Gov. Blagojevich Pages, part 2

9 under $9.99

Quick swing

Save on your pocketbook and cook at home/D1

Millikin deceives with strong start, loses 63-55/B1

Herald&Review WWW.HERALD-REVIEW.COM

THURSDAY JANUARY 8, 2009

Inching along An Illinois House panel, chaired by Barbara Flynn Currie, inches closer to recommending impeachment of Gov. Rod Blagojevich. “We’re beating a dead horse here.

Let’s get moving on this,” state Rep. Suzanne Bassi said. Local A3

New FutureGen hope Two Illinois lawmakers said the man nominated to lead the Department of Energy was positive about FutureGen at a meeting Wednesday. Money C1

Obama backs Blagojevich’s pick Leaders see Burris’ quiet style in Senate showdown

To avoid a fight, Democrats in Senate ready to accept man they said they wouldn’t seat

By MIKE RIOPELL

By LAURIE KELLMAN Associated Press Writer

H&R Springfield Bureau Writer

WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats beat a hasty retreat Wednesday from their rejection of Roland Burris as President-elect Barack Obama’s successor, yielding to pressure from Obama himself and from senators irked that the standoff was draining attention and putting them in a bad light. Burris said with a smile he expected to join them “very shortly.”

Though there was no agreement yet to swear Burris in, he posed for photos at the Capitol with Senate leaders, then joined them for a 45-minute meeting followed by supportive words that bordered on gushing. The events came one day after Burris had left the Capitol in the pouring rain in a scripted rejection.

Obama had spoken to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on Tuesday on the need to find a quick solution to defuse the dispute, according to Democratic officials. Reid was told by Obama that if Burris had the legal standing to be seated, despite con-

SPRINGFIELD — Democrat Roland Burris has stood in the middle of the political spotlight for the past week in his quest to assume a seat in the U.S. Senate. But some who served with Burris when he was state comptroller and attorney general said he didn’t make nearly as much noise as an officeholder.

After initially balking, Democratic leaders in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday appeared more open to the possibility of giving Burris the Senate seat Gov. Rod Blagojevich appointed him to last week.

Burris, 71, left his last term as an elected official more than a decade ago, but his work then could suggest what his Senate term might be like if he gets to serve.

State Rep. Gary Hannig, D-Litchfield, served in the Illinois House throughout Burris’ time in office and said Burris “served honorably.”

Associated Press

Roland Burris, Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s pick to fill President-elect Barack Obama’s senate seat, talks with Illinois Sen. Richard Durbin and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada on Capitol Hill. troversy surrounding his appointment by Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, it should be done “sooner rather than later,” an Obama transition aide said.

The dispute had taken on racial overtones after comments by some Burris supporters. The former Illinois attorney general would be the Senate’s only black member, with Obama’s departure.

STYLE/A2

BURRIS/A2

‘HERE’S 2 LOVE’

Who gets kidney in divorce?

Pause is over

After a three-hour lull to let in humanitarian aid, Israel resumed its Gaza offensive Wednesday.

World C3

Husband wants back transplanted organ

By CHAU LAM and RIDGELY OCHS

Lots to the game

McClatchy-Tribune News Service Writers

The Oklahoma Sooners and speedy Florida meet tonight for the BCS championship, a matchup that includes a pair of Heisman Trophy winners, an SEC vs. Big 12 debate and more than its share of trash talk. Sports B1

Lake Decatur level watch Normal winter pool level . . . .612.5 Normal summer pool level . . .614.4 Yesterday’s level . . . . . . . . .612.49

YOUR WEATHER

HIGH

Herald & Review/Stephen Haas

From left, Kelley Ekiss, Angeline Jones and Kris Jones look for a dress for one of the models to wear at the Bridal Expo on Friday and Saturday. Castaways Bridal and Consignment Shop on Pershing Road in Decatur will be featuring its clothes at the style show.

Engaging show

L O W

32 21 Today: Partly sunny Tonight: Partly cloudy

Vendors prepare for 1,000 visitors to Decatur Bridal Expo

By ALICIA SPATES

Details/B6

INDEX Classifieds. . . . . . . . . . C3-5 Comics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D5 Dear Abby . . . . . . . . . . . D2 Horoscopes . . . . . . . . . . D5 Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D1-6 Money . . . . . . . . . . . . . C1-2 Movies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D2 Obituaries. . . . . . . . . . . . D3 Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . A4 Puzzles . . . . . . . . . . . . C4,5 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . B1-5 Television . . . . . . . . . . . . D6

75 cents Our 137th year

Issue 8 Four sections

Delivery: 421-6990 Newsroom: 421-6979 Outside Decatur: 1-800-437-2533

If you go

H&R Staff Writer

D

ECATUR — The backroom of Castaways Bridal and Consignment Shop is not a secret that owner Bonnie Nelson is trying to keep. Yet the backroom of the Pershing Road store oftentimes goes unnoticed.

“The first thing people say is, ‘I didn’t know you had all this stuff back here,’ ” said Lee Ann Pickerill, a sales associate at the shop.

“People are more focused on the front area than the back area.”

The backroom is filled with a cornucopia of bridal gowns of many brands, styles, sizes and colors.

Castaways Bridal will show off the bridal merchandise it offers on the runway during style shows at the annual Decatur Bridal Expo.

The 29th annual Decatur Bridal Expo will be presented Friday and Saturday at the Decatur Conference Center and Hotel.

The theme is “Here’s 2 Love.” The show will exemplify the story of an enchanted princess who gets her prince, said Paul Schone-Knoll, the bridal show’s director. Miss Chicago 2006, Stephanie Sharp, will make a special appearance as the princess.

“This show is a little unique from other shows around,” Schone-Knoll said. “It’s more performance-driven in addition to fashion.”

More than 50 vendors, including florists, jewelers, limousine services, wedding planners, sellers of wedding attire, DJs and hair and makeup stylists, will have booths set up at the two-day expo. A prize of $500 will be given away each day, along with door prizes.

With an expected turnout of 1,000 people at the expo, Castaways Bridal uses the annual event as a way to get the word out about its bridal attire.

While Castaways has operated as a consignment shop for more than 30 years, a majority of the bridal dresses it offers are new and unworn.

“Castaways is associated with consignment,” said Kellie Ekiss, who is a sales associate, “so a lot of people don’t know about the new dresses we offer.”

EXPO/A2

WHAT: 29th annual Decatur Bridal Expo.

WHERE: Decatur Conference Center and Hotel.

WHEN: 5 to 9 p.m.

Friday and noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 9 and 10. Style show, 7:30 p.m. Friday and 2:30 p.m. Saturday.

ADMISSION: $5.

H&R LINK: www.heraldreview.com/ bridal

GARDEN CITY, N.Y. — When his wife needed a kidney transplant, Dr. Richard Batista gave her one of his, attorney Dominic Barbara said.

Now that Dawnell Batista has filed for a divorce, Richard Batista wants his kidney back as part of his settlement demand. Or, Barbara said Wednesday, his client wants the value of that kidney: An estimated $1.5 million.

The case is being heard in New York Supreme Court.

Barbara said his client, a 49year-old doctor from Ronkonkoma, N.Y., married Dawnell Batista on Aug. 31, 1990. The couple had three children, now ages 14, 11 and 8.

After she had two failed transplants, Barbara said, his client donated a kidney to his wife in an operation that took place in June 2001.

Richard Batista said his marriage at the time was on the rocks because of the strain of his wife’s medical issues.

“My first priority was to save her life,” Batista said at a news conference in Garden City, N.Y. “The second bonus was to turn the marriage around.”

Dawnell Batista, 44, of Massapequa filed for divorce in July 2005, Barbara said.

Neither she nor her attorney, Douglas Rothkopf, of Garden City could immediately be reached for comment. A receptionist at Rothkopf’s office said he was in court.

Medical ethicists agreed that the case is a nonstarter.

Asked how likely it would be for the doctor to either get his kidney back or get money for it, Arthur Caplan at the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Bioethics, put it as “somewhere between impossible and completely impossible.”

First and foremost, said Robert Veatch, a medical ethicist at Georgetown University’s Kennedy Institute of Ethics, “it’s illegal for an organ to be exchanged for anything of value.” Organs in the United States may not be bought or sold. Donating an organ is a gift and legally “when you give something, you can’t get it back,” he said.

A2 LOCAL

THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 2009

www.herald-review.com

DECATUR, ILLINOIS

Here are the winning numbers selected Wednesday in the Illinois State Lottery:

Events Etc. “Healthy Eating on the Go,” 6:30 p.m., Decatur Public Library Madden Auditorium, Decatur, 4242900 ext. 7.

Holiday Showcase, Schaub Floral Display Center, Decatur, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. 422-5911.

Rules of the Road Review Course, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., LifeSpan Center, Charleston. Free. 6395150.

Nightlife “Stevie Ray” Kelton, 9 p.m., Curly’s, Decatur.

Country Night with DJ Halfdead, 8 p.m., Radmaker’s Rock N Roll Tavern, Tolono. 4853531.

David Lee the DJ, 10 p.m., Lock, Stock and Barrel, Decatur.

DJ/Karaoke, 8:30 p.m., Elbow Room, Decatur.

Greg Bickers Band, 7:30 p.m., Doherty’s Pub & Pins, Decatur.

Jackie Lawson and Tad Freezland, 6:30 p.m., Stoney’s Steak-

house, Dalton City.

Karaoke/DJ with Ricky, 9:30 p.m., Shorty’s, Decatur.

Open Mic, 7 p.m., AIW Hall, Decatur. 875-2416.

X Krush Unplugged, 8 p.m., Sliderz, Decatur.

On Stage “Funny Valentines,” 6 p.m., Conklin’s Barn II Dinner Theatre, Goodfield, $31. (309) 965-2545.

Health Blood Pressure Screening, 11:30 a.m. to noon, Dieterich Civic Center, Dieterich.

Cardiac Rehab Orientation, 1 to 3 p.m., Decatur Memorial Hospital, Decatur. Free. (Requires physician referral.) 876-2496.

Cholesterol and Glucose Screening, 7 to 9:45 a.m., Wellness Center, Forsyth. (Fasting for 10 to 12 hours required; prescription medicines should be taken as usual with water.) 876-4377.

Diabetes Education Part I, noon to 4 p.m., Decatur Memorial Hospital Wellness Center, Forsyth.

Plan your week with our calendar every Thursday

MORE EVENTS: www.herald-review.com

Pick Three-Midday 5-0-6 Pick Three-Evening 4-8-7

Pick Four-Midday 7-2-5-8 Pick Four-Evening 5-5-9-4

WHAT’S HAPPENING

T O D AY (Physician referral required.) 8765378.

Labor & Delivery Class II, 6:30 p.m., St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital Auditorium, Effingham. 3471529.

Pre-Postnatal Aerobics, Decatur Family YMCA, Decatur, 5:30 to 6:15 p.m. 872-9622.

Pregnancy Center, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Macon County Health Department, Decatur, 423-3794, ext. 1303.

Pregnancy Testing, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., New Life Pregnancy Center, Decatur, 872-5555.

Prepared Childbirth Classes, 7 p.m., Decatur Memorial Hospital Classrooms, Decatur, 876-3448.

Well/Sick Child Clinic, 8 to 11:15 a.m., Macon County Health Department, Decatur, 423-6988.

Meetings AARP, 1:30 p.m., Decatur-Macon County Senior Center, Decatur.

Baby Talk, Decatur Public Library Children’s Auditorium,

Decatur, 9:30 and 10:45 a.m..

Decatur Area Women’s Network, 5:30 p.m., Doherty’s Pub & Pins, Decatur, 422-3890.

Decatur Audubon Board Meeting, 7 p.m., Rock Springs Tomorrow’s Nature Center, Decatur. highlight: Decatur Original HitHigh School men, featuring Class of Greg Bickers, 9 1942 Lunp.m., Sliderz, cheon, 11:30 Long Creek. a.m., The Main Hangar, Decatur, 422-4976.

Decatur Public Library Board of Trustees, 4:30 p.m., Decatur Public Library, Decatur.

Early Bird Kiwanis, 6:45 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility, Decatur.

Lincolnland AMBUCs, 6:30 p.m., Easter Seals, Decatur.

Mature Resource Network, 11:30 a.m., Decatur Club, Decatur.

Metro Decatur Home Builders

Little Lotto 2-4-5-7-34 Lotto 8-12-15-19-23-47

Association, 6 p.m., beach house, Decatur.

Metro Rotary Club, noon, Decatur Club, Decatur. 494-1543.

Suicide Knight Chess Club, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., Prairieland ABATE, Decatur.

Thursday Noon Toastmasters, noon, Barnes Citizens Building third floor, Decatur. 855-3018.

Seniors Decatur-Macon County Senior Center, Quilters, 9 a.m., Possible Pets, 11 a.m., Cards, 1 p.m., Decatur, 429-1239.

John’s Hill, Watercolor class, 9 a.m., Decatur, 422-1509.

Support Groups Al-Anon, 10 a.m., Central Christian Church, Decatur.

Al-Anon, 8 p.m., First Presbyterian Church, Mount Zion.

Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 6 p.m., First United Methodist Church, Shelbyville. 1888-345-3990.

Get High on Life Group, 8 p.m., AFFAS, Decatur. 521-7204 or 6203444.

Heart Helpers, 6:30 p.m., Dr. John Warner Hospital, Clinton. 9358624.

Komen Breast Cancer Support Group, 6 p.m., Decatur Memorial

Lotto jackpot $2.25 million Mega Millions jackpot $16 million

Hospital Women’s Health and Breast Center, Decatur. 876-4377.

Multiple Sclerosis Support Group, 7 p.m., Fayette County Hospital, Vandalia, (618) 349-8887.

Ostomy Support Group, 7 p.m., St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital, Effingham. 258-4112 or 348-4112.

Parents Raising Awareness in Special Education (PRAISE), 6:30 p.m., Decatur Public Library, Decatur, 876-8888.

Polio Survivors & Friends, 5 to 6:30 p.m., Sarah Bush Lincoln Lumpkin Family Center for Health Education, Mattoon. 345-1549.

Seeing Our Way (low vision), 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., Shelby County Senior Center, Shelbyville, 7744322.

Seeing Our Way (low vision), 1:30 p.m., Elizabeth Titus Memorial Library, Sullivan, 728-3196.

United Ostomy Association, 7 p.m., Lumpkin Family Center for Health Education, Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center, Mattoon. 2584112 or 348-4112.

Contact us Submissions of items for inclusion in the calendar must be in writing or by email to Calendar, Herald & Review, Box 311, Decatur, IL 62525 or rpansch@ herald-review.com or by noon Monday the week prior to publication. Phone calls will not be accepted for submissions.

Illinois Republicans blame Dems for Senate spectacle GOP: Special election would have avoided questions over nominee

By JASON NEVEL H&R Springfield Bureau Writer

Herald & Review/Stephen Haas

Angeline Jones helps lace up the back of a dress for Jessica Kraemer, both 15, at Cataways Bridal and Consignment Shop in Decatur. Kraemer will be modeling dresses for the shop in this year’s Decatur Bridal Expo.

EXPO Continued from A1 “About 99 percent of our (wedding dress) inventory is new gowns,” added sales associate Kris Jones.

The store is a full-service bridal shop that also sells jewelry, shoes, veils and tiaras, as well as flower girl, bridesmaid and mother-of-the-bride attire. It has been selling bridal attire and accessories for 10 years.

BURRIS Continued from A1 “My whole interest in this experience is to be prepared” to lead Illinois, Burris, 71, said after meeting with Reid and assistant Democratic leader Dick Durban, himself an Illinois senator. “Very shortly, I will have the opportunity to do that.”

Neither Reid nor Durbin disputed that, though they had declared with certainty a week ago that Democrats would not seat a senator appointed by a governor now accused of trying to sell the seat. Obama said then, “I agree with their decision.”

On Wednesday, only words of goodwill, with photos, poured forth.

Obama told reporters that he knew Burris, liked him and would be happy to work with him.

The Democratic leaders brought Burris in from the rain and into Reid’s spacious personal office just off the Senate floor. They invited news photographers in to capture the three — Burris in the middle — laughing and chatting.

Reid and Durbin then retreated from their won’t-beseated rhetoric and cast the dispute as a procedural delay caused by concerns about

Nelson said she hopes to separate the bridal portion of the store from the consignment shop one day, to help customers more easily differentiate the two.

“I think every bride should make us their first stop and their last stop because of our affordable prices,” Pickerill said.

Dawn Gates, president of the bridal expo and owner of Zips Flowers by the Gates, said she’s noticed couples being more conscious with their wed-

why Blagojevich made the appointment.

“First of all, understand we don’t have a problem with him as an individual,” Reid said of Burris, calling him an “extremely nice” and “forthright” man. “At this stage, the process is working out,” he said.

Added Durbin: “I’ve known him for such a long time. We are friends and on a firstname basis.”

The embraces reflected a growing expectation among Senate officials in both parties that the former state attorney general eventually would be seated.

As Reid and Durbin described it, the process depends on two developments: Burris securing the right signoff on his appointment papers, plus a sworn declaration that he didn’t offer anything to Blagojevich in exchange for the seat.

“There was certainly no pay-to-play involved, because I don’t have no money,” Burris told reporters after his Senate meeting, previewing his sworn answer to that question.

It’s a key issue in resolving the dispute.

Blagojevich is accused of trying to get something for himself in return for the appointment, an allegation he denies. By appointing Burris,

ding expenses in light of the economic troubles.

“People do cut back, but weddings are still an important part in people’s lives,” Gates said.

“What people need to do is keep their dollars local,” Schone-Knoll said. She said that is an objective of the bridal expo, which features mostly local vendors. “Keeping the money in Decatur helps make the city’s economy stronger.” aspates@herald-review.com|421-6986

he defied Senate Democrats who warned that a taint of corruption would strip credibility from anyone he named to fill the vacancy.

Secretary of State Jesse White also said he would not certify the appointment with his signature, giving Senate Democrats another point of objection.

The entire Democratic caucus then declared they would not seat Burris or anyone appointed by Blagojevich.

They also said they would not seat Burris without White’s signature, which Democrats said has been required by the Senate since the 19th century.

The scene Wednesday was a reversal from the day before.

Burris showed up at the Capitol on Tuesday to be sworn in with the rest of the 111th Congress but was turned away by Senate officials who said his certification lacked the required signature from White, as well as the official seal of the state of Illinois.

Senate Democrats refused to let Burris talk to reporters inside the Capitol but cleared the way for him to hold a news conference just outside.

What followed was a bizarre, soggy procession in pouring rain as Burris, his advisers and dozens of news crews crossed Constitution Avenue

SPRINGFIELD — The spectacle of Roland Burris being barred from joining the U.S. Senate could have been avoided, Illinois Republicans said Wednesday after Democratic leaders said they will hold off seating the former Illinois attorney general until the Illinois Supreme Court rules on the controversy.

State Sen. Bill Brady, RBloomington, said the Democratic actions Wednesday reinforce the claim Illinois Republicans were making all along: Illinois should have had a special election to fill Presidentelect Barack Obama’s vacant Senate seat.

“It’s not about Roland Burris,” Brady said. “It’s not about anything other than a scandalous party whose governor has been arrested and continues to give him the power to make this appointment.”

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Wednesday that the Senate will wait to see whether the signature of Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White is needed for Burris to take the seat. The high court’s decision could be made by the end of the week.

White said Wednesday that he is being unfairly blamed by the Senate, and his signature is “mostly ceremonial.”

to the news conference site.

The spectacle, broadcast live and repeated throughout the day, did not sit well with Democrats eager to project unity with Obama and to begin work on an economic rescue package.

Several behind-the-scenes phone calls and public statements later, displeased Democrats had conveyed a clear message to Durbin and Reid: Make this problem go away.

And a public crack appeared in the Democrats’ wall of opposition when Rules Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein of California said that Blagojevich, however sullied, had the constitutional authority to make the appointment regardless of any Senate rules.

Judicial Watch, a conservative watchdog group, filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday, arguing that blocking Burris was unconstitutional.

Further pressuring Senate Democrats were the 41 members of the Congressional Black Caucus, who voted unanimously Wednesday that Burris should be seated.

White, the Illinois secretary of state, compared Reid’s actions to “strapping me in a wheelchair and pushing (me) down four flights of stairs.”

“I have skid marks,” White said.

Burris was appointed by Gov. Rod Blagojevich in the midst of scandal surrounding the embattled governor. The 71-year old Democrat was rejected by the U.S. Senate on Tuesday but appears to be inching closer to becoming Illinois’ junior senator.

State Sen. Dave Luechtefeld, R-Okawville, said he thought Burris would only fill the remaining two years of Obama’s Senate term. He added that everything happening in Washington this week was purely political.

“The political side of it changed, and there was a lot of criticism from minority groups and criticism from some senators,” Luechtefeld said.

Illinois Republican Party Chairman Andy McKenna said a special election would eliminate reservations people might have about a senator who was appointed by Blagojevich.

“When people hear suggestions of backroom deals, they wonder what is happening,” McKenna said. “We’re saying, take all of that away and go to a special election.”

Burris denied there was talk from Democratic leaders on a commitment not to run for a full term in 2010 in exchange for his seating this year.

Burris is scheduled to testify today before the Illinois House committee considering impeachment of Blagojevich.

Reid said his testimony will factor in to his chances at being seated by the Senate. jason.nevel@lee.net|789-0865

STYLE Continued from A1 Hannig said Burris was known for being the first African-American to hold statewide office in Illinois but often didn’t stand out much otherwise.

“He was someone who, I think, showed up every day and got the job done,” Hannig said. “I don’t know that he was ever seen as the greatest thing since sliced bread.”

Burris was perhaps mostly behind the scenes because of the offices he held. He worked as state comptroller from 1979 to 1991, an office where the main job is to pay the state’s bills.

Former Gov. Jim Edgar remembers Burris was reserved as the state’s attorney general. But he said Burris might find a more prominent voice as a member of the U.S. Senate.

“Of course, you never know,” Edgar said. “This is a whole different situation.”

Regarding policy, Edgar predicted Burris wouldn’t break with his party.

“I think he’ll be pretty much right down the line with the Democrats,” Edgar said. “I don’t think he’d stray.”

Burris took a turn in lead-

ership of the Democratic National Committee in the 1980s.

In a campaign for governor in 1998, Burris supported increased gun control, and in a second attempt for governor in 2002, he called for the state to pay more toward schools. Burris lost another campaign for governor in 1996 and also lost bids for the U.S. Senate and mayor of Chicago.

Former state Sen. Denny Jacobs of East Moline said Burris’ recent actions seeking out the Senate seat might foreshadow things to come.

“He’s not going to be out making lots of noise,” Jacobs predicted. “But if there’s something that’s tripping his trigger, you’ll hear about it.” mike.riopell@lee.net|789-0865

Herald& Review Postmaster: Send address changes to: Herald& Review, P.O. Box 311, Decatur, IL 62525-0311. Eight-week subscription rates are: Carrier home-delivered, $30.40; motor-route, $32; mail in-trade, $38; mail out-trade, $41 (USPS 150-800).

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Top pops Tim Cain picks the best from 2008/D1

Aimee Green moves from Mondays to Fridays/ D8

Florida wins Victory unlikely to end BCS debate/B1

Herald&Review WWW.HERALD-REVIEW.COM

FRIDAY JANUARY 9, 2009

Living history

House nears impeachment Committee votes 21-0 to send issue to full House

By KURT ERICKSON H&R Springfield Bureau Chief

Eisenhower High School and Johns Hill Middle School students talk about what President-elect Obama’s priorities should be and how his election changed their lives. Local A3

Renovating the Hall For Illini basketball fans, the nightmare is the very real possibility that the Assembly Hall revovation could force the Illini to play a full season away from Champaign. Sports B1

SPRINGFIELD — The Illinois House will vote today to impeach Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

Capping three weeks of testimony and more than 1,000 pages of documents, a special committee voted 21-0 Thursday to recommend the full House take the historic step of impeaching the state’s top elected official.

IMPEACH/A2

Burris denies wrongdoing in committee testimony

By MIKE RIOPELL H&R Springfield Bureau Writer

Associated Press

U.S. Senate appointee Roland Burris, left, listens to his attorney, Timothy Wright III, while testifying during the Illinois House Impeachment Committee hearing Thursday in the Illinois State Capitol.

SPRINGFIELD — During a grilling by lawmakers Thursday, Democrat Roland Burris denied any impropriety in his appointment to the U.S. Senate by embattled Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

U.S. Senate Democrats said Burris had to face the committee weighing the impeachment of Blagojevich before Burris could assume the Senate seat in Washington, D.C. “I feel I passed the test with flying colors,” Burris told reporters afterwards. “I have nothing to hide.”

Burris, a former state attorney general and

BURRIS/A2

IN FOCUS

Obama plan runs into opposition

Getting the picture

Kids among casualties Children, who make up more than half of Gaza’s 1.4 million people, are the most defenseless victims of the war between Israel and Hamas.

As many as 257 children have been killed and 1,080 wounded since Dec. 27.

World C3

Neither Blagojevich nor his attorneys were present for the vote, in which lawmakers repeatedly described the 52year-old Chicago Democrat as a selfish man who stole the public trust with his behavior.

“The evidence is overwhelmingly damning,” said state Rep. Chapin Rose, RMahomet.

Armed with evidence ranging from his Dec. 9 arrest on federal corruption charges to his management of the state over the past six years, many lawmakers said impeachment of Blagojevich is inevitable.

“There’s no doubt that

Conversion to digital TV signal won’t affect most viewers at all

Antiques for sale Thousands of antiques are for sale through Saturday in the Kirkland Fine Arts Center gallery. The show runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and Saturday. Money C1

Lake Decatur level watch Normal winter pool level . . . .612.5 Normal summer pool level . . .614.4 Yesterday’s level . . . . . . . . .612.4

YOUR WEATHER Herald & Review photos/Kelly J. Huff

HIGH

B&C Television Inc. salesman Art Warner has several versions of the analog-to-digital conversion box for sale at various prices. BELOW: Televisions that have antenna hookups that are attached by two screws to the spade clips seen here can purchase this conversion switch, which gives the TV a cable port to hook their cable service into.

L O W

40 23 Today: Mostly cloudy Tonight: Snow, rain early Details/B8

INDEX Classifieds. . . . . . . . . . C3-6 Comics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D5 Dear Abby . . . . . . . . . . . D2 Horoscopes . . . . . . . . . . D5 Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D1-8 Money . . . . . . . . . . . . . C1-2 Movies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D8 Obituaries . . . . . . . . . . D3,4 Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . A5 Puzzles . . . . . . . . . . . . C4-6 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . B1-7 Television . . . . . . . . . . . . D7

75 cents Our 137th year

Issue 9 Four sections

Delivery: 421-6990 Newsroom: 421-6979 Outside Decatur: 1-800-437-2533

By ALICIA SPATES H&R Staff Writer

DECATUR — The main message that Comcast officials are trying to get across to its 24.6 million cable customers is to relax.

When the governPresident-elect mentObama asks Conmandatgress to delay the ed digiconversion. tal television Story/A4 transition occurs nationwide Feb. 17, Comcast subscribers — and all cable customers, for that fact — are covered, said Rich Ruggiero. After Feb. 17, television stations will not broadcast analog signals.

“People who are connected to Comcast don’t have to do anything,” said Ruggiero, the vice president of communications and public affairs for the Chicago and South Bend, Ind., areas.

“If you’re a Comcast customer and all your TVs (even if they are analog television sets) are connected to Comcast, even on a cable-ready basis, you’re all set for the digital broadcast transition,”

n Hold on

he said. “The experience on Feb. 18, 2009, will be the same experience you’ll have Feb. 17.”

Consumers who still have an analog TV set, which means they only receive overthe-air signals via an antenna, have three options if they want to continue getting TV reception after Feb. 17. Individuals must purchase a digital TV, purchase a digital TV converter box or subscribe to a cable or satellite service.

With a little more than a month to go before the transition, confusion is still widespread among consumers.

Retailers report being

approached with questions ranging from the more basic “Do I need a new television set?” or “Will I have to purchase a converter box to continue receiving over-the-air broadcasts?” to questions addressing specific situations.

Most of all, consumers are baffled about whether the transition will personally affect their television viewing.

In most cases, the viewers are worried for no reason.

The Federal Communications Commission estimates the transition will affect about 11 percent of households nationwide. This per-

centage appears low compared to the amount of angst it has caused since the government ordered the transition.

Those with questions have a variety of sources, including local retailers, from which to seek answers.

“We’re here to provide a service, and service is knowledge,” said Art Warner, a 20year salesman for B&C Television. “That’s what we’re here for.”

Warner explains to his customers the benefits of the transition and what it will mean for television viewing.

He even shows them the difference on the TVs in the store.

“It’s a change for the better,” he said, “No ghosting pictures, no more snowy, grainy pictures.”

Plus, “Multicasting means more channels. Some people don’t like to change, but you get more channels on the spectrum.”

It’s a change that is supposed to be a win for all.

According to DTV.gov, the FCC’s Web site specifically

TV/A2

Tax provisions criticized by the left and right WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Barack Obama implored Congress on Thursday to “act boldly and act now” to fix an economy growing perilously weaker.

Democratic and Republican lawmakers complained about his tax policies, letting Obama know Obama they intend to place their own stamp on the economic recovery effort.

Leading lawmakers set an informal goal of midFebruary for enacting tax cuts and government spending that could cost as much as $1 trillion.

A call for a $3,000 tax break for job creation drew particular criticism in a private meeting, and numerous lawmakers said Obama had not ticketed enough of his tax proposal for energy projects. The second-guessing came from the left and the right: While some Democrats said the incoming administration’s proposed tax cuts were too small, Republicans warned against excessive new spending.

But there was little or no dispute about the need for action, and Obama’s remarks coincided with a pair of government reports showing fresh weakness in an economy already in crisis. An updated reading on unemployment was expected to bring even more bad news today.

“If nothing is done, this recession could linger for years,” with unemployment reaching double digits, Obama said in a speech at George Mason University in suburban Virginia. “A bad situation could become dramatically worse.”

Less than two weeks from taking office as the 44th president, Obama has become increasingly vocal in recent days about the need for steps to revitalize the economy, even though he has continued to defer to President Bush on matters of foreign policy.

Obama’s aides and congressional Democrats have worked for weeks on

OBAMA/A2

A2 LOCAL

FRIDAY, JANUARY 9, 2009

www.herald-review.com

DECATUR, ILLINOIS

Here are the winning numbers selected Thursday in the Illinois State Lottery:

Events Dancing Central Illinois Singles & Couples Dance, 8 to 11 p.m., VFW Post 755, Springfield, 546-9515.

Etc. Holiday Showcase, Schaub Floral Display Center, Decatur, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. 422-5911.

Illini Farm Toy Show, Hanford Inn & Suites, Urbana, 5 to 9 p.m. $3, $2. 893-4103.

Music County Line Country, 7 p.m.

Herrick Community Building, Herrick, Free.

Eric Gordan, 8 p.m., Bement Country Opry, Bement, 877-6499.

Shelbyville Twilighters Club, 2 p.m., Shelby County Senior Center, Shelbyville.

Nightlife Dancing with DJ Sean Michael, 10 p.m., Block’s Brewery, Decatur.

Free Juke Box Party, 8:30 p.m., Mac’s Tackle Box, Decatur.

House of Nasty, 9 p.m., AIW Hall, Decatur. (Chance to win Skid Row tickets.) 875-2416.

Karaoke with Wiz, 8 p.m., 22nd Street Discount Liquor, Decatur.

Karaoke/DJ Ricky, 9:30 p.m., O’Malley’s, Sullivan.

Night Moves, 9 p.m., CJs, Mattoon.

Open Jukebox, Korn Krib, Latham.

The Original HITMEN, 9 p.m., Sliderz, Long Creek.

Repeat Offenders Band, 9 p.m., Timbuktu Saloon, Long Creek.

Run for Cover, 9 p.m., Radmaker’s Rock N Roll Tavern, Tolono, 484-3531.

Stevie Ray Kelton-Oke, 9 p.m., Curly’s Sports Bar, Decatur.

Variety Music DJ with Erica, 9:30 p.m., Shorty’s, Decatur.

On Stage “Funny Valentines,” 6 p.m., Conklin’s Barn II Dinner Theatre, Goodfield, $33. (309) 965-2545.

Comedienne Alexandra McHale, 8 p.m., Illinois Wesleyan University Hansen Student Center, 300 Beecher St., Bloomington, Free and open to the public. (309) 5563850.

Health Cardiopulmonary Education Session, 1:30 p.m., Decatur Memorial Hospital Cardiac Rehabilitation Department, Decatur, 8762496.

Plan your week with our calendar every Thursday

MORE EVENTS: www.herald-review.com

TV Continued from A1 designed to inform consumers about the transition, switching to all-digital broadcasting will free up parts of the analog broadcast spectrum for public safety communications, such as the police and fire departments. Also, some of the spectrum will be auctioned to companies to provide consumers with more advanced wireless services. In return, households get a better picture and sound quality with digital TV. But determining if you have a digital signal is not as easy as looking at your set and antenna, because that is not a sure-fire description of an analog television.

“There’s no way to look at the television and tell,” said Justin McCarty, home essentials supervisor for Best Buy in Forsyth. “You may have to do some research online or through your TV’s manufacturer to find out.”

He said if the television has ATSC, or Advanced Television Systems Committee, the TV carries a digital tuner.

Also, if the TV is a highdefinition television (HDTV) or has a standard definition TV (SDTV) format, it also is set for the transition. HDTV and SDTV are formats of digital TV. Purchasing a television with a digital tuner today shouldn’t pose a problem because analog televisions are practically nonexistent.

Since March 2007, all TVs as well as VCRs and DVRs sold in the United States have been required to contain a digital tuner. Best Buy currently only carries digital TVs.

OBAMA Continued from A1 legislation to create jobs, help the unemployed, cut taxes and aid cash-strapped states. Obama sent his chief political strategist, David Axelrod, and incoming chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, as well as other aides to the Capitol for a series of meetings with lawmakers.

The measure probably will include a bewildering array of provisions — from subsidies to help the newly unemployed afford health care to a massive new effort to improve the energy efficiency of federal buildings.

Obama said this week he hoped to be able to sign legislation by early to mid-February. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., promised lawmakers she would cancel next month’s planned Presidents’ Day vacation if necessary.

“We are not going home without an economic recovery package,” she said at a news conference. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, at a difference appearance, agreed that allowed enough

THE NET For more information on the digital television transition: ■ For questions about the overall transition, call the Federal Communications Commission at 1-888-225-5322 or go online to www.dtv.gov or www.dtvanswers.com.

■ To apply for the convertor box coupon program, call 1888-DTV-2009 or go online to www.dtv2009.gov.

■ For information on antennas and the transition, go online to www.antennaweb.org.

■ Comcast Corp. offers information at www.comcast. com/dtv.

■ WILL-TV also is offering information on the transition at www.will.illinois.edu. They can be contacted at 333-1070 and by e-mail at will-tv@uiuc.edu.

There are businesses that are still selling analog television sets but are required by law to have a tag stating it is an analog TV and will need a converter box to continue receiving over-the-air broadcasts after Feb. 17.

The converter box, which converts the digital broadcasting signal to analog TV sets, is the cheaper option to gear up for the transition and is readily available at local electronic retailers.

Comcast has been trying to keep its customers informed of changes and also has offered discounts to people to either sign up or upgrade. Comcast serves 87,000 customers in Springfield and Decatur and 1.9 million in Illinois.

“We do want people to be ready (for the transition),” Ruggiero said. “We don’t want anyone to lose their television cable.” aspates@herald-review.com|421-6986

time to get the job done.

“But we ... don’t want to make big mistakes that exacerbate the — the problem we already have, which is a dramatic, eye-popping deficit,” he added.

Lawmakers in both parties were digging into the details — few of which have been made public — and not always liking what they saw.

Democrats emerging from a private meeting of the Senate Finance Committee had little positive to say about Obama’s tax cut proposals.

Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., was critical of a proposed tax break for workers and their families.

“Twenty bucks a week.

How much of a lift is that going to give?” he said. Nor did he sound positive about a proposed tax break for businesses to create jobs. “If I’m a business person, it’s unlikely if you give me a several thousand dollar credit that I’m going to hire people if I can’t sell the products they’re producing,” he said.

Conrad and others said Obama’s blueprint included about $10 billion in tax incentives related to energy, out of about $300 billion overall — a slice they said was too small.

Pick Three-Midday 4-3-6 Pick Three-Evening 1-7-3

Pick Four-Midday 9-1-6-1 Pick Four-Evening 4-0-7-7

WHAT’S HAPPENING

T O D AY Diabetes Education Part II, noon to 4 p.m., Decatur Memorial Hospital Wellness Center, Forsyth.

(Physician referral required.) 8765378.

Health Screenings, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Effingham County Health Department, Effingham, 342-9237.

Mobile Mammography, SBL Arcola Clinic, Arcola. Free. 1-800639-5929.

Pregnancy Center, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Macon County Health Department, Decatur, 423-3794, ext. 1303.

