Afternoon News Update: Tuesday, August 5
- Governor Pat Quinn signed legislation today to support heroin awareness and prevention efforts across the state of Illinois. The new law expands and strengthens a special task force created last year to study heroin use in Illinois and make recommendations to increase awareness and prevention.
- One person has died in a fire at a home in Beloit. Fire officials say they were called to the house about three am this morning. Firefighters say flames and smoke were pouring out of the house when they arrived especially from the basement. Officials state that one person had gotten out of the house. Firefighters helped a second person escape, but were not able to reach a third person in the basement. That person was pronounced dead at Beloit Memorial Hospital.
- Four people are in custody after a traffic stop Janesville. Janesville Police were investigating a drug distribution ring in the 1400 block of Canyon Drive. An officer pulled over a vehicle leaving the area and a search yielded about 217 grams of THC, which is worth about $3,000. Ecstasy was also seized.
- Rockford city aldermen passed an amended version of the city's dog barking law. Owners of guard dogs are now subject to prosecution if the dogs are caught on camera barking for more than 10 minutes and if a complaint is filed by at least two residents. Police and animal control can also file a complaint. The new law takes effect immediately. City code currently prohibits dogs from barking excessively, but it doesn’t include guard dogs.
- Greyhound Lines says bringing back bus service to Dixon is under consideration. Greyhound spokeswoman Alexandra Pedrini says the company is working with the state of Illinois. Greyhound stopped service in 2011 because of lack of riders.
- An administrative law judge says Southern Illinois University officials in Carbondale bargained in bad faith with unions and owes 1,500 current and former employees $1.9 million in back pay. The university says it disagrees with the judge's ruling and is weighing its legal options. The judge concluded that SIU illegally pushed three campus unions to the point of impasse.
- Amtrak is making it easier for people to take their dogs and cats around Illinois. Amtrak and the Illinois Department of Transportation have announced they are adding the Chicago-Champaign-Carbondale route of the Illini and Saluki trains to a pilot project that allows people to bring pets with them. Small pets have been allowed on the Illinois Zephyr and Carl Sandburg trains between Chicago and Quincy since April.
- A game of Dominoes has led a Stateline area man to serious prison time. Jamar Clay pled guilty to aggravated battery with a firearm in court yesterday. According to the terms of the plea deal, Clay will spend 13 years in prison. In September of 2012 Clay and his victim got into a heated argument during a game of dominos that led to the shooting. The victim was shot three times, but survived the attack.
- Stiffer laws could put an end to cyber-bullying before the school year begins.Gov. Pat Quinn signed a law to protect students across the state by banning cyber-bullying outside the classroom. The governor also recently signed a bill requiring all public schools to develop and implement an anti-bullying policy. Both laws take effect January 1, 2015.
- The Illinois Department of Natural Resources says it is taking steps to protect the state's alligator snapping turtles. The department teamed up with Oklahoma and Louisiana to release 97 turtles into southern Illinois creeks last week in an effort to revive the declining species. Staff from the Illinois Natural History Survey and the Peoria Zoo helped prepare the turtles for their release. The multi-state recovery project is funded by a State Wildlife Grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
- The government's weekly snapshot says 81 percent of Illinois corn and 77 percent of soybeans are in good or excellent condition. The Department of Agriculture says statewide rainfall last week was a half-inch below normal.
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