Afternoon News Update: March 18

It’s Election Day in Illinois with polling places open until 7pm. The race generating the most interest is the Republican primary for Governor. Election coverage on WROK starts after 7pm with updates, cut-ins, and numbers as they roll in. Plus, guests will be checking in from around the state.
Today’s primary election has a brand new feature. A legislation signed by Governor Pat Quinn is letting seventeen year-olds who will be eighteen by the general election date to vote. They will have a chance to vote for their party’s nomination for governor, among other statewide elected offices.
The contest for governor isn't the only one on the GOP ballot in Illinois. State Senator Jim Oberweis is going against political newcomer Doug Truax for the U.S. Senate nomination. The winner will take on Democrat Dick Durbin in the fall.
A missing Boone County woman has been found dead. Officials say the body of 82-year-old Myrtle Fieldhouse was found in a Belvidere field late Monday afternoon. She disappeared Saturday from Heritage Woods of Belvidere. Fieldhouse suffered from dementia. An autopsy is being done to determine the cause of her death.
A Loves Park man has been accused of dealing cocaine near a Belvidere school. Officials say Zlatko Kasapovic is facing three felony counts of unlawful delivery of a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a school. If convicted, he could receive up to 30 years in prison. Belvidere police detectives took him into custody on Monday in the 100 block of North State Street. They seized both cocaine and cash during the arrest.
The Rockford Area Economic Development Council has found its new president after a one year search. RAEDC officials say Michael Nicholas of Crystal Lake will now be in charge of the regional organization that helps employers retain and create quality jobs. He begins his duties on April 7. Nicholas was most recently the president and chief executive officer of Continental Datalabel in Elgin.
A false fire alarm went off this morning at Marsh Elementary School. Students and staff had to evacuate the building, but there were no signs of any fire. District Administrators are evaluating the system that triggered the false alarm.

Categories: News