Afternoon News Update: March 10

Two people have died in a single-vehicle crash in the Town of Beloit. Police say an SUV left Highway 51 Sunday and struck a utility pole. Both victims were pronounced dead at the scene. There is no word yet on what caused the crash.
A man has been found murdered in a Northwest Rockford alleyway. Officials say 46-year-old Robert O’Hern has become the city’s latest apparent murder victim. Police state his body was found Sunday morning in the north alleyway in the 3200 block of Parkside Avenue. He was pronounced dead at the scene with a gunshot wound to his head. An autopsy is scheduled for today.
A Rockford family will be temporarily without a home due to a fire. The accidental blaze happened Sunday night on the city’s west-side in the 300 block of Webster Avenue. Officials say the family was alerted by the smoke and were able to escape safely. Crews managed to keep the fire to the upper level, but the home suffered heavy damage, rendering it unlivable for now. The Red Cross is currently assisting the family with temporary living arrangements.
A child who was waiting for the bus has been pistol whipped by a grown man. It happened this morning at a Rockford bus stop in the 700 block of Irving Avenue. Police say the suspect pulled out a gun and demanded cash from the boy. When the child said he didn’t have any, is when the suspect allegedly struck him. The man then got into a black car and drove away heading East on Fairview. The child refused medical attention.
A man who took a stroll down the Rock River has been taken into custody. Officials say a male in his late 40’s was spotted this morning walking on the ice down the center of the river. The person then walked to the docks near the Lombardi Club where he was taken into custody. He had no injuries and was transported to a local hospital for evaluation.
A Chicago teenager who is accused of killing a taxi driver will remain behind bars for now. Officials say 17-year-old Clint Massey is being charged with first degree murder in the shooting death of 28-year-old Javan Boyd. Authorities allege Boyd was sitting in his cab waiting for a fare on February 22 when he was shot seven times. Massey is currently being held on a $2 million bond.
A Chicago police officer has been released from the hospital after he was hit in the face by a ricocheting bullet. Officials say the 34-year-old officer was struck by the bullet on Sunday evening while trying to execute a search warrant on the city’s south side. He was released from the hospital earlier this morning.
The Byron Nuclear Plant is set to undergo a refueling outage. Exelon says it will bring in about 1,200 employees during the outage in unit one, which is routine. Many maintenance activities and inspections can’t be performed when the unit is active. This could also bring in some money to the area with the influx of workers. Unit two at the nuclear plant will continue operations as normal.
A new study says the poor fiscal reputation of Illinois has cost taxpayers at least $80 million in additional borrowing costs over a five-year period. The review by the University of Illinois Institute of Government and Public Affairs covers from 2005 to 2010. They also note that the state’s credit rating has slipped since then as well.

Categories: News