Pregnancy Testing, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., New Life Pregnancy Center, Decatur, 872-5555.

Tuberculosis Clinic and Testing, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Macon County Health Department, Decatur. 423-1472.

Meetings Baby TALK Lapsit, Decatur Public Library, Decatur, 9:30 and 10:30 a.m.

Breakfast Sertoma, 7 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility, Decatur.

Commodore Duplicate Bridge Club, 12:30 p.m., 422-0095.

Unitarian Universalist Men’s Group, 1 p.m., Tuscany Steak &

Pasta House, Decatur.

Seniors Bingo, 1 p.m., Decatur-Macon County Senior Center, Decatur, 4291239.

Fitness Tomorrow’s Class, 10 a.m., highlight: DecaturDecatur Big Macon CounBand, 4 to 6 ty Senior p.m., Lock, Center, Stock and BarDecatur, 429rel, Decatur.

1239.

Support Groups Al-Anon, 8 p.m., St. Mary’s Hospital, Room 561, Decatur.

Alcoholics Anonymous, 8 p.m., U.S. Bank Community Room, Taylorville.

La Leche League of Decatur Mommy Hour, 10 a.m., Westminster Presbyterian Church, Decatur.

674-3580.

Reformers Unanimous (addictions), 7 p.m., Salem Baptist Church, Decatur, 422-4274.

Exhibits Abraham Lincoln Presidential

Little Lotto 2-5-8-11-27 Lotto jackpot $2.5 million

Library and Museum, Springfield.

558-8934.

Brookfield Zoo, Brookfield, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. $8, $4. (708) 4850263.

Decatur Public Library Gallery, Second Floor, Decatur, Select works from Macon County 4-H groups.

424-2900.

DuSable Museum of African American History, Chicago, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. $3, $2, $1. (773) 947-0600.

Field Museum, Chicago, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. $14, $11 and $9. (312) 665-7100.

Gallery 510 Arts Guild, Decatur, Closes at 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday; 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday; 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Saturday. 422-1509.

Heritage in Flight Museum, Logan County Airport, Lincoln. Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Hieronymus Mueller Museum, Decatur. 1 to 4 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. 423-6161.

Illinois State Museum, Springfield. 782-7386.

Krannert Art Museum and Kinkead Pavilion, University of Illinois, Champaign. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Tuesday through Saturday (until 9 p.m. Thursday), 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday.

Free ($3 donation suggested). 3331861.

Lincoln College Museum, McKinstry Building, Lincoln. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday; 1 to 4

Mega Millions jackpot $16 million

p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Closed major holidays. Free. 735-5050, ext.

295.

Macon County History Museum, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Decatur. $2, $1. “The History of Baseball in Central Illinois.” 422-4919.

McLean County Museum of History, Bloomington, “The Unconquerable: Photos and History of the Kickapoo Indians.” (309) 827-0428.

Moweaqua Coal Mine Museum, Moweaqua. 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Free. 768-3019.

Museum of Funeral Customs, Springfield. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, 1 to 4 p.m.

Sunday. $3, $2, $1.50. Closed holidays. 544-3480.

Shedd Aquarium, Chicago. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. $23, $16. (312) 939-2438.

St. Louis Art Museum, Forest Park, St. Louis. Free. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday (until 9 p.m. Friday). Closed Mondays and major holidays. (314) 721-0072.

Under the Prairie Museum, Elkhart. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. $3. 947-2522.

Contact us Submissions of items for inclusion in the calendar must be in writing or by email to Calendar, Herald & Review, Box 311, Decatur, IL 62525 or rpansch@ herald-review.com or by noon Monday the week prior to publication. Phone calls will not be accepted for submissions.

Panel reviews governor’s perceived misdeeds The 21-member special committee that recommended Gov. Rod Blagojevich be impeached discussed topics that include most of the governor’s six years in office.

Here is some of the evidence the House panel used to build a case for Blagojevich’s impeachment.

THE ARREST: The governor’s Dec. 9 arrest drove the impeachment inquiry. A federal affidavit alleges Blagojevich tried to sell the U.S. Senate seat President-elect Barack Obama vacated.

Most of the committee’s early action revolved around the governor’s arrest, and they’ve been delayed recently in an attempt to get the wiretap recordings that the federal government used to charge Blagojevich.

ABUSE OF POWER: Last year, Blagojevich attempted to implement a massive health care plan despite not getting approval from lawmakers.

Those lawmakers took the governor’s move as an affront to their authority and argue that Blagojevich used powers he doesn’t legally have to get his programs rolling. “The governor’s office did not follow

the law,” said state Rep. Lou Lang, D-Skokie.

HIRING PROBLEMS: A 2004 report by the executive inspector general revealed that the Blagojevich administration was bypassing state hiring procedures for jobs that were supposed to be nonpolitical. Zaldwaynaka Scott, Blagojevich’s first executive inspector general, said “this effort reflects not merely an ignorance of the law, but complete and utter contempt for the law.”

FLU VACCINES: During a shortage of flu vaccine in 2004, Blagojevich looked overseas and paid $2.6 million to a European company to get flu shots for Illinois.

The FDA never approved the sale, and the vaccine was never delivered to the state.

The shots eventually ended up in Pakistan.

CLOSED GOVERNMENT: Blagojevich was accused of flaunting the state Freedom of Information Act, specifically blocking the release of subpoenas his administration received from federal investigators. After the impeachment inquiry hearing on the issue, the administration made the docu-

ments public.

PAY-TO-PLAY: Campaign finance advocates argued Blagojevich showed a pattern of giving hefty campaign contributors state contracts or jobs on boards and commissions. “This appears to me to be far beyond coincidental,” said Cindy Canary of the Illinois Campaign for

Political Reform.

SENATE SEAT: The governor’s appointment of Roland Burris to the U.S. Senate wasn’t necessarily a topic the impeachment committee used for its recommendation, but Burris testified before them Thursday anyway, denying any wrongdoing.

IMPEACH

impeachment today, representatives likely will have to vote again after a new General Assembly is sworn in Jan. 14, making Blagojevich not only the first Illinois governor to be impeached, but the first ever impeached twice in one week.

The question of whether he will be removed from office will then move to the Senate. Preliminary plans call for the General Assembly’s upper chamber to launch a trial of the governor Jan. 26, with a goal of finishing by early February.

“When the case moves to the Senate, an actual judge will preside over the hearings, and the governor believes the outcome will be much different,” the governor’s statement concluded.

If Blagojevich is removed from office, Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn would take over.

There have been rum-

blings of impeachment for more than a year, but House Speaker Michael Madigan, a longtime Blagojevich nemesis, said he wasn’t convinced Blagojevich’s oft-criticized governing style was enough to warrant the historic use of the impeachment clause in the Illinois Constitution.

“I didn’t feel that there would be sufficient evidence to justify moving on the matter of impeachment,” Madigan said.

Then came Blagojevich’s dramatic arrest by federal agents at his Chicago home Dec. 9.

Blagojevich is accused by federal prosecutors of plotting to sell Illinois’ vacant U.S. Senate seat and shaking down businesses for campaign contributions.

The impeachment committee also levied charges of abuse of power on the governor, saying he repeatedly

tried to implement programs without legislative approval.

“He has snubbed his nose at the oath of office,” said state Rep. Mike Bost, a Murphysboro Republican who sat on the special panel.

“We are a government of laws and not of men,” said state Rep. Roger Eddy, RHutsonville.

While many members of the panel said it was a “sad day” for Illinois, others said it was a positive step for a state mired in gridlock for more than a year.

“It is a good day in the fact that we’re moving forward,” Bost said.

On Thursday evening, following the committee’s vote, Madigan left little doubt about the outcome of today’s session.

“I think the House will vote in favor of impeachment,” Madigan said.

Blagojevich with any benefit in exchange for the appointment, Burris said “absolutely, positively not.”

Burris said he hasn’t talked to Blagojevich since the announcement of his appointment in December.

Burris, who was working as a lobbyist, has dropped his clients in preparation for the Senate job.

Burris is in the middle of a legal and political battle to claim the Senate seat Blagojevich gave him. Senate Democratic leaders, including U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin of Springfield, had vowed to block any appointment Blagojevich made.

But they have since relented, and Burris now must get

the signature of Secretary of State Jesse White in order to take the seat. That matter is being fought in the Illinois Supreme Court.

White spokesman Henry Haupt said White doesn’t have any problem with Burris, just Blagojevich.

“He has maintained the same position all along,” Haupt said.

Burris arrived at Thursday’s hearing at the Illinois Capitol among a throng of media. He received similar attention earlier this week when he was denied entry to the U.S. Senate chamber and has remained in a bright spotlight since.

Still, despite the attention on him and Blagojevich’s

arrest, Burris said Thursday he had not read the affidavit used to arrest the governor.

“No,” Burris said. “I haven’t read it at all.”

Continued from A1 we’re going to impeach him tomorrow, and I think the vote will be unanimous,” said state Rep. Brandon Phelps, D-Harrisburg.

Some went a step further and suggested the Senate will follow suit and remove the governor from office.

“I am very confident there will be a new governor,” said state Rep. Mike Boland, DEast Moline.

Blagojevich, who was in Chicago on Thursday, called the proceedings flawed and biased and said his rights were violated by the committee’s rules.

“Today’s vote was not a surprise,” noted a statement from the governor’s press office.

Although the full House is scheduled to vote on

BURRIS Continued from A1 comptroller, faced pointed questions from Republicans asking him about his ties to Blagojevich, who was arrested last month on federal corruption charges.

Burris, often offering only short answers, said Blagojevich simply offered him the job, and he accepted after conferring with friends.

Blagojevich has been accused of trying to sell an appointment to the Senate seat, and the committee voted to recommend impeaching the governor after Burris testified.

Asked if he provided

Burris builds monument to himself SPRINGFIELD — Since his appointment to Illinois’ vacant U.S. Senate seat, photos of Roland Burris’ already completed tombstone have been widely circulated.

Carved with the words “TRAIL BLAZER,” it also contains engravings about his accomplishments, including being elected the first African-American official to hold statewide office in Illinois. Burris, 71, served as state comptroller from 1979 to 1991 and attorney general after that until 1995. It has space left for more recent achievements.

On Thursday after testifying before the Illinois

House committee considering Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s impeachment, Burris explained to reporters that his tombstone already is prepared because “I am a probate attorney.”

“If I’m going to try to counsel people on preparing to leave this earth, and counsel them correctly, I have to also have to mine already prepared,” he added.

Burris was appointed by Blagojevich to fill the Senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama.

He still faces legal challenges before he can take his seat in Washington, D.C. — MIKE RIOPELL

kurt.erickson@lee.net|789-0865

mike.riopell@lee.net|789-0865

Herald& Review Postmaster: Send address changes to: Herald& Review, P.O. Box 311, Decatur, IL 62525-0311. Eight-week subscription rates are: Carrier home-delivered, $30.40; motor-route, $32; mail in-trade, $38; mail out-trade, $41 (USPS 150-800).

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Periodical postage paid at Decatur, Illinois post office.

Moving on

Generals march

Woodland Chapel members celebrate new home/D1

MacArthur holds off hot-shooting Urbana/B1

Herald&Review WWW.HERALD-REVIEW.COM

SATURDAY JANUARY 10, 2009

Standing in Jeff Deremiah retired from teaching in 2003, but he’s still in a classroom most days. A lot of those days are spent at South Shores School, where Deremiah and fellow substitute Martin Davis are part of the family. Local A3

Looking ahead Eighth grade is not too early to start thinking about your life’s work, organizers of the annual career fair at Richland Community College say. Money A4

Blagojevich impeached Governor vows to fight; Senate probe begins Jan. 26

By KURT ERICKSON and JASON NEVEL H&R Springfield Bureau Writers

SPRINGFIELD — One month to the day after Gov. Rod Blagojevich was arrested on federal corruption charges, the Illinois House voted overwhelmingly Friday to impeach the disgraced Chicago Democrat.

The 52-year-old chief executive vowed to fight his ouster when the matter is taken up by the Senate later this month, saying he was being vilified for using “creative” ways to help people who need

cheap prescription drugs and inexpensive health insurance.

“Is that an impeachable offense?” said Blagojevich at a Chicago appearance Friday afternoon.

The Senate is expected to launch its inquiry Jan. 26. It will be the first time since 1833 the Senate has held an impeachment trial.

“We’ve done our job in the House. The Senate now has the duty looking at that evidence and conducting a trial,” said state Rep. John Bradley, D-Marion.

Blagojevich took office in 2003 and was re-elected in 2006. Although he fought with lawmakers throughout his tenure, it was his Dec. 9 arrest on federal corruption charges that triggered the

House’s action.

Blagojevich, always an aggressive and prodigious fundraiser, is charged with plotting to sell Illinois’ vacant U.S. Senate seat, as well as attempting to shake down individuals for large campaign contributions.

A special House impeachment committee said Blagojevich’s governing style also was cause for his removal.

The panel, which met over the course of three weeks, reviewed evidence that Blagojevich tried to expand government without legislative approval. He also was criticized for alleged hiring improprieties.

“It took handcuffs on the

What’s next for impeachment?

Q: Who presides over an impeachment trial in the Senate?

A: Thomas Fitzgerald, the chief justice of the Illinois Supreme Court.

Fitzgerald, a native Chicagoan, was elected to the court in 2000.

Q: How many votes does it take to convict?

A: It takes a two-thirds majority, or 40 of 59 members of the Senate.

Q: What is the process?

A: A special Senate committee on impeachment procedures will recommend rules for the trial.

The committee chairman is incoming Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago. Other panel members include Sens.

James Clayborne Jr., D-Belleville; Bill Haine, D-Alton; Don Harmon, D-Oak Park; Ira Silverstein, D-Chicago; Dale

NEXT/A2

IMPEACHED/A2

CASHING IN

Jobless face crippling health costs

Saying no to vaccine There are so many parents in Ashland, Ore., who won’t get their kids vaccinated that federal researchers are paying them to find out why.

Nation A6

Some could pay 80% of benefits

“Screwtape Letters” Max McLean, well-known in Christian circles for his nationally syndicated radio program and three audio versions of the Bible, is a hit in C.S. Lewis’ “The Screwtape Letters” at the Mercury Theatre in Chicago. Life D8

Lake Decatur level watch Normal winter pool level . . . .612.5 Normal summer pool level . . .614.4 Yesterday’s level . . . . . . . . .612.31

YOUR WEATHER

HIGH

Today: Morning flurries Tonight: Seasonably cold Details/B8

INDEX Classifieds. . . . . . . . . . C1-8 Comics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D7 Dear Abby . . . . . . . . . . . D2 Horoscopes . . . . . . . . . . D7 Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D1-8 Lottery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A2 Money . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A4 Movies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D2 Obituaries. . . . . . . . . . . . D3 Puzzles . . . . . . . . . . . . C2-4 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . B1-7 Television . . . . . . . . . . . . D6

Our 137th year

Recycling program expands

L O W

30 15

75 cents

Herald & Review photos/Kelly J. Huff

Client Thaddeus Bond prepares to unload another bag of plastic bottles from the Decatur Women’s Correctional Center at Macon Resources Inc. The agency is preparing to open a second collection site Monday as part of an expanded recycling program in partnership with Dove Inc.’s Retired Senior Volunteer Program. BELOW: Bond helps Rich Hamilton, coordinator of shipping and receiving for Macon Resources, load cardboard.

Issue 10 Four sections

Delivery: 421-6990 Newsroom: 421-6979 Outside Decatur: 1-800-437-2533

Dove Inc., Macon Resources team up to open a second site

By THERESA CHURCHILL H&R Senior Writer

DECATUR — Recycling aluminum cans has paid for new tables and chairs in the dining room of the Disabled American Veterans Chapter House in Decatur, as well as a flat-screen TV for the bar.

That’s because Mark York, commander of Chapter 17, has been taking cans to Dove Inc.’s recycling center downtown for the past year and a half. “It’s a big reward for a small effort,” York said.

Come next week, however, York will have a second collection site to choose from as the agency’s Retired and Senior Volunteer Program partners with Macon Resources Inc. for an expanded recycling program that will accept more items, make more pickups and possibly provide job training opportunities down the road for clients of both agencies.

“I could go either direction, so that’s terrific,” York said.

“It’s a win-win situation for everybody.”

To be launched by the opening of a collection site Monday at Macon Resources, the partnership between the two social service agencies grew out of the volunteer program’s search for a new location.

The Decatur School District had allowed volunteers to use its building at 130 W. Cerro Gordo St. free of charge ever since the recycling center

opened in 1984, but last year, the district notified Dove that it would like to use the property for additional parking.

“Macon Resources was already doing some recycling, too, and had gotten a baler that can bale all kinds of materials,” said Ray Batman, executive director of Dove.

“So it seemed like a great opportunity for both organizations to get together and get

even more accomplished.”

Dreux Lewandowski, executive director of Macon Resources, saw things the same way. “I was intrigued by the idea and thought it would be a natural fit,” he said.

The partnership also allows both centers to begin accepting donations of plastic, tin and cardboard, in addition to paying for aluminum.

The new collection site will share space on the east side of the Macon Resources building in the receiving area for Jan-Pro, the agency’s janitorial and lawn care business, with an open house planned there for Jan. 30 and 31.

The partnership also plans to find another location for its downtown collection site and add to the pickup routes each agency had already developed, with many customers simply donating their aluminum.

The agencies also want to expand their recycling program to the point where they can offer their clients jobs to

RECYCLE/A2

WASHINGTON (AP) — Newly unemployed Americans will have to spend about 30 percent of their jobless benefits on average to pay for health insurance through their former employer, according to a new report.

And if they want coverage for their families, the report

by Families USA says it will take more than 80 percent of their unemployment check.

Unemployment hit a 16year high last month as another 524,000 jobs were cut. For all of 2008, government says the economy lost a net total of 2.6 million jobs.

When workers lose their jobs, they are usually eligible to maintain their health insurance coverage through their old employer if they pay the premiums, plus a 2 percent administrative fee.

The benefit is referred to as COBRA insurance, because of the law that established it.

As part of his economic stimulus package, Presidentelect Barack Obama is proposing to spend about $80 billion dollars to extend unemployment benefits and to subsidize health care for people who have lost their jobs.

Families USA, a liberal advocacy group says it’s report comparing average COBRA costs and unemployment benefits shows the need for the subsidy proposed by Obama.

At present, paying for COBRA borders on unrealistic for most people who lose their jobs. The cost cuts too deeply into their government-paid jobless benefits.

Continuing health coverage through former employers is particularly difficult for families. Indeed, in nine states, the average premium for family coverage equals or exceeds their unemployment benefits, the Families USA report said. Those states are Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Delaware, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina and West Virginia.

COBRA coverage is more affordable for individuals, but in six states, jobless workers would have to spend more than 40 percent of their unemployment insurance on COBRA premiums for individual coverage. Those states are Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Louisiana, Mississippi and West Virginia.

A2 LOCAL

SATURDAY, JANUARY 10, 2009

Here are the winning numbers selected Friday in the Illinois State Lottery:

Events Dancing Country Dancing, 7 to 9 p.m., Odd Fellows Hall, Arthur, $2.

Central Illinois Singles & Couples Dance, 7:30 p.m., Community Building, Tuscola, 253-5858.

Etc. “Resume Writing and Interview Skills,” 1 p.m., Decatur Public Library Madden Auditorium, Decatur, 421-9771.

Cross-Country Ski Workshop, 4 p.m., Rock Springs Nature Center, Decatur. $12, $4. 423-7708.

Full Moon Hike, 6 p.m., Rock Springs Nature Center, Decatur, 423-7708.

Illini Farm Toy Show, Hanford Inn & Suites, Urbana, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. $3, $2. 893-4103.

Kris Schmitz Benefit, with music by Battle Creek, 5 p.m.,

www.herald-review.com

DECATUR, ILLINOIS

Shelby Christian Church, Shelbyville.

SAIL Signed Story Times, 11 a.m., Children’s Auditorium, Decatur Public Library, Decatur.

Free.

Second Saturday Book Sale, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Decatur Public Library Annex, Decatur, 4242900, ext. 100.

Music Decatur Big Band, 4 to 6 p.m., Lock, Stock and Barrel, Decatur.

Dulcimer Club, 10 a.m., Rock Springs Nature Center, Decatur, 423-7708.

Hootenanny, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., Eastern Illinois University Grand Ballroom, Charleston. $5, $6. 5815956.

Sam Lacy, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., George’s Candy Shop, Taylorville.

Susan Werner, 8 p.m., Blue Moon Coffeehouse, Illinois Wes-

Plan your week with our calendar every Thursday

MORE EVENTS: www.herald-review.com

Pick Three-Midday 9-2-6 Pick Three-Evening 7-2-9

Pick Four-Midday 5-0-2-3 Pick Four-Evening 6-9-0-1

Little Lotto 11-14-17-22-33 Mega Millions 23-25-30-45-50

WHAT’S HAPPENING

T O D AY leyan University, Bloomington.

Nightlife Autumn Zero, Daddy-O’s, Decatur.

Benefit for Margaret Boone, featuring The Hitmen, D.D.T., Bad Seed and Charger, 4 p.m., AIW Hall, Decatur.

Big Daddy Frank Karaoke & DJ, 8:30 p.m., Da Burg Bar & Grill, Warrensburg, 672-3608.

Cadillac Ranch, 8:30 p.m., Newts, Springfield, 528-0868.

Charmed DJ & Karaoke, 8 p.m., Mac’s Tackle Box, Decatur.

Dancing with DJ Sean Michael, 10 p.m., Block’s Brewery, Decatur.

DJ/Karaoke, 9 p.m., Elbow Room, Decatur.

Exit, 8 p.m., Bullseye Bar and Grill, Hammond.

Good Times D.J., 9 p.m., The

Pour House, Decatur, 330-6292.

Hoggwild with Rantucky Headhunters, 9 p.m., Radmaker’s Rock N Roll Tavern, Tolono, Tomorrow’s 485-3531.

Imagine highlight: That, 9 p.m., “Mezz’anno Lock, Stock - One-Half Year and Barrel, in Italy,” 2 p.m., Decatur.

Decatur Public Juston Library Madden VanCleve, 9 Auditorium, p.m., TimDecatur, 424buktu 2900 ext. 7.

Saloon, Long Creek.

Karaoke with Wiz, 8 p.m., 22nd Street Discount Liquor, Decatur.

Kilborn Alley, 9 p.m., AIW Hall, Decatur, 875-2416.

Legends Entertainment, 9 p.m., Korn Krib, Latham.

Mega Ball 8 Lotto jackpot $2.5 million

Night Moves, 9 p.m., American Tap, Taylorville.

Odd Couple Karaoke and DJ, 9 p.m., Curly’s, Decatur.

Stevie Ray Kelton-Oke, 9 p.m., Curly’s, Decatur.

TeKeLa DJ, 8 p.m., Buds on Green, Decatur.

Variety Music DJ with Mike, 9:30 p.m., Shorty’s, Decatur.

Whiskey and a Pickle, 9 p.m., Sliderz, Decatur.

On Stage “Funny Valentines,” 6 p.m., Conklin’s Barn II Dinner Theatre, Goodfield, $35. (309) 965-2545.

Health New Brother/New Sister Class, 10 a.m., St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital Auditorium, Effingham.

347-1529.

Meetings Freedom By Choice ABATE, 6 p.m., D.A.V. Chapter 17, Decatur.

Seniors Johns Hill Senior Center, Club Continental, 11:30 a.m., Decatur.

Durbin to fight Burris appointment Senator insists secretary of state signature needed CHICAGO (AP) — Sen. Dick Durbin threw a sizable roadblock in Roland Burris’ path to the U.S. Senate on Friday, saying firmly the former Illinois attorney general cannot be seated without a missing signature certifying his appointment.

“There has never in the history of the Senate been a waiver of the requirement that the secretary of state’s signature be part of the appointment process — never,” Durbin, the Senate’s second-ranking Democrat, told a news conference.

It was a fresh twist in Burris’ campaign to be replace President-elect Barack Obama in the Senate despite claims that his appointment by Gov. Rod Blagojevich is tainted.

Blagojevich is facing federal corruption charges that include allegations he tried to sell or trade the seat for personal or political favors. He was impeached Friday by the Illinois House.

Still, Burris attorney Timothy Wright said he planned to travel to Washington to speak with Senate leaders Monday.

Wright said he did not know if Burris also would go.

“The appointment of Roland Burris is an effective appointment,” Wright said.

Durbin said efforts to fill the Senate seat vacated by Obama’s election should go on hold until after the Senate holds an impeachment trial.

If Blagojevich is removed as governor, Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn will take over and can address the problem then “in a clean, legal and respectable way,” Durbin said.

IMPEACHED Continued from A1 governor to convince people that something needed to be done,” said state Rep. Roger Eddy, R-Hutsonville. “The governor is a unique combination of stupidity, arrogance and evil.”

Blagojevich has denied any wrongdoing but continued to vex his critics when, in the midst of his problems in midDecember, he appointed former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris to Presidentelect Barack Obama’s vacated U.S. Senate seat.

He said Friday he was not surprised by the House’s action because members have previously blocked his attempts to help the citizens of Illinois.

The governor did not answer questions after a short news conference in Chicago.

The vote in the House came after a number of speeches by lawmakers, who said the governor betrayed the trust of the people of Illinois. The entire session last less than 90 minutes.

“The governor has failed to uphold his oath of office,” said House Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie, a Chicago Democrat who oversaw a special committee that investigated the governor’s

Associated Press

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., holds a news conference Friday to discuss the latest developments in Gov. Rod Blagojevich's impeachment and the appointment of Roland Burris to the Senate.

Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White has refused to sign documents certifying Burris’s appointment to the Senate, citing Blagojevich’s problems with the law.

The Illinois Supreme Court on Friday said in an unanimous opinion from all four Democratic and three Republican justices that White didn’t need to sign the certification papers for Burris’s appointment to become official. The court said Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill who have been waiting for White’s signature could go ahead and swear in Burris as a senator without it.

The high court said no further action by state officials was necessary.

Durbin said what might be good enough for the court was not good enough for the Senate and that without White’s signature efforts to seat Burris should stop.

“I think it’s best to suspend activities in the filling of that vacancy until that impeachment trial in the Illinois Senate is concluded,” Durbin said. He said that if as many lawmak-

ers expect Blagojevich is ousted Quinn would have a free hand.

“I think that’s the best way to turn the page,” Durbin said.

Wright, Burris’ attorney, later came forward with a document signed by White certifying that Blagojevich’s appointment had been filed by the secretary of state’s office.

Wright told a news conference he already had sent the document to the Senate along with an attached Blagojevich letter saying he had appointed Burris.

“The secretary of the state of Illinois has certified the appointment of Roland Burris,” Wright told reporters. “We have the signatures.”

“There’s nothing they (the Senate) can do to reverse this,” he said.

Actually, the paper with White’s signature on it appeared to be a certification that the secretary of state’s office had registered the arrival of the appointment.

David Druker, a White spokesman, said that form, available to anyone for a $2 fee, was different from the official

actions.

“He’s failed in his responsibility as governor,” added House Minority Leader Tom Cross, R-Oswego. “You ought to be mad as hell. I am mad.

I am angry. This is an embarrassment. This is about as bad as it gets.”

State Rep. Milt Patterson, D-Chicago, was the lone “no” vote. He said the evidence against Blagojevich wasn’t strong enough.

“I do not feel comfortable voting based on what I’ve heard or read, simple as that.

I went by my own gut feeling,” Patterson said.

State Rep. Elga Jefferies, D-Chicago, was the lone “present” vote. She said the charges against the governor have been “blown out of proportion.”

“I think a lot of it is personal,” Jefferies said.

Lawmakers who sat on the special investigative committee disagreed.

“The evidence was overwhelmingly damning,” said state Rep. Chapin Rose, RMahomet.

Following the vote, there was hope the possible removal of Blagojevich could put an end to the gridlock that has plagued Illinois government for the past two years.

“This begins to reverse the damage that’s been done to the people of Illinois,” said

state Rep. Dan Brady, RBloomington.

“He can’t govern anymore.

We need to get rid of him and move on,” said state Rep. Shane Cultra, R-Onarga.

Some lawmakers believe the governor could leave before the Senate kicks him out.

“Knowing him like I do, I think he will try and fight it until the end. But, I think if he gets the chance he will try

NEXT Continued from A1 Righter, R-Mattoon; Dan Rutherford, R-Chenoa; Matt Murphy, R-Palatine; and Kirk Dillard, R-Hinsdale.

Q: Who was the last person impeached in the state of Illinois?

A: Circuit Court Judge Theophilus W. Smith. Smith was charged with selling a clerk’s office, suspending a lawyer for requesting a change of venue away from his court and “for tyrannically committing to jail in Montgomery County a Quaker who entertained conscientious scruples against removing his hat in open court.” Smith’s trial lasted from Jan. 9 to Feb. 7, 1833. The Illinois Senate acquitted him of the

U.S. Senate forms White has refused to sign.

Nathan Maddox, senior legal adviser to White, said White’s letter registering Blagojevich’s message “is not the official Senate appointment document.”

On Capitol Hill, senior Democrats said they wanted to wait and see before offering any opinion on what the newfound document from White’s office meant.

“The Senate parliamentarian, the secretary of the Senate and Senate legal counsel are advising Senate leadership as we consider a way forward,” said Jim Manley, a spokesman for Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid of Nevada.

The squabble over the Senate appointment has been raging for two weeks now with Republicans hoping for a special election at which they might just grab off a seat in the Senate.

Democratic leaders had appeared this week to be softening to the idea of seating Burris, though Burris has lost a string of statewide elections and hasn’t won anything since the early 1990s — something that has to be on Democrats’ minds as they look ahead.

Durbin acknowledged the state’s high court had found there was no reason why the lack of White’s signature should stop the appointment.

“That is of course the Illinois Court’s right and responsibility to reach that conclusion,” Durbin said. “However, there is more to the story. It isn’t just a question of whether Illinois law is met. It isn’t a question of whether the Illinois Constitution has been served but whether the actions taken are sufficient for the person to be appointed to fill the vacancy under the rules of the United States Senate where I serve.” and make some type of deal and resign,” said state Rep. Patrick Verschoore, D-Milan.

If Blagojevich is removed from office by the Senate, Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn will take over as governor.

Quinn, 61, is in his second term as lieutenant governor.

He also served as Illinois treasurer. kurt.erickson@lee.net|789-0865; jason.nevel@lee.net

charges. Smith served as a judge until 1842.

Q: Who was the last governor impeached in the United States?

A: Evan Mecham, governor of Arizona, was impeached in 1988.

Mecham, who died last year, was charged with violating campaign finance laws as well as obstruction of justice. The Arizona House impeached him in February 1988, and he was removed from office that April.

Other states that have impeached and removed governors include Kentucky, Louisiana, Nebraska, North Carolina, New York and Oklahoma.

— QUAD-CITY TIMES Source: Illinois Historical Society, 1970 Illinois Constitution, Connecticut General Assembly

Blagojevich timeline ■ Dec. 10, 1956: Blagojevich is born in Chicago.

■ 1979: The would-be governor graduates from Northwestern University.

■ 1983: Blagojevich earns a law degree from Pepperdine University in California. He would later joke about being a C student in constitutional law.

■ 1992: He is elected to the Illinois House from Chicago.

■ 1996: Blagojevich wins a term in Congress, representing Illinois’ 5th District.

■ March 2002: Blagojevich wins a three-way Democratic primary for governor, taking 36 percent of the vote, edging Paul Vallas and Roland Burris.

■ November 2002: Blagojevich wins his campaign for governor after running against then-Attorney General Jim Ryan. He took 52 percent of the vote.

■ January 2005: Blagojevich’s father-in-law, Chicago Alderman Dick Mell, said the governor traded campaign contributions for spots on boards and commissions.

Mell would later recant those comments, but they sparked the interest of investigators into the governor’s administration.

■ October 2006: Major Blagojevich fundraiser Antoin “Tony” Rezko is arrested. He would later be found guilty of corruption.

■ November 2006: Blagojevich wins a second term, defeating former state Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka.

■ Dec. 8, 2008: Further trailed by questions about the federal investigation, Blagojevich tells reporters “I don’t believe there’s any cloud that hangs over me; I think there’s nothing but sunshine hanging over me.”

■ Dec. 9, 2008: Blagojevich is arrested in Chicago by federal agents on corruption charges.

■ Dec. 15, 2008: A Illinois House committee begins weighing whether Blagojevich should be impeached.

■ Dec. 30, 2008: Blagojevich appoints Roland Burris to Illinois’ vacant U.S. Senate seat.

■ Jan. 8: The impeachment inquiry committee recommends Blagojevich be impeached.

■ Jan. 9: Blagojevich is impeached by a 114-1 vote in the Illinois House, setting up a trial in the Illinois Senate.

— H&R SPRINGFIELD BUREAU

Mega Millions jackpot $16 million

428-7893.

Support Groups Alcoholics Anonymous, 6 p.m., First United Methodist Church, Decatur, 422-3766.

Alcoholics Anonymous, 8 p.m., First Presbyterian Church, Taylorville, 824-3028.

Narcotics Anonymous, , St. Thomas Community Center, Decatur, 1 and 6 p.m. 1-800-5390475.

Narcotics Anonymous, midnight, 2520 E. William St., Decatur, 1-800-539-0475.

Overeaters Anonymous, 10:30 a.m., St. Mary’s Hospital, Room 561, Decatur.

Project Read, 9 a.m. to noon, Knapp Library, Middletown, 4452050.

Contact us Submissions of items for inclusion in the calendar must be in writing or by email to Calendar, Herald & Review, Box 311, Decatur, IL 62525 or rpansch@ herald-review.com or by noon Monday the week prior to publication. Phone calls will not be accepted for submissions.

RECYCLE Continued from A1 prepare them for other employment. “Down the line we have some great hopes,” said Joan Meeder, director of Dove’s Retired and Senior Volunteer Program.

Dove operates a domestic violence shelter and is the lead agency for Homeward Bound, a program working to put homeless people into permanent housing.

Macon Resources, meanwhile, serves people with developmental disabilities and their families. The point person for the community recycling program there is Rich Hamilton, coordinator of shipping and receiving.

Both agencies credit support they have received from the Macon County Solid Waste Department, which provided funding for Macon Resources’ baler and containers for the volunteer program.

“This is a partnership I’m excited about,” said Deb Garrett, the department’s environmental educator. “They’re poised to take some great steps forward.”

As the result of a conversation at The Decanter Fine Wines last month between co-owner Jay Emrich and Lewandowski, that business already has had one load of cardboard picked up by a truck from Macon Resources that came downtown to pick up recyclables at Macon Ice Cream, another business operated by the agency.

Emrich said that before this, he and the other two owners had been loading up their cars once a month to take cardboard to another recycling center.

“It wasn’t such a terrible imposition, because we want to do what we can to protect the environment,” Emrich said. “But now it’s just one less thing we have to worry about.” tchurchill@herald-review.com|4217978

I F YO U G O WHAT: Community recycling program of Dove Inc., Retired and Senior Volunteer Program and Macon Resources Inc. HOURS: 8:30 a.m. to noon, Monday through Saturday COLLECTION SITES: 2121 Hubbard Ave. and 130 W. Cerro Gordo St. in Decatur ACCEPTS: aluminum, plastic, tin and cardboard (pays for aluminum only, price currently 30 cents a pound) NOTABLE: More routes are being planned to pick up from businesses and other organizations.

FOR MORE: Call 428-6616 for Dove or 875-8809 for Macon Resources.

Herald& Review Postmaster: Send address changes to: Herald& Review, P.O. Box 311, Decatur, IL 62525-0311. Eight-week subscription rates are: Carrier home-delivered, $30.40; motor-route, $32; mail in-trade, $38; mail out-trade, $41 (USPS 150-800).

The Herald & Review is published daily at 601 E. William St. by Lee Publishing, Inc., a subsidiary of Lee Enterprises.

Periodical postage paid at Decatur, Illinois post office.

n GIRLS TOURNEY: Central A&M holds off Warrensburg-Latham for title/C1

Lifeblood

Winter’s herbs

Decatur plasma donors help keep people alive/D1

Some varieties continue to flourish off-season/E1

Herald&Review WWW.HERALD-REVIEW.COM

SUNDAY

Storm circles over General Assembly

JANUARY 11, 2009

Thumping Indiana Trent Meacham helps make sure this IllinoisIndiana clash is not the typical nail-biter. He hits seven 3-pointers en route to a 76-45 victory.

Sports C1

Plan to save

‘Horrible’financial problems lurk in impeachment shadow

By MIKE RIOPELL H&R Springfield Bureau Writer

SPRINGFIELD — The swearing-in ceremony for Illinois lawmakers usually can be seen as a calm before the storm.

It’s an event every two years, filled with pomp and tradition, during which lawmakers celebrate with their families, knowing the big battles over controversial legislation likely are

still weeks or months away.

But with the 96th Illinois General Assembly set to be sworn in Wednesday, the storm already is circling Spring■ Prospects field. brighten for ethics The Illinois reform House on Friday impeached Gov. ■ Analysis: Gov- Rod Blagojeernor’s prospects vich, and the grim in Senate Senate’s trial of the governor Stories/B3 could begin in earnest very soon.

