Afternoon news update: April 7, 2015

The thousands of abandoned homes in Rockford have become a burden for the Forest City. City officials drafted a vacant landlord registry and presented it to aldermen last week during City Council, but local realtors aren’t sure of its usefulness. Under the proposal, the owner of a vacant property would have to pay $250 per year to register their property. Another $500 would be paid for inspection before the building is occupied again.
Police have released the identities of the two officers who shot and wounded a man last week after he reportedly pointed a rifle at them. Officers Andrew Seale and Nicholas Alejo Jr. have been placed on Administrative Duty leave pending the outcome of the investigation from the Winnebago/Boone County Integrity Task Force. 28-year old Joshua Schweig was shot when he pointed a loaded rifle at the two officers.
The Winnebago and Pecatonica communities are rallying around Morgan Smoter and Jordan Conrad, the two girls injured in a serious accident at Winnebago Corners Friday night. Both 16-year-old girls were cut from the wreckage, and are in critical condition. A GoFundMe.com account has raised more than $2,000 and co-workers at the Winnebago McDonald’s are displaying messages of support.
Latham Road/Ralston road between IL-2 and IL-251 will be closed for utility work beginning Wednesday morning. The anticipated completed date is set for Friday. The duration of the work and lane closure will depend on the weather. Detours will be posted.
Illinois State University says its associate head basketball coach and a deputy athletic director are among seven people who died in a plane crash in central Illinois. University President Larry Dietz confirmed Tuesday that assistant coach Torrey Ward and Aaron Leetch, the athletic department's deputy director for external relations, were killed in the early-morning crash. Dietz made the announcement in an email to students, faculty and staff, saying "words cannot fully express the grief that is felt." Ward and Leetch were on a small plane that crashed near Bloomington, Illinois, on the way back from the NCAA basketball tournament in Indianapolis. The Cessna 414 crashed just short of the Central Illinois Regional Airport shortly after midnight.

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