Afternoon news update: April 24, 2015

Cuts to Medicaid will make up about one-third of the $300 million in spending reductions by Gov. Bruce Rauner's office as part of a budget fix for this fiscal year. Rauner's office shared a letter detailing the $106 million in cuts to service providers in the health care program for the poor. Hospital and mental health services will be exempt from reductions. In addition to Medicaid, the administration also will reduce funding for services for domestic violence victims, homeless young people and rape victims, as well as community colleges and student grants.
The Chicago Bears will make a $100,000 donation to the United Way of Rock River Valley, to assist in recovery efforts and aid those affected by the tornadoes that devastated areas of Northern Illinois on April 9th. This morning Bears players Blake Annen, Ryan Mundy, and Will Sutton assisted with debris cleanup and other projects in Fairdale. They also visited the Kirkland Fire Department to meet families and first responders.
Cell phone service provider U.S. Cellular announced it will donate $10,000 to the Rockford Boys & Girls Club to focus on science, technology, engineering and math programming for area youth. The donation is part of U.S. Cellular's $1.25 million dollar national commitment to the Boys & Girls Club of America. The Boys & Girls Club of Rockford serves more than 6,000 youth in their after school and outreach programming.
Harley-Davidson is recalling nearly 46,000 motorcycles in the U.S. because they could stay in gear due to clutches that won't fully disengage. The recall covers certain Electra Glide, Ultra Limited, Police Electra Glide, Street Glide, Road Glide and Road King models from the 2014 and 2015 model years. Harley reported 27 crashes and four minor injuries.
The Illinois Department of Transportation announced that it will be joining the Illinois Capital Development Board to host a series of listening sessions across the state in the coming weeks to discuss Illinois’ infrastructure needs as a way to help prioritize future capital projects. The tour will begin in Champaign on Monday. Locally, officials will be holding a listening session in Dixon on April 29^th at KSB Hospital. The goal of the listening tour is to create a comprehensive package of capital project recommendations for the Rauner Administration to consider this spring. Meetings will be open to the public.
A pizza delivery man is robbed at gunpoint early Friday morning as he was making a delivery in the 1000 block of Summit Avenue in Beloit. The driver said he approached the house and three black males in their late teens came from behind him. One of the suspects, armed with a handgun, hit the victim in the head with the gun. Cash and the pizza and pop were taken. The delivery driver suffered minor injuries but did not require medical attention.
Guards failed to do a count of inmates on the night that a convicted killer escaped a jail in Kankakee. The sheriff has given county leaders more details of Kamron Taylor's April 1st escape and says jail staffers who violated rules will be disciplined. Taylor hid in a shower before attacking a guard and stealing his uniform to get away. He was caught three days later.
34-year-old Joshua Van Haften has pleaded not guilty to a federal charge that he tried to join the Islamic State terror group. Prosecutors have charged Van Haften with trying to provide material assistance to a foreign terrorist group. He was arrested at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago earlier this month after having flown back from Turkey after a failed bid to join the terror group in Syria. He could face up to 15 years in prison and $250,000 in fines if he's convicted.
Madison, Wisconsin-based Alliant Energy Corp. is asking regulators for permission to build a $750 million gas-fired plant near Beloit. The utility company filed an application today with the state Public Service Commission to build a plant it says will provide cleaner power than the coal plants it's shutting down. The new plant would reportedly be built on the site of the Riverside Energy Center north of Beloit.
OSF St Anthony Medical Center wants to add an $85 million extension to add more private rooms. OSF St. Anthony Medical Center administration has filed an application for permit for a certificate of need. Work could begin as early as August if authorized by the Illinois Health Facilities and Review Board. The 144,247-square-foot, four story addition will include 78 private rooms for medical and surgical beds. Construction is expected to be completed in early 2018.

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