“The best thing for the state of Illinois is to get this sad period done with

Inside

Friday echoed many of his colleagues by calling for Blagojevich to step down because others in government don’t trust him.

“I think he needs to look in the mirror and realize that,” Quinn said.

Quinn would take over if Blagojevich leaves office, but no matter who is governor, lawmakers sworn in Wednesday face the daunting task of trying to fix deeply troubled state finances in deeply troubled economic times.

“The state’s financial crisis is horrible,” state Rep. John Bradley, D-Marion said. “And we are in a state of

PRESIDENTIAL VISITS

With inflation rising faster than their incomes, families have to dig deeper to afford groceries. But with careful planning and family cooperation, you can shave $400 a year off the grocery bill. Money F1

‘Schoolhouse Rock’ About 120 young people will spend Saturdays throughout the winter rehearsing for “Schoolhouse Rock Live” on the spacious stage in a former auto showroom. Local B1

Area residents vividly recall brushes with men who would occupy Oval Office

Israel drops bombs and leaflets on Gaza, pounding suspected rocket sites used by Hamas militants and warning of a wider offensive despite diplomacy to end the fighting.

World A7

Lake Decatur level watch Normal winter pool level . . . .612.5 Normal summer pool level . . .614.4 Yesterday’s level . . . . . . . . .612.54

YOUR WEATHER

L O W

34 22 Today: Partly cloudy Tonight: Mostly cloudy Details/B6

H&R file photos

Robert McCarthy, then a state representative, boldly broke with other downstate politicians to invite John Kennedy to Decatur in October 1959. Kennedy, a Catholic, had not yet announced that he was running for president and seemed like an unlikely choice to represent the Democrats. This Herald & Review photograph of McCarthy and Kennedy at Decatur Airport was first published after Kennedy was killed in November 1963.

By HUEY FREEMAN H&R Staff Writer

DECATUR — When a young Massachusetts senator was preparing to announce his White House run, he expressed a desire to give a speech somewhere in rural Illinois.

Robert McCarthy, a 35-year-old state representative, heard about Sen. John F. Kennedy’s request from the state Democratic Party chairman during a caucus at the State Capitol in the summer of 1959.

The idea received a chilly reception.

“Paul Powell, speaker of the house, said, ‘We don’t want any Catholics in here. Stuart Symington is my candidate,’ ” McCarthy recalled in a phone interview from his winter home in Florida. “Allen 1931: President Herbert Hoover is shown aboard his Lucas, a state train as he visited Decatur. representative from Springfield, said, ‘My people will not support a Catholic if we Readers share their had a rally.’ ” stories and photos about McCarthy, an meeting Barack Obama at admirer of www.herald-review.com/ Kennedy, who brushwithobama/ had witnessed him in action at the 1956 Democratic Convention in Chicago, stepped to the plate.

“I said I believe the people in Decatur will be receptive to putting on a rally for him,” said McCarthy, now 84.

Kennedy did come to Decatur, where 700 people turned out to hear him speak at the Masonic Temple on Oct. 26, 1959.

McCarthy accompanied Kennedy on his Decatur visit, meeting him at the airport, riding in a limousine with him to the Orlando Hotel, attending his cocktail party and sitting at the head table at the dinner.

VISITS/A2

INDEX Classifieds . . . . . . . . . E4-10 Comics . . . . . . . . . . . inside Dear Abby . . . . . . . . . . . D6 Horoscopes . . . . . . . . . . D5 Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D1-6 Money . . . . . . . . . . . . . F1-4 Movies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D5 Obituaries . . . . . . . . . . D3,4 Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . B5 Puzzles . . . . . . . . . . . . E6,8 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . C1-8 Television . . . . . . . . . . . . C7

$1.75 137th year Issue 11 Six sections

Delivery: 421-6990 Newsroom: 421-6979 Outside Decatur: 1-800-437-2533

1903: President Theodore Roosevelt gave the main address at the dedication of Millikin University. After his train stopped at the West Main Street crossing, he walked with Dr. A.R. Taylor, president of the new university, to the speakers platform.

STORM/A2

Obama vows even more jobs in plan

Unforgettable

Israel may spread war

HIGH

and let’s move on,” said state Rep. Bill Mitchell, R-Forsyth. “We’ve got a lot of problems we have to work with this year.”

Blagojevich is scheduled to preside over the Illinois Senate’s inaugural ceremony Wednesday, and the way he’s received by the state’s 59 senators could give an indication of the Blagojevich tenor of his eventual trial there.

Since his arrest Dec. 9 on federal corruption charges, state officials’ reception of the governor has been mostly cold. Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn on

1984: President Ronald Reagan shakes hands with professor C. Richard Decker during a stop at Millikin University that included an agribusiness forum. N. Duane Noland, pictured at center, then a 27-year-old farmer, was invited to speak at the forum. That event led Noland into a political career as a state legislator.

Admits narrowing of economic scope WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Barack Obama countered critics with an analysis Saturday by his economic team showing that a program of tax cuts and spending such as he has proposed would create up to 4.1 million jobs, far more than the 3 million he has insisted THE are needed NET to lift the Transition site: country www.change. from gov recession.

Congressional Republicans reacted skeptically, just as Obama acknowledged that he would be forced to recant some of his campaign promises, given the economic crisis facing the country. Even the presidentelect’s own economists acknowledged their two-year estimates could be wrong.

The 14-page analysis, which was posted online, says estimates are “subject to significant margins of error” — because of the assumptions that went into the economic models and because it is not known what might pass Congress.

JOBS/A2

Eternal flame flap flares up in Arizona BULLHEAD CITY, Ariz.

(AP) — An “eternal” flame at Bullhead City’s new veterans memorial park that only lasted until city officials received a $961 gas bill has been re-lit following complaints by veterans groups.

The Medal of Honor Memorial at the Arizona Veterans Memorial Park alongside the Colorado River was lit on Veterans Day in November. When the bill arrived in late December, city officials were stunned.

“It caught us by surprise,” City Manager Tim Ernster said Thursday. “What we decided to do for the time being is to turn the flame on ... for special events, for Veterans Day, Fourth of July, Memorial Day — those types of activities.”

The flame was extinguished Monday. The Mohave Valley Daily News published a story

FLAME/A2

A2 LOCAL

SUNDAY, JANUARY 11, 2009

www.herald-review.com

DECATUR, ILLINOIS

Here are the winning numbers selected Saturday in the Illinois State Lottery:

Events

Concert, 7:30 p.m., Central Christian Church, Decatur.

WHAT’S HAPPENING

On Stage “Funny Valentines,” noon, Conklin’s Barn II Dinner Theatre, Goodfield, $33. (309) 965-2545.

T O D AY

Etc. “Mezz’anno - One-Half Year in Italy,” 2 p.m., Decatur Public Library Madden Auditorium, Decatur, 424-2900 ext. 7.

Dinosaurs Mini Camp, 2 p.m., Rock Springs Nature Center, Decatur, $10. Registration required.

423-7708.

Illini Farm Toy Show, Hanford Inn & Suites, Urbana, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. $3, $2. 893-4103.

Meetings Commodore Duplicate Bridge Club, 1:15 p.m., 2560 E. Federal Drive, Decatur, 422-0095.

VFW Post 99, 2 p.m., Post Hall, Decatur.

Music Music Jam, 1 to 4 p.m., Rock Springs Nature Center, Decatur, 423-7708.

School of Music Tour Finale

Exhibits Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, Springfield.

558-8934.

Brookfield Zoo, Brookfield, 10

Plan your week with our calendar every Thursday

MORE EVENTS: www.herald-review.com

VISITS Continued from A1 “He was just a tremendous guy,” McCarthy said, adding that Kennedy talked with him about politics, whether he could receive support from downstate leaders. “He was just as natural as a person could be. After the press conference at the hotel, we were still in the bedroom. He said, ‘You don’t mind if I shower, do you?’ He kept talking from the shower. He left the door ajar. I was his equal. Anything that was on his mind came out. No doubletalk.”

As Barack Obama prepares to take his oath of office, the Herald & Review invited its readers to share their memories of encounters with former presidents who have come to the region.

Decatur, an important city in the life and political career of Abraham Lincoln, has been visited by many presidents during their terms, beginning with Rutherford B. Hayes in 1880. William McKinley, William Howard Taft, Harry Truman and Ronald Reagan all gave speeches in Decatur while in office. Theodore Roosevelt addressed a crowd on the occasion of the dedication of Millikin University in 1903.

Dwight Eisenhower, Richard Nixon and Jimmy Carter came to Decatur during their election campaigns.

Ulysses Grant visited the city in 1880, a few years after leaving office. Franklin Roosevelt visited the A.E. Staley Mfg. Co. plant during his unsuccessful campaign for vice president in 1920.

The man Roosevelt later defeated, Herbert Hoover, visited Springfield in 1930 to speak at the dedication of the remodeled Lincoln’s Tomb.

Jack Allen, 84, a Decatur resident, recalls that he saw Hoover in a motorcade, one of his earliest memories.

“We were living two blocks from Abe Lincoln’s home,” Allen said, adding he was standing on the porch of the famous house to see the president. “Herbert Hoover came along in a big four-door open sedan. He had on one of those old, round hats.”

‘Scared to death’ Stories of Ronald Reagan’s visit on Aug. 20, 1984, still are fresh in the minds of many people.

N. Duane Noland was a 27year-old farmer who recently

Pick Four-Midday 6-2-5-9 Pick Four-Evening 5-1-2-1

Pick Three-Midday 1-4-2 Pick Three-Evening 3-7-8

had won a debate contest at a state Farm Bureau meeting.

He received a call from Millikin’s president, inviting him to speak at an agribusiness forum on the university’s campus with Reagan.

“At first, I thought it was a gag call; I thought someone was spoofing me,” Noland said. “The next thing you know, they are doing background checks on me.”

The other speakers, besides the president, included corporate and agricultural bigwigs.

“I was scared to death,” Noland said. “They had a national press corps there. I was out of my league. I was just a rank-and-file farmer.”

He broke the ice by leading with a joke, a risky gambit because of the potential for embarrassing silence.

“I feel like the little boy who fell into a vat of chocolate and said, ‘O Lord, make my tongue adequate for this task,’ ” Noland told the crowd, as numerous cameras flashed and whirred.

The audience paused, and then there was a roar of laughter.

“Up until that point, I was nervous,” Noland recalled. “I relaxed and got though it.

Reagan laughed; he had a hearty laugh.”

Noland, who went on to serve five terms in the state legislature, credits Reagan’s visit with giving him the exposure that led to his political career.

Denene Wilmeth was running for state representative when she received an invitation to join other female candidates at a White House luncheon. She was greeted by name

by Reagan and his wife, Nancy, as well as Vice President George H.W. Bush and his wife, Barbara. At lunch, her table was next to the Bushes.

“It was exciting,” Wilmeth recalled. “Reagan had the ability to be friendly, that special aura about him that drew people in. He engaged you in conversation. It couldn’t have been more perfect. The president said, ‘We will be visiting Decatur before too long. We hope to see you there.’ ” When Reagan arrived, Wilmeth was on the receiving stand at Decatur Airport. She later lost her election but regards her presidential memories as a wonderful consolation prize.

Russel Wright will never forget his meeting with Reagan, when the president stopped at Archer Daniels Midland Co. during that same

JOBS Continued from A1 “These numbers are a stark reminder that we simply cannot continue on our current path,” Obama said in his weekly radio and YouTube broadcast address.

“If nothing is done, economists from across the spectrum tell us that this recession could linger for years and the unemployment rate could reach double digits — and they warn that our nation could lose the competitive edge that has served as a foundation for our strength and standing in the world,” he said.

Obama has provided few details of his $775 billion plan. This fresh report does not include the specific construction of his tax cuts, the amounts dedicated to state aid or public works — key questions that Obama aides have closely held.

On Saturday, economic aides and advisers declined to lay out even rough estimates for the plan’s components. They said they worked with broad instructions from Obama but didn’t want to limit negotiations with congressional leaders by outlining their limits in public.

“I want to be realistic here. Not

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Field Museum, Chicago, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. $14, $11 and $9. (312) 665-7100.

Gallery 510 Arts Guild, Decatur, Closes at 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday,

Wednesday, and Friday; 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday; 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

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Heritage in Flight Museum, Logan County Airport, Lincoln. Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Hieronymus Mueller Museum, Decatur. 1 to 4 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. 423-6161.

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Tuesday through Saturday (until 9 p.m. Thursday), 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday.

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H&R file photo

Chuck Hippler, a young reporter for WSOY, interviews Sen. John Kennedy of Massachusetts as he arrives at Decatur Airport on Oct. 26, 1959. visit. Wright, a truck driver who carried grain from Bement to ADM, was selected as one of four drivers who would meet the president.

“We had an armed guard escort us to Decatur and parked our trucks in a secure lot at the East plant,” Wright said. “The next day, we had to have our trucks in line in front of the corn dumps by a certain time. Of course, my truck wouldn’t start, but after jumping it, it fired up, and I joined my place in line.

“We were instructed to not speak, only if spoken to. Mr. Reagan approached and asked me a question. I think he asked about my family and hauling to ADM. He was real down to earth. He was really nice to talk to.”

Jimmy Who? Reagan’s predecessor, Jimmy Carter, visited Decatur at an early stage of his campaign.

Larry Klugman, a Richland Community College political science professor, received a call from a Democratic Party leader, asking if he would like to have a presidential candidate from Georgia visit his class.

Klugman agreed, moving his class to the library to accommodate nonstudents.

“He had a very unusual campaign, in that he would shun hotels. He would stay in people’s homes,” Klugman said.

“He had essentially a single message he was running on, early in the game: ‘I promise you this: I won’t lie to you.’ ” Klugman said Carter’s visit

everything that we talked about during the campaign are we going to be able to do on the pace we had hoped,” Obama told ABC’s “This Week” for an interview set to air today.

For a second time since his election, Obama increased the number of jobs his jobs program would create, taking the number to as many as 4.1 million jobs saved or created — a benchmark his critics charge cannot be measured. During the campaign, he promised only 1 million new jobs.

The analysis came out one day after news the unemployment rate had jumped to 7.2 percent, the highest in 16 years. The nation lost 524,000 jobs in December, bringing the total loss for last year to 2.6 million, the largest since World War II. GOP lawmakers have insisted on carefully targeting any aid and on a politically popular tax cut for the middle class, as well as loans to states.

“We want to make sure it’s not just a trillion-dollar spending bill, but something that actually can reach the goal that he has suggested,” said Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Senate’s top Republican.

Obama’s plan has met with lukewarm support from lawmakers in general, despite economic news that has dominated the new administration

especially fired up one of his students, Shirley Moore, who worked in Carter’s campaign and hosted members of the Carter family in her home.

Moore later served in the Decatur City Council.

Jeff and John Deremiah, brothers who have been collecting presidential autographs and artifacts for decades, were at that Carter campaign event.

“He was classified as ‘Jimmy Who?’ at the time,” Jeff Deremiah said. “There were only about 25 or 30 people there.”

John Deremiah, who has lived in Georgia the past 40 years, has come to know Carter, seeing him at least once a year at the Plains, Ga., Peanut Festival in September.

“He’s just like a regular person to me,” John Deremiah said.

Jeff Deremiah, 12 years old at the time, met Nixon in Decatur in 1960, presenting him with an 8-by-10 glossy photograph. After signing it, Nixon, not known for his modesty, said, “I know you’ll treasure this, especially if I become president.”

Deremiah later met his daughter, Julie Nixon Eisenhower, when President Nixon came to Springfield in 1971 to authorize the Lincoln Home as a national historic site.

“She was extremely accessible and friendly,” Jeff Deremiah said, adding they both were 23. When he told her he would like to send her local newspaper stories on Nixon’s visit, she said, “I will treasure those, to remember this time with my father.”

‘We want to make sure it’s not just a trillion-dollar spending bill, but something that actually can reach the goal that he has suggested.’

Sen. Mitch McConnell even before it begins.

In hopes of having the new president gain immediate access to bailout money already approved by Congress when he takes office Jan. 20, his economic team and the Bush administration have discussed the possibility that Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson would ask lawmakers soon for access to the $350 billion remaining in the Wall Street rescue fund.

The transition team also has asked the head of the rescue program at the Treasury Department to remain in that position for a short time after the inauguration to help assure a smooth transition, according to an Obama official.

If Congress fails to enact a big eco-

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Lincoln College Museum, McKinstry Building, Lincoln.

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735-5050, ext. 295.

Macon County History Museum, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Decatur. $2, $1. “The History of Baseball in Central Illinois.” 422-4919.

McLean County Museum of History, Bloomington, “The Unconquerable: Photos and History of the Kickapoo Indians.” (309) 827-0428.

Moweaqua Coal Mine Museum, Moweaqua. 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Free. 768-3019.

Museum of Funeral Customs, When he sent the clippings, Julie Eisenhower sent him a return letter, expressing her deep appreciation.

When Nixon’s successor, Gerald Ford, was running for re-election in October 1976, Jeff Deremiah saw him at a campaign stop in Lincoln, on his Whistlestop Train Tour.

“He said, ‘I’m glad to be here in Galesburg,’ ” Deremiah said. “When he got off the train, I shook his hand.”

R.C. Smith, of Long Creek Township, saw President Harry Truman speak from trains twice in Decatur, while campaigning for himself in 1948 and for Adlai Stevenson in 1952.

“On both occasions, President Truman made outstanding and inspiring speeches,” Smith said.

Smith shook hands with John Kennedy and his sister, Eunice Shriver, during the 1960 campaign, after hearing him deliver a speech at the University of Illinois.

At the height of his popularity, in 1962, President Kennedy was serenaded by a talented 15-year-old Decatur singer at a rally at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield.

Linda Burke Grammer had been singing since she was 10 with the Marty Roberts Band.

After Roberts was asked to entertain the rally, he invited Linda to sing a solo, “PT-109,” a top 10 hit about Kennedy’s wartime exploits.

“I was both thrilled and scared to death at the same time,” said Grammer, who went on to become a professional singer. “All I could think of was how great an honor it would be, but how scary it would be to be face to face with the president of the United States, with him watching and listening.”

Wearing a white sailor hat, Grammer began singing to the crowd, then remembered she had been told to sing directly to the president, who was sitting just a few feet away.

Besides being an important man, the teenager also noticed he was very good looking.

“He just sat there and smiled,” she said. “He had a real pleasant expression, like he thought I was cute or nice.”

After Grammer surprised herself by completing the song without a hitch, the president stood up and applauded. Then he shook her hand and told her, “Thank you, you did very well.”

“I was in some kind of heaven,” Grammer said. hfreeman@herald-review.com|421-6985

nomic recovery plan, Obama’s advisers estimate that an additional 3 million to 4 million jobs will disappear before the recession ends. Obama’s team also noted that with or without the plan, the jobless rate by 2014 would be the same.

The president-elect agreed Friday to modest changes in his proposed tax cuts. Democratic congressional officials said his aides came under pressure in private talks to jettison or significantly alter a proposed tax credit for creating jobs, and to include relief for upper-middle-class families hit by the alternative minimum tax.

The new report is likely to intensify debate as economists outside the Obama team begin delving into the analysis. The report, for example, estimates that the unemployment rate at the end of 2010 would be 1.8 percentage points lower if the plan is enacted.

Top Democrats on Capitol Hill say there is far more agreement than disagreement on the major parts of the recovery plan: aid to cash-strapped state governments, $500-$1,000 tax cuts for most workers and working couples, and a huge spending package blending public works projects with aid to the poor and unemployed and a variety of other initiatives.

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Shedd Aquarium, Chicago. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. $23, $16. (312) 939-2438.

St. Louis Art Museum, Forest Park, St. Louis. Free. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday (until 9 p.m. Friday). Closed Mondays and major holidays. (314) 721-0072.

Under the Prairie Museum, Elkhart. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. $3. 947-2522.

Contact us Submissions of items for inclusion in the calendar must be in writing or by email to Calendar, Herald & Review, Box 311, Decatur, IL 62525 or rpansch@ herald-review.com or by noon Monday the week prior to publication. Phone calls will not be accepted for submissions.

STORM Continued from A1 complete and utter fiscal crisis, and that’s something that kind of gets overlooked in all this impeachment stuff.”

The spring session could include deep cuts in state government spending, similar to those felt in the recent closing of some state parks and historic sites.

Others say a tax increase might be an option.

Republicans put the blame on Democrats for the state’s budget woes.

“You can’t continue to handle the budget the way they have,” said state Sen. Dale Righter, R-Mattoon.

The struggling economy could stand in the way of a statewide construction program, too. Officials want to spend billions of dollars building roads and bridges to create jobs.

But money concerns that have held up public works projects in the past could be even more pronounced this year.

“It’s even easy to vote for one,” state Sen. Dave Luechtefeld, R-Okawville, said of a construction plan, “but it isn’t easy to pay for one.”

The last time lawmakers were inaugurated in 2007, they missed their deadline to approve the state budget by months amid squabbles with Blagojevich. The outcome was the possibility of a state government shutdown.

Only time will tell if 2009 will be any easier.

“We need to be able to start doing our business,” said state Rep. Patrick Verschoore, D-Milan. mike.riopell@lee.net or 789-0865

FLAME Continued from A1 Friday quoting city officials and disgruntled veterans who had worked to pay for and build the memorial before turning it over to the city.

The flame was back on by midmorning Friday following a meeting of city officials.

“What happened was really a miscommunication,” city spokesman Steve Johnson said. “The issue came up one day, and it was never intended to be shut off.”

Johnson said the flame is impressive, but city parks officials are looking at ways to put a smaller burner in place and only use the larger one at special events.

“We’re looking at alternatives, because $1,000 a month in these economic times is certainly a consideration,” Johnson said.

Archives and research Call the Herald&Review library for information 421-7964

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 11, 2009

DECATUR, ILLINOIS

LOCAL B3

Ethics reform finally may get full airing in legislature Governor’s troubles bring campaign finance to forefront

By JASON NEVEL H&R Springfield Bureau Writer

SPRINGFIELD — In the wake of Friday’s impeachment of Gov. Rod Blagojevich, tightening up campaign contribution laws is expected to be a hot topic after the new legislature is sworn in Jan. 14.

State Rep. Harry Osterman, DChicago, said he has made the issue his No. 1 priority, and his peers have begun to take a closer look at the issue as well.

“My colleagues and I are going to work hard to push this through, and people who may have resisted in the past will take a look at it,” Oster-

man said. He is sponsoring a House bill that would put caps on contributions similar to federal law.

Blagojevich was impeached Friday by the House by a vote of 114-1.

One factor leading to the governor’s impeachment was the allegation he engaged in pay-to-play politics. Campaign finance advocates argued the 52-year-old governor showed a pattern of giving state contracts or seats on boards and commissions to hefty campaign contributors.

Legislating ethical behavior is difficult, said state Rep. Dan Brady, RBloomington. However, he said the circumstances facing Illinois could be enough to trigger campaign finance legislation getting passed.

“Sometimes, change is slow to come, but what has occurred with the governor may be the catalyst to take a serious look at things,”

‘There will be a huge push for ethics reform, but what actually will get signed into law is always a question.’

Kent Redfield, University of Illinois at Springfield Brady said.

Blagojevich was arrested Dec. 9 on federal corruption charges. One of the claims in the federal affidavit was that Blagojevich allegedly attempted to pressure a horse racing official for a $100,000 campaign contribution in return for the governor’s signature on legislation beneficial to the horse racing industry.

Supporters of campaign finance reform point to instances like this as a need for change. David Morrison, deputy director of the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform, said con-

Blagojevich faces grim prospects in Senate

By CHRISTOPHER WILLS Associated Press Writer

SPRINGFIELD — Gov. Rod Blagojevich will face long odds, and perhaps some legal twists, in the Illinois Senate trial to decide whether he’ll keep his job or be tossed out of office.

It may be called a trial ANALYSIS and involve the trappings of a courtroom, from a judge to exhibits to objections, but experts say the event will be political, not legal. The senators are free to base their decision on old feuds and popular opinion if they want, rather than fine points of the law.

Yet the Democratic governor will be held to a stricter standard than the senators, as some of the charges against him involve very technical points. Did a prescription drug program violate pharmacy inspection laws? Did state agencies properly account for money they transferred to another state agency?

If Blagojevich loses the trial, he stands little chance of getting the verdict overturned by the courts, which traditionally shy away from tinkering with the impeachment process.

And if he testifies to defend himself, Blagojevich could find his words used against him by federal prosecutors pursuing criminal charges.

“What does somebody do as an advocate for the accused? It’s very, very difficult,” said attorney Donald MacPherson, who represented Arizona Gov. Evan Mecham when he appealed his impeachment conviction to the state’s Supreme Court.

Blagojevich was impeached Friday by the Illinois House, 114-1. Now the Senate will hold a trial. If Blagojevich is convicted, he’ll be removed from office.

The allegations against Blagojevich include some of the criminal charges behind his Dec. 9 arrest by the FBI: scheming to benefit from picking President-elect Barack Obama’s replacement in the U.S. Senate, using state programs to pressure people into giving him campaign money and bullying the Tribune Co. to fire editorial writers.

They also include management decisions. An inspector found Blagojevich circumvented hiring laws to give jobs to political allies. He expanded a health care program that had been rejected by lawmakers. He spent $2.6 million on foreign flu vaccine the state didn’t need and

couldn’t bring into the country.

Blagojevich said the past week that the House impeachment process was biased.

“When the case moves to the Senate, an actual judge will preside over the hearings, and the governor believes the outcome will be much different,” his office said.

Chief Justice Thomas Fitzgerald of the Illinois Supreme Court will preside. But there are limits on what he can do. Under the rules likely to be adopted, the judge can rule on questions of evidence, but the senators can overrule him.

The House chose to lump all the allegations together under a single, broad category: “a pattern of abuse of power.” That meant a House member might think this or that particular allegation didn’t merit impeachment but still conclude other charges were strong enough to justify a “yes” vote.

If the Senate adopts a similar approach, senators will have the flexibility to reject some allegations — perhaps even some of the biggest and most colorful — but still vote to convict. That can’t be easy for the governor’s lawyers to fight.

Like so much of politics, the Senate trial will boil down to numbers. Conviction requires a two-thirds majority, or 40 of the 59 senators.

That means Blagojevich will need 20 senators on his side to keep his job.

That’s a tall order for a governor who has bickered and battled with lawmakers for years and is seeing his top Senate ally, President Emil Jones, retire before the trial gets under way. Blagojevich is disliked and mistrusted by many senators, so they’re not likely to go out on a political limb for him.

“If you look at it politically, what is the upside of somebody voting not to remove Rod Blagojevich from office? The public sentiment is pretty clearly, ‘Legislators, why are you dragging your feet on this guy?’ ” said Charles Wheeler, a former Statehouse reporter who now teaches journalism at the University of Illinois at Springfield.

If the Senate convicts Blagojevich, experts say, an appeal to the courts is unlikely to work.

“This is entrusted by the Constitution to the legislative branch, and a healthy respect for the separation of powers suggests there is no role for the courts,” said Andrew Leipold, a law professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Christopher Wills has covered Illinois government and politics since 1990.

tribution limits would eliminate contribution schemes from occurring.

“If you can’t take big money from anybody, than you’re not going to shake down a contractor for that money because they could not give it to you,” Morrison said.

Campaign finance is discussed regularly in the General Assembly, but little has been done to regulate it. Kent Redfield, professor emeritus of political science at the University of Illinois at Springfield, is hesitant to get enthusiastic about potential reform because of past failures.

“There will be a huge push for ethics reform, but what actually will get signed into law is always a question,” Redfield said.

Redfield said there is a strong possibility Illinois will get some contribution limits in place this session because lawmakers will want to respond to the Blagojevich scandal.

In May, the House and Senate passed “pay-to-play” legislation banning people who have state contracts worth $50,000 or more from giving campaign donations to the officeholder who oversees the contract.

Currently, individuals, corporations, unions and political action committees can contribute as much as they want to candidates. Illinois is one of five states with no limits from any source on contributions. jason.nevel@lee.net|789-0865

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Herald&Review

OPINION

GARY SAWYER

We’ll give you historic coverage As we all gear back up from the holiday season, it’s important to take a moment and realize we are about to witness history.

The inauguration of Barack Obama, our first African-American president, will be a celebration of how we’ve progressed as a country. For Illinois citizens, the possible removal from office of Gov. Rod Blagojevich will be a more somber occasion.

Obama’s inauguration is expected to be the biggest ever — some have estimated as many as 2 million people will attend. There are many who feel Obama will lead the nation in a new, more fulfilling direction.

The Herald & Review will present unprecedented coverage of the inauguration.

We’ll begin a week from today with a special fourpage pullout section that will focus on Obama’s rise to the White House and what we all can expect to see on Inauguration Day. The coverage will wrap up with another four-page pullout section in the Jan. 21 paper that will feature the Obama inaugural speech, swearing in and parade.

IN ADDITION TO those two special features, each day’s paper during that span will contain several Obama-related stories. Kurt Erickson, chief of our bureau in Springfield, will be our eyes and ears in Washington and will report back on events leading up to and including Inauguration Day. We also will feature stories on what the Obama inauguration means to people in Central Illinois, and we will chronicle the many people who have met Obama. We also will have extensive coverage of the events surrounding the inauguration on our Web site, www.herald-review.com.

These will be papers you will want to save, so we’ve put together a special package with which you can receive copies of all four papers, including both special pullout sections, in a plastic bag for safe keeping for $5. Details on how to order these keepsake packages are featured elsewhere in today’s paper.

We’re confident you will want to read these editions but will want a second, undisturbed, set to show future generations.

IT WON’T DETRACT from Obama’s inauguration, but it appears that shortly after we witness the highlight of Obama’s political career, we’re going to watch the final episode of Blagojevich’s career.

It’s certainly not a moment to celebrate, except in the sense that removing Blagojevich from office might allow the state government to begin addressing a host of issues.

The Illinois Senate soon will be called into session to act as a jury and to hear the impeachment charges against the governor. The charges will revolve around abuse of power, using the state’s hiring system for political purposes and, perhaps, an inability to govern. The impeachment trial will proceed with only cursory mention of the federal charges that led to Blagojevich’s arrest Dec. 9. If all goes as planned, and there are no guarantees that will happen, it’s likely Blagojevich will be out of the governor’s office in early February.

THE HERALD & REVIEW also will continue to cover these events, which represent the first time an Illinois governor has been impeached.

Since his arrest, the newspaper and our Web site consistently have presented the latest news.

Although significant events in Obama’s and Blagojevich’s political paths will happen within a few days, there is one significant difference.

Obama has the opportunity to leave his mark on this nation, to demonstrate how leadership and character can create change.

Blagojevich has left his mark, and his lack of character has been revealed. gsawyer@herald-review.com|421-6975

www.herald-review.com

Sunday, January 11, 2009

OUR VIEWS

Democrats have bungled Senate decision Herald&Review EDITORIAL BOARD Todd Nelson Publisher

David Dawson

Gary Sawyer

Managing Editor

Editor

The First Amendment: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

Unsigned editorials are opinions reached by consensus of the Herald & Review Editorial board. All other articles on this page are the opinions solely of the authors. We encourage readers to offer opinions on information provided by the Herald & Review.

IT’S NOT clear whether Democrats in the U.S. Senate are confused, befuddled or just can’t get their signals straight. Maybe it’s all three.

Whatever the reason, they seem to change course on a daily, or hourly, basis.

The latest course change came last week when suddenly it was decided that it’s likely Roland Burris will become the junior senator from Illinois.

Sen. Dick Durbin and Majority Leader Harry Reid had said that while they had nothing against Burris personally, they would not accept any nomination made by Gov. Rod Blagojevich. After all, they said, Blagojevich had been arrested on charges alleging he tried to crassly gain financially from the Senate seat held by President-elect Barack Obama.

That was until Wednesday, when Reid and Durbin met with Burris and everyone emerged with smiles and said the only thing keeping Burris from being a senator was a court challenge back in Illinois. The Supreme Court said Friday that the Burris nomination did not need the signature of Secretary of State Jesse White. The Supreme Court basically put the decision back in the U.S. Senate’s lap.

Durbin apparently changed his mind again Friday, saying that despite the Illinois court ruling, the Senate still needed a signed certificate from White.

That’s either the third flip or the fourth flop, we’ve lost track.

This series of course reversals began the day Blagojevich was arrested. Durbin and other Illinois Democrats said the state should have a special election to fill Obama’s seat instead of leaving the decision up to the governor.

They quickly backed away from that idea when they realized that a special election would put a sure Democratic seat at risk. Democrats in the Illinois legislature did not approve legislation requir-

ing a special election, giving Blagojevich the chance to make the selection and further embarrass the state.

That’s what the governor did.

There are some practical reasons for allowing Burris to take the Senate seat.

Legally, it’s questionable that a challenge would hold up. The governor clearly has the authority to make the decision, and even though Blagojevich is under the cloud of federal charges and impeachment from office, he’s still the governor, for now.

An extended flap over whether Burris should be a senator also would be a distraction at a time when Obama is pressing for an economic stimulus package and other legislation. Does Washington really want to get in the middle of the Illinois sideshow?

Also, Blagojevich was impeached by the House on Friday. If he’s removed from office, as expected, and now-Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn appoints a senator or decides to hold a special election, where does that leave the Burris nomination?

In addition, Burris does not have a reputation as a troublemaker. His decision to allow Blagojevich to appoint him to the Senate shows judgment that is questionable for a senator. But Burris is known as a team player. It’s likely he’ll follow the lead of the Democratic leadership in the Senate and cause few problems. He will be low on the seniority list, somewhere between 98 and 100, so he’ll have little pull.

It remains to be seen whether Burris will run in 2010, but competition for that seat is expected to be heavy.

The bottom line is that Democrats handed the decision to Blagojevich and he made it. Changing that will be difficult, and it may be that Democrats, the Senate and the state of Illinois are going to have to accept the Burris appointment.

Blagojevich has made his own bed Tuesday marks the six-year anniversary of the day Gov. Rod Blagojevich took office.

Given everything that’s happened in between then and now, he arguably could be considered the worst governor in Illinois history.

Sure, the disgraced chief executive could miraculously emerge from the mess he’s created, but no governor before him has ever been impeached.

By that measure alone, Blagojevich stands at the bottom, ready to be kicked to the curb by the Illinois Senate, which will take up his ouster Jan. 26.

While it’s easy to point to his Dec. 9 arrest as the tipping point for his downfall, the governor’s behavior has been vexing to most observers since he took office in 2003.

Rather than smoothly trying to build consensus after 26 years of Republican rule, the governor employed an in-your-face policy on nearly every action he’s taken.

HIS SOMETIMES BIZARRE style of governing, which now has put him in the history books, started at the very beginning.

On his first day in office, he walked into the Capitol and fired a number of Republican holdovers from George Ryan’s administration. That wasn’t a shock.

What was a surprise was the way it was handled. Among those on the chopping block was the governor’s own advance man, who provides logistical support during gubernatorial appearances.

It was interesting to see the look on his face when the governor’s new press aides handed out the list of people who were being fired that day. The man who had helped set up the news conference had just gotten the ax.

Blagojevich never looked at the man. Blagojevich never looked back.

KURT ERICKSON

Soon after, the governor’s office would become a bunker. He installed locks on the doors of his Capitol offices as if he was hiding something.

He began sneaking in the Capitol through basement tunnels. He refused to live in the Executive Mansion, instead commuting between Chicago and Springfield at taxpayers’ expense.

Among his first major acts in office was to tap into the state’s employee pension funds to cover state operating costs. It should be noted that lawmakers, most of whom are now lined up against him, went along with the scheme.

YET, EVEN AFTER THAT multibillion-dollar arbitrage scheme went through, the state’s money problems didn’t improve. The state now faces a horrific backlog of bills and the possibility of ending the year with a record-setting deficit.

Observers agree his whole administration has been shaky from the start.

Some people noticed this right away.

Among them was House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, who

Speak up

Today’s question:

Seventy-nine percent of those responding to a Herald & Review online survey believe that Roland Burris should not be seated in the U.S. Senate, although it appears at this point that is likely to happen.

Nearly 700 people responded to the survey.

OPINIONS? CONTACT US:

Blagojevich has tried to blame for numerous pitfalls the state has endured since he took office.

As early as 2004, Blagojevich thought it might be a good idea to try to smooth over differences with his fellow Democrats by meeting with more than 50 of them in a private, three-hour question-and-answer session.

Among items on the agenda was a tape of a radio interview in which Blagojevich called state Rep. John Bradley, D-Marion, a “wallflower of Madigan” for supporting the speaker in that year’s budget standoff.

SUFFICE IT TO SAY, fences went unmended, even at that early juncture.

In 2007, Blagojevich tried his magic on state Sen. Mike Jacobs, an East Moline Democrat.

Hoping to muster enough votes to get a massive expansion of health insurance programs on track, he called Jacobs into his office for some horse-trading.

Jacobs emerged from the meeting

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in a rage, saying “bring it on.”

“If this governor would have been in East Moline, Illinois, at one of my local taverns, I would have kicked his tail end,” Jacobs said.

