Afternoon News Update: February 21

One man has been killed on Rockford’s west side. Police found a male victim lying in the 2200 block of Mulberry Street just after 4am this morning, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. The 56-year-old Rockford resident was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. Officials say that two black male suspects were seen running from the area southbound on Miriam. Anyone with information is asked to contact Rockford Police or Crime Stoppers.
North Boone teachers are set to announce their strike date. The NBEA will announce on Monday when they’ll go on strike in order to get a fair contract. They will also hold a rally outside of the school district’s office on Monday at 6pm, which is 30 minutes before the school board’s meeting. The district and the union are scheduled to meet with a federal mediator on February 25 and 26.
High winds and icy roads have delayed trash pick-up. MDC Environmental Services and Rock River Environmental Services both cancelled their Friday pick-up schedule. Pick-up will resume on Saturday.
Governor Pat Quinn was at the White House today in effort to raise Illinois’ minimum wage rates. He met with President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, among many others. The governor is working to raise Illinois’ minimum wage from $8.25 an hour to $10.10 an hour. The current rate, which hasn’t been increased since 2010, is less than half of the average US hourly wage. A half million Illinois consumers will make almost $5,000 a year extra by increasing the minimum wage to $10.10.
Former US Representative Mel Reynolds has been dismissed of pornography charges by a Zimbabwean judge. The court dismissed the pornography charge Friday, saying an order required by the country's prosecutor-general wasn't properly obtained. Reynolds was, however, ordered to pay a fine or face jail time after pleading guilty to violating the country’s immigration laws.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving has given Illinois a top rating for the state's efforts against drunken driving. The organization gave Illinois a five-star rating for continued efforts with in-car devices to test blood-alcohol levels. Last summer, the state began requiring convicted drunk drivers to install cameras with these devices.

Categories: News