were reported.
48. How well has Tobacco 21 ordinance worked in Peoria? In Illinois, at least 30 communities have passed ordinances to raise the age to buy tobacco products to 21. Peoria, Normal and Washington are the only central Illinois areas to increase the age. The rest have been in Chicago or the suburbs.
49. REAL ESTATE: Multi – Level Home Situated on a Corner Lot! 208 North Bellaire Avenue. This Home has 3 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms, Many Updates and a Large Attached Garage. Updates include: Kitchen, Windows, Central Air, Furnace (05 & then a motor 2018), Tuck Pointing at Chimney and the Deck. The Master Bedroom has a Double Closets and a Bathroom. NextHome First Class. Call (815) 232-4433.
50. Oh No. All LGBTQ City Council Can’t Be All White Too: The Palm Springs City Council made headlines in November 2017 when it elected all LGBTQ people to its body. Community members applauded the council after bisexual, transgender, queer and gay members were elected, but critics have emerged because all of the members are white, The Washington Post reported Monday.
51. (ad) Time is running out to save on your spring bicycle tune up. Now until the end of this month you will save $10 on our basic bicycle tune up. Take an additional 20% off any parts or accessories while the bike is in the work stand. 205 N Adams Ave in Freeport. Call (815) 616-8081. Schedule your appointment today. We are open seven days a weeks to support the community.

Quote of the Day:

“It is easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled.”
Mark Twain

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