In the end, the health insurance proposal went down in flames. In fact, most of the governor’s initiatives have fallen apart. Now, his administration and his future are in tatters.

For those who believe his downfall is more about his governing style than anything criminal, here’s this: In his first term, he tried to take over the state’s Board of Education.

He demonized it as a Soviet-style bureaucracy at the very same time he was centralizing the state’s press offices so his taxpayer-paid public information officers would speak on his behalf with one voice.

Perhaps Blagojevich didn’t realize that by trying to gather up all the power in his hands, he would be blamed for everything that went wrong.

PHONE:

FAX:

421-6979 or 421-7980

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BRIEFS

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Veteran of the Month

News from Central Illinois

Decatur man to receive prestigious state award Wednesday

DECATUR

MacArthur Booster Club The MacArthur High School Booster Club will meet at 7 p.m.

Wednesday in the school cafeteria to receive the final audit report for 2007-08 and information on 2009 PSAE testing. The second half-hour of the meeting will be devoted to community-related updates.

Parents and guardians of MacArthur students, as well as community members, are invited to attend.

DECATUR

West Main road work City crews will be working in the 500 block of West Main Street, between Monroe and College streets, repairing water service today.

The block will be partially closed from 8 a.m. to about 3 p.m.

DECATUR

ADM wins education award Archer Daniels Midland Co. has been named Corporate Leader of the Year by Jobs for America’s Graduates.

Michael D’Ambrose, senior vice president of human resources, accepted the award on behalf of the company in Washington, D.C., last month.

“At ADM, we believe we have a responsibility to our communities, and we are committed to making Decatur a better place to live and work,” said Mirinda Rothrock, ADM’s community engagement manager. “That means investing in our community’s youth so we can be successful.”

Jobs for America’s Graduates and the state affiliate, Jobs for Illinois Graduates, provides public school students a program designed to provide them with the skills and motivation to finishing high school and pursue higher education and careers.

Eisenhower High School and MacArthur High School each has a class of about 40 students in the program.

Local

Questions or comments regarding this section? Contact Night Editor John Reidy at 421-6973

Herald& Review

www.herald-review.com

City joins mutual aid network for emergencies Agencies work together during weather disasters

By KENNETH LOWE H&R Staff Writer

DECATUR — As another winter threatens the city with unexpected weather disasters, residents don’t have to feel as if they’re going it alone.

The city council has approved a plan to join with the Illinois Public Works Mutual Aid Network, a group of public works agencies that work together to provide aid to residents in their communities when a weather-related emergency happens.

City Manager Ryan McCrady said Decatur’s membership in the network means it will have the opportu-

nity to receive help from surrounding communities, as well as be at the ready should any neighbors need assistance.

“This agreement provides assistance both for the city of Decatur and other communities which may find themselves in times of need,” McCrady said.

Rick Marley, engineering and infrastructure director for the city and the interim president of the network, collaborated with other public works directors to organize the plan.

He said the network would provide member communities with access to aid resources not just in the immediate area but from all over the state, and it would make detailed plans for disaster or emergency response available to member organizations.

Marley noted some of the difficulties that faced city staff in the wake of the severe ice storm that blew through Central Illinois in December 2006. Questions arose at the time about who should seek reimbursement from whom.

“The whole goal behind this is to establish a business relationship with neighboring communities so that the fundamental questions of who pays for what are handled at the outset, and that a neighbor can call upon a neighbor for any kind of aid that they may need,” Marley said.

According to the agreement, the first five days’ worth of costs associated in emergency response would be covered by the agency that responds to the call for help, and member organizations are given

Developmental screenings Developmental screenings for children birth to 3 will be 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 16, at Pershing Early Learning Center, 2912 N. University Ave. Each child will receive a free book.

The screening takes about 45 minutes. Drop-ins are welcome. For an appointment, call 876-8329.

DECATUR

United Way volunteers The United Way of Decatur and Mid-Illinois is recruiting volunteers to help review programs applying for the 2009-10 funding cycle.

Fund distribution volunteers serve on a panel with 10 to 15 other people, attend seven meetings from January through April and review programs that improve access to health care, develop youth or help people in the community meet basic needs.

Contact the United Way at 202 E. Eldorado St., Suite B, in Decatur or 422-8537.

DECATUR

Arts Council grants The deadline for schools and nonprofit organizations to receive grants from the Decatur Area Arts Council is Sunday, Feb. 1.

Applications can be picked up at the Decatur Area Arts Council, 125 N. Water St., or printed from www.decaturarts.org. Call 423-3189.

klowe@herald-review.com|421-7985

By SHARON BARRICKLOW For the Herald & Review

Scholarships available

DECATUR

information on how to seek reimbursement from the Illinois Emergency Management Agency or its federal counterpart.

Marley said the Federal Emergency Management Agency requires that there be mutual aid agreements in place in order for a community to ask for reimbursement, and the agreement was put in place in part to address that requirement.

He said even though Decatur is large and well-staffed compared to some of the surrounding communities, the past has shown that it has received help as well as given it.

“When we needed help, the surrounding townships helped us,” Marley said. “We have a moral obligation to help them. Will it be disproportionate? I don’t think it will.”

Shelbyville nears end of $125,000 drive

SCULPTURE PRESENTED

MOUNT ZION

The Mount Zion Odd Fellows Lodge and Rebekah Lodge have several scholarships available for the 2009-10 school year.

The grants will be awarded based on financial need and academic ability. Applicants must have a “C” grade point average, be residents of Illinois and U.S. citizens and plan to attend an accredited college or trade school.

The application is available from until Sunday, Feb. 15, at www.ioofil.org. Completed applications must be received before Sunday, March 1, in Grand Lodge Office, 845 Wyatt Ave., Box 248, Lincoln, IL 626560248. Recipients will be notified by June.

A3

Herald & Review photos/Stephen Haas

Decatur sculptor John W. McClarey, left, stands for a group photo beside the new bronze bust of Abraham Lincoln, ‘Prairie Lawyer — Master of Us All,’ along with Illinois Supreme Court Justices, from left, Lloyd A. Karmeier, Thomas L. Kilbride, Charles E. Freeman, Chief Justice Thomas R. Fitzgerald, Robert R. Thomas, Rita B. Garman and Anne M. Burke and Jack C. Carey, president of the Illinois State Bar Association.

Lincoln goes to court

By JASON NEVEL H&R Springfield Bureau Writer

SPRINGFIELD — The Illinois Supreme Court received a bust of Abraham Lincoln from the Illinois State Bar Association on Monday to honor Illinois’ most famous lawyer.

The bronze bust was sculpted by John McClarey of Decatur. The retired teacher is well-known for his work depicting the 16th president.

“I think this is a wonderful remembrance, and I am just impressed by the character that shows in his face,” Illinois Supreme Court Justice Lloyd Karmeier said.

The country is celebrating the 200th anniversary of Lincoln’s birth this year. The statue dedication was one of a series of events in Springfield and across Illinois that will observe the Lincoln bicentennial.

McClarey has been sculpting for 25 years and has done nearly a dozen Lincoln portrayals. Some of his work can be seen in Springfield at the Lincoln Home National His-

McClarey’s bust of Lincoln toric Site and the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.

Other Lincoln statues by McClarey are located in Decatur, Taylorville, Vandalia and Charleston.

Lincoln rode the old 8th Judicial

Circuit in Central Illinois during his time as an attorney when he lived in Springfield.

The sculpture presented to the high court was called “Prairie Lawyer, Master of Us All.” The title comes from a line out of a Vachel Lindsay poem.

“All Illinoisans can cherish in the history of Lincoln,” McClarey said.

The sculpture will be displayed permanently at the Supreme Court building across from the State Capitol.

McClarey began working on the statue in February and started crafting the project from memory.

“I like to start from scratch to kind of get a feel for it,” he said.

McClarey was the 2005 recipient of the Richard Nelson Current Award of Achievement at the Lincoln Forum in Gettysburg, Pa., the first “visual historian” to receive this award.

A Millikin University graduate, he earned a master’s degree in history in 1971 from Illinois State. jason.nevel@lee.net|789-0865

SHELBYVILLE — Shelby County’s Lincoln Heritage Inc. has spent more than four years in a quest for almost $125,000 to place a statue and storyboards commemorating Lincoln at the Shelby County Courthouse.

The group has staged re-enactments of Abraham Lincoln’s debate with Shelbyville attorney Anthony Thornton, bagged groceries, held food fundraisers, raffled items and sold Christmas decorations. Another fundraiser they’ve had collected $473.50 in pennies from Shelby County students and others.

With less than $5,000 to go, the group is planning its final round of events.

Coming this weekend is “Mrs. Lincoln’s Attic,” a rummage sale. The group is hoping donated items will generate donated funds. Items to be sold include household items, holiday decorations, clothing, books, toys and videos.

“We’ll have a lot of things available,” Lincoln Hitage President Whitney Hardy said.

Other upcoming events include a soup supper and a celebration of Lincoln’s birthday. The re-enactors hold performances at which amateur actors play notable Shelbyville residents who witnessed the debate.

The goal is to promote tourism.

“We want Shelbyville to be a destination, not a drive-through,” Hardy said.

Others with the group agree.

“There is so much to see here and so much to learn,” Marie Robinson said. “When I moved here, I had no idea there was so much history in Shelbyville.”

Lincoln Heritage hopes the life-size bronze statue and storyboard will remind people of that history. sharonhrnews@yahoo.com

I F YO U G O WHAT: “Mrs. Lincoln’s Attic,” communitywide sale.

WHERE: Lions Club Building, Forest Park, Shelbyville.

WHEN: 3 to 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 16, and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 17.

PRICES: Items are for sale by donation.

Jones urges state Senate to go slow on impeachment

By KURT ERICKSON H&R Springfield Bureau Chief

SPRINGFIELD — When Gov. Rod Blagojevich goes on trial in the Illinois Senate later this month, his closest ally in the legislature in recent years won’t be there to back him up.

Senate President Emil Jones, who has stood with Blagojevich throughout his battles with the General Assembly, ends a 36-year career in Jones state government when he retires today.

On Monday, Jones urged his colleagues to be cautious when they take up the issue of Blagojevich’s impeachment Jan. 26.

“Maybe all the evidence may point in one direction, but it may be the wrong person,” Jones said. “We

‘Maybe all the evidence may point in one direction, but it may be the wrong person. We don’t have all the facts.’

Retiring Senate President Emil Jones don’t have all the facts.”

His comments come in the wake of Friday’s 114-1 vote in the House to impeach the governor for abuse of power.

Jones said the House vote was not a surprise, given the governor’s long-running problems with that chamber. He said he hopes the Senate trial will be an evenhanded

affair.

“I trust that those who are in the process of running it will look at fairness and look at equal representation on all sides of the issue and not just play to something that’s going to get them headlines in the press,” Jones said.

Jones, a Chicago Democrat, compared Blagojevich’s situation to former Gov. George Ryan’s decision to impose a moratorium on the death penalty out of concern that an innocent man or woman could be executed.

“What happened to most of those wrongfully convicted individuals, they were rushed through a process,” Jones said.

A special committee has spent the last few weeks setting out a blueprint for how the governor’s impeachment trial will be handled in the Senate.

When the Senate convenes the trial, Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Thomas Fitzgerald will serve as the head of the proceedings. Each senator will serve as a juror and judge at the same time. A two-thirds majority vote, or 40 of 59 senators, will be required to find the governor guilty and remove him from office.

Blagojevich on Monday signed one piece of legislation and went for a jog, a spokesman said. The governor is due in Springfield on Wednesday to preside over the swearing-in of the Senate.

Jones said he had no apologies for often siding with a governor who has been impeached and is charged with federal corruption.

“Through it all, I have few regrets,” Jones said. kurt.erickson@lee.net|789-0865

Calling all losers

Play of perfection

Herald & Review’s weight loss program wants you/D1

Warrensburg-Latham beats St. Teresa in last seconds/B1

Herald&Review WWW.HERALD-REVIEW.COM

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 14, 2009

Lawyer says verdict up to senators

Honored for aid

Attorney presenting impeachment case says situation hard to believe

By JASON NEVEL H&R Springfield Bureau Writer

The Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs honored Gordon Brenner of Decatur, who was wounded in the Vietnam War, for his work on behalf of veterans since returning from combat. Local A3

Associated Press

Retiring Senate President Emil Jones, DChicago, left, and Sen. Ira Silverstein, DChicago, talk on the Senate floor during a session at the Illinois State Capitol.

SPRINGFIELD — David Ellis joked Tuesday that he was not sure if his publisher in New York would believe the predicament that has plagued Illinois government the past month.

“I’m not sure anyone would believe it if I put it in the book,” Ellis said.

The lawyer for the House Democrats has been chosen to present the case against Gov. Rod Blagojevich in the Senate trial, expected to begin Jan. 26. The Democratic governor is the first Illinois governor to be impeached.

Ellis, 41, is a parttime novelist who has written five mystery Ellis books. He oversaw the legal work of the state House committee that recommended the move against Blagojevich. The report Ellis helped draft led to a 114-1

vote in favor of impeachment.

“It was an honor to serve on the committee,” Ellis said. “It’s a solemn honor to have the chance to represent the House before the Senate trial.”

Ellis was an attorney in Chicago from 1993 to 2006, after graduating from Northwestern University School of Law. He has been legal counsel to House Speaker Michael Madigan for the past two years.

Ellis has no prior experience in criminal court. However, the Senate trial is not criminal. The 59 senators

Watson’s leadership earns kudos

HAIL TO THE NEW CHIEF

Deficit up in smoke?

State Sen. Jeff Schoenberg proposed a $1 per pack boost in the state’s portion of the cigarette tax as a way for cash-strapped Illinois to raise money. The increase could bring in $320 million. Money C1

Illini’s second shot

In style in the White House Items bearing President-elect Obama’s likeness, slogan fly off the shelves

H&R Springfield Bureau Writers

Cold chills Midwest Temperatures crashed to arctic levels Tuesday as a severe cold wave rolled across the upper Midwest on the heels of another snowstorm, closing schools and making people think twice before going outside. Nation A6

Lake Decatur level watch Normal winter pool level . . . .612.5 Normal summer pool level . . .614.4 Herald & Review photos/Ralf Pansch

Yesterday’s level . . . . . . . . .612.55

HIGH

L O W

23 1 Today: Blowing snow Tonight: Windy and cold Details/B8

INDEX Classifieds. . . . . . . . . . C4-6 Comics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D5 Dear Abby . . . . . . . . . . . D2 Horoscopes . . . . . . . . . . D5 Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D1-8 Money . . . . . . . . . . . . . C1,2 Movies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D2 Obituaries . . . . . . . . . . D3,4 Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . A5 Puzzles . . . . . . . . . . . . C4-6 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . B1-7 Television . . . . . . . . . . . . D6

75 cents Our 137th year

Issue 14 Four sections

Delivery: 421-6990 Newsroom: 421-6979 Outside Decatur: 1-800-437-2533

Republican praised

by Senate colleagues as he steps down

By MIKE RIOPELL and KURT ERICKSON

Illinois gets a second chance tonight at the Assembly Hall, less than two weeks after dropping a 74-64 decision at Michigan. Sports B1

YOUR WEATHER

ATTORNEY/A2

Jae Choi, right, owner of U-Top Fashion and Beauty in Decatur, and his wife, Soo, show a customer one of the many T-shirts featuring the image of President-elect Barack Obama for sale at the shop.

By HUEY FREEMAN H&R Staff Writer

D

ECATUR — Traditionally, politicians are not likely candidates to command the kind of popularity that sends racks of clothing and other merchandise flying out of stores.

But Barack Obama has separated himself from the pack on the issue of T-shirts, sweatshirts, photo buttons and coffee mugs.

Throughout the nation, Obama is selling merchandise at a rate normally associated with preteen celebrities such as Hannah Montana.

“Obama-inspired products have been hot since the primaries,” said Karen DeMarco, spokeswoman for Zazzle, a California-based online store that offers more than 10 billion custom-designed products. “There are 112,251 Obama-inspired products available today, and that number continues to grow.”

Local merchants also are stocking a wide variety of items bearing the image of the president-elect, along with slogans celebrating his candidacy and victory.

Soo Choi organizes the rack of Barack Obama women’s Tshirts, including one that depicts the nation’s new first family.

At U-Top Fashion and Beauty on the Decatur’s northwest side, an entire wall at the rear of the spacious store is devoted to Obama T-shirts for men, while racks near the front are packed with smaller, feminine versions.

STYLE/A2

SPRINGFIELD — Today marks the end of Republican Frank Watson’s six years as Senate Minority Leader.

The Greenville pharmacist’s time leading the Senate’s Republicans was spent in the minority Watson party while the state faced significant budget challenges and political strife.

On Tuesday, Watson’s Senate colleagues praised what they said was often his blunt and honest assessments of politics and government.

“Frank Watson was exactly the leader that the Republicans in the Senate needed while Rod Blagojevich was governor,” said state Sen. Dale Righter, R-Mattoon.

Watson wasn’t in Springfield on Tuesday, as he continues to recover from a stroke he suffered last year.

The stroke and his rehabilitation eventually led to his decision to step down as leader, though he plans to continue serving in the Senate.

In a telephone interview, Watson said he was proud of leading Senate Republicans in their opposition to the spending plans pushed through the chamber by Democrats.

“We opposed the spending that got us into the trouble that we’re in today,” Watson said. “Over the years, we were right.”

Observers know Watson from emotional and animated speeches on the Senate floor that included, at least once, tossing a stack of papers. State Sen. Mike Jacobs, D-East Moline, said even Democrats appreciated that passion.

WATSON/A2

Well-attended Decatur Township caucuses yield party candidates Many Democratic incumbents fail in bid for April 7 spot

By RON INGRAM and KENNETH LOWE H&R Staff Writers

DECATUR — Incumbents fared poorly Tuesday evening in the Decatur Township Democratic caucus, as about

250 residents showed up to support one of two slates seeking nomination to run for the four-year township offices in the April 7 consolidated election.

Township Republicans also had a strong turnout on the second floor of Bizou at William and Main streets, with about 80 people attending. Precinct committeeman Jim Gresham said the

turnout was outstanding.

“I was very pleased with the turnout,” Gresham said.

“It’s the largest turnout we’ve had in a long time for a township caucus. It indicates to me that we’re on the right track.”

Neither Democratic slate saw all its candidates nominated.

Supervisor Vicki Sheets, a former trustee who was

appointed to the post in 2007, was defeated by Township Clerk Arthur Lee Walker by a vote of 132-103 in the contest for the party’s nomination for supervisor.

Trustee Ada Owens, a member of the slate headed

by Sheets, was nominated for township clerk, defeating former Assistant State’s Attorney Ken Boles by a tally of 149-90.

Denita “Dee” Matthews, manager of the Illinois Secretary of State Driver’s Services Facility and a member of Sheets’ slate, received the nod for assessor over Macon County Supervisor of Assessments Daysa Miller by a vote of 157-77.

Highway Commissioner Gordon Brenner, a Walker

TOWNSHIP/A2

A2 LOCAL

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2009

Here are the winning numbers selected Tuesday in the Illinois State Lottery:

Events Etc. “Ready, Set, Go, Digital!,” 6 p.m., Decatur Public Library Madden Auditorium, Decatur. 424-2900, ext. 7.

Nightlife All Request DJ, Radmaker’s Rock N Roll Tavern, Tolono. 4853531.

Karaoke, 8:30 p.m., Breakers, Clinton.

Open Mike Night, 8 p.m., Block’s Brewery, Decatur.

Health Flu Shot Clinic, 1 to 3:30 p.m., Macon County Health Department, Decatur. 423-6988, ext. 1333.

www.herald-review.com

DECATUR, ILLINOIS

Immunization Clinic, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Effingham County Health Department, Effingham. 342-9237.

Immunization Clinic, 9 to 10:30 a.m., Moultrie County Health Department, Sullivan. 728-4114.

Labor & Delivery Class III, 6:30 p.m., St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital Auditorium, Effingham. 3471529.

Mobile Mammography, 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Decatur Memorial Hospital Family Medicine, Mount Zion, 876-1111.

Pre-Postnatal Aerobics, Decatur Family YMCA, Decatur, 6:40 to 7:40 p.m. 872-9622.

Pregnancy Center, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Macon County Health Department, Decatur. 423-3794, ext. 1303.

Pregnancy Testing, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., New Life Pregnancy Center,

Plan your week with our calendar every Thursday

MORE EVENTS: www.herald-review.com

Pick Three-Midday 7-2-2 Pick Three-Evening 9-5-2

Pick Four-Midday 5-9-5-6 Pick Four-Evening 7-4-8-4

WHAT’S HAPPENING

T O D AY Decatur, 872-5555.

Tuberculosis Clinic and Testing, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Macon County Health Department, Decatur. 423-1472.

Meetings All States Bowling, 9:15 a.m., Spare Time Lanes, Decatur, 8770764.

Business Network International, 11:30 a.m., Decatur Conference and Hotel, Decatur, 420-8714.

Decatur Shrine Club, noon, Scovill Banquet Facility, Decatur.

Golden K Kiwanis, 9:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Room, Decatur.

Prairie River Historians, 7 p.m., Argenta-Oreana Public Library,

Argenta.

Staley Retirees Club, 11:30 a.m., AIW Hall, Decatur.

Seniors LifeSpan Center, AARP Safe Driving Class, 1 to 5 p.m., Charleston. $12 A.A.R.P., members; $14 non-members. 639-5150.

Decatur-Macon County Senior Citizen, Fitness Class, 10 a.m., Bunco, 1 p.m., Decatur, 429-1239.

Johns Hill Center, Ceramics Class, 1 to 4 p.m., Decatur, 429-7750.

Salvation Army, Ceramics Group, 8 a.m. to noon, Decatur.

Decatur-Macon County Senior Citizen, Decatur, 429-1239.

Mattoon YMCA, Mattoon Area

TOWNSHIP Continued from A1

Herald & Review/Ralf Pansch

Soo Choi, co-owner of U-Top Fashion and Beauty in Decatur, inventories the store’s stock of Barack Obama buttons.

STYLE Continued from A1 Soo Choi, co-owner of UTop, said she has been ordering large batches of various T-shirts, which sold especially well before Christmas. Baseball caps and lapel buttons also are available.

One shirt proclaims “Barack Obama, Commander-in-Chief,” another declares him “The Leader of Hope.” On another shirt, Obama, in boxing trunks and gloves, stands over a defeated foe lying on the canvas, and the shirt proclaims that Obama is “The New Champ, The People’s Choice.”

The most popular seller at U-Top carries a photo of the entire Obama family.

“The ones with the picture of the Obama family are all gone,” Choi said. However, there were a few still available on the women’s rack early in the week before the inauguration.

Choi said most of the Obama clothes apparently were purchased to wear at special events, rather than everyday attire.

Naomi Johnson, a U-Top customer, said she and her sister each bought an Obama T-shirt during the campaign to wear to Obama’s speech in Springfield where he announced his vice presidential choice.

“It’s just exciting,” Naomi said. “I was interested in the campaign. I’ve never been interested before.”

U-Top employee Brittany Boyce said Election Day was one of the biggest shopping days for Obama clothes.

“The same day, we had a lot of people come in to buy shirts to celebrate the fact that we had a new president coming in,” Boyce said.

She said she has not seen Obama in person yet, but she would love to someday.

“I really do think he’s going to do everything he said he’s going to do and make our country a better

ATTORNEY Continued from A1 will act as jurors, judging the evidence presented by Ellis and Blagojevich’s attorney.

“It will be up to each individual senator to determine if I have made my case,” Ellis said. “What level of proof they may need is going to be up to the discretion and conscience of each individual senator.”

There are no plans to call senators as witnesses, Ellis said. He added that he would continue to seek the release of four audiotapes offered by U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald that are the sub-

place,” Boyce said.

At Fashion Divine in Fairview Plaza, the store’s selection of Obama attire includes T-shirts carrying images resembling magazine covers. One shirt bears an Obama Time magazine cover, while another contains an imitation cover consisting of several images, including a wedding photo of Barack and Michelle Obama.

Store Manager Damian Shin, a Fashion Divine employee since it opened eight years ago, said he has never seen any other person honored with so many different products.

He said the sales are slow right now, but he expects them to pick up after Obama becomes president.

At CafePress, a California-based company that produces customer-designed products, the demand for Obama items has not slowed.

“It is definitely a phenomenon,” spokesman Marc Cowlin said.

During the holiday season, Obama merchandise outsold all rivals at the company, which sells about 200 million products.

“Obama merchandise was more popular than Santa Claus during the holiday season,” Cowlin said. “It really hasn’t tapered off. We’ve done an amazing business with this election and other elections. Obama has outsold every other politician that we’ve seen.”

The company noticed in 2004 that most of the requested items were about George W. Bush, positive and negative. Wondering if there was a correlation between sales and election results, the company monitored the 2008 election.

Once again, the sales leader went on to victory.

“During the entire year, Obama had 51 percent of the cumulative sales,” Cowlin said. “The next closest was John McCain at 18 percent.”

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slate member, received 121 votes and the nomination to seek a third term. He was challenged by Mark D. Wickland, who received 82 votes, and Jerry Potts, who received 30 votes.

Of the three remaining incumbent trustees, only Hilda Walker, Arthur Lee Walker’s sister, won nomination to seek a third term, with 151 votes. Incumbents Gary Brennan and Gary Minich were defeated. Nominated to run for trustee from the Walker slate were Lisa Jones with 132 votes and Raushana Pender with 126 votes. They will be joined on the Democratic ballot by Rene Verry, a member of the Sheets slate, who garnered 114 votes.

The brief speeches by candidates prior to the balloting were mostly positive.

Only Boles took time to attack Sheets and the majority of the township board for its treatment in the last two years of the Walkers, particularly Arthur Lee

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Senior Center Tai-Chi Classes, 10:30 a.m., Mattoon.

Support Groups Alcoholics Anonymous, 5:30 p.m., St. John’s Episcopal Tomorrow’s Church, highlight: Decatur. 521School of 7205 or 855Music Student 8312.

Recital, 1:45 Alcoholics p.m., Perkinson Anonymous, Music Center 8 p.m., First Kaeuper Hall, Presbyterian Decatur.

Church, Taylorville, 8243028 or 8243676.

Autism Society Parent Support Group, 7:15 p.m., The Autism Project, Springfield, 1-877-311-7703.

Choices, 4:30 p.m., Dove Inc., DeWitt County office, Clinton. 9356072.

Drug/Alcohol Education, Dove Inc., Decatur, 1:30 and 5 p.m. 428-

Walker. While stating that he was disgusted with that treatment, Boles did not specify it.

The board recently cut the clerk’s salary for the new term by about $12,000 and previously removed township records from his office to a general storage area.

At the GOP caucus, Gresham said taxation will be one of the biggest issues Republican candidates will speak about.

“From the assessment standpoint, there have been some gross assessing errors,” Gresham said. “The taxpayers have been abused by what’s going on in Decatur Township in the last four years.”

Local business owner Duane Potter was nominated to run for township supervisor in April. Potter beat former circuit court Judge John L. Davis in a 53-26 vote.

Potter, who held the same position from 1993 to 1997, said a lot has changed since he last acted as supervisor, and it will take some investigation to find out a full list of issues that need to be worked out.

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6616.

Facing Cancer Together, 1 p.m., Decatur Memorial Hospital Rehab Conference Room, Decatur.

876-2380.

Lighthouse Group (relationships), 7:30 p.m., Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center, Lumpkin Family Center for Health Education, Mattoon. 348-4040 or 258-4040.

Narcotics Anonymous, noon, AFFAS, 2520 E. William St., Decatur, 1-800-539-0475.

Narcotics Anonymous, 7 p.m., Westminster Presbyterian Church, Decatur, 1-800-539-0475.

Take Off Pounds Sensibly, 5:15 to 6:30 p.m., Unity Church, Decatur, 358-4222.

Contact us Submissions of items for inclusion in the calendar must be in writing or by email to Calendar, Herald & Review, Box 311, Decatur, IL 62525 or rpansch@ herald-review.com or by noon Monday the week prior to publication. Phone calls will not be accepted for submissions.

“We were in very good financial shape, and our operation was clean as we could make it at that time,” Potter said of his previous tenure as supervisor. “A lot of things have happened since then that need to be addressed. In a township, you seldom know what all those things are.”

Potter said one issue he hopes to address is the movement of the assessor’s office to a different building than the county building.

“I believe that was a mistake and needs to be addressed. I was not in favor of the new building they are building, but I don’t know at this stage how to reverse that,” Potter said. “It’s not right to make our recipients have to get out to that location.”

In other uncontested votes, Tom Greanias was slated for township assessor and John Bollutta, Michael Sexton, Chris Siudyla and Mark Younker were nominated for the four trustee positions. A nominee has not yet been named for township clerk. ringram@herald-review.com|421-7973

Alternatives are popular in a tough economy Herbal remedy sales rise with medicine, insurance increases

By LINDSEY TANNER AP Medical Writer

CHICAGO — The choice between $75 prescription sleeping pills or a $5 herbal alternative is a no-brainer for Cathy and Bernard Birleffi, whose insurance costs have skyrocketed along with the nation’s financial woes.

The Calistoga, Calif., couple seem to reflect a trend. With many Americans putting off routine doctor visits and selfmedicating to save money, use of alternative treatments is on the rise, even though evidence is often lacking on their safety and effectiveness.

Climbing sales of herbal medicines have paralleled the tanking economy, according to an Associated Press review of recent data from marketwatchers and retailers.

One prominent example: Austin, Texas-based Whole Foods Market Inc. says its stores nationwide have seen an increase in sales of nutritional supplements and herbal products in the past several weeks. That’s “noteworthy” given the retail industry’s financial slump, said Whole Foods spokesman Jeremiah C. McElwee.

While winter usually is a busy time for herbal medicine sales because it’s the season for colds and flu, “more people are value shopping” now because of the economy, McElwee said.

Cathy Birleffi says she’s among them.

“The doctors are so much higher (in cost), the insur-

Associated Press

Kristen Kemp, left, has a cup of herbal tea with her 3-year-old twin daughters, Annabelle, right, and Estelle at their home in Montclair, N.J. To cut costs, Kemp uses home remedies and herbal medicine for her children’s sore throats and colds instead of prescription medications. ance isn’t paying as much,” said the 61-year-old selfemployed bookkeeper and notary. Her husband, a retired dispatcher, has high blood pressure and seizures. Recent changes in their health insurance coverage resulted in $1,300 in monthly premiums, double what they used to be.

Until they tried herbal alternatives, including valerian for insomnia, “every time I turned around, it was $50 here, $75 there” for prescriptions, Cathy Birleffi said.

High costs of conventional health care and worries about the economy also led Kristen Kemp of Montclair, N.J., to alternatives.

“Just going to the doctor

will cost me $20 per kid, and I have three kids,” said Kemp, 34. Prescriptions are $20 each, too, under the family’s insurance plan, so Kemp said she’s been giving her kids tea with honey for sore throats and various Chinese herbs for colds and stomachaches. At $10 for a big bottle, the herbs are cheaper even than regular over-thecounter medicines, Kemp said.

“I’m trying to save money,” said Kemp, an editor for Cafe Mom, a social networking Web site for mothers. Her husband is in the shaky banking industry.

“Just in case something bad happens to our jobs, I want more money in the bank,” she said.

A government survey report co-author Richard Nahin of the National Institutes of Health’s National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine offered cautionary advice on the topic.

People taking herbal and other supplements should let their doctor know what they’re using, said Nahin, acting director of the center’s branch that oversees outside research the agency funds.

Supplements and other alternative treatments don’t require rigorous testing and government approval. They also can interfere with prescription drugs and can be life-threatening in rare cases when combined, Nahin said.

islative leader from downstate Illinois. Watson’s planned successor, state Sen. Christine Radogno, RLemont, is from the Chicago suburbs.

During his term as leader starting in 2003, Watson has seen his group of Republican lawmakers shrink as Democrats have fared better in recent elections. As leader, Watson controlled the flow of campaign cash to candidates, but colleagues argued Tuesday that those losses weren’t his fault.

“Given the environment nationally, I think, strategically, Frank did as good a job as anyone could have done,” said state Sen. Bill Brady, RBloomington.

Locally, leaders said Watson’s position helped win vic-

tories in his 51st District.

Fayette County Republican Chairman Randy Pollard pointed at Blagojevich’s effort in 2004 to close Vandalia Correctional Center.

“I think his leadership role helped save the prison in Vandalia,” Pollard said.

Watson also points to longrunning efforts by Nebraskabased Tenaska to build a coalfired power plant in Taylorville, which he has supported. On Monday, Blagojevich signed legislation that is seen as a step forward for that project.

Among his regrets is the failure of the legislature to agree on a statewide construction program, but he said that plan could still come together.

“We may see that someday.

I hope we do,” Watson said.

Watson’s departure as minority leader comes at same time as Senate President Emil Jones is leaving the General Assembly altogether. He’s been a member since 1973.

hfreeman@herald-review.com|421-6985

ject of legal arguments in U.S. District Court in Chicago.

“It would be helpful to have them, but by no means would it be the end-all, beall,” Ellis said.

The trial will be similar to President Bill Clinton’s trial a decade ago, but it will only have a single prosecutor instead of using several House managers to try the case.

Supreme Court Chief Justice Thomas Fitzgerald will preside over the trial. The Senate has set aside nine days, although it could take longer, to hear each side of the case. jason.nevel@lee.net|789-0865

WATSON Continued from A1 “I think he would have much rather worked with the Democratic caucus to make Illinois a better place than throw papers in the air,” Jacobs said. “But sometimes you’re reduced to throwing papers in the air in the legislature.”

Watson acknowledged his emotions had gotten the best of him that day but has no regrets.

“I made a big fool of myself,” he chuckled. “But in the end, we were vindicated.”

Watson has been a state lawmaker since 1979 and served in the Senate since 1983. He leaves the Republicans’ top spot as the only leg-

mike.riopell@lee.net|789-0865

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OPINION

BILL O’REILLY

Panetta is poor choice for CIA Who knew Leon Panetta was really James Bond? The 70-year-old former congressman is considered a very nice guy in the political world, a world that is anything but nice. But now President-elect Obama has tapped Panetta to be a tough-guy spy, the head of the CIA. The choice is perplexing.

Panetta is very smart but has absolutely no intelligence experience, unless you count his days as Bill Clinton’s White House chief of staff. Some old hands inside the CIA are reportedly aghast at the choice. Michael Scheuer, a former member of the CIA who headed the agency’s bin Laden unit, put it succinctly: “I think they pulled his name out of a hat.”

BESIDES HIS lack of experience, Panetta opposes many of the CIA’s anti-terror measures. He’s against any kind of coerced interrogation, wants the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act overseas wiretap law repealed and would completely disband the rendition program whereby the CIA sends captured terror suspects to be held and interrogated in other countries.

Without those tools, which former CIA Chief George Tenet and others say have been very effective in uncovering terror plots, the agency’s ability to disrupt potential attacks would be gravely damaged. In fact, it was just last February when 68 senators, some of them Democrats, voted the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act wiretap strategy into law. For the record, Obama declined to vote on the issue.

BUT NOW, Obama can’t sit these things out. He must decide how to wage the war on terror, and by selecting Panetta as his point man, he’s taking a huge gamble. If terrorists again attacked the United States, Obama’s soft intelligence-gathering approach also would come under attack. Simply put: A successful terror mission could bring Obama down.

So why is Obama putting himself in this position?

The media have convinced many people that the Bush administration degenerated into a bunch of criminal torturers, people who persecuted innocent Muslims worldwide. Now the committed-left media are demanding Obama reject any experienced intelligence people who have supported President Bush’s terror initiatives. That’s why Panetta was chosen, to appease the left-wing zealots.

It seems to me that common sense, not ideology, is vital in preventing terrorists from killing us. Could Panetta learn on the job to run the CIA? Certainly.

Should he be in charge when we are fighting two wars and terrorist bombs are going off all over the world? No way.

AS FOR TAPPING calls to suspected terrorists overseas, come on. Judges have to see the data after the fact, and federal law still applies to any abuse.

A private detective named Anthony Pellicano just got a harsh prison sentence for violating the wiretap law.

It’s the same thing with coerced interrogation. The president should have the power to order it when lives are in imminent danger from a terror threat. However, Panetta recently told a newspaper that all interrogations should abide by the Army Field Manual, which prohibits making any captured person “uncomfortable.”

Well, that kind of restriction should make you uncomfortable. Because in the war on terror, a lack of quick intelligence could make you dead. www.billoreilly.com

A5 Wednesday, January 14, 2009

www.herald-review.com

OUR VIEWS

Jones’ parting statements not a surprise Herald&Review EDITORIAL BOARD Todd Nelson Publisher

David Dawson

Gary Sawyer

Managing Editor

Editor

The First Amendment: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

Unsigned editorials are opinions reached by consensus of the Herald & Review Editorial board. All other articles on this page are the opinions solely of the authors. We encourage readers to offer opinions on information provided by the Herald & Review.

GOV. ROD Blagojevich will be in Springfield today to swear in the new General Assembly, just days after the Illinois House voted 114-1 to impeach him.

