Afternoon news update: May 13, 2015

Former Rockford gang member Deontae Murray has been sentenced to 60 years in prison for his part in the April 2012 killing of Richard Herman at a gas station in Belvidere. Police say Murray pulled a gun on Herman following an argument, but the shooting itself was done by Marco Hernandez. Murray handed his gun to Hernandez, a fellow gang member, and told him to shoot. Hernandez is already serving a 60 year sentence.
Scores of protesters gathered outside a Madison apartment house where Madison police officer Matt Kenny shot and killed Tony Robinson in March. Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne said Tuesday that he wouldn't charge Kenny in Robinson's death because he believes the shooting was justified. About 100 demonstrators had gathered by 9:30 a.m. and were shouting protest slogans.
The Rockford Police Department will be participating in the IDOT sponsored “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over & Click It or Ticket” campaigns for May 11th and May 25th. The department says the campaign enforcement details will consist of seatbelt enforcement along with impaired driver enforcement. With funding from this grant, the Rockford Police Department will hire back officers to conduct these details.
The 1st Street Bridge over the Union Pacific Railroad will be closed indefinitely. The railroad, which owns the bridge, performed repairs to the bridge in the fall of 2014. But the work was found unacceptable by the Illinois Department of Transportation. Until acceptable repairs are made, the bridge will remain closed, but it's still open to pedestrian and bicycle traffic.
Illinois State Police have a man in custody accused of firing a gun on a Megabus on its way to Minneapolis. Police say about 50 people were on the bus when a gun was fired in the bus bathroom at about 11:30 p.m. last night. Authorities say passengers tackled the man as he exited the bathroom and held him until police arrived at the Des Plaines oasis on I-90 where the bus stopped. Charges are pending.
People angry about a prosecutor's decision not to charge a white Madison police officer for killing an unarmed biracial man have conducted a mock trial of the officer in protest. About 150 to 200 protesters marched through the streets of Wisconsin's capital city on Wednesday before gathering outside of the Dane County Courthouse to stage the fake trial. The crowd cheered when actors said they would charge Officer Matt Kenny in the March killing of 19-year-old Tony Robinson. District Attorney Ismael Ozanne said Tuesday that he believes Kenny's actions were justified and didn't warrant charges.
Illinois Senate President John Cullerton is proposing an updated state pension plan. It could offer state workers a choice between keeping annual cost-of-living increases in retirement or counting future pay raises when calculating their retirement benefits. The Illinois Supreme Court has declared the state's 2013 pension law unconstitutional. But some lawmakers don’t believe a overhaul plan can be passed this spring despite pressure from Gov. Bruce Rauner and major credit rating agencies. House pension committee chairman Elaine Nekritz calls the odds of a deal before the session ends May 31 "slim."
If you're looking for a 328-mile bicycle ride, you could try Historic Route 66. The Adventure Cycling Association, based in Montana, has published a map, Bicycle Route 66. Since the road was decommissioned as an official highway in 1974, it's now a good road for biking, says Jen Milyko, the assistant director of routes and mapping for the Adventure Cycling Association. "Now the old Route 66 is perfect for cyclists, because it carries a lot less traffic and is at a slower pace," she said. In Illinois, the route goes through a lot of rural areas, but it also goes right through the historic Route 66 towns. The map covers all eight states and 2,500 miles of Historic Route 66. In Illinois, it's 328 miles on Historic Route 66 from East St. Louis to Chicago. Staying on Route 66 can be complicated, and there are certain detours for bicyclists to avoid interstate highway segments, but Milyko says the map is easy to follow. She says riding Route 66 is something bike riders are eager to do. You can get more information at www.adventurecycling.org/bicycleroute66.

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