Afternoon News Update: Friday, February 13
- A Belvidere dog will be competing at this year's Westminster Kennel Club All Breed Dog Show in New York. Kent and Gwen Meyer, who own Meyer's Tails Up Farm, will be featuring Ash, a soft coated wheaten terrier. Westminster Dog Show will be held next Monday and Tuesday.
- Gov. Bruce Rauner's nominee to head the Illinois Department of Transportation has faced drunken driving charges stemming from an arrest in 2004. Reports state Randy Blankenhorn failed a blood alcohol content test during a traffic stop in and pleaded guilty to DUI. Blankenhorn received a year of supervision and a $795 fine. Rauner spokesman says that the governor "has full confidence" in him.
- High school seniors can start checking the University of Illinois website this afternoon to find out if they've been accepted for the fall semester. The school has eliminated "priority notification" to relieve stress for students and stop applicants from choosing other schools. They have until the first of May to accept the offer.
- Kane County authorities say a North Carolina man was arrested in Hampshire with more than 350 pounds of marijuana. Thirty-six-year-old Levi Blalock is charged with cannabis trafficking and unlawful possession. Authorities say a drug-sniffing dog detected drugs inside Blalock's vehicle outside a Hampshire motel on Thursday.
- The Wisconsin Department of Transportation have displayed its latest proposal to change the I-90 & I-43 interchange.Dozens of Beloit residents came out to voice their opinions on the proposed project at a public meeting this week. The construction project would create a new connection between the two highways, as well as expand I-90 to 6 lanes. Officials say it's a much-needed change and faces a cost of $104 million, with construction beginning in 2017.
- Union membership in Illinois continues its steep decline according the Bureau of Labor Statistics. A report by the Chicago regional office puts workers represented by unions at 15.1% of the workforce in 2014, a drop from 15.8% just the year before. It still remains, however, above its all-time low rate of 14.5% in 2007, and above the national rate of 11.1%.
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