While it will be interesting to note the reception Blagojevich receives, today is largely ceremonial. Although no one can predict what this governor will do, nothing unusual is expected.

Today also marks the first day in 30 years former Senate President Emil Jones, D-Chicago, hasn’t been in the General Assembly to protect the governor.

Jones didn’t leave quietly, warning his colleagues to move slowly on impeachment. The Senate is scheduled to begin the impeachment trial Jan. 26.

“Maybe all the evidence may point in one direction, but it may be the wrong person,’’ Jones said on his last day as a legislator. “We don’t have all of the facts.”

Jones also echoed a comment made by Blagojevich that the House impeachment vote was expected because of the governor’s long-running problems with House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, and the House in general. Jones said he hopes the Senate trial will be an evenhanded affair.

“I trust that those who are in the process of running it will look at fairness and look at equal representation on all sides of the issue and not just play to something that’s going to them a headlines in the press,” Jones said, guaranteeing himself headlines.

Jones also suggested Blagojevich is like the

death row inmates who later were found to be innocent, which led to Gov. George Ryan’s moratorium on the death penalty. “What happened to most of those wrongly convicted individuals, they were rushed through a process,” Jones said.

The impeachment trial, however, is not a criminal proceeding. While the impeachment process began after Blagojevich was arrested and charged by U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, the burdens of proof are totally different.

In fact, the impeachment decision approved by the House speaks more to Blagojevich’s flouting of the Constitution by setting up health insurance programs that were not approved by the General Assembly, by his inability to lead both now and in the past and by charges that he used the state’s hiring practices for political purposes.

The case for impeachment must have been strong, only one representative voted against it.

It takes 40 of the 59 Illinois senators to remove a governor from office, and it’s hard to see how the governor will avoid removal from office.

Of course, the governor could resign and save the state, himself and his family the embarrassment of a public impeachment trial. To date, the governor has shown no willingness to resign, but instead, has been defiantly saying he’s the victim.

Jones, who has stood by the governor for the past six years, apparently doesn’t feel remorse for his role. He’s been an enabler, a powerful ally who allowed the governor to operate outside the bounds of the constitution. Jones said he has “few regrets,” a statement that reveals a good deal about his view of public service.

LETTERS City should have considered using Regions building

Minnick’s story stands out, even in Longworth On the opening day of Congress, the elevator deposited me on the fifth floor of the Longworth House Office Building, where, as I expected, the parties celebrating the hardfought November election victories had spilled out of the offices and filled the corridor with revelry worthy of New Year’s Eve. The fifth floor of Longworth is not where you find the spacious suites commandeered by committee chairmen and senior members. The offices here are small, cramped and occupied by freshmen who draw numbers in a lottery and try to snag quarters close to the elevators. But on opening day, friends and families who have arrived to launch the freshmen into their new careers self-consciously mix and mingle with folks from other states doing the same thing. It’s a wonderful day, a reminder of all the hard work and sacrifice it takes to win a House seat when you’re not an incumbent.

Every new member has his own story. Walt Minnick’s is more unusual than most.

FOR ONE THING, he is only the second Democrat to hold his House seat in the last 42 years and the first in 14 years to come to Washington from the famously Republican state of Idaho.

For another, he is, at 66, much older than most of the other freshmen, but ran and finished the Boston Marathon

DAVID BRODER

OPINIONS? CONTACT US:

last year. Finally, he is the only former Nixon White House staff member to win election to this Congress. He resigned in protest immediately after the “Saturday night massacre,” when Richard Nixon ousted his attorney general to remove Archibald Cox as the Watergate special prosecutor.

Minnick told me he had just come out of the Army when a Harvard Law School classmate who was a White House fellow suggested he apply for a vacant job on Nixon’s staff. Not yet 30, he was working anonymously on drug-control issues when Watergate broke. “I realized I was not comfortable serving that kind of president,” he said, “so I became the second person on the staff to resign.”

A NATIVE OF eastern Washington and lover of the outdoors, he chose Boise as his home and joined a forest products company, eventually becoming its president. Later, he started a successful nursery business.

Then politics came along. In 1996, Sen. Bob Kerrey of Nebraska, then head of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, recruited Minnick to run against Republican Sen. Larry Craig. “I was an independent, and I told him I wanted to run as an independent. He had no problem with that, but Cecil Andrus (the former Idaho governor and interior secretary) phoned me and said that if that was my plan, they’d run another Democrat against Craig and see that I finished third. So at that point I became a Democrat.”

But Minnick still sees himself as someone who straddles party lines.

Last fall, he found Idahoans “so fed up with the partisanship in Washing-

WRITE: Herald & Review Letter to the editor Box 311, Decatur, IL 62525-0311

ton” that his message resonated. He had the advantage of being up against a highly partisan Republican, Rep. Bill Sali, who had feuded even with other Republicans and carved out one of the most conservative records in the House.

“MY WHOLE campaign was aimed at persuadable Republicans,” Minnick told me. Fueled by $900,000 of his personal funds (“twice what I planned to put in”), Minnick closed his campaign with a series of ads in which Idahoans said, “I’ve been a Republican all my life, but I’m voting for Walt Minnick.”

It worked, but barely. Minnick won with less than 51 percent of the votes.

This means, of course, that he will be high on the Republican target list for 2010. “Chris Van Hollen (the chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee) told me that I sit in the 14th-most Republican district in the country, and the other 13 are all held by Republicans,” Minnick said. “So he wants me home every weekend.”

Minnick is following orders. He has taken a small apartment on Capitol Hill while his wife and children remain in Boise. He says he is ready to show his new constituents a different style of representation, one not marked by partisanship.

He has joined the Blue Dog caucus of conservative Democrats and, on opening day, co-sponsored with Rep. Mike Simpson, the Republican from the neighboring district, a bill to protect an Idaho wilderness area.

His is one story of many, and that’s what makes opening day on Longworth Five a good place to be. davidbroder@washpost.com

E-MAIL: ddawson@ herald-review.com

How can the present city council make an informal decision to move forward on the architectural firm for the new police building without taking bids on an approximately $1 million contract? This council is basically agreeing to spend $15.5 million to $17.5 million for the new building. Although, I would venture a guess that this new building actually will cost closer to $23 million.

Why did this council eliminate the prospect of leasing and remodeling the Regions Bank building for about $6 million? We understand the owners of the Regions building agreed to give it to the city at the end of the 20-year lease. The upper floors are available immediately for storage of the records and other materials that are taking up a lot of space and free up space for room desperately needed by the police department.

We personally pay real estate taxes on nine properties in the city of Decatur, and we are very concerned about the taxpayers’ cost for public buildings and continued rising costs for insurance and pension plans. We wonder if any other taxpayers are concerned or upset at the decision not to insist the Regions building be at least reviewed again. Why did the staff and the past city manager recommend the Regions building so strongly? Why not?

We are asking anyone concerned today about the cost of this project to contact council members immediately to be sure all options have been reviewed.

Jim and Susie Peck Decatur

Obama likely made his position clear on Senate job B.A. Buttz, in a Dec. 29 letter to the editor, asks us if it is absurd to think Gov. Rod Blagojevich and President-elect Barack Obama did not talk to each other about the vacated Illinois senate seat.

I am sure everyone heard Obama’s statement on the question. He was quick to claim he didn’t have conversations with Blagojevich. I didn’t believe Blagojevich for a minute, but I believe Obama. He has always told us the truth, hasn’t he? Well, OK, but I still believe him this time.

I also believe Obama told Rahm Emanuel exactly what to say when he called his good friend Blagojevich on his behalf. Obama gets his message sent without getting his hands dirty.

Kent Newton Mount Zion The Herald & Review welcomes letters to the editor from readers on topics of general interest and public policy.

Letters must be signed with the writer’s full name and contain a current mailing address and telephone number (daytime and evening) for verification purposes. Letters must contain 300 words or less. Writers are limited to one letter every 30 days. Letters that are libelous, of limited interest or in poor taste will be rejected.

Letters may be sent via mail, fax, e-mail or hand-delivered. Contacts are listed at the bottom of the page.

The Herald & Review reserves the right to edit, condense or reject any letter.

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Hot second half

Skillet skills

Illinois rolls over Michigan in Champaign rematch/B1

Celebrity chefs, including Paula Deen, share recipes/D1

Herald&Review WWW.HERALD-REVIEW.COM

THURSDAY JANUARY 15, 2009

Roll ’em up

Swearing-in takes solemn tone Money, budget top new General Assembly’s agenda

Governor returns to Capitol to preside over group that could decide to put him out of office

By KURT ERICKSON H&R Springfield Bureau Chief

Red Cross officials recently said that blood supplies are dwindling to critically low numbers.

Blood types O negative and B negative are needed most. Local A3

Energy accolades Lake Land College’s energy saving and education efforts have sparked the interest of Barack Obama’s transition team. It also received national recognition for its technology efforts. Money C1

SPRINGFIELD — Gov. Rod Blagojevich was greeted with hushed silence Wednesday on his first foray to the Capitol since his Dec. 9 arrest and subsequent impeachment by the Illinois House.

Presiding over the swearing-in ceremony for the Illinois Senate, the disgraced governor entered the Senate chambers from a rear door with no fanfare and impassively presided over the hour-long event.

While normally a day of backslapping and good humor, Blagojevich and his travails muted the mood of the chamber, which scheduled his impeachment trial to begin Jan. 26.

Blagojevich has been absent from the statehouse since federal agents arrested him at his home in Chicago on federal corruption charges.

As part of the first day of the new General Assembly, newly sworn-in members of the Illinois

SOLEMN/A2

First up for Senate will be impeachment trial

By MIKE RIOPELL and JASON NEVEL H&R Springfield Bureau Writers

Associated Press

Gov. Rod Blagojevich applauds as he presides over the Illinois Senate on Wednesday in Springfield.

Blagojevich is required to oversee the swearing-in of the state Senate, which will decide whether to throw the two-term Democrat out of office after he was impeached Friday by the House.

SPRINGFIELD — Many of the Illinois lawmakers sworn into the 96th General Assembly on Wednesday said their top priority for the spring is dealing with the state’s serious money problems.

By the end of the legislature’s spring session, lawmakers could have to weigh proposals for deep cuts to state services and various kinds of tax increases to shore up the state’s books.

“We’re going to be looking at cutting off some arms and legs before this thing is over,” said state Sen. Mike Jacobs, D-East

HEADED FOR D.C.

Hopes for peace

‘We’re honored and surprised to be invited to this inaugural parade. Not that we don’t deserve it.’

— Pat Monahan, Arcola Lawn Rangers founder

Egyptian and Hamas officials expressed optimism that an agreement for a temporary halt in fighting can be presented to Israel soon. World C4

By MIKE STOBBE

Lake Decatur level watch Normal winter pool level . . . .612.5 Normal summer pool level . . .614.4 Yesterday’s level . . . . . . . . .612.34

YOUR WEATHER Herald & Review photos/Stephen Haas

Tim Singer of Arthur pushes a mower featuring a photo of Barack Obama across U.S. 45 near the Arcola Community Center.

The photo of Obama used on the mower as a decoration was taken in Chicago’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade in 2003.

4 -9 Today: Partly sunny and frigid Tonight: Clear and bitterly cold Details/B6

INDEX Classifieds. . . . . . . . . . C4-7 Comics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D5 Dear Abby . . . . . . . . . . . D2 Horoscopes . . . . . . . . . . D5 Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D1-6 Money . . . . . . . . . . . . . C1,2 Movies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D2 Obituaries . . . . . . . . . . D3,4 Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . A4 Puzzles . . . . . . . . . . . . C5,7 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . B1-5 Television . . . . . . . . . . . . D6

75 cents Our 137th year

Issue 15 Four sections

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Checklist helps cut surgical death rate AP Medical Writer

States are trying to balance budgets by raising taxes, chopping programs and cutting spending in 2009, but some worry those steps could undercut efforts to stimulate the economy. Nation A8

L O W

AGENDA/A2

Study: System aids in avoiding mistakes

Stimulus in jeopardy

HIGH

Moline.

But the battle over the budget might not come to a head until May, after the impeachment process currently under way against Gov. Rod Blagojevich has ended.

Members of the Illinois House took their oaths of office outside their ornate Capitol chamber, opting instead for a large auditorium at nearby University of Illinois at Springfield.

Before they left the crowded auditorium, the House impeached Blagojevich again, formalizing what they did in the prior General Assembly for the current one. The governor, meanwhile, presided over the Illinois

Mowing new ground The second Lawn Rangers’encounter with Obama will be to celebrate his inauguration

By TONY REID H&R Staff Writer

ARCOLA — Those magnificent men and their mowing machines saddled up Wednesday, ready to cut a swath through presidential history.

The Arcolabased Lawn Rangers, perhaps the world’s only precision mower marching team, have been chosen by President-elect Barack Obama to grace his inaugural parade on Tuesday.

In an emotional and yet completely ridiculous ceremony, the mowers were solemnly gathered together, ready for the trip to Washington, D.C. Historians can’t be sure, but it seems almost certain the 56th inauguration parade will be the first ever to feature a

mower fitted with a toilet stool.

Pat Monahan, the Arcola businessman who helped found the Rangers in 1981, was clearly emotional. Standing close by another mower that features a stuffed beaver swaying on the end of a long spring, he struggled to find a sense of humility: “We’re honored and surprised to be invited to this inaugural parade,” he said.

“Not that we don’t deserve it.”

It turns out that the politician soon to become the leader of the free world and the men who march with tricked-out mowers have crossed paths before. They first encountered each other in the 2003 St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Chicago. Obama was a young

MOW/A2

One of the mowers to be used by the Arcola Lawn Rangers in the inauguration parade in Washington, D.C., waits to be loaded up at the Arcola Community Center.

ATLANTA — Scrawl on the patient with a permanent marker to show where the surgeon should cut. Ask the person’s name to make sure you have the right patient.

Count THE sponges to make NET sure you New England didn’t Journal: nejm. leave any org inside the body.

Doctors worldwide who followed a checklist of steps such as these cut the death rate from surgery almost in half and complications by more than a third in a large international study of how to avoid blatant operating room mistakes.

The results, most dramatic in developing countries, startled the researchers.

“I was blown away,” said Dr. Atul Gawande, a Harvard surgeon and medical journalist who led the study, published in today’s New England Journal of Medicine.

U.S. hospitals have been required since 2004 to take some of these precautions.

But the 19-item checklist used in the study was far more detailed than what is required or what many institutions do.

The researchers estimated that implementing the longer checklist in all U.S. operating rooms would save at least $15 billion a year.

“Most of these things happen most of the time for most patients, but we need to make it so that all these things happen all the time for all patients, because each slip represents an opportunity for harm,” said Dr. Alex Haynes of the Harvard School of Public Health, one of the study’s authors.

The checklist was developed by the World Health Organization and includes measures such as these:

CHECKLIST/A2

A2 LOCAL

THURSDAY, JANUARY 15, 2009

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DECATUR, ILLINOIS

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Events Music School of Music Student Recital, 1:45 p.m., Millikin University, Perkinson Music Center Kaeuper Hall, Decatur.

Nightlife “Stevie Ray” Kelton, 9 p.m., Curly’s, Decatur.

David Lee the DJ, 10 p.m., Lock, Stock and Barrel, Decatur.

DJ/Karaoke, 8:30 p.m., Elbow Room, Decatur.

Jackie Lawson and Tad Freezland, 6:30 p.m., Stoney’s Steakhouse, Dalton City.

Karaoke/DJ with Ricky, 9:30 p.m., Shorty’s, Decatur.

Live DJ, TouChe’, Decatur.

Open mic night, 7 p.m., AIW Hall, Decatur, 875-2416.

The Road Hammers with Matt Poss, Radmaker’s Rock N Roll Tav-

ern, Tolono. 485-3531.

Tom Fuller Band, 9 p.m., Sliderz, Decatur.

On Stage “Funny Valentines,” 6 p.m., Conklin’s Barn II Dinner Theatre, Goodfield, $31. (309) 965-2545.

Health Blood Pressure Screening, 2 to 3 p.m., Lake Towers, Shelbyville.

Free. 1-800-879-3212.

Cardiac Rehab Orientation, 1 to 3 p.m., Decatur Memorial Hospital Cardiac Rehabilitation Department, Decatur. Free. 876-2496.

Cholesterol, Blood Glucose and Blood Pressure Clinic, 8 to 9:30 a.m., Senior Center, Sullivan.

Cholesterol test ($20), blood glucose test ($3), blood pressure check (free). 1-800-879-3212.

Cholesterol, Blood Glucose and Blood Pressure Screenings,

Plan your week with our calendar every Thursday

MORE EVENTS: www.herald-review.com

CHECKLIST

MOW

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n Before the patient is given anesthesia, make sure the part of the body to be operated on is marked, and make sure everyone on the surgical team knows if the patient has an allergy. n Before the surgeons cut, make sure everyone in the operating room knows one another and what their roles will be during the operation, and confirm that all the needed X-rays and scan images are in the room. n After surgery, check that all the needles, sponges and instruments are accounted for.

That checklist was tested in 2007-08 in eight cities around the world: Seattle; Toronto; London; New Delhi; Auckland, New Zealand; Amman, Jordan; Manila, Philippines; and Ifakara, Tanzania. (Heart and pediatric cases were excluded.)

Before the checklist was introduced, 1.5 percent of patients in a comparison group died within 30 days of surgery at the eight hospitals. Afterward, the rate dropped to 0.8 percent, a 47 percent decrease.

The biggest decreases were in developing countries, with the combined death rate for Jordan, India, Tanzania and the Philippines falling 52 percent. There was no significant difference in deaths in the wealthiest countries.

Overall, major complications dropped from 11 percent to 7 percent. Again, the biggest decreases were in the lower-income countries.

“What we’re seeing is the benefits of good teamwork and coordinated care,” Haynes said.

The results were so dramatic that Dr. Peter Pronovost, a Johns Hopkins University doctor who proved in a highly influential study a few years ago that checklists could cut infection rates from intravenous tubes, said he was skeptical of the findings.

One possible flaw, he said, is that “you had people who bought into the system collecting their own data.”

The researchers acknowledged it is possible that the results were partly because people perform better when they know they’re being watched.

However, the 19-point checklist already is being adopted.

Ireland, Jordan, the Philippines and Britain recently have established nationwide programs to use the checklist in all operating rooms.

In the United States, the Joint Commission, which accredits most hospitals and sets their standards, said it is considering adopting more of the steps. The agency already requires three of them, including marking the incision site and pausing before surgery to make sure everything is in place.

At least one patient in the study at the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle welcomed the checklist.

Darrell McDonald, 63, had a hernia operation in March. A longtime bush pilot in Alaska, he followed a checklist before every takeoff, including checking the controls and walking around the propeller-driven plane “to make sure nothing is getting ready to fall off.”

So McDonald was fine with his doctor writing on his body where the incision would be.

He had no problems with repeated inquiries about who he was and why he was there.

He applauded measures such as a poster-size checklist hanging from an IV pole in the operating room.

“It eliminates the little bit that could possibly go wrong,” he said.

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WHAT’S HAPPENING

T O D AY 8:30 to 10:30 a.m., Dick’s Pharmacy, Arthur. Cholesterol test ($20), blood glucose test ($3), blood pressure check (free). 1-800-879-3212.

Pre-Postnatal Aerobics, Decatur Family YMCA, Decatur, 5:30 to 6:15 p.m. 872-9622.

Pregnancy Center, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Macon County Health Department, Decatur. 423-3794, ext. 1303.

Pregnancy Testing, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., New Life Pregnancy Center, Decatur, 872-5555.

Prepared Childbirth Classes, 7 p.m., Decatur Memorial Hospital, Decatur, 876-3448.

Well/Sick Child Clinic, 8 to 11:15 a.m., Macon County Health Department, Decatur, 423-6988.

Meetings Decatur Area Women’s Connection, 11:30 a.m., Scovill Ban-

hopeful, working the crowds as a candidate in the Democratic primary for a seat in the U.S. Senate, and the Rangers were there doing their stuff.

Monahan was impressed with Obama but warned him he would never get anywhere unless he changed that last name. However, his Ranger colleagues deigned to snap a picture of the politician holding a toilet plunger aloft in triumph — elite Ranger “Plunger Men” carry them in parades as symbols of their high office — and that distinctive last name did stick in Ranger collective memories, often sullied by large amounts of liquid refreshment.

When the formation mowers saw the smiling young man eventually had made something of himself after all, they naturally wrote to him offering to grace his parade in triumph

quet Facility, Decatur.

Early Bird Kiwanis, 6:45 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility, Decatur.

Fans Field NeighborTomorrow’s hood Associhighlight: ation, 6:30 p.m., Decatur A Taste for Housing Change, 6:30 to Authority, 10:30 p.m., Decatur.

Lock, Stock and LincolnBarrel, Decatur, land $10 include AMBUCs, appetizers, beer 6:30 p.m., samples and Easter Seals, karaoke. 429Decatur.

3855.

Metro Rotary Club, noon, Decatur Club, Decatur. 4941543.

Suicide Knight Chess Club, 7 p.m., Prairieland ABATE, Decatur.

down Pennsylvania Avenue. “We used that picture we had of him as part of our application,” said Monahan. “I think he remembered.”

And, as this is a presidential inauguration parade, the Rangers are pulling out all the stops. Their total contingent will be 57-strong, including 48 Rangers, two Plunger Men and seven “Banner Abes,” who are women dressed as Abraham Lincoln carrying banners saying things such as “Congratulations, President MowBama.”

Even Dave Barry, the humor columnist and author who has marched with the Rangers before, is coming out of retirement to perform again. He and the rest of the Rangers are augmenting their characteristic eye mask and cowboy hat outfits with flowing red graduation robes supplied by local Collegiate Cap & Gown store and American flag suspenders donated by Decatur-based Perry’s Suspenders.

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Thursday Noon Toastmasters, noon, Barnes Citizens Building, Decatur, 855-3018.

United Commercial Travelers, Scovill Banquet Facility, Decatur, 429-4511.

Seniors LifeSpan Center, AARP Safe Driving Class, 1 to 5 p.m., Charleston. $12, $14. 639-5150.

Decatur-Macon County Senior Center, Quilters, 9 a.m., TRIAD, 10 a.m., Cards, 1 p.m., Decatur, 4291239.

John’s Hill, Watercolor class, 9 to 11:30 a.m., Decatur, 422-1509.

Support Groups Al-Anon, 10 a.m., Central Christian Church, Decatur.

Al-Anon, 8 p.m., First Presbyterian Church, Mount Zion.

Alzheimer’s Association Support Groups, 1 p.m., Oasis Senior Center, Lincoln, 726-5184.

Get High on Life Group, 8 p.m., AFFAS, Decatur. 521-7204 or 6203444.

Parkinson’s Disease Support Group, 1:30 p.m., St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Decatur, 877-2664.

Mower decorations also have taken a patriotic turn. One has a 5-foot-high replica of the Washington Monument and another has a 5-foot-tall papier mache bust of Lincoln.

Terry Overman, a contractor from Gibson City, will be pushing the faux Lincoln. On Wednesday, his mower also sported a banner with a picture of Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich and the phrase “This is xxxxing valuable,” but he says he will probably change that on the grounds of public decency come parade day even though it comes from an actual quote by the governor.

“We’ve done a lot of different parades,” said Overman, 52 — actually, more than 200 of them — “But this is the ultimate. I mean, where do we go from here?”

The wider question remains, of course, as to whether the Rangers can pull off the big one and help resurrect the sullied image of Illinois as a naughty state populated by politi-

“Find the truth and sort things out.”

He then urged the Senate to follow the words of Abraham Lincoln, saying, “With malice toward none and charity toward all.”

Blagojevich, who is the

AGENDA Continued from A1 Senate’s inauguration at the Capitol. The state Senate will get to work on a trial to determine whether to kick him out of office.

In the meantime, the 177 lawmakers sworn in Wednesday will soon begin working on legislation intended to deal with a myriad of other issues. Among them is a push to enact an expensive capital construction program meant to fix the state’s roads, bridges and university and prison buildings.

“When you get down to it, the capital bill and the budget will be the most important thing we do,” said state Sen. Gary Forby, a Benton Democrat sworn in after winning a close election in November.

People already are throwing out ideas to accomplish both of those goals. State

Associated Press

Newly seated Rep. Debra Mell, D-Chicago, is greeted by Rep. Michael Connelly, R-Lisle, after the House conducted an impeachment vote Wednesday in Springfield. Mell, the governor’s sister-inlaw, was the lone vote against impeachment.

Rep. John Bradley, D-Marion, has floated an idea to raise the state gas tax to pay for road construction.

State Rep. Shane Cultra, ROnarga, has embraced a plan that would trade an increase in sales taxes for a decrease

in property taxes. State Rep. Dan Brady, R-Bloomington, said he’s mulling legislation to help local school districts.

State Rep. Bill Mitchell, RForsyth, said he’s considering ethics legislation that would prohibit a lawmaker’s

Submissions of items for inclusion in the calendar must be in writing or by email to Calendar, Herald & Review, Box 311, Decatur, IL 62525 or rpansch@ herald-review.com or by noon Monday the week prior to publication. Phone calls will not be accepted for submissions.

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Associated Press

Blagojevich had little to say on the issue, only noting at the end of his role as presiding officer the trouble he faces in his upcoming trial.

“These are challenging times,” Blagojevich said.

Contact us

cians who think the grass is always greener on the shady side of the street.

Monahan ponders the image question for a while and then smiles brightly. “Well,” he said. “I don’t see how we can make it any worse.”

Gov. Rod Blagojevich, top center, presides Wednesday over the Illinois Senate in Springfield. Blagojevich is required to oversee the swearing-in of the state Senate, which will decide whether to throw the two-term Democrat out of office after he was impeached Friday by the House.

Newly elected Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno, R-Lemont

Exhibits Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, Springfield.

558-8934.

Decatur Public Library Gallery, Second Floor, Decatur. 424-2900.

Gallery 510 Arts Guild, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. 422-1509.

Hieronymus Mueller Museum, Decatur, 1 to 4 p.m. 423-6161.

Macon County History Museum, 1 to 4 p.m., Decatur. $2, $1.

“The History of Baseball in Central Illinois.” 422-4919.

Herald & Review/Stephen Haas

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‘I think the people in this state have been shaking their head for a long time over this governor. He probably didn’t need to make a speech.’

Polio Survivors & Friends, 5 to 6:30 p.m., Sarah Bush Lincoln Lumpkin Family Center for Health Education, Mattoon, 345-1549.

United Ostomy Association (Short Circuit Chapter of Decatur and Area), 7 p.m., Decatur Memorial Hospital, Decatur.

Larry Harper of Urbana listens to fellow members of the Arcola Lawn Rangers during a gathering at the Arcola Community Center.

SOLEMN House voted 117-1 Wednesday to impeach the governor, making their 114-1 impeachment vote last week in the old General Assembly official for the current one.

This time around, the lone “no” vote in the House came from state Rep. Deborah Mell, a Chicago Democrat who is the governor’s sisterin-law. Mell later said in a statement that she’s known Blagojevich for 20 years, and the impeachment charges “were difficult to reconcile with the man and brother-inlaw I know.”

Many of the speeches at the House’s swearing-in ceremony included a reference to Blagojevich and his recent impeachment.

In fact, one Republican lawmaker called Secretary of State Jesse White a “profile in courage” because of his attempt to block Blagojevich’s appointment of Roland Burris to the U.S. Senate.

The comment drew a standing ovation from the newly sworn-in lawmakers and their families, who were looking on.

In the Senate, it was Blagojevich’s fellow Democrats who brought up the issue of his possible ouster as he stood watching. State Sen. Louis Viverito, D-Burbank, said the new General Assembly and the Senate’s upcoming impeachment trial would be a chance to begin “the process of restoring the public’s trust.”

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first Illinois governor to be impeached, left the chambers without speaking to reporters. He later slipped out of the building after his attorney accepted paperwork notifying him of the Senate’s upcoming impeachment trial.

It all made for an odd day at the Capitol.

“I think the people in this state have been shaking their head for a long time over this governor,” said newly elected Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno, RLemont. “He probably didn’t need to make a speech.”

State Sen. Dan Rutherford, R-Chenoa, said the

spouse or child from working for the state.

Other lawmakers might focus on often-controversial issues, such as gun control.

State Rep. David Reis, R-Willow Hill, said he’ll probably push to allow citizens to carry concealed firearms.

State Rep. Chapin Rose, RMahomet, said he wants to allow people to better defend themselves against getting errant traffic tickets on the Chicago-area tollway system.

State Rep. Patrick Verschoore, D-Milan, said he has toyed with the idea of allowing rural school districts to have four-day weeks to save gasoline. State Rep. Mike Boland said he wants to give students money toward community college if they perform well in high school.

“If kids follow straight and narrow path for four years, they would be given free tuition at a community college,” Boland said.

awkward situation was handled appropriately by the governor and members of the Senate.

“I really felt that this was absolutely the right way to do it. He was very nonresponsive,” Rutherford said.

Following the governor’s exit, newly elected Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago, said it is his job to try and bring a fractured legislature together to solve the problems facing the state.

“The atmosphere here has deteriorated,” Cullerton said.

“Things today are not going well. The people of Illinois want solutions.”

He said he shook Blagojevich’s hand, but acknowledged it was an odd meeting.

“I said hello to him. That was it. Certainly, it’s uncomfortable,” Cullerton said.

Radogno said senators should be prepared for a potentially emotional trial of the governor.

“It is truly regrettable that this chapter has to be written,” Radogno said.

Other lawmakers said the new General Assembly could set itself apart from the past one, which was mired in gridlock for two years because of political divisions and personality fights among Democrats.

“Democrats and Republicans need to be working together, not like the last few years,” said state Sen. John Jones, R-Mount Vernon.

That test of unity begins Jan. 26, when the Senate puts Blagojevich on trial. kurt.erickson@lee.net|789-0865

But the fact is, thousands of ideas are proposed as legislation every year, and only a fraction of them are approved.

Some of those plans could be further hampered by the economy, leaving little money available for new ideas.

“The task before us is to find the discipline to bring that spending under control,” said state Sen. Dale Righter, R-Mattoon. mike.riopell@lee.net|789-0865

Herald& Review Postmaster: Send address changes to: Herald& Review, P.O. Box 311, Decatur, IL 62525-0311. Eight-week subscription rates are: Carrier home-delivered, $30.40; motor-route, $32; mail in-trade, $38; mail out-trade, $41 (USPS 150-800).

The Herald & Review is published daily at 601 E. William St. by Lee Publishing, Inc., a subsidiary of Lee Enterprises.

Periodical postage paid at Decatur, Illinois post office.

BRIEFS

The big day

News from Central Illinois

Obama takes the oath/

MATTOON

Coles Centre moves ahead The Mattoon City Commission will consider a development agreement for a multi-hotel and convention center project with a price tag of $26 million over the next decade.

The council will meet at 6:30 p.m. today at city hall.

The council is expected to vote on several ordinances for the Coles Centre hospitality proposals designed to construct hotels and retail businesses on several acres east of Interstate 57.

The development agreement with Chuck Keller, an Effingham developer, and Agracel Inc. of Effingham County would establish city and developer responsibilities relating to this first project in the I-57 east tax increment financing and business districts.

The council will consider eight ordinances relating to this next step in the Coles Centre project.

SPRINGFIELD

Mautino joins leadership team State Rep. Frank Mautino, D-Spring Valley, was named to House Speaker Michael Madigan’s leadership team last week.

Mautino will serve as the assistant majority leader for the Democrats.

The Democrats have a 70-48 majority in the House.

Mautino, 47, has served in the House since 1991. He chaired the Committee on Insurance and was the vice-chair for Committee on Revenue.

The promotion comes with a pay raise. Mautino will make an additional $18,067 on top of the $67,836 that all lawmakers earn.

Wednesday and online at www.herald-review.com Questions or comments regarding this section? Contact Night Editor John Reidy at 421-6973

Mackenzie Knop of Forsyth, Miss Decatur-Macon County Fair for 2008, was among the dozen finalists in the 2009 Miss Illinois County Fair Pageant.

Other area finalists included Sabea Boyd of Logan County, Laurian Brankey of Coles County and Kaitlin Weitekamp of Montgomery County, who was named second runner-up at the contest last weekend in Springfield.

Morgan Metz of Sangamon County was crowned queen at the pageant.

DECATUR

Registration ends today Today is the last day to register for a new Macon County 4-H Junior Master Horseman program. The sixweek course runs 6 to 7 p.m. Tuesdays from Feb. 3 through March 10.

Classes, which are open to all youth of high school age, will be held at the University of Illinois Extension office, 2535 Millikin Parkway. After completing the course, participants will be asked to share their knowledge of horses with grade school children.

A $30 registration fee is required.

Register online at web.extension. uiuc.edu/macon. Call 877-6042 for information.

DECATUR

$1,000 in items taken Items valued at more than $1,000 were taken Saturday from a house in the 800 block of South 21st Street, a woman reported to Decatur police.

The woman returned home to find the items missing about 11 p.m. Saturday, according to police reports.

Among the items were a Samsung 32-inch, flat-screen television, a Toshiba laptop computer, a Samsung DVD and VCR combination player and a Microsoft MP3 personal audio player.

DECATUR

Retirement meeting set Macon-Piatt Regional Office of Education will offer a Teachers Retirement System telephone conference Thursday, March 5.

To register, call Dick Shelby, regional superintendent, at 8723721, or e-mail him at dshelby@ roe39.k12.il.us no later than Thursday, Jan. 29.

A3

Local Herald& Review

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‘Tough times ahead for Illinois’ Legislators say state will have difficult decisions even if governor removed

By RON INGRAM H&R Staff Writer

DECATUR — Two state legislators who voted to impeach Gov. Rod Blagojevich told members of the Decatur Rotary Club on Monday that the state faces tough times, even if the governor is removed from office.

State Reps. Bill Mitchell, R-Forsyth, and Bob Flider, DMount Zion, twice voted to impeach the Flider governor, once Jan. 9, and again Wednesday, after members of the new 96th Illinois General Assembly took their oaths of office.

Blagojevich faces a trial in the Illinois Mitchell Senate, which could find him guilty of the charges the House leveled against him.

If that occurs, the senate then must decide his sentence, Mitchell said. Likely, the governor would be removed from office, he said.

The senate trial is a political

Seats available for governor’s trial

By MIKE RIOPELL H&R Springfield Bureau Writer

SPRINGFIELD — When Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s impeachment trial begins Monday, lawmakers say there could be at least some seats available so members of the public can watch.

Senators will weigh accusations that Blagojevich tried to sell President-elect Barack Obama’s seat in the U.S. Senate, among other allegations, and they’ll eventually decide whether the governor should be removed from office.

State Sen. Dale Righter, R-Mattoon, said the rules of the trial don’t specify any guidelines on who can attend and watch from the Senate gallery. So general Senate rules will likely be in effect, he said. That means, as long as there are seats, people can attend.

“It’ll be really interesting to see if we get a crowd, if you will,” Righter said.

Most of the hearings will take place during the day, so any crowd could have to take time off work if they want to see the his-

process not a criminal one, Mitchell said.

He predicted Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn will be the state’s governor by midFebruary.

“The important thing is where we move on to,” Mitchell said. “The state of Illinois is in bad shape. We in the General Assembly have to take responsibility for what was

toric hearing.

What they see, though, may not be that exciting. The trial could end up being a fairly dry and reserved proceeding filled with legal details, said state Sen. Mike Jacobs, D-East Moline.

But it doesn’t happen very often, Jacobs said, and it’s unclear when fireworks might erupt during the impeachment trial.

“This is a very political act, and one most people have never seen before,” he said. mike.riopell@lee.net|789-0865

allowed to happen.”

Medicaid is a basic expenditure in the state budget and now exceeds the amount the state spends annually on education, Mitchell said.

The legislature appropriated $7.5 billion for Medicaid last year but knew that its cost would be about $9 billion, he said.

As a result, payments to Medic-

aid services providers are 120 days or more in arrears, Mitchell said.

Flider said while “I don’t always subscribe to the pile on theory,” in the case of Blagojevich, several things caused him to vote for impeachment. He said chief among them were some of the governor’s decisions and their effect on the 101st District.

Blagojevich created new programs he did not have the authority to create and to fund them cut programs locally in retaliation for his nonsupport of aspects of the governor’s agenda, Flider said. Examples were the loss of funds for the CeaseFire program in Decatur’s inner-city neighborhoods and cuts in coal redevelopment funds earmarked for Decatur that instead wound up being spent on rapid transit in Cook County, he said.

“Blagojevich came into government as a white knight, saying he was going to clean up government,” Flider said. “Now, we have an opportunity to pass real reform laws and sweep the governor out with them.”

Mitchell said he predicts the harsh fiscal situation Illinois finds itself in will prompt the legislature to pass “the mother of all tax increases” in the spring session. He said he opposes raising taxes in hard times and believes the state needs to be more fiscally conservative. ringram@herald-review.com|421-7973

MAKING IT POSSIBLE

SPRINGFIELD

Knop among pageant finalists

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Continuing King’s march 200 people walk to remember man who paved way for Obama

By SHEILA SMITH H&R Staff Writer

DECATUR — The snow- and slushfilled streets of Decatur and temperature at about 15 degrees did not stop the marchers commemorating the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday.

Almost 200 people turned out to honor the memory of the man who set the tone for a new vision for America.

They marched from Hess and Mueller parks down Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, filled with pride that King’s dream has come to pass on this national holiday.

“This is really a symbolic march, and he would probably be a bit mad that we were just marching just for him,” said Jeffrey Perkins, president of the local branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

“We came out to march for what King stood for,” said Perkins, who led the march from Mueller Park.

Herald & Review photos/Kelly J. Huff Burl Stoner, who opened the facility at Mueller Park for march participants, Area residents gathered in Mueller Park to commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. in the 23rd annual march. That group marched toward another group that left Hess Park at the same time. A total of about 200 people took part in the march told everyone in the crowd, “I didn’t think I would live long enough to see that met at North Street. history in the making. You young people should remember this day and preserve it — the dream has become a reality.”

Jeff Roth said he was inspired by

By SHEILA SMITH can make a difference.

King.

H&R Staff Writer He pointed out individu“I grew up in the ’60s as a young als in the Bible who God DECATUR — Kate child and never witnessed rioting and used to make a differseveral Shields took other things going on. But I watched ence and changed the television and saw what was going on,” youths from First United of history. course Methodist Church out to Roth said. “King had a beautiful vision “Martin Luther King for America. Today, with the election of lunch Monday.

Jr. stood for everyone, She talked to them a new president, this is confirmation and now, we stand here about the importance of his vision is real. I am so proud to be at the eve of history the day being a national an American.” being made with the Decatur Police Chief James Anderholiday in honor of slain first black president,” son has been marching for the past five civil rights leader MarDotson told the crowd. years. tin Luther King Jr. “I’m glad that we all “King’s commitment was toward “I talked to them came together as one, no peaceful change. That is what the about the nonviolence matter what race or police department is about,” Anderson of King and how he was color we are,” said said. Deputy police chiefs Todd Walker a peaceful man. He Sonya Bratcher, a memSome marchers wear pictures of Barack Obama on their and Ed Smith joined him in the march made an impact in the ber of Antioch. “King backs with the words, “The Dream Has Come True,” this year. world,” said Shields, the even dreamed that we above it. The remembrance of Martin Luther King Jr. took While leading the march from Hess children, youth and would come together as on special significance this year with today’s inauguration Park, the Rev. James Wills of Love Fel- family director at First one.” black president of the United States. of the first lowship Christian Church called this United Methodist “There was a wonderyear “unbelievable” because of the feel- Church. ful spirit in this church,” ing in the air about the election of Tom Garmon of Bright wanted to get together The church opened its Doris Lewis said about Barack Obama.

Morning Star; the Rev. and celebrate and think doors for the first MarFirst United Methodist.

“This is a commemorative march but tin Luther King Jr. Tyrone Oldham of New about where we are as a Helen Hancock, 88, a a historical one,” he said. “We are Salem Missionary Bappeople,” said the Rev. memorial service Monmember of First United marching on Martin Luther King Day tist Church; and the Rev. Kent Nobles-King of day and invited several Methodist who has lived and on the day before the inauguration African-American Patricia Havis of Trinity First United Methodist. in Decatur since 1956, of our first African-American presiC.M.E. Church.

Other ministers who churches in the commusat in a pew and listened dent.”

The speaker for the attended were the Revs. nity to participate. to a recording of King’s As Wills’ group marched, they sang, was Elder program Todd C.D. Stuart, Wesley “We had talked about voice as he gave his “I “We shall overcome.” Those who left Franklin Dotson of New Dawson and Leland having churches get Have a Dream” speech. from Mueller Park filled the air with Hope Temple and DelivLabrador of Antioch together and worship “Dr. King was wondershouts of “M-L-K” until the two groups erance Church.

Missionary Baptist together. We knew Marful,” she said. converged.

Dotson’s message was Church; the Revs.

Hertin Luther King Day was about how one person bert T.J. Jackson and coming up, so we all sheilas@herald-review.com|421-7963 sheilas@herald-review.com|421-7963

Church hosts service to honor civil rights leader

Herald&Review

OPINION

LEONARD PITTS JR.

They are departed, but not gone “My soul looks back and wonders how I got over.”

— Clara Ward And I wish Rosa was here.

She made history by refusing to give up her seat.

It was just over 53 years ago, on a cold December night in Montgomery, and something got into her that said: Enough, no more.

No more giving up a seat she had paid for with U.S. currency earned from the sweat of her own brow, just because the man who wanted the seat was white and she was not. No more. Call the police, bus driver. Rosa would be sitting there when they arrived.

I wish Rosa could be here to see Barack Obama seated before the Capitol, waiting for history to call his name.

CALL IT a lament for the long departed. Ever since that day in November when what could not happen did, I’ve repeatedly had occasion to catch myself in the act of wishing so-and-so could be here to see what has transpired. Some of the names are personal; I keep wishing Mom could be here.

Most of the names are historical, heroes of the civil rights years, both sung and unsung. I wish Mother Pollard, the old woman who said during the Montgomery bus boycott, “My feets is tired, but my soul is rested,” could be here. I wish Fannie Lou Hamer, whose heart, but never her spirit, was broken

by Mississippi intransigence, could be here. I wish Emmett Till, Jimmie Lee Jackson, Goodman, Chaney and Schwerner, Viola Liuzzo and all the other martyrs were here.

And I wish Malcolm and ol’ Bull were here.

Theophilus Eugene Connor — they called him Bull — was the commissioner of public safety in Birmingham, Ala., who brought tanks, police dogs and high-pressure hoses to the streets because he didn’t believe America’s promises ever should be extended to all Americans.

MALCOLM X was a prophet of black rage who rejected racial integration because he didn’t think America’s promises ever would be extended to all Americans.

I wish those men, who agreed on America’s limitations if on nothing else, could be here to see that they were wrong, here for this startling moment when America affirms her defining promise, the one that begins with truths held selfevident. And yes, as we honor his memory and his martyrdom, I wish Martin Luther King Jr. were here to see a Dream coming true.

Did he expect this moment?

Did he feel it coming as he prophesized from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial? Could he see it from where he stood on the Mountaintop?

I suppose it’s only natural to be caught looking back as America plunges forward upon a milestone. Only natural to think of how much and how many and how long it took to get here. Only natural to be thankful for what you have lived to see and lament those who did not.

ALL THOSE years of struggle, all those hymns and promises and prayers and days when you didn’t know where to go or how to get there, but only that you had to move. And now look where it has led.

You mourn those who did not get to see, but you also realize the gospel song is wrong, because your soul looks back and knows exactly how you got over. You got over because of Fannie’s grit and Malcolm’s rage, because of Rosa’s stubbornness and Emmett’s blood. You got over because of Martin’s dream.

They are dead now, but those things they gave are deathless. They live through you, passing down to generations not yet born; something to keep you moving when you don’t know where you’re going or how, only that you have to go. You close your eyes, wishing all those people were here.

Then your eyes come open, and you realize.

They are. lpitts@miamiherald.com

A5 Tuesday, January 20, 2009

www.herald-review.com

OUR VIEWS

Defense team puts spin on impeachment Herald&Review EDITORIAL BOARD Todd Nelson Publisher

David Dawson

Gary Sawyer

Managing Editor

Editor

The First Amendment: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

Unsigned editorials are opinions reached by consensus of the Herald & Review Editorial board. All other articles on this page are the opinions solely of the authors. We encourage readers to offer opinions on information provided by the Herald & Review.

GOV. ROD Blagojevich’s defense team announced last week that it would not represent the governor in his impeachment trial before the Illinois Senate.

The team, headed up by Edward M. Genson, is making a lot of noise that the governor cannot receive a “fair trial” in the Senate. Genson said the rules of the impeachment trial are “extraordinarily unfair” and meant the governor would be convicted. “It’s a foregone conclusion,” Genson said. Other members of the Blagojevich defense team compared the trial to a “lynching.”

If you look past all the sound bites Blagojevich’s lawyers are spewing, it’s clear that they are trying to confuse the public into believing the Senate impeachment trial is similar to the federal criminal trial that Blagojevich probably will face later. It’s a telling sign that while the attorneys withdrew from the impeachment trial, they are still very much involved in the criminal proceedings.

In trying to keep their client out of prison, the lawyers are stretching credibility.

To start with, the impeachment trial rules adopted by the Illinois Senate are nearly exactly the same rules the U.S. Senate used in Bill Clinton’s impeachment trial. Genson and his team conveniently leave that fact out and also forget to mention that Clinton was acquitted.

In addition, an impeachment trial is much, much different than a criminal trial. A criminal trial uses a standard of “reasonable doubt,” and there are very specific rules that have to be followed.

The Illinois Constitution doesn’t lay out such rules for an impeachment and trial. The constitution basically says that if the House votes to impeach and 40 out of 59 Senators vote to remove a state official from office, he or she is gone.

Genson can complain all he wants, but those are the rules. It’s worth noting that Blagojevich is the first state official to stand trial for impeachment in Illinois history.

One of Blagojevich’s attorneys, Sam Adams, told a Chicago TV station over the weekend that Blagojevich’s lawyers talked to him about the impeachment process and he agreed with their decision to withdraw from the impeachment trial.

“He’s appalled. The governor is shocked that he can be removed so easily. He doesn’t believe that this can happen in his state. He cannot believe this is the state of Illinois,” Adams said.

That’s the problem. In Blagojevich’s Illinois, the governor is allowed to ignore the Constitution, sell state contracts to the highest bidder, discuss how he can make money from a Senate appointment and ignore the wishes of the people and the General Assembly. In Blagojevich’s state, he is accountable to no one.

The Blagojevich legal team can yell and stomp its feet all they want, but their client has abused his position for too long. He may or may not be guilty of the alleged crimes that led to his arrest.

But he is undoubtedly guilty of abusing his position and failing to lead the state in a productive way.

The state should be glad that “Blagojevich’s Illinois” may be about to meet its end.

LETTERS Donate used items, food to help Decatur’s homeless

It’s not enough just to be the ‘other’ party Democrats can condemn, impeach, convict, evict and excommunicate Gov. Rod Blagojevich, but Republicans will make sure they have a devil of a time exorcising him.

After all, Democrats have run against former Gov. George Ryan in contests for every post from county clerk to governor since he left office in disgrace and his party in shambles six years ago. Would it not be poetic justice if the versesmitten Blagojevich ended up rescuing Republicans from the devastation that greased his way to the governorship?

Over and over again, we will hear the bill of particulars for removing Democrats from power: HOUSE SPEAKER Michael J. Madigan co-chaired Blagojevich’s re-election campaign, even after challenging his integrity, fiscal policies and management capability.

Democratic leaders and their minions denied Illinoisans the right to fill Barack Obama’s Senate seat, enabling Blagojevich and Roland Burris to further embarrass us.

While campaigning as Blagojevich’s running mate in 2006, Governor-in-waiting Patrick Quinn discounted criticism of the governor’s conduct and ominous investigations into wrongdoing.

MIKE LAWRENCE

OPINIONS? CONTACT US:

Democratic lawmakers abetted Blagojevich in borrowing billions, reneging on pension funding, ballooning a deficit he inherited from Ryan and taking Illinois to the precipice of financial collapse.

Many Republicans believe they can recapture the state House and elect a U.S. senator in 2010 simply by Blagobludgeoning Democrats who Ryanized them. A re-energized state party leadership has been effectively holding Democrats accountable. But Republicans likely cannot and should not win if they fail to make a case for their own stewardship.

OUR STATE’S fiscal health deteriorates each day. It will not recover without spending cuts and tax increases, especially distasteful medicine during a harsh recession. Meanwhile, we need to enact and responsibly fund a public works program that would employ thousands in the short term while providing the long-term transportation and other infrastructure advances required to entice and retain jobs.

The new governor and the substantial Democratic majorities in the General Assembly must step out in front, but Republicans should be prepared to join hands on solutions, even as they point accusing fingers.

They cannot oppose additional revenues without being challenged. If they favor a capital improvements plan, how will they pay for it? Precisely where and how much would they cut to dry up an ocean of red ink?

Health care? Education? Pension funding? Law enforcement? Services for those with disabilities? Those areas

WRITE: Herald & Review Letter to the editor Box 311, Decatur, IL 62525-0311

make up more than 90 percent of spending supported by income and sales taxes. How can they be spared, let alone enhanced, by those who advocate balancing the budget without more income?

MOREOVER, THE Republican gubernatorial hopeful in 2010 must offer blueprints instead of bromides on state finances, ethics reform and education issues, such as closing the academic achievement gap between whites and minorities and assimilating the youngest of our burgeoning immigrant population, matters vital to Illinois’ economic destiny.

The political profile today is not exactly the mirror reflection of the Ryan debacle.

Although Blagojevich and the Burris appointment may have kick-started a Republican resurgence and significantly improved GOP chances to garner the governorship and the U.S. Senate seat, the demographics still favor Democrats. In addition, Speaker Madigan and rising Democratic stars may have mitigated voter vengeance by pressing for Blagojevich’s ouster.

Republicans cannot rely solely on Blagojevich backlash.

They must field outstanding candidates with mainstream views and somehow protect them from being cannibalized in primary-election holy wars by right-wing fanatics. Witness the internecine thrashing that left gubernatorial nominees Jim Ryan and Judy Topinka bloodied as they entered battle with Blagojevich in 2002 and 2006.

It is fair for Republicans to attack.

But they also must attract. mlawrenc@siu.edu

E-MAIL: ddawson@ herald-review.com

Just a reminder to folks that there are homeless people in Decatur.

With the subzero temperatures, they sure could use your old coats, hats, scarves, gloves, bags, backpacks and food. Imagine being homeless when it’s this cold outside! I sure wouldn’t want to walk in those shoes. It doesn’t take long to take old clothes out of your closet or dresser and bring them to the Oasis Day Center on Cerro Gordo Street.

With all of the layoffs that have happened locally, I would imagine the homeless rate has increased. Even those of us who have lost jobs can give their old items to the homeless. Though we may not have jobs, we still have riches beyond what the homeless have.

Additionally, Good Samaritan Inn can always use food in their pantry to feed a hot meal to the masses of hungry, downtrodden people. For some people, the meals Good Samaritan offers are the only meals these people receive.

It is in times like these, when the economy is so low, people are out of work and it is so cold outside that we all need to stick together, that we realize the blessings we have in our own lives and reach out to help those who need it most.

Tammy Bledsaw Warrensburg

Organ donors help others with their own tragedy Recently, I was standing in line to renew my driver’s license, and the young man in front of me was asked if he would like to be an organ donor. His reply was no.

If, in the near future, he found out he needed an organ transplant to stay alive, I wonder how far up the list he thinks he should be?

A few years ago, I lost a grandson in a car accident. My daughter and son-inlaw were thoughtful enough to donate his organs to someone in need. It was some comfort to know someone was being helped. However, my grandson left more than his organs; he left his smile.

For some, their misery and sadness was transformed into joy and exultation.

When I finish this letter, I am going to say a sincere prayer for all those thoughtful people who care enough to be an organ donor.

W.G. Williams Decatur The Herald & Review welcomes letters to the editor from readers on topics of general interest and public policy.

Letters must be signed with the writer’s full name and contain a current mailing address and telephone number (daytime and evening) for verification purposes. Letters must contain 300 words or less. Writers are limited to one letter every 30 days. Letters that are libelous, of limited interest or in poor taste will be rejected.

Letters may be sent via mail, fax, e-mail or hand-delivered. Contacts are listed at the bottom of the page.

The Herald & Review reserves the right to edit, condense or reject any letter.

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Adding options

To the end

Search for a specific yogurt leads to food co-op/D1

Mount Zion seals 59-58 win in final seconds/B1

Herald&Review WWW.HERALD-REVIEW.COM

THURSDAY JANUARY 22, 2009

100 years of work

Obama hits the ground running At the end of busy first day, president retakes fumbled oath of office

By DAVID ESPO AP Special Correspondent

Jessie Stanberry’s mother died when she was only 17, so someone had to take care of the large family of 17 children. Stanberry has been working hard for the 83 years since and will turn 100 Tuesday. Local A3

WASHINGTON — In a first-day whirlwind, President Barack Obama showcased efforts to revive the economy Wednesday, summoned top military officials to the White House to chart a new course in Iraq and eased into the daunting thicket of Middle East diplomacy.

“What an opportunity we have to change this country,” said the 47-year-old chief executive, who also issued new ethics rules for his administration, hosted a reception at the presidential mansion for 200 inauguration vol-

unteers and guests selected by an Internet lottery and even took the oath of office again after it was flubbed Tuesday.

After dancing at inaugural balls with first lady Michelle Obama past midnight, Obama entered the Oval Office for the first time as president in early morning. He read a good luck note left behind by President George W. Bush, then began breaking cleanly with his predecessor’s policies.

Aides circulated a draft of an executive order that would close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, within a year and halt all war crimes trials in the meantime.

Closing the site “would further the national security and foreign policy interests of the United States and the interests of justice,” read the draft prepared for the new president’s signature.

OBAMA/A2

Associated Press

Vice President Joe Biden looks on as President Obama signs executive orders during a meeting with their senior staff at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House campus in Washington.

Calling on them A Decatur businessman challenged a group of young professionals gathered for the Decatur 501 Club meeting to become more involved in their community and give back.

Money C1

FORCED TO MOVE

Entire neighborhood evicted

Confirming Clinton

Economy may keep travel offers around

The Senate voted 94-2 to confirm Hillary Rodham Clinton as secretary of state Wednesday as President Obama moved to make his imprint on U.S. foreign policy. Nation A4

By RYAN NAKASHIMA AP Business Writer

said the voice mailbox was full.

Burris was sworn in Jan. 15 by former Vice President Cheney. He cast his first vote that day in favor of the release of the second half of the $700 billion financial bailout.

His rise to a seat in the Senate came after more than a decade of failed attempts to win statewide public office. Burris caused a firestorm of controversy by accepting the appointment to Obama’s vacant Senate seat from impeached Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

Burris’ fellow Democrats initially balked at letting him have the seat because of Blagojevich’s legal woes.

Now that Democrats have dropped their public opposition to the former state comptroller and attorney general, Burris is poised to serve out the remaining two years of Obama’s term.

When the economy goes into the tank, people stay at home. But for those still willing to see what’s out there, there are stupendous deals to be had.

Hotels, resorts and cruise lines are offering rock-bottom rates and doing everything they can to fill rooms, including teaming up with airlines to offer jaw-dropping package deals. And savvy consumers can reap the benefits.

A case in point: This reporter recently booked a Waldorf Astoria suite in the Palm Springs, Calif., area through Priceline.com for about $130 after taxes — in the middle of a holiday weekend, no less. Although we didn’t know where we’d end up, the 900-square-foot “Spa Villa” where we ended up staying is listed next weekend for $679 a night.

The Walt Disney Co. is also offering a seven-night stay at its Walt Disney World resorts, including seven days of park tickets, for the price of four nights and four days of tickets. And it’s throwing in a $200 gift card that can be spent on food and merchandise.

According to one travel agency Web site’s spokeswoman, travel deals haven’t been better since the aftermath of 9/11.

Here are some questions and answers about what kind of deals are out there and how to snag them.

Q: Why are companies offering such cut rates now?

A: Around the world, occupancy and room rates are down as business travel has fallen and vacationers are staying at home because of the recession. According to Smith Travel Research, occupancy in North American hotels was down 10.3 percent in November from a year ago, to 52.3 percent. The average daily rate was down 3.3 percent, to $101.84, while the revenue per available room was down 13.3 percent, to $53.28.

In other words, hotels are about half-full these days.

And if you are a paying customer, management is willing to cut you a deal.

Q: Why are a hotel’s official, posted rates often so much higher than what you can find through a travel agent or travel Web site?

BURRIS/A2

TRAVEL/A2

A leader remembered Jean Reid died Monday after a long battle with cancer, but she kept her job as principal at Parsons School until October, when her health forced her to quit. Local A3

Lake Decatur level watch Normal winter pool level . . . .612.5 Normal summer pool level . . .614.4 Yesterday’s level . . . . . . . . .612.8 Herald & Review/Stephen Haas

YOUR WEATHER

Mary Fetrow wonders where she will be this summer. Management of Garfield Estates Trailer Park sold the grounds and gave residents until July to get out. They offered a relocation package, but tenants were told they only had two days to accept it.

Longtime residents given 2 days to accept mobile home park’s relocation offer

By KENNETH LOWE H&R Staff Writer

HIGH

L O W

46 25 Today: Mostly cloudy, milder Tonight: Increasing cloudiness

DECATUR — Mary Fetrow has lived in her double-wide mobile home at 2284 N. 36th St. in the Garfield Estates mobile home park for the past 19 years.

She and her late husband, Bill, put the sort of work into the property that makes it a home rather than just a house: a long deck, a shed and a rocky pathway her husband dug himself. Fetrow hosted 27 people there for Christmas Eve.

“Bill’s put so much work into it,” she said, sitting in the kitchen of her house, surrounded by the possessions she and her husband accumulated over a long life. “This is our home. We’ve lived here for 19 years.”

Soon, she will need to leave it all behind.

Fetrow was watching television this month when she heard a knock at the door. She answered it to find the property’s maintenance worker holding a let-

ter that informed her the property owners were selling Garfield Estates. The property will cease operations in January 2010.

The property, owned by Michiganbased Choice Properties, is immediately north of Faries Parkway off Brush College Road. Representatives of Choice Properties would not disclose who has purchased the property.

EVICTED/A2

Details/B6

Burris seeking to hire a staff

INDEX Classifieds. . . . . . . . . . C3-5 Comics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D5 Dear Abby . . . . . . . . . . . D2 Horoscopes . . . . . . . . . . D5 Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D1-6 Money . . . . . . . . . . . . . C1,3 Movies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D2 Obituaries . . . . . . . . . . D3,4 Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . A5 Puzzles . . . . . . . . . . C3,4,5 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . B1-5 Television . . . . . . . . . . . . D6

75 cents Our 137th year

Issue 22 Four sections

Delivery: 421-6990 Newsroom: 421-6979 Outside Decatur: 1-800-437-2533

Pack your bags; deals are waiting

Office tells callers to contact Durbin if they need help

By KURT ERICKSON H&R Springfield Bureau Chief

Herald & Review/Kurt Erickson

Sen. Roland Burris was mobbed

by Illinoisans when he made appearances during the inauguration festivities this week. Here he is surrounded by well-wishers at a Capitol Hill reception Monday.

SPRINGFIELD — Just as President Barack Obama was checking out his new digs in the White House on Wednesday, another African-American Democrat from Illinois was getting into the swing of his new job on Capitol Hill.

With the nation’s capital winding down from the hubbub of Tuesday’s inauguration festivities, Sen. Roland Burris engaged in several meetings with fellow Democrats and constituents.

On the fifth floor of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, temporary staffers tried to get his office up and running.

As a testament to his newfound position and his lack of staffing, a call to the office at 9 a.m. was answered by a recording that

A2 LOCAL

THURSDAY, JANUARY 22, 2009

Winning numbers selected Wednesday in the Illinois State Lottery:

Events Etc. National Tour of Antiques and Collectibles Roadshow, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Best Western Gateway, Monticello. No admission. Bring collectibles. 243-6418.

The Interurban Railroad, 7 p.m., Vespasian Warner Public Library, Clinton, Free and open to the public. 935-5174.

Music School of Music Student Recital, 2 p.m., Millikin University Kaeuper Hall, Decatur.

Stefan Milenkovich, violin, Rohan De Silva, piano, and Ani Aznavoorian, cello, 7:30 p.m., Krannert Center Foellinger Great Hall, Urbana. $4 to $10. 333-6280.

Nightlife “Stevie Ray” Kelton, 9 p.m., Curly’s, Decatur.

David Allen Coe with Feudin’ Hillbillys, 7 p.m., Radmaker’s Rock

www.herald-review.com

DECATUR, ILLINOIS

N Roll Tavern, Tolono. $25 in advance. 485-3531.

David Lee the DJ, 10 p.m., Lock, Stock and Barrel, Decatur.

DJ/Karaoke, 8:30 p.m., Elbow Room, Decatur.

Jackie Lawson and Tad Freezland, 6:30 p.m., Stoney’s Steakhouse, Dalton City.

Karaoke/DJ with Ricky, 9:30 p.m., Shorty’s, Decatur.

Live Karaoke Band, 8 p.m., Sliderz, Decatur.

Open Mic Night, 7 p.m., AIW Hall, Decatur, 875-2416.

On Stage “Funny Valenntines,” 6 p.m., Conklin’s Barn II Dinner Theatre, Goodfield, $31. (309) 965-2545.

Russian National Ballet Theatre – “Giselle,” 7:30 p.m., University of Illinois at Springfield, Sangamon Auditorium, Springfield. $32 to $37. 206-6160.

Health Cardiac Rehab Orientation, 1 to

Plan your week with our calendar every Thursday

MORE EVENTS: www.herald-review.com

Pick Three-Midday 3-7-6 Lottery numbers online: www.herald-review.com/lottery/ Pick Three-Evening 8-1-3

Pick Four-Midday 4-3-3-8 Pick Four-Evening 4-6-3-4

WHAT’S HAPPENING

T O D AY 3 p.m., Decatur Memorial Hospital Cardiac Rehabilitation Department, Decatur. Free. Requires physician referral. 876-2496.

CPR for Family & Friends, 6:30 p.m., St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital Auditorium, Effingham, Call to register. 347-1529.

Mobile Mammography, SBL Sullivan Clinic, Sullivan. Free for women who qualify. 1-800-6395929.

Mobile Mammography, 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Moweaqua Family Practice, Moweaqua, 876-1111.

Pre-Postnatal Aerobics, Decatur Family YMCA, Decatur, 5:30 to 6:15 p.m. 872-9622.

Pregnancy Center, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Macon County Health Department, Decatur. 423-3794, ext. 1303.

Pregnancy Testing, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., New Life Pregnancy Center,

Decatur, 872-5555.

Prepared Childbirth Classes, 7 p.m., Decatur Memorial Hospital, Decatur, 876-3448.

Well/Sick Child Clinic, 8 to 11:15 a.m., Macon County Health Department, Decatur, 423-6988.

Meetings Business After Hours, 5 to 7 p.m., DMH Express Care North, Decatur.

Decatur Area Education Coalition, 4 to 5:30 p.m., Madden Arts Center, Decatur, 429-3000.

Decatur Camera Club, 7 p.m., First United Methodist Church, Decatur.

Early Bird Kiwanis, 6:45 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility, Decatur.

HSAC Senior Division Meeting, 11:30 a.m., Decatur-Macon County Senior Center, Decatur, 429-1239.

Korean War Veteran Associa-

Little Lotto 1-5-11-18-28 Lotto 9-10-11-27-40-45

tion, 7 p.m., DAV Club, Decatur.

Metro Rotary Club, noon, Decatur Club, Decatur. 494-1543.

Suicide Knight Chess Club, 7 to 10 p.m., Prairieland ABATE, Decatur.

Thursday Tomorrow’s Noon Toasthighlight: masters, noon, Barnes National Citizens Tour of Building third Antiques and floor, Decatur.

Collectibles 855-3018.

Roadshow, 10 Seniors a.m. to 7 p.m., DecaturBest Western Macon CounGateway, Montity Senior cello. No admisCenter, Quilsion. Bring colters, 9 a.m., lectibles. 243Computer 6418.

Basics Class “Surfing the Web,” 9 a.m., Cards, 1 p.m., Decatur, 429-1239.

John’s Hill, Watercolor class, 9 to 11:30 a.m., Decatur, 422-1509.

Support Groups Adult Bereavement Group, 11 a.m., Jefferson Street Christian Church, Lincoln, 732-2161.

Al-Anon, 10 a.m., Central Christ-

OBAMA

BURRIS

EVICTED

Continued from A1

Continued from A1

Continued from A1

It’s not clear what kind of senator he’ll be because Burris has had little opportunity to explain his political philosophies amidst the controversy over his appointment and the attention on Obama’s inauguration.

As a former statewide officeholder, the 71-year-old former lobbyist didn’t have to vote on issues as he will as a senator.

Millikin University political scientist Mark Wrighton said the lack of a voting record on key issues facing the new Congress could be an argument for ending the appointment process and instead holding special elections to fill vacant seats.

“With an appointment, you have to rely on the judgment of the sitting governor,” Wrighton said.

“That is what engendered the controversy in the first place.”

At noon Wednesday, Burris’ sparsely furnished office was occupied by three staffers, at least two of whom were there on a temporary basis.

The blue-carpeted suite was formerly occupied by Fred Thompson, a former senator from Tennessee, who made a short-lived bid for the Republican nomination for president in 2008.

Interviews for employees were under way, and a receptionist was referring callers with problems to Illinois U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin’s office.

Along with casting his first few votes, Burris is poised to be named to committees on homeland security, veterans affairs and armed services.

Burris was seen at several inaugural events but didn’t stop to talk long with reporters. On Wednesday, no one from his office responded to repeated requests for an interview.

The Jan. 8 letter from manager Kamal Shouhayib informs residents of an opportunity to relocate at the landlord’s expense.

“It is the landlord’s objective to improve both economically and physically, the living situation of each resident who takes advantage of this unprecedented proposal,” the letter reads.

Meeting with representatives of the company, Fetrow found herself with few options.

“Some of the things they threw at us, they were just trying to ramrod us,” she said.

The relocation agreement, which promises residents a $400 cash incentive and up to $2,000 in moving costs for a mobile home or $4,000 for a double-wide, comes with conditions that Fetrow said gave residents little time to think.

The deadline for signing up originally was set for Jan. 20 but has been extended to Saturday, said John Rogosich, Choice Properties senior regional manager.

The relocation agreement states that the incentives are only granted if, among other things, mobile home owners opt to move to either the Park City or Hyde Park mobile home communities, both of which are owned by Choice Properties.

Residents had only until Tuesday to sign the agreement, giving them less than a week to decide if they would opt into the deal. The deal also requires that the move be completed by July 15.

“I can adapt, but that’s not the point; it’s just that they’re trying to rush us through,” Fetrow said. “This is just such a blow to me, because it’s not even a week. I ordinarily can handle things pretty well, but this had been something else.”

There are other difficulties for people who have invested a great deal of effort into their mobile homes. Fetrow said movers will not transport things such as her deck and shed, which she and her husband spent time, effort and money installing.

Some of the 245 detainees currently held at Guantanamo would be released, while others would be transferred elsewhere and later put on trial under terms to be determined.

Obama’s schedule for the day included separate sessions on the economy and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The new president has pledged to take bold steps to revive the economy, which is struggling through the worst recession since the Great Depression. Last week, he won approval to use $350 billion in leftover financial industry bailout funds.

He presided over the White House meeting on the economy as the House Appropriations Committee moved toward approval of $358 billion in new spending, part of the economic stimulus package making its way to his desk.

The new commander in chief held his first meeting in the Situation Room, where he, Vice President Joe Biden and senior military and foreign policy officials discussed the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Obama campaigned on a pledge to withdraw U.S. combat forces from Iraq within 16 months and to beef up the commitment in Afghanistan.

Obama asked the Pentagon to do whatever additional planning necessary to “execute a

kurt.erickson@lee.net|789-0865

TRAVEL Continued from A1 A: Hotels are averse to cutting their posted rates because some people are willing to pay that price — and those people help the bottom line.

After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, hotels slashed rates and suffered for years afterward, according to Smith Travel Research spokesman Jeff Higley. Now they are more likely to throw in freebies to keep customers happy.

“Rather than lowering their rates, they try to put packages together to add value to the rate,” Higley said.

So, if you can’t score a rate cut, Higley said, look for free valet parking, free Internet access or a free breakfast — hotels may be willing to throw these freebies in.

Q: Back to the bottom line: How do I snag a cheap rate?

A: Some Web sites are offering extreme discounts on hotel rooms. Priceline.com is now offering hotel rooms in New York at 3-star establishments for $99 and in Washington, D.C., for $59.

The catch is that users have to submit their price and credit card information before knowing which exact hotel they will be staying at.

“Occupancies are under pressure and prices are generally coming down,” said Priceline.com Inc. chief executive Jeffrey Boyd.

Herald & Review photos

Frank and Sheila Clinger have been told they have to move from Garfield Estates Trailer Park, where they have lived for 34 years.

Heather Fetrow hands out fliers about a meeting for residents to discuss their options after being told they have to leave by July.

Sheila Clinger is another homeowner at Garfield Estates who feels unfairly treated by the sudden announcement. She and her husband, Frank, have lived at Garfield Estates since 1974.

Frank Clinger said Wednesday that he and his wife would not be signing the agreement.

Sheila Clinger said the agreement came up too quickly, and she felt forced into making a decision that would benefit the property owners.

“They expected you to sign within two days,” she said.

“They weren’t going to give you time to think about it or nothing. The only way they’re going to help you is if you move to one or the other of their two trailer parks or, if your trailer is not good enough to move, buy through them. If

Because hotels and airlines remain anonymous until after the purchase, they can maintain their posted rates, while selling empty inventory at the last minute for big discounts — up to 50 percent off for hotel rooms up to 60 percent off airfare.

Spokeswoman Jeanenne Tornatore of Orbitz Worldwide Inc., which owns Cheaptickets.com and Orbitz.com, said even openly posted hotel rates are falling.

In Las Vegas, rates are down in some cases more than 50 percent, and in Hawaii, about 40 percent since late last year.

“Some of those 4-star Las Vegas hotels that used to go for $200 to $250 are in the $80 to $120 range,” she said.

Vegas.com, owned by the Greenspun Family of Companies, said room rates in January have declined 33 percent from a year ago, to $92 from $138 a night on average.

“There are some unbelievable values right now,” said Bryan Allison, Vegas.com’s vice president of marketing.

“There are food and beverage credits, gambling credits. It is definitely stimulating demand.”

Cruise lines are also slashing prices. A five-night Caribbean cruise from Carnival Corp., leaving from Mobile, Ala., is on offer at Orbitz for $249 with a $200 onboard coupon booklet — 75 percent off the brochure price.

Q: How can companies offer such deals and survive?

you want to do anything else, you’re on your own.”

Rogosich said efforts are being made to try to accommodate the needs of Garfield Estates residents.

“We understand that a lot of people have lived here 10, 15, 20 years.” he said. “The president of our company and founder of our company, him and myself have spent the whole week last week here talking with people, making explanation. We will help them in the best way possible so they will have less pain.”

Rogosich said the deadline for opting into the relocation agreement could be extended again in the interest of helping residents.

“We are proud to be providing affordable housing for lowincome people,” he said. klowe@herald-review.com|421-7985

A: In many cases, hotels benefit just by your presence, in case you spend money on something else, like room service, a meal at a restaurant or spa treatments.

Disney Chief Financial Officer Tom Staggs said last month that the seven-forfour deal was “a good trade-off.” Presumably, once at the resorts, guests spend all day in the park buying hot dogs, ice cream, bottled water and souvenirs.

The discount amounts to about 25 percent off, Staggs said, and really was no better than a deal the company offered back in 2003. What’s more, he said, advance bookings in the six months to this coming March, which at one point had been down 10 percent from a year earlier, were down just 6 percent by early December, thanks in large part to the deal.

Q: Will prices bounce back — and the deals evaporate — much like after 9/11?

A: That’s not likely.

Oppenheimer & Co. hotel and casino analyst David Katz points out that the circumstances behind the travel deals are very different this time around.

After 9/11, Katz said, “It was a situation almost solely driven by a fear of flying.”

This time, consumers have lost trillions of dollars in home equity and stock holdings — not to mention, in many cases, their jobs.

“This is entirely different,” he said. “It’s an economic matter rather than a fear matter. Post-9/11, people and companies had the money. Now they just don’t.”

Lotto jackpot $3.75 million Mega Millions jackpot $21 million

ian Church, Decatur.

Al-Anon, 8 p.m., First Presbyterian Church, Mount Zion.

Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 6 p.m., First United Methodist Church, Shelbyville. 1888-345-3990.

Get High on Life Group, 8 p.m., AFFAS, Decatur. 521-7204 or 6203444.

Illinois Bariatric Center Support Group, 7 p.m., Medical Office Building, Dr. John Warner Hospital, Clinton.

Ostomy Support Group, 7 p.m., St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital, Effingham. 258-4112 or 348-4112.

Polio Survivors & Friends, 5 to 6:30 p.m., Sarah Bush Lincoln Lumpkin Family Center for Health Education, Mattoon. 345-1549.

St. Mary’s Widowed Support Group, 6 p.m., HomeTown Buffet, Forsyth.

Contact us Submissions of items for inclusion in the calendar must be in writing or by email to Calendar, Herald & Review, Box 311, Decatur, IL 62525 or rpansch@ herald-review.com or by noon Monday the week prior to publication. Phone calls will not be accepted for submissions.

responsible military drawdown from Iraq.”

Also, there was no doubt that the new president meant to fulfill his campaign promise of change.

“As of today, lobbyists will be subject to stricter limits than under any ... other administration in history,” Obama told reporters as he signed the new rules. The restrictions included a ban on gifts by lobbyists to anyone serving in the administration.

He also imposed a pay freeze for about 100 White House aides who earn $100,000 or more. Its implementation was unclear, since none of them was on the payroll before Tuesday’s noontime inauguration.

On Tuesday, within hours of Obama’s inauguration, his administration froze lastminute Bush administration regulations before they could take effect.

On Wednesday night, Chief Justice John Roberts administered the oath to Obama at the White House — a rare do-over.

The surprise moment came in response to Tuesday’s stumble, when Roberts got the words of the oath a little off, which prompted Obama to do so, too.

The White House reassured that Obama has still been president since noon on Inauguration Day. But Obama and Roberts went through the drill again out of what White House counsel Greg Craig called “an abundance of caution.”

Illinois Republicans hesitant of embracing Obama’s ideas

By JASON NEVEL H&R Springfield Bureau Writer

SPRINGFIELD — President Barack Obama says he wants to gain Republican support for his plans, but some Illinois members of Congress already are critics of the new president’s first major economic proposal.

Obama has proposed boosting the economy with an estimated $825 billion stimulus plan that would include repairing roads and bridges as well as helping states, but some Illinois Republicans say that’s too much.

Although the stimulus package has not been finalized, Rep. John Shimkus, RCollinsville, said he is not in favor of nearly a $1 trillion stimulus package.

“If the rumors are as we’re hearing, I think you can expect me to vote no,” Shimkus said.

Rep. Tim Johnson, RUrbana, echoed his colleague.

“I think a trillion dollars is almost inconceivable to most people,” Johnson said. “I can’t imagine a circumstance where I would support a level of spending that high.”

Both Shimkus and Johnson voted against the first bailout package.

Serving in the minority, Republicans in Congress have had little input on key issues the past two years. Obama has said he wants to work to change that.

Reaching an agreement, though, is easier said than done.

“I don’t think it’s talk on his part,” Robert Bradley, political scientist at Illinois State University, said of Obama. “I think one of his biggest hurdles is not necessarily reach-

ing out to the Republicans but going beyond what some of the people in his own party want to do.”

How to spend the money allocated is also an area of Republican concern. Not enough of the money being proposed will go to public works construction projects, Shimkus said.

According to The Associated Press, $92 billion of the $825 billion will head towards infrastructure.

U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock, RPeoria, does favor a stimulus package but wants the money to be spent judiciously.

“This is not a time for beautification projects or bike paths to nowhere,” Schock said. “Given the amount of money being proposed, it’s absolutely crucial the American taxpayer is protected by ensuring funds are being spent sensibly.”

The Illinois General Assembly tried but failed to approve an up to $34 billion construction program last year. Senate President John Cullerton, DChicago, has said Illinois lawmakers might try again this year but will wait to see what Obama and Congress do first. jason.nevel@lee.net|789-0865

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OPINION

JONAH GOLDBERG

Take pride in first black president I am proud of and excited by the fact that we have inaugurated the first black president of the United States. He wasn’t my first choice, but he is nonetheless my president.

And if ever there were a wonderful consolation prize in politics, shattering the race barrier in the White House is surely it.

Conservatives who try too hard to belittle the importance of this milestone are mistaken on several fronts.

First, this is simply a wonderful — and wonderfully American — story. Any political movement that is joyless about what this represents risks succumbing to bitter political crankery.

For instance, you will not soon see a German chancellor of Turkish descent. Nor will a child of North African immigrants soon take the reins of power in France. It will be a long time before a Pakistani or Indian last name appears on the mailbox at 10 Downing Street. And yet these countries bubble over with haughty finger-waggers eager to lecture backward and provincial America about race and tolerance. Why not enjoy rubbing Barack Obama in their faces?

OF COURSE, there’s a partisan angle to Obama’s presidency: He is the head of the Democratic Party, after all.

But his success comes on the heels of a bipartisan racial success story of President Bush’s appointment of the first African-American secretaries of state.

More important, opponents of racial quotas and other champions of colorblindness on the right should be popping champagne nearly as much as racial liberals are.

Yes, yes, Obama’s a passionate defender of affirmative action and the like, but the symbolism of his presidency cannot be contained within narrow liberal agendas.

“There is an entire generation that will grow up taking for granted that the highest office in the land is filled by an African-American,” he said last week. “I mean, that’s a radical thing.

It changes how black children look at themselves. It also changes how white children look at black children.

And I wouldn’t underestimate the force of that.”

NEITHER WOULD I. The media understandably, if tediously, focus on how Obama’s presidency is a deathblow to the legacy of official discrimination and racism. True enough. But the fact that a black man can become president of the United States may also be transgressive to all sorts of more relevant racial orthodoxies on the left and in the black community.

Obama’s personal example is only part of the equation. He has voiced an admirable disdain for the notion that academic excellence is nothing more than “acting white.” His famous Father’s Day speech in 2008 showed that Obama was willing to lend his voice to the effort to fight black illegitimacy and absentee fatherhood.

This puts Obama behind the two most important ingredients for black success, at least according to most conservatives: a rededication to the importance of education at an individual level and the restoration of the black nuclear family.

If Obama lives up to the dreams of his supporters in writing a new, post-racial chapter for America, he will have at once done more for America than any Democratic president in generations.

But he also will have cut the knot holding much of the left together. As an American and as a conservative, I certainly hope that’s the case. He’s already made a good start of it just by getting elected.

JonahsColumn@aol.com

Thursday, January 22, 2009

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OUR VIEWS

State needs to tackle ethics reform Herald&Review EDITORIAL BOARD Todd Nelson Publisher

David Dawson

Gary Sawyer

Managing Editor

Editor

The First Amendment: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

Unsigned editorials are opinions reached by consensus of the Herald & Review Editorial board. All other articles on this page are the opinions solely of the authors. We encourage readers to offer opinions on information provided by the Herald & Review.

UNTIL GOV. ROD Blagojevich’s impeachment trial is complete, the General Assembly will be focused on that issue and not much else.

But sometime in early February it’s expected that the trial will be completed, and barring something unforeseen, Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn will replace Blagojevich.

At that point, Quinn and the legislature will have to turn their attention to some serious issues facing the state.

The state’s budget, which is a mess, will undoubtedly be a top priority. In addition, legislators should focus on a capital improvement program that will create jobs, but not cripple taxpayers in the process.

But the General Assembly should not adjourn unless it also addresses the most important ethical reform: changing the state’s campaign finance laws.

Illinois is one of five states that allow unlimited campaign contributions. Most states, and the federal government, limit the amount of money candidates can receive from any individual, corporation, political action committee or other source.

Limiting campaign contributions may be the best and quickest way to limit “pay to play” politics. If contributions are limited, candidates would be less willing to dangle lucrative state contracts in exchange for contributions.

Ethical changes in Illinois government have been notoriously slow. The General Assembly did approve, and the governor did sign, reforms

during the last session that prohibit state contractors from donating to state officeholders that oversee those contracts.

But that step — significant, but not nearly enough — only occurred after public sentiment reached a fever pitch and then presidential nominee Barack Obama intervened to convince Senate President Emil Jones to allow a vote on the issue.

Many state politicians talk about the need for campaign finance reform but also enjoy amassing huge campaign war chests built on unlimited contributions. In Illinois at least, it’s always difficult to get legislators to vote for something that they don’t believe is in their own self interest.

It will also be easy, as the Blagojevich mess fades from the front pages, to talk a lot about campaign finance reform and do very little.

That’s why Kent Redfield, professor emeritus in political science at the University of Illinois at Springfield, can’t get too excited about potential reform. “There will be a huge push for ethics reform, but what actually will get signed into law is always a question.’’

What should get signed into law, as a minimum, is a policy that is similar to the federal government contribution limits.

During the next few weeks, there will be a lot of talk about ethical reform. What voters should really pay attention to is what has been signed into law when the legislature’s work is done.

LETTERS It’s time to return values, education to America What a mess!

Citizens everywhere are asking: How did we get in this fix? How could we let this happen? Remember, folks, all it takes is for a few good men and women to do and say nothing.

If we fail to wash the dishes, sweep the floors, do the laundry and clean the house, after awhile, we live in a dump. If we stop teaching the three Rs, reading, writing and arithmetic, after awhile, we have adults who can’t read or put their thoughts into writing and won’t know if two times two equals four or six.

We must not take away our family values, respect for ourselves and others, parents who are in charge and give support and direction, believe in a higher being and practice those beliefs or the puzzle called life is a confused mess.

We must take back our country, schools and families before we are all doomed to never-ending confusion and despair. Let the change begin with you and me, each of us American citizens.

Evelyn Strong Decatur

American dream kept alive in inauguration It is the curse of the journalist always to be present, but never really there.

The job requires that we stand slightly apart, seeing but not believing; hearing without being seduced.

We jot down the words, careful not to let them get under our skin. Like surgeons in the operating room, we can’t afford to become emotionally involved lest we notice the blood and let the scalpel slip.

Then comes the rare instance that penetrates the armor, when something causes you to put down the pad, turn off the camera in your head, and become part of the moment. The short list in recent history includes the assassinations of John and Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr., the signal marches on Washington, the terrorist attacks of 9/11. To those we may now add Inauguration Day 2009.

IT WOULD be nice to have just the right words to sum up what happened Tuesday.

The days preceding had tested Washington’s tolerance for the prosaic.

Think Disney World and Mardi Gras combined. Add subfreezing temperatures, impossible traffic and madden-

KATHLEEN PARKER

OPINIONS? CONTACT US:

ing security. Throw in helicopters buzzing, sirens wailing, interminable lines and, oh yes, battalions of portapotties standing sentry along the perimeter of America’s Paris.

Despite confusion and frustration, the mood suggested that those helicopters were dropping fairy dust into the ozone. All aggravations seemed to fade as the sun rose on the event that drew perhaps millions to be part of the swearing-in of the first African-American president of the United States.

WE KNEW it was coming. We had already exhausted the story before it was fully written. And yet, when the hour finally arrived and Obama raised his right hand, his presidency was somehow not quite imaginable.

Sitting on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, extremities numb despite layers of wool, and seeing so many gathered to witness this thing they called “change” was, dare I say it, awesome. That most-annoying hipster term for anything remotely acceptable is suddenly useful for its intended purpose.

For awe is the truest word to describe what transpired and what was inspired.

It is not only awe for Obama’s meteoric rise to the highest human power. It is not only that so many trekked so far to be present for the moment. It is not even awe for the peaceful transfer of power for which Americans are deservedly proud.

It is awe for what is, in fact, not change, but the natural, if difficult, progression of an ideal that is true and

WRITE: Herald & Review Letter to the editor Box 311, Decatur, IL 62525-0311

good and transcendent through time.

Barack Obama’s presidency isn’t a change from, but a continuation of the American experiment toward its hopedfor destination.

Obama hinted at this in his speech by invoking American values of hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism. In honoring all those who came before, who fought and died from Concord and Gettysburg to Normandy and Khe Sanh, he reminded us that change is not a single event on Election Day, but an evolutionary process.

The change we’ve been waiting for?

No, the goal we were always aiming for.

AMERICANS REALLY do believe in the dreams of our Founding Fathers, who envisioned and articulated what is at our human core — the profound desire for a more perfect union. The vast majority of Americans really do believe, as Obama said Tuesday, in the “God-given promise that all are equal, all are free and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.“ And so, Barack Obama, biracial offspring of the American dream, came to be president.

It is now the day after. Work awaits, bills remain, wars persist. The afterglow is hard to sustain as the promise of yesterday becomes tomorrow’s challenges. Armor on, cameras whirring, pens poised. The march toward a more perfect union continues.

Good luck, Mr. President. kparker@kparker.com

E-MAIL: ddawson@ herald-review.com

God is the way to find peace amid world chaos I have seen the world change before my eyes. I have seen cities being wiped out. I have seen countries destroyed. I have seen lives being taken away by some of their own people. Most of all, I have seen my life changed over the years.

The Bible speaks about the things that are happening in the world that must come to pass. There are some people who don’t believe in the Bible because they never read it. If you read the 23rd chapter of Matthew, you will see why God will destroy this world. If you turn your life over to God, he will take care of his own in the midst of trouble.

Man is destroying the world every day, trying to find better ways to live.

We can’t get around what’s going to happen, no matter what scientists do.

We need to have faith that Jesus is fighting our battle.

I know, for some people, it seems like the weight of the world is on their shoulders, but hold on for a little while and God is going to give you peace forever.

Janet Bond Decatur The Herald & Review welcomes letters to the editor from readers on topics of general interest and public policy.

Letters must be signed with the writer’s full name and contain a current mailing address and telephone number (daytime and evening) for verification purposes. Letters must contain 300 words or less. Writers are limited to one letter every 30 days. Letters that are libelous, of limited interest or in poor taste will be rejected.

Letters may be sent via mail, fax, e-mail or hand-delivered. Contacts are listed at the bottom of the page.

The Herald & Review reserves the right to edit, condense or reject any letter.

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A4 LOCAL/STATE

BRIEFS DECATUR

Teens grab woman’s purse in parking lot Four juveniles, ages 13 to 15, were arrested Wednesday evening in the area of the Brettwood Village Shopping Center after they allegedly grabbed the purse of a 49year-old woman as she was leaving a store.

The woman told police she felt a bump from behind as she exited the store and then a male in front of her grabbed the purse and ran away, along with the youth behind her and two other teenagers, police Lt. David Dickerson said.

Officers responding to the shopping center spotted the four juveniles and detained them, Dickerson said. The woman’s purse was found nearby, he said.

DECATUR

Items reported taken from garage Power tools and hand tools were among items taken from an unattached garage between Dec. 30 and Tuesday, a 41-year-old woman reported to Decatur police.

The missing items were a Craftsman rear-bagging lawnmower, a blue wheelbarrow, assorted hand tools, a burgundy colored bicycle with no hand brakes and a 100-foot roll of new electrical wire.

DECATUR

15-year-olds sought in video game theft A DVD player, a video game console and a number of video games were taken between 11:15 a.m. and 3:25 p.m. Wednesday during a burglary to a house in the 1000 block of Lincoln Avenue, a 31year-old woman reported to Decatur police.

Officers were seeking three 15-year-old males for questioning in connection with the break-in.

ILLINOIS

Tuberculosis patient could go to jail CHAMPAIGN — A Champaign tuberculosis patient will be tracked by GPS and could go to jail if he violates court orders that he remain isolated while being treated.

Health officials and prosecutors said Clasance Botembe failed to take precautions to avoid spreading the disease.

Ventilation was closed in the room at the county health department where Botembe appeared. Botembe, the judge and others in the room wore masks.

ILLINOIS

Commission says corruption rampant CHICAGO — Emotional warnings that corruption is rampant across Illinois politics filled the air as Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn’s new reform commission launched its crusade against a culture of payoffs, patronage and entrenched power.

Quinn has given the Illinois Reform Commission 100 days to come up with a blueprint for cleaning up Illinois government.

ILLINOIS

Ryan nominated again for Nobel CHAMPAIGN — A University of Illinois professor has made his sixth nomination of George Ryan for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Despite the former governor being imprisoned on corruption charges, Francis A. Boyle, a professor of International Law and Human Rights, believes Ryan’s moratorium on executions in Illinois is worthy of the prize.

ILLINOIS

Blagojevich’s wife fired CHICAGO — A Chicago homeless agency has fired Illinois’ first lady from her $100,000-a-year job as its chief fundraiser.

The Chicago Christian Industrial League’s board exercised a termination clause of Patti Blagojevich’s contract.

Interim Executive Director Mary Shaver said she could not discuss personnel issues.

The company hired Patti Blagojevich in August. She has not been accused of any wrongdoing, although her voice is heard in the background of some wiretaps.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 23, 2009

www.herald-review.com

DECATUR, ILLINOIS

Governor compares arrest to Pearl Harbor Blagojevich says Senate just trying to get him out of way so they can raise taxes CHICAGO (AP) — Illinois’ embattled but defiant governor turned to the history books on Thursday to describe the emotional strain on him and his family, comparing his arrest last month to Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor.

“Dec. 9 to my family, to us, to me, is what Pearl Harbor Day was to the United States,” he said in an interview with The Associated Press. “It was a complete surprise, completely unexpected.

And just like the United States prevailed in that, we’ll prevail in this.”

The two-term Democrat, speaking on a snowy Chicago sidewalk outside the office of one of his attorneys, said there was no chance that he will resign before the start of the impeachment trial in the

state Senate next week.

“I’m going to fight this to the very end,” he said.

But that fight, he said, most likely won’t include his appearance at the trial. The governor, along with his lawyers, say the trial rules are unfair because they bar him from calling any witnesses who are likely to be called in any criminal trial later.

“I’m not going to be a party to that process,” he said. “That would be a violation of my oath of office. That, to me, would be an impeachable offense.”

He said his decision comes from what he called a “bigger principle,” which he said includes the principles of due process and the right to call witnesses.

“In some respects it’s an honor to fall on principle on behalf of the people,” he said.

Blagojevich, wearing a black leather jacket and gripping a blue legal folder, also accused legislators of “a rush to

judgment,” saying they wanted him gone so they could pass tax legislation.

“The reason they’re doing this is because they can’t wait to get rid of me so they can raise taxes on the people of Illinois,” he said. “This is as much about a tax increases as it is about anything else.”

Blagojevich is accused of scheming to swap President Barack Obama’s vacant Senate seat for personal gain.

He said of all the pressures on him, being the butt of jokes on late-night shows wasn’t among them. The governor said he has not seen any of the parodies and asked if they were any good.

“People can criticize and vilify, they can do skits on ‘Saturday Night Live’ — I think that goes along with the territory,” he said. “But what I won’t do is cave in and sacrifice the people of Illinois and be party to some phony farce, some unconstitutional process that’s designed to remove me from office so these lawmakers can raise taxes on people.”

Prosecutor to call 13 witnesses in impeachment Blagojevich’s lawyer may sue to stop trial in state Senate

By JASON NEVEL H&R Springfield Bureau Writer

SPRINGFIELD — The prosecutor in the upcoming state Senate impeachment trial of Gov. Rod Blagojevich wants to have more than a dozen witnesses testify against the governor, but Blagojevich on Thursday denounced the trial as a “sham” and one of his attorney said he’s considering a lawsuit to stop the trial.

Prosecutor David Ellis subpoenaed 13 witnesses to testify Monday, including lawmakers, state officials and an FBI agent who was involved in the federal corruption case against the embattled governor.

But while Ellis met a Wednesday deadline to file witnesses, Blagojevich missed

Radio station offers Blagojevich a job CHICAGO (AP) — A Chicago radio station is offering Gov. Rod Blagojevich a job.

During a show early Thursday, the program director at WLS-AM announced that if Blagojevich resigns, the station will offer him his own weekly radio program from noon to 2 p.m. Sundays.

Program director Bob

Shomper said the station is asking the governor to spare the state the embarrassment and expense of forcibly removing him from office.

The Senate starts a trial to remove him Monday.

Shomper said the station’s offer reflects the will of the people, who he said want the governor gone.

it and decried the entire process.

“You can’t possibly defend yourself when they say you did something, and they don’t let you call witnesses to say you didn’t do it,” Blagojevich said.

Samuel E. Adam, an attorney for Blagojevich, said that he may file a lawsuit to stop the proceeding within a few days. He said the process for calling witnesses and mounting a defense are unfair.

However, Adam and another of Blagojevich’s lawyer, Ed

Genson, say they will boycot the event, and Blagojevich spokesman Lucio Guerrero said it’s unclear if the governor will attend himself or have representation. Genson could not be reached for comment.

Lawmakers have argued the trial rules are fair. A spokeswoman for Senate President John Cullerton, DChicago, said Blagojevich was confusing the rules on purpose.

“This is an attempt to muddy the distinction between the criminal trial

and the Senate impeachment proceeding,” spokeswoman Rikeesha Phelon said.

The trial is scheduled to start Monday, and state Rep. Chapin Rose, R-Mahomet, is scheduled to give testimony.

Rose served on the House impeachment committee that put together a report that led to the governor being impeached.

“We are probably more familiar with all the evidence that was presented,” Rose said.

The Senate has the power to overrule any witnesses called with a majority vote.

“The reason that’s in there is to prevent either side from turning this into a show and to prevent redundancy,” state Sen. Dale Righter, R-Mattoon said. “All I can say is that anyone who has read the rules and views them objectively would not come to that conclusion (that the process is unfair).”

A Penny for Your Thoughts While the contribution theme for the Herald & Review’s 2009 Outlook edition is being called “A Penny for Your Thoughts,” participation won’t cost you a dime.

We want to hear from you so you can be a part of our annual Outlook which will carry the theme, “Links to Lincoln.” The editions will explore the many connections Central Illinois communities have to Abraham Lincoln.

We’d like to hear from readers about your thoughts on our 16th president and what he means to you and to Illinois. We also would be interested in hearing any individual stories about why you take pride in your job, home, school or community.

Our goal is to include as many stories from people in the communities we serve in our Outlook sections, which publish Sunday, March 22, and March 29.

Send your essays to: Dave Dawson, Managing Editor, c/o Herald & Review, 601 E. William St., Decatur, IL 62523, or e-mail it to ddawson@ herald-review.com.

Essays should be less than 300 words long. They should be in our possession by 5 p.m.

Monday, March 9. Include daytime and evening phone numbers.

jason.nevel@lee.net|789-0865

Consultant allegedly discussed selling Obama’s Senate seat Respected firm represents various Democratic leaders CHICAGO (AP) — A partner in a prominent, Washington-based political consulting firm is among those secretly recorded discussing ways Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich can cash in on President Barack Obama’s old Senate seat.

Frederick S. Yang, a top executive at Peter D. Hart Research Group Associates, is identified by prosecutors in the Blagojevich criminal complaint as “Advisor B,” Michael D. Ettinger, a lawyer representing the governor’s brother, said Thursday.

Robert Blagojevich, who has not been charged with a crime, runs his brother’s campaign fund.

The Hart firm has represented dozens of Democratic governors and members of Congress. The revelation that a key executive at the company was captured on FBI wiretaps working with the governor could embroil one of the nation’s most respected and influential polling and consulting groups in the Blagojevich scandal.

Blagojevich is accused of using his elected office to exchange official actions for favors, including offering Obama’s Senate seat to the highest bidder.

The intercepted discussions between Yang, who has

not been charged, and the governor involved ways to secure Blagojevich a highpaying union job or persuade Obama to name him secretary of Health and Human Services in exchange for Valerie Jarrett’s appointment to succeed Obama in the Senate.

Blagojevich, charged with two counts tied to fraud and bribery, has long been a client of Peter D. Hart Research and its political division, Garin-Hart-Yang Research Group. Partner Geoff Garin served as chief strategist for Hillary Clinton’s unsuccessful presidential run. Hart and Garin also have declined repeated requests for comment from the AP since mid-December.

Military service becomes a family tradition Sullivan native joins other relatives with oath Thursday

By JASON NEVEL H&R Springfield Bureau Writer

SPRINGFIELD — Serving their country is beginning to become a family tradition for the Petersons.

Spc. Lalita Laksbergs of the Army National Guard watched her son, Sullivan native Jacob Peterson, be sworn into the Illinois Air National Guard on Thursday.

Her daughter, Alyssa Peterson, is in Afghanistan with the Illinois Army National Guard’s 33rd Infantry Brigade.

“I’m proud of the amazing people they’ve become,” Laksbergs said.

Laksbergs’ father served in the Army during World War II. Both of her brothers are retired from the Marines and the Air Force.

“Now, we have all the services except the Coast Guard in the family,” Laksbergs said.

Jacob, 20, will head to San Antonio, Texas, to begin basic training, which will run for eight weeks. After that, he said he wants to go to a technical school in Mississippi and focus on work with computers.

Alyssa Peterson was the first to join the Guard, and Laksbergs has been serving for two years. Surprisingly, mom was hesitant to let her son follow the family tradition.

“My junior year in high school, I asked my mom if I could, and she said no because she wanted me to go to col-

Herald & Review/Jason Nevel

Jacob Peterson, who was sworn into the Air National Guard on Thursday, stands with his mother, Lalita Lacksberg. lege,” Jacob Peterson said.

After signing up and expe-

riencing the Guard firsthand, Laksbergs changed her mind.

“Seeing the family and community side of it was more than I anticipated,” Laksbergs said. “It wasn’t as difficult for me to say yes.”

Laksbergs doesn’t have too much time to get caught up in the moment. She said she will be going to Iraq later this year.

“The plan is she will come back from Afghanistan, and I’ll come back from Iraq,” Laksbergs said jason.nevel@lee.net|789-0865

In a Nov. 7 recorded conversation characterized by prosecutors, Yang told Blagojevich he “should leverage the President-elect’s desire to have ‘Senate Candidate 1’ (Jarrett) appointed to the Senate seat in order to get a head position” with a union organization called Change to Win. Between 2001 and 2006, Blagojevich’s campaign paid Peter D. Hart Research $1.3 million, according to the Illinois State Board of Elections.

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n DOUBLE DUTCH: Decatur teen knows the ropes/D1

Saving lives

The hard way

Pet food company sponsors event at Homeward Bound/B1

Illini win another bruising battle with the Badgers/C1

Herald&Review WWW.HERALD-REVIEW.COM

SUNDAY

Legislature counting down to history

JANUARY 25, 2009

What’s it worth?

The Internet has a wealth of information about antiques, including the value of some of them.

But a lot of it is on paid sites, which is why several people turned to appraiser Ed Walker for assistance Saturday at the Macon County History Museum. Local B1

High heat The recent cold snap has resulted in record natural gas usage in Central Illinois, and some Ameren customers may get hot under the collar when they open their bills. Money F1

Barring resignation, governor’s trial begins Monday in state Senate

By MIKE RIOPELL H&R Springfield Bureau Writer

SPRINGFIELD — Six years ago, Gov. Rod Blagojevich won election, based on a promise to end corruption.

Former Gov. George Ryan was in

trouble with the law, so Blagojevich’s pitch to voters that he’d clean up state government was an effective one.

“That was the issue,” said Jay Stewart, director of the Chicago-based Better Government Association. “That’s why he got elected.”

Now, the Illinois Senate is preparing to begin Blagojevich’s impeachment trial, a proceeding in which he’ll be accused of political corruption and mismanagement of government. Senate leadership said the trial, set to

begin at noon Monday, will go on as planned, unless Blagojevich resigns first.

The defiant governor has denied the accusations, which include claims arising from his Dec. 9 arrest on federal corruption charges.

Among the litany of allegations, Blagojevich is accused of trying to sell President Obama’s then-vacant U.S. Senate seat, withholding state money from a children’s hospital and expanding state health care services

without lawmakers’ consent.

Stewart said that given the governor’s campaign promise to reform government six years ago, the events that could transpire next week were hard to see coming.

“He’ll have to at least try,” Stewart said he thought. “History has shown I was utterly wrong.”

Blagojevich’s lawyers have said they won’t participate in the

A STITCH IN TIME

Warm Hearts

Financial aid for college harder to get

Little Ole Bag Ladies’efforts keep the chill off Decatur’s needy

Scholarships, grants may be cut at many schools

grants now barred from government-sponsored insurance until they have been in the country at least five years.

The two provisions have angered Senate Republicans, including some who disagreed with Bush and worked closely with Democrats on expanding the program in 2007. Democrats have countered that 90 percent of the bill to be debated in the week ahead is based on legislation that previously

CHICAGO (AP) — Finding financial aid for college this year promises to be tougher than any final exam.

The quest for money that begins for students and parents every January has taken on new urgency in 2009 amid fears that loans and grants will be scarcer than in the past due to the recession.

“The financing system for college is in real crisis,” said Barmak Nassirian, associate executive director of the American Association of College Registrars and Admissions Officers.

“Every one of the participants in the system is experiencing hardship — higher education institutions, states, aid donors and families all are cash-strapped.”

Federal student loans remain readily available — with some funding even increased recently by Congress. But the prospect that grants and scholarships may be cut at many schools, combined with the shrinking availability of private loans, has fueled widespread angst at a time when more people than ever are seeking help. Applications for federal aid for the current academic year already are running 10 percent above last year’s record pace, according to the Department of Education.

Savings held in Section 529 plans — the state-sponsored investment funds for college that are popular for their tax breaks — have been depleted by the worst bear market in decades and home equity values have plummeted. That has sapped two sources most tapped by parents to fund their children’s higher education. Colleges’ endowments have been similarly walloped.

Private student loans are especially hard hit. Last year, 60 private lenders provided $19 billion to students.

Now, 39 of those have stopped lending to students and the remaining firms have made it harder to borrow, according to Finaid.org, a Web site that tracks the industry.

“The stress level is high,” said Rod Bugarin, financial aid adviser for the New York-based college consulting firm IvyWise.

Numerous revenue-short states are likely to consider cutting aid in one way or another, and public colleges and universities are expected to raise tuition — in

HEALTH/A2

AID/A2

Getting started It may be the dead of winter, but lots of gardeners are preparing for spring by starting plants from seeds indoors. Home E1

Going to the polls Iraqis vote Saturday in the first nationwide election in three years, choosing provincial leaders in what amounts to a test of Iraq’s stability. In contrast to the three previous ballots since the U.S. invasion, this one is strikingly open. World A8

Lake Decatur level watch Normal winter pool level . . . .612.5 Normal summer pool level . . .614.4 Yesterday’s level . . . . . . . . .612.53

YOUR WEATHER

HIGH

Herald & Review photos/Lisa Morrison

Carol Siempelkamp uses a sewing machine to combine the different materials. TOP: Janet Bricker works on a blanket stitch around the outside while Joan Lucas sews on ties to complete the sleeping bag. BELOW LEFT: Piles of sleeping bags to be completed are stacked to the side of the room. BELOW RIGHT: Nancy Messmore works on tying the sleeping bag so the layers stay together.

By ARLENE MANNLEIN H&R Staff Writer

F

INDLAY — The journey began in the basement of Findlay United Methodist Church, when Carol Siempelkamp pieced together enough fabric to make a 7-foot square.

L O W

22 11

The journey ended when that fabric square, now crafted into a sleeping bag, was helping keep warm either one of Mike Pherigo’s two daughters, ages 11 and 14, or his 11-year-old nephew.

Pherigo said he almost could not believe his good fortune when he went to

Today: Mostly cloudy Tonight: A bit of snow early Details/B6

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$1.75 137th year Issue 25 Six sections

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IMPEACH/A4

Northeast Community Fund in Decatur and received three sleeping bags to replace bedding destroyed in basement flooding last year.

“I ain’t never seen nothing made like that before,” Pherigo said.

HEARTS/A2

Children’s health bill returns to haunt Republicans Opposition doesn’t have the numbers to stop expansion WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans appear to have overplayed their hand when blocking the expansion of a children’s health care program last year.

They face the likelihood that Democrats in the coming weeks will pass a bill that

they dislike even more.

With more Democrats in Congress and President Barack Obama in the White House, GOP lawmakers don’t have the numbers or a veto threat to do anything about it.

The Senate planned to begin debate as early as Monday on a bill that would increase spending on the State Children’s Health Insurance Program by $31.5 billion over the next 4½ years.

Congress approved a simi-

lar bill in late 2007 that former President George W. Bush vetoed. The House fell about 15 votes shy of overriding the veto. But the current legislation contains some important changes.

It is friendlier to states that want to cover children in families with incomes exceeding three times the federal poverty level — $63,600 for a family of four.

Also, the bill calls for covering children of legal immi-

A4 STATE

DECATUR, ILLINOIS

www.herald-review.com

The Blagojevich impeachment trial

Quinn sees budget as top priority

SUNDAY, JANUARY 25, 2009

Now that Gov. Rod Blagojevich has been impeached by the Illlinois House, the Illinois Senate will conduct a trial to see if the governor should be removed from office.

The trial is slated to begin Monday. The 59 members of the Senate will act as jurors. If 40 of those members decide the Democratic governor’s actions are worthy of his being removed from office, Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn would take over the state’s top post.

The trial could last into the first week of February, or longer. Here are some of the key people who could play a major role in the trial’s drama.

By DEANNA BELLANDI

Gov. Rod Blagojevich

Associated Press Writer

Democrat Age 52 Serving his second term as governor Impeached by the House in January, he is accused of, among other things, attempting to sell Barack Obama’s then-vacant U.S. Senate seat and withholding state money from a children’s hospital. n n n n

One month after Blagojevich was arrested for his alleged attempt to sell the vacant Senate seat of Obama, he was impeached by the House 114-1. The governor has steadfastly claimed he is innocent of any criminal wrongdoing. Blagojevich does not have to be present in Springfield during the trial.

In addition to the impeachment trial, Blagojevich faces separate criminal charges.

It is unclear if Blagojevich will be represented by counsel at the impeachment trial.

David Ellis Special prosecutor of the case against Blagojevich Age 41 Day job: Attorney for the Illinois House Democrats On the side: Author of five mystery novels n

n n

n

Ellis oversaw the legal work of the state House committee that recommended Blagojevich be impeached.

Now, he’ll try to make a case to the Senate that they should convict the governor.

Ellis has been legal counsel to House Speaker Michael Madigan, a longtime Blagojevich foe, the past two years.

Thomas Fitzgerald Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Democrat Age 68 Elected to the Supreme Court in 2000 n

n n n

Fitzgerald will preside over the Senate trial after becoming chief justice last year. The justice will ask all questions the prosecutor and governor's defense have for witnesses.

The Chicago native graduated from Loyola University before enlisting in the Navy. Fitzgerald attended The John Marshall Law School. He has been a judge since 1976.

n n n

John Cullerton Senate president Democrat Age 61

The Senate president is responsible for making the schedule.

Cullerton set aside nine days, starting Jan. 26, for the trial. Cullerton can also decide what evidence will be permitted. Senators can vote to override Fitzgerald during the hearing.

Cullerton ascended just weeks ago to lead the Illinois Senate, which has 37 Democrats compared to 22 Republicans. Cullerton has served in the Senate since 1991 and served in the House from 1979 to 1991.

H&R chart/J. Zerfowski

IMPEACH

Lawyers won’t take on ‘unfair’ trial

Continued from A1

SPRINGFIELD — Sam Adam Jr. and Samuel E. Adam, attorneys for Gov. Rod Blagojevich, have said they won’t represent the governor during his impeachment trial, citing what they call unfair rules.

And former Blagojevich attorney Ed Genson, said he won’t help the governor on his criminal case, either.

So as the governor faces a historic impeachment trial beginning Monday, it’s unclear if Blagojevich will have any legal support.

Genson and the Adamses are prominent Chicago lawyers whose clients include R&B star R. Kelly.

Genson has practiced law for 44 years and suffers from a degenerative disease that causes him to walk with a cane. He was the governor’s key support as the Illinois House considered his impeachment.

Sam Adam and Samuel E. Adam are father and son.

They, along with Blagojevich, argued the impeachment trial wouldn’t be fair because the governor doesn’t have the ability to call witnesses.

Lawmakers have countered that rules for the proceedings are fair and mirror those used against former President Bill Clinton.

Patrick Fitzgerald, 44, the U.S. attorney based in Chicago since 2001, had Blagojevich arrested in December on federal corruption charges The criminal complaint by Fitzgerald’s office started Blagojevich’s troubles that have led to his impeachment trial.

A federal judge in Chicago ruled that four tapes of Blagojevich wiretaps can be released to Illinois lawmakers.

Fitzgerald’s office will prosecute Blagojevich in his criminal case.

party chooses not to, then that would by default make the proceedings shorter,” said state Sen. Dale Righter, RMattoon.

Blagojevich on Friday said he didn’t plan to attend the hearings because he wasn’t being allowed to call witnesses. The governor didn’t defend himself at the House’s impeachment hearings, either.

Some lawmakers said the governor’s absence made his impeachment an easier vote.

Lawmakers impeached Blagojevich by a 117-1 vote earlier this month after new House members were sworn in.

“If I contended all the time I was innocent, I sure would have been there, telling people I was innocent,” said state Rep. Pat Verschoore, D-Milan.

Blagojevich has made

statements to others, though, to argue for his innocence.

Shortly after the Illinois House first impeached him, Blagojevich said his health care ideas were meant to help people and were not an impeachable offense, even if he angered lawmakers by trying to implement them without legislative approval.

Friday, though, Blagojevich sought to make different points, saying that future governors will be crippled if they see lawmakers can impeach a governor and oust him from office with relative ease.

“This is much bigger than me,” Blagojevich said.

“This will have a chilling effect on every governor in the future,” he added.

impeachment trial, perhaps leaving the governor without a lawyer as the prosecutor presents evidence to lawmakers. The governor and his legal team have argued that the trial’s rules are unfair and don’t presume innocence.

In an impassioned plea Friday, Blagojevich asked Senate leaders to change the rules and allow him to call witnesses, including members of President Obama’s administration. He even compared the situation to the Wild West, where a horse thief might be punished without a fair trial.

“They’re just hanging me,” Blagojevich said.

The Senate’s rules do allow him to call witnesses, but none that might interfere with the federal corruption case he is facing. He has missed deadlines for making those requests.

And he might be correct in his criticism that many senators, who serve as the jury in the impeachment trial, already have made up their minds.

In Washington on Monday, U.S. Rep. Debbie Halvorson, a Crete Democrat, had no reservations about talking about Blagojevich’s fate.

Halvorson, who was state Senate majority leader until winning her seat in Congress in November, said she wouldn’t hesitate to convict him if she were still a senator.

“He’d be gone in 30 seconds,” Halvorson said.

The Senate has set aside nine days for the trial, but if Blagojevich doesn’t have any lawyers arguing his side of the case, some lawmakers and observers have questioned whether the trial would take more than a few days.

“Common sense would dictate that if two parties can both put on a case, and one

—MIKE RIOPELL

mike.riopell@lee.net|789-0865

Governor’s Pearl Harbor analogy offends veterans

By KARI ANDREN Lee News Service Writer

SPRINGFIELD — Veterans organizations in Southern Illinois have blasted Gov. Rod Blagojevich for comparing his Dec. 9 arrest to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Blagojevich said his arrest was to him and his family “what Pearl Harbor Day was to the United States. It was a complete surprise, completely unexpected.

And just like the United States prevailed in that, we’ll prevail in this.”

Blagojevich’s impeachment trial in the state Senate is set to begin Monday. He said Friday he won’t appear for it.

Since his arrest last month at his Chicago home on federal corruption charges, Blagojevich has taken to quoting poet-

‘Here’s a guy on his way out the door, with regard only for himself, and he decides to insult the entire veteran community. When you’re in a hole, get rid of the shovel. Stop digging.’

State Rep. Ron Stephens, R-Highland ry and short stories, but his latest analogy to a very real attack landed him in hot water.

“It’s disgusting if he actually believes that,” said Bob Graham, commander of American Legion Post 365 in Collinsville.

“Personally, I think the man needs help,” said Graham, a Vietnam veteran. “My advice to him would be to stand up and admit to what he’s done and go on with his life and not

Governor not giving information to person who might take over

try to compare his life to the entire nation.”

State Rep. Ron Stephens, RHighland, called the remarks “just ridiculous.”

“Here’s a guy on his way out the door, with regard only for himself, and he decides to insult the entire veteran community,” Stephens said.

“When you’re in a hole, get rid of the shovel. Stop digging.” kandren@post-dispatch.com

CHICAGO — The man who may soon be Illinois’ next governor knows he quickly needs to get up to speed on fixing a state budget deficit that’s possibly as high as $5 billion, especially since the trial to remove Gov. Rod Blagojevich is just a day away.

If Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn becomes governor, he would promptly ask the General Assembly to push back the annual budget address a month to March to give him some breathing room. Lawmakers did that for Blagojevich in his first year when he inherited a multibillion-dollar deficit from his predecessor, convicted former Gov. George Ryan.

“That would give us about 30, 40 days maybe more to really size things up, come up with a plan, lay it out for the members of the legislature and the public and then execute the plan,” Quinn said.

Quinn could soon find himself in charge of the state if the impeached Blagojevich resigns or is booted from office in a Senate trial set to begin Monday. Quinn’s ascension is almost inevitable because Blagojevich has opted not to defend himself, claiming the impeachment trial is rigged against him.

Poised to take over, Quinn bemoaned on Friday that any transition would be a far cry from the peaceful one between President Barack Obama and former President George W. Bush.

After not talking to Blagojevich for more than a year, Quinn said he has had no meaningful contact with the governor’s office about a possible transition since Blagojevich was arrested on federal corruption charges last month.

“President Obama made it very clear that he was grateful to President Bush for his total cooperation, all the information that the new incoming president needed was provided to him. Well, we haven’t seen any of that from Gov. Blagojevich he has stonewalled everything,”

Associated Press

Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn talks amid papers in his Chicago office.

Quinn said.

But Quinn also hasn’t asked, said his spokesman Bob Reed.

“The governor has shown no inclination to resign or to leave office so why would he be open to any discussion regarding the transition?”

Reed said.

Although Quinn has been the state’s No. 2 since 2002, he and Blagojevich don’t work together because they’ve been on the outs for years. Blagojevich insisted in a radio interview last year that Quinn was-

n’t part of his administration.

They didn’t even run together by choice. In Illinois, governor candidates don’t pick their running mates.

They are paired after the lieutenant governor candidates are selected in party primaries. The two then run together in the general election.

If he becomes governor, one of the first things Quinn said he has to do is get his arms around the size of the state’s deficit that he guesses is between $4 billion and $5 billion.

A Penny for Your Thoughts While the contribution theme for the Herald & Review’s 2009 Outlook edition is being called “A Penny for Your Thoughts,” participation won’t cost you a dime.

We want to hear from you so you can be a part of our annual Outlook which will carry the theme, “Links to Lincoln.” The editions will explore the many connections Central Illinois communities have to Abraham Lincoln.

We’d like to hear from readers about your thoughts on our 16th president and what he means to you and to Illinois. We also would be interested in hearing any individual stories about why you take pride in your job, home, school or community.

Our goal is to include as many stories from people in the communities we serve in our Outlook sections, which publish Sunday, March 22, and March 29.

Send your essays to: Dave Dawson, Managing Editor, c/o Herald & Review, 601 E. William St., Decatur, IL 62523, or e-mail it to ddawson @herald-review.com.

Essays should be less than 300 words long. They should be in our possession by 5 p.m. Monday, March 9.

Include daytime and evening phone numbers.

1,000 miles of jazz

Tough tourney

34th annual festival expands its musical horizons/D1

Warrensburg-Latham loses, Central A&M advances/B1

Herald&Review WWW.HERALD-REVIEW.COM

TUESDAY JANUARY 27, 2009

Serving a fundraiser

CAT cuts personnel, production No estimate of effect on Decatur factory; work force worldwide is hit

By TONY REID H&R Staff Writer

Serving trays are one of the works of art to be featured at the Holy Family Dinner Dance and Auction, with each piece created by a class. The event also includes live and silent auctions. Local A3

DECATUR — Sinking profits and a dismal economic outlook saw Caterpillar Inc. announce 5,000 job losses

and a series of production cuts Monday that will affect its Decatur factory.

The job cuts target white-collar workers and not union production line workers, the company said. Caterpillar did not offer an estimate of how many Decatur employees might be involved, saying only that the cuts were spread among the company’s worldwide work force, which numbers more than 112,800 overall.

The production cutbacks are likely to hurt Decatur’s United Auto Workers Union work force, however, as the company responds to falling orders and the world continues to sink into recession.

“It could include temporary layoffs or partial plant shutdowns for a week or two,” said Caterpillar spokesman Jim Dugan. “A variety of those things are going to happen, and it will vary from location to location.”

Bond set on DUI William L. Reid, 60, had bond set in Macon County Circuit Court for his arrest on investigation of aggravated DUI with great bodily harm.

His blood-alcohol level allegedly was four times higher than the legal limit. Local A3

‘The fix is in’

Blagojevich takes his claims of unfairness to the national media

SENATE/A2

COACH/A2

Lake Decatur level watch Normal winter pool level . . . .612.5 Normal summer pool level . . .614.4 Yesterday’s level . . . . . . . . .611.95 Associated Press photos

House prosecutor David Ellis stands on the Senate floor, left, as he speaks on the first day of Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s impeachment trial. A desk where Blagojevich and his counsel would sit is empty at right. The Illinois Senate has convened a historic impeachment trial that will determine whether Blagojevich is removed from office. Blagojevich is refusing to take part in the trial, claiming its rules are so biased that he can’t present a defense.

By KURT ERICKSON

LEFT: Blagojevich leaves the building and wades through a crowd of reporters after taping ‘Good Morning America.’

HIGH

L O W

22 8 Today: 1 to 2 inches of snow Tonight: Cloudy and frigid Details/B6

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SPRINGFIELD — Illinois taxpayers are footing the bill for at least two security officers to accompany disgraced Gov. Rod Blagojevich on his national media tour Monday.

A spokesman for the impeached chief executive said the two Illinois State Police bodyguards usually travel with Blagojevich, calling their presence with him at TV appearances in New York City “normal.”

“He gets detail when he goes on vacation or even campaign events,” said spokesman Lucio Guerrero.

The governor launched a media blitz Monday, aimed at trying to convince the public that his impeachment trial in the Senate is unfair.

He appeared live on “Good Morning America” and “The View,” in which he proclaimed he is an “innocent man.”

He finished his blitz Monday night on “Larry King Live” on CNN. “I’m here in New York because I can’t get a fair hearing in Illinois,” Blagojevich told an Associated Press reporter between TV appearances.

Our 137th year

Issue 27 Four sections

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TOP MIDDLE: Blagojevich speaks to Geraldo Rivera after leaving ‘The View.’

TOP RIGHT: Blagojevich speaks during an interview with Barbara Walters on ‘The View.’

Senate starts sifting evidence in proceeding

By MIKE RIOPELL

75 cents

TOP LEFT: Blagojevich is interviewed

by Diane Sawyer on ‘Good Morning America’ in New York.

FIX/A2

H&R Springfield Bureau Writer

Fitzgerald

SPRINGFIELD — The first day of Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s impeachment trial in the Illinois Senate began Monday with a somber attitude from those involved but empty chairs where Blagojevich or his lawyers

would sit for the defense.

“This is a solemn and serious business we are about to engage in,” Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Thomas Fitzgerald said.

Fitzgerald presided over the historic proceedings for about five hours Monday. It’s the first time in Illinois history that a

By TONY REID H&R Staff Writer

governor has been impeached.

Senators on Monday began weighing evidence that likely will lead to a vote on whether to remove Blagojevich from office.

Blagojevich spent the day in New York doing television interviews

A 93-year-old man froze to death in his home just days after the municipal power company restricted his use of electricity because of unpaid bills, officials said. Nation A4

H&R Springfield Bureau Chief

Central A&M keeps Morrow, but others will lose their jobs ASSUMPTION — In a dramatic last-minute move, the Central A&M school board announced a deal Monday night that spared the job of popular coach and teacher Brianna Morrow.

Morrow, 28, had been facing dismissal at the end of this school year because of a funding crisis. Parents in tears had pleaded with the school board to save the job of the Morrow elementary physical education teacher, who has found success coaching the high school girls’ basketball, volleyball and track teams.

Other teachers and staff were not so fortunate Monday night, however. The board announced at its meeting in Assumption that four teachers and 12 teaching assistants would lose their jobs at the end of the school year.

The crisis was sparked by a policy difference between the Kemmerer Village home for troubled children near Assumption and the state’s Department of Children and Family Services. Central A&M supplies staff who work at Kemmerer to teach children, and the district is reimbursed by the state; but when the policy change prompted Kemmerer to cut back on the number of DCFS child referrals it would accept, there suddenly weren’t the funds available to pay the same number of teachers.

Six teachers were to be laid off from Kemmerer, along with the 12 teaching aides. At least one teacher had enough seniority rights to transfer back to the school district and bump a less experienced teacher from their job, which is why Morrow’s position was in danger.

Central A&M Superintendent Randy Grigg said a deal had been worked out, with Kemmerer’s cooperation, by which the teacher with seniority will now stay at Kemmerer, saving Morrow’s job.

He said crafting a solution had involved countless hours of effort from the school board and the school district’s principals.

Grigg said Morrow’s position was safe for at least another year and probably longer.

“We’ll see what happens out at Kemmerer after next year. But I think this (the deal) is long-term,” he added.

Grigg said four other Central A&M teachers will

Tragic death

YOUR WEATHER

CUTS/A2

Deal saves coach’s position

IMPEACHMENT TRIAL

Grim job report Tens of thousands of layoffs were announced by some of the biggest names in business. More pink slips, pay freezes and other hits are expected to slam workers in the months ahead. Money C1

The latest job losses and a package of job cuts announced previously add up to some 20,000 Caterpillar workers who have been or will be laid off.

These include 200 job losses at the Decatur plant that were filled by employees from outside contractors, along with company-wide cuts in management and other white-collar salaries. Caterpillar also announced

A2 LOCAL

TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2009

www.herald-review.com

DECATUR, ILLINOIS

Winning numbers selected Monday in the Illinois State Lottery:

Lottery numbers online: www.herald-review.com/ lottery/ Music Altamont Opry Country Bluegrass Night, 7 p.m., Altamont Living Museum, Altamont, $3. (618) 483-6401.

Health Blood Pressure Reading, 9:30 to 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. to noon, LifeSpan Center, Charleston. Free.

639-5150.

Blood Pressure Screening, 8 to 9 a.m., Senior Center, Shelbyville.

Free. 1-800-879-3212.

Blood Pressure Screening, 10 to 11 a.m., Newton Jasper County Senior Center, Newton.

Cardiac Rehab Orientation, 1 to 3 p.m., Decatur Memorial Hospital Cardiac Rehabilitation Department, Decatur. Free. Requires physician referral. 876-2496.

Clinical Pastoral Orientation, 6 to 9 p.m., Decatur, 876-4322.

Geriatric Assessment Clinic, 12:30 to 5 p.m., Decatur Memorial Hospital Kenwood Medical Building, Decatur. 876-2191.

Pre-Postnatal Aerobics, Decatur

Family YMCA, Decatur, 5:30 to 6:15 p.m. 872-9622.

Pregnancy Center, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Macon County Health Department, Decatur. 423-3794, ext. 1303.

Pregnancy Testing, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., New Life Pregnancy Center, Decatur, 872-5555.

Tuberculosis Clinic and Testing, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Macon County Health Department, Decatur. Medicaid or $10 each test.

423-1472.

Meetings Baby TALK Lapsit, 7 p.m., Decatur Public Library, Decatur.

Central Illinois Decorative Artists, 6:30 p.m., Grace Baptist Church, Decatur, 423-4155 or 8777229.

Christian County TRIAD, 9 a.m., Taylorville Senior Center, Taylorville.

Coalition of Neighborhood Organizations (CONO), 7 p.m., Decatur Public Library, Decatur.

Commodore Duplicate Bridge Club, 7 p.m., 2560 E. Federal Drive,

Plan your week with our calendar every Thursday

MORE EVENTS: www.herald-review.com

CUTS Continued from A1 Monday that 2,500 employees from its white-collar work force in the United States had accepted voluntary separation packages.

“And there are some people in Decatur who took the voluntary separation program,” Dugan added.

Adding to the uncertainty in Decatur, Caterpillar is now in the process of transferring most of its motor grader production and 600 jobs to a plant it’s establishing in North Little Rock, Ark. How much of a net loss of jobs that will be for the Decatur plant, which now employs 5,000 workers, isn’t clear, as the company says it is moving the graders to

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T O D AY Decatur, 422-0095.

Decatur AMBUCs, noon, Tuscany Steak & Pasta House, Decatur.

Decatur Building Construction Trades Council, 10 a.m., IBEW Local 146, Decatur.

Decatur Optimist Club, 7 a.m., Webster Cantrell Hall, Decatur.

Forsyth Rotary, 7 a.m., Hickory Point Golf Course, Forsyth.

Kiwanianne Club, 9:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility, Decatur, 877-1758.

Noon Kiwanis Club of Decatur, noon, Decatur Club, Decatur.

Noon Sertoma Club, noon, Tuscany Steak & Pasta House, Decatur.

Prairieland Kiwanis, 9:30 a.m., Decatur Civic Center, Decatur.

Seniors Decatur-Macon County Senior Center, Driver Safety Program, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Cards, 9 a.m., Bingo, 1 p.m., Decatur, 4291239.

ramp up mining truck production.

The latest corporate figures show orders are slumping all around, but Caterpillar says mining companies are generally delaying rather than canceling expansion plans.

“In general, we still think we will need that capacity (the extra mining truck build capacity in Decatur) as we move forward for our long-term strategic plan,” Dugan said, although he said the ramp-up plans could be delayed. “A lot depends on what happens in the economy.”

Caterpillar said Monday that its fourth-quarter profit dropped 32 percent, far worse than many industry analysts had been expecting. Caterpillar, an economic bellwether and component of the Dow-Jones Industrial Average, posted fourth-quarter

Salvation Army, Chair Exercises, 10 a.m., Decatur.

Johns Hill Center, Game Night, 6 to 8 p.m. (75 cents), Decatur. 4297750.

Salvation Army, Line Dancing, noon to 2 p.m., Decatur.

Support Groups Al-Anon, 7 p.m., First Congregational United Church of Christ, Decatur.

Alcoholics Anonymous, 8 p.m., First Congregational United Church of Christ, Decatur, 422-3766.

Alcoholics Anonymous, 8 p.m., Pana United Presbyterian Church, Pana.

Baby TALK, 9:30 to 10:15 a.m., Decatur Public Library, Decatur.

Caregiver Support Group, 10 a.m., Macon County Health Department, Decatur. 423-6550.

Central Illinois Prostate Cancer Support Group, 4:30 p.m., Cancer Care Specialists, Decatur.

Domestic Violence Support, 5

earnings of $661 million, or $1.08 per share, down from $975 million, or $1.50 per share, a year earlier. Revenue rose 6 percent to $12.92 billion.

Analysts, on average, had expected earnings of $1.31 per share on revenue of $12.84 billion.

Shares finished Monday down $2.99, or 8.38 percent, at $32.67.

Amid the gloom, Caterpillar said it still had record sales and revenues of $51.324 billion in 2008, up 14 percent from 2007. Profit per share came in at $5.66, up 5 percent, but after-tax profit of $3.557 billion was flat, compared to 2007.

The company scaled back expectations for 2009, with revenue and sales now projected at about $40 billion and profit at $2.50 per share.

Caterpillar chairman and chief

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p.m., Dove Inc., Moultrie County office, Sullivan, 728-9334.

Drug/Alcohol Education, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., Dove Inc., Decatur, 428-6616.

Hepatitis C Support Group, 6:30 p.m., Macon County Health Department, Decatur, 423-6988.

Living with DiaTomorrow’s betes, 2:30 highlight: to 3:30 p.m., Sarah Bush Country Lincoln Idol, 6:30 p.m., Health CenAIW Hall, ter METS Decatur.

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348-4808, 238-4808, 258-2199 or 348-2199.

M&M (Mother to Mother) Breastfeeding Support Group, 7 p.m., Lumpkin Family Center for Health Education, Mattoon, 2582229 or 348-2229.

Miracles in Progress, noon to 2 p.m., House of Miracles Pentecostal Church, Decatur, 423-4694.

Narcotics Anonymous, 8 a.m., St. Mary’s Hospital, Room 561, Decatur, 1-800-539-0475.

Narcotics Anonymous, noon, 2520 E. William St., Decatur, 1-800539-0475.

Narcotics Anonymous, 7 p.m., St. Thomas Community Center,

executive officer Jim Owens said 2008 had started out well, but a wheel had come off as the year came to a close and the world’s economic malaise hit home.

“We were whipsawed in the fourth quarter as key industries were hit by a rapidly deteriorating global economy and plunging commodity prices,” Owens said. “In anticipation of lower demand, we encouraged dealers to align inventory with declining volume, and they responded with significant order cancellations, particularly in December.”

Dugan said the world economy for 2009 promised to get worse before it got better. “We think 2009 could be the worst economic growth globally in 60-plus years,” he said. “It’s going to be a challenging year.”

Business as usual for Quinn Springfield Bureau report

SPRINGFIELD — The man in line to replace Rod Blagojevich if the governor is removed from office was not actively watching Monday’s Senate impeachment trial.

Rather, Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn was at the James R. Thompson Center in Chicago in a meeting.

Quinn spokeswoman Marlena Jentz said the next possible governor of Illinois was

continuing business as usual as the historic trial got under way at noon.

Jentz added that Quinn, a former state treasurer who has been elected lieutenant governor twice on the same ticket with Blagojevich, is staying abreast of the trial via a television feed of the proceedings.

Blagojevich was not at the trial. He was in New York making the rounds on talk shows.

Associated Press

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich arrives at his hotel after making an appearance Monday on ‘The View’ in New York.

with “The View” and other network programs.

“I frankly can’t imagine why he wouldn’t at least make a statement about how he feels about this,” state Sen. Bill Brady, R-Bloomington, said.

The Chicago Democrat and his attorneys were nowhere to be seen in the quiet Senate chamber, as prosecutor David Ellis began his efforts to make the case against the second-term chief executive.

Ellis’ opening statement made clear that evidence presented in the trial will fully follow accusations made by the Illinois House when they impeached the governor.

“He is no longer fit to govern,” Ellis said. “He should be removed from office.”

Blagojevich is charged with, among other things, trying to sell President Obama’s then-vacant Senate seat and withholding state money from a Chicago children’s hospital.

COACH

Central A&M Lady Raiders head coach Brianna Morrow prepares to lead her team onto the court at St. Teresa as the school board was deciding the fate of her job.

Continued from A1

Herald & Review/Kelly J. Huff

FBI agent is next witness

Continued from A1

remain employed at Kemmerer, along with a “shared” principal.

But he said there was nothing that could be done to save the remaining four teachers and the teaching assistants who work at Kemmerer.

The home has said, however, that it will be looking to hire one or more teachers itself and probably four or five teaching assistants.

There is a chance another of the laid-off teachers at Kemmerer could bump one more Central A&M class teacher out

By JASON NEVEL H&R Springfield Bureau Writer

SPRINGFIELD — Two witnesses could be called for day two of the Senate impeachment trial of Gov. Rod Blagojevich, which gets under way at 10 a.m. today.

FBI special agent Daniel Cain will be the first witness to testify before the 59 senators who will decide whether to remove Blagojevich from office.

Depending upon how long it takes to question Cain, state Rep. Chapin Rose, R-Mahomet, also will take the stand.

Cain helped lead the federal investigation of Blagojevich. His signed affidavit accompanied the criminal Because Blagojevich wasn’t in attendance, a plea of not guilty automatically was entered for him.

Senators will take frequent breaks this week to ponder questions they want to pose to

of a job, depending on class sizes next year. But Grigg said Monday that it was likely there would not be enough students to employ either the Kemmerer teacher or the regular class teacher next year, adding another job casualty to the list.

School board President Ken Zindel said he didn’t want people to get the wrong impression about Central A&M’s priorities after the board’s unanimous decision that saved Morrow’s job. He said members had done what they thought was in the school district’s best interests, but the board was not valuing sport above academics.

charges filed against the governor before his Dec. 9 arrest.

Rose served on the House Impeachment Committee and said he has been called because he is more familiar with the evidence than some senators.

It’s not clear how many days the trial will consume.

Senators are set to meet every day except Sunday for the time being.

State Sen. Dan Rutherford, R-Chenoa, said frequent meetings among senators to come up with questions for witnesses could slow the trial down.

“I’ve got my hotel booked through next week, as well,” he said. jason.nevel@lee.net|789-0865

witnesses. State Sen. Dale Righter, R-Mattoon, was among those asking Ellis why more witnesses aren’t being planned.

That process could draw the trial out, even though the

“Just to let you know, on this board, education is still our first priority,” he added.

But for Morrow’s fans in the audience Monday night, the board’s decision was sweeter than any big game win.

“We’re very happy,” said her father, Michael Williams, who sat through the meeting with his wife, Sandy. Their daughter wasn’t there; she was in Decatur, coaching a basketball game at St. Teresa High School.

“Somebody will be calling her soon,” her father said with a smile. treid@herald-review.com|421-7977

Contact us Submissions of items for inclusion in the calendar must be in writing or by email to Calendar, Herald & Review, Box 311, Decatur, IL 62525 or rpansch@ herald-review.com or by noon Monday the week prior to publication. Phone calls will not be accepted for submissions.

treid@herald-review.com|421-7977. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

‘Under no circumstances was I trying to sell the Senate seat.’

SENATE

Decatur, 1-800-539-0475.

National Multiple Sclerosis Society, 7 p.m., St. John’s Lutheran Church, Bloomington, 1-800922-0484 or (309) 838-6760.

Project Read, 2 to 5 p.m., Knapp Library, Middletown, 4452050.

Stroke/Head Injury Support Group, 7 p.m., Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center, Lumpkin Family Center for Health Education, Mattoon, 348-2397.

Take Off Pounds Sensibly, 9 a.m., Trinity Lutheran Church, Decatur, 428-7078 or 428-8066.

Take Off Pounds Sensibly, 6 p.m., Main Street Church of the Living God, Decatur, 424-0783.

Unshackled (Christian Support for Addictions), 6 p.m., Church of the Living God CWFF, Decatur.

Us TOO, 4:30 to 6 p.m., Cancer Care Specialist of Central Illinois, Decatur. Prostate cancer group.

876-2370.

Jim Minton, a retirement planner with Decatur-based Investment Planners, has followed Caterpillar’s ups and downs and recently counseled some Caterpillar workers thinking of accepting the voluntary separation package.

“When the economy fell off a cliff in October, Caterpillar went with it,” he said.

“If there is a bright spot here, it is that the company is taking rather quick and decisive action to get its costs in line with the reduction they are going to have in revenues. I would expect Caterpillar to recover when the economy recovers, and as of right now, there are no signs of when that might be.”

FIX

listening, I wouldn’t have used language like that,” Blagojevich said.

Continued from A1 He also continued to ham“I’m talking to Americans mer home his accusation that Illinois lawmakers want to to let them know what’s hapoust him so they can raise pening in the land of Lincoln,” Blagojevich said during taxes.

“It’s all about raising the his media blitz. “If they can income tax,” he said. do this to a sitting governor, And, despite transcripts of deny me to bring witnesses in wiretaps that to prove my innoseemed to indicate cence ... they can otherwise, he condo it to you.” tends he wasn’t tryDuring intering to benefit perviews, Blagojesonally from the vich largely appointment of stuck to his someone to the script, repeatedly state’s then-empty saying he had U.S. Senate seat. done nothing “Under no cirwrong and blastcumstances was I ing the impeachGov. Rod Blagojevich trying to sell the ment trial as Senate seat,” unfair. BlagojeBlagojevich said. vich was impeached by the Guerrero said taxpayers House, and his trial in the being billed for the aren’t Senate began Monday. Senatrip, beyond the cost of the tors act as jurors in deciding security personnel. whether he should be “I believe the networks paid removed from office. for everything. The only The governor is not precharge, and not sure if the senting a defense at the trial. network reimbursed or not, Rather, he told ABC’s Diane was one plane ticket for the Sawyer that he is convinced one advance detail that has to he will be convicted in the go out before the governor to Senate. check things out,” Guerrero “The fix is in,” Blagojevich said in an e-mail. said.

“Other than that, no one Among topics covered on else from the state is on the “The View” was his salty lantrip, including me!” Guerrero guage on federal wiretaps, in added. which he discusses filling the state’s then-vacant U.S. Senkurt.erickson@lee.net|789-0865; The ate seat.

Associated Press contributed to this “Had I known someone was article.

Lotto jackpot $4.25 million Mega Millions jackpot $30 million

governor apparently plans to mount no defense. Ellis and lawmakers have expressed a desire to be thorough, but it’s clear the trial is a major distraction from lawmakers’ other state business.

“I’m ready to get it over with so I can go back to being a senator rather than a juror,” said state Sen. Gary Forby, D-Benton.

Ellis questioned his first witness, former U.S. Attorney John Scully, who explained how federal authorities go about obtaining wiretaps.

Ellis wants to play tapes of some of the wiretaps investigators placed on Blagojevich’s phones.

The conversations allegedly show Blagojevich trying to gain campaign contributions in exchange for a signature on legislation that would benefit the horse-racing industry.

Similar evidence will be presented this week, as Ellis runs through the witnesses he’s planned to call.

Throughout the first day of the trial, senators sat quietly in their desks as a public gallery full of onlookers and at least a dozen TV cameras looked on. Some senators are reserving talking about evidence in an attempt to appear impartial.

Some are less guarded.

“I listened to the evidence, and it didn’t sound all that strong to me,” said state Sen. Mike Jacobs, D-East Moline.

“I’m going to reserve judgment and try and make up my mind late in the trial,” he said.

Since his arrest last month on federal corruption charges, Blagojevich has ignored calls for his resignation. He’s continued to work and make public statements, even as lawmakers have pushed through his impeachment.

State Sen. Frank Watson, R-Greenville, said the trial could have been avoided.

“He should have resigned and done the thing that would have been good for the state,” Watson said. mike.riopell@lee.net|789-0865

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OPINION

LEONARD PITTS JR.

True colors are shining through “I hope he fails.” — Rush Limbaugh It is, of course, a calculated outrage.

Meaning, it was spewed by a clown in the media circus to kick a familiar sequence into motion: angry denunciation by bloggers, pundits and supporters of President Obama (the “he” whose failure is hoped), followed by Limbaugh refusing to retract a word, a courageous truth teller who will not be moved.

And, trailing behind, like the folks with brooms trail the elephants in the circus parade, Limbaugh devotees, complaining that their hero has been misquoted, misunderstood or otherwise mistreated.

A calculated outrage.

And knowing this, knowing how frequently and adroitly media are manipulated by self-promoting media clowns who defame conservatism by calling themselves conservative, one is tempted to let the statement pass, to make its way unimpeded to the dustbin like so many other manufactured controversies. But occasionally, it’s necessary to intercept one of them and hold it up to the light.

THIS IS ONE of those times.

Not because what Limbaugh said on his program a few days before the inauguration was an outrage — outrage is the point, remember? — but rather, because of what the thing he said says about him and his fellow clowns.

“I hope he fails.”

Do you ever say that about your president if you are an American who loves your country? Would you say it about George W. Bush, who was disastrous, about Bill Clinton, who was slimy, about Jimmy Carter, who was inept, about Richard Nixon, who was crooked? You may think he’s going to fail, yes. You may warn he’s going to fail, yes.

But do you ever “hope” he fails? Knowing his failure is the country’s failure? Isn’t that, well ... disloyal?

The irony is that Limbaugh and the other clowns would have you believe they are bedrock defenders of this country, that they love it more than the rest of us.

That’s a lie. Limbaugh just told us so, emphatically.

It’s not the country they love. It’s the attention.

AN OBSERVER might point out that it’s counterproductive to give them attention while decrying their love of attention. But the clowns occasionally spew something that cannot, and ought not, be ignored.

Ideological division is nothing new to politics. But has ideology ever taken quite the seat of prominence it now enjoys? Have people ever been quite so prone to regard their ideological identity as more important than their national identity?

The last 30 years are rare in that regard, if not unique.

“I hope he fails?!”

So that, what? The defamation of conservatism Limbaugh represents will stand vindicated? The Republicans will pick up a few seats in the midterm election? Limbaugh “side” — his word — will score points?

Is this only a game, then?

No lives at stake, no future on the line, no planet in the balance? Just a game?

I hope he bricks this free throw.

I hope he fumbles that pass.

I hope he fails.

And to hell with the country.

THE COUNTRY doesn’t matter. The “side” does.

Obama was elected in large part on a promise to carry the nation past anger, past the notion that either party has a monopoly on wisdom, past the belief that ideology is identity. He was elected because people want a sense of mission that makes them feel like Americans again.

If he is successful, Limbaugh and the other clowns will face tough sledding in a radically different world.

Small wonder he is so eager to strangle this presidency in its infancy. And need it even be said?

I hope he fails. lpitts@miamiherald.com

A5 Tuesday, January 27, 2009

www.herald-review.com

OUR VIEWS

Granberg pick does disservice to state Herald&Review EDITORIAL BOARD Todd Nelson Publisher

David Dawson

Gary Sawyer

Managing Editor

Editor

The First Amendment: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

Unsigned editorials are opinions reached by consensus of the Herald & Review Editorial board. All other articles on this page are the opinions solely of the authors. We encourage readers to offer opinions on information provided by the Herald & Review.

Even though his Senate impeachment trial began Monday, Gov. Rod Blagojevich is still putting his imprint on state government.

And it’s not a good one.

A few weeks after being impeached by the House, Blagojevich announced that former state representative Kurt Granberg would be the new chief of the state’s Department of Natural Resources.

The announcement, which had been expected for months, appears to be an award for Granberg’s loyalty to Blagojevich. Granberg was one of the governor’s few allies in the House, and he resigned his House seat shortly before the impeachment vote came before that chamber.

Granberg didn’t run for re-election, so his “resignation” seemed aimed at avoiding a vote on the impeachment.

Granberg also will benefit personally from the Blagojevich appointment. As a retired legislator, Granberg was eligible for an annual pension of $73,000, or 85 percent of his $85,900 legislative salary. With his new job, his retirement will be based on the higher salary, and he will be eligible for a $113,280 annual pension with a 3 percent increase each year.

The Carlyle Democrat will apparently receive that pension bump, even if he’s only in the job for a short period of time. Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn, who would take over if Blagojevich is removed from office, didn’t say he would dismiss Granberg. But he said the Department of Natural Resources needed a professional at the top of the organization, not a retired politician.

Granberg said that while he didn’t take the job for the increased pension and he’s supported efforts to keep ex-lawmakers from receiving simi-

lar pension bumps, he’d probably take the money.

That should be enough to keep Granberg from heading up the department. He avoided a crucial vote by resigning and showed bad judgment when he accepted the appointment by an impeached governor and when he said he’d accept the higher pension. If Granberg really wanted to serve the state as head of the Department of Natural Resources, he’d turn down the increased paycheck.

There are other questions about whether Granberg is the best choice to head up the department. Although he’s generally supported conservation issues during his time as a representative, Granberg’s sole vision for the department appears to be a “golf trail” in Southern Illinois.

Other parts of the country have established golf trails, which promote courses in close proximity.

Shouldn’t the head of the Department of Natural Resources also have a plan for hunting and fishing in the state? Or a plan to ensure parks stay open in this time of deep budget cuts?

Granberg is the third political appointee Blagojevich has named to be head of the department.

Democrat Joel Brunsvold headed the department for Blagojevich until his retirement, and the acting director since then has been Sam Flood, who started in Blagojevich’s patronage office.

The Department of Natural Resources is an area of state government that affects a great many taxpayers directly. The department deserves a professional at its helm, not a retired politician being rewarded with an increased pension. The Senate should not confirm Granberg, and if Quinn becomes governor, he should remove him from office.

LETTERS More people should know about, use Decatur Airport

Political office is less and less all in the family The dynasties are disappearing.

The latest proof came when Caroline Kennedy, the only daughter of John and Jackie Kennedy, dramatically removed herself as a possible replacement for Hillary Rodham Clinton, from a dynasty by marriage, in the Senate seat from New York once held by her Uncle Bobby.

Kennedy’s announcement came just two days after a seizure in the Capitol served as a reminder that her surviving uncle, Ted Kennedy, the veteran senator from Massachusetts, is battling a serious illness, a malignant brain tumor.

And it came just two weeks after the heir apparent to the Bush family dynasty, former Gov. Jeb Bush, had taken himself out of consideration for the Senate seat that will become vacant next year in Florida.

JEB BUSH IS young enough that he could have another bite at the apple, running in 2012 or a later year to succeed his father and his brother as president.As for the Kennedys, where there once seemed to be a limitless supply of them, they can count only one federal officeholder in the younger generation, Sen. Kennedy’s son Patrick, a congressman from Rhode Island. Patrick

DAVID BRODER

OPINIONS? CONTACT US:

Kennedy is enormously popular at home, but his reputation has been shaped more by his personal problems than his political accomplishments.

These two families have written their way into the history books, along with such tribes as the Adamses, the Lees, the Roosevelts, the Tafts, the Harrisons, the Byrds and the Frelinghuysens.

My friend Stephen Hess, a political historian who has written a fine book about these and other “leading families,” offers no sweeping generalizations about their rise and fall.

There is almost always an ancestor with the talent and drive to lift his sights beyond what others can envision. Until now, those pioneers have mostly been males. Joseph P. Kennedy and Prescott Bush made their fortunes on Wall Street before turning to government service and instilling the ambition in their sons.

BUT IT WILL not be long before the inheritance shifts to the maternal line, given the pace with which women are moving into higher office in both federal and state governments.

For now, though, women and men alike are inheriting the political gene mainly from their fathers, as witness Kansas. Nancy Landon Kassebaum Baker, its former Republican senator, is the daughter of Alf Landon, the state’s former governor and the 1936 Republican presidential nominee.

Kathleen Sebelius, now the Democratic governor, learned politics from her father, John Gilligan, who was once the governor of Ohio.

WRITE: Herald & Review Letter to the editor Box 311, Decatur, IL 62525-0311

I see no inevitability in the fading of particular dynasties. Some children may receive too close a view of the costs of public life, the wear-and-tear on marriages and families. But others are unfazed. Jerry Brown, the former governor of California, saw the father whose name he bears, Edmund G. “Pat” Brown Sr., defeated in his third-term bid for governor by Ronald Reagan. But Brown keeps running, currently serving as state attorney general and likely trying for governor again next year.

AND SPEAKING of ambitious attorneys general, New York’s Andrew Cuomo, the son of Mario Cuomo, the former governor, has been poised to swoop in and claim the New York Senate seat that had seemed to be ticketed for Caroline Kennedy.

Mario Cuomo, like Pat Brown, saw his career end in defeat, something his son desperately wants to avenge. But Andrew was passed over for the Senate seat Friday when Gov. David Paterson picked Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand.

My favorite surviving dynasty is Mark and Tom Udall, the Democratic cousins just elected to the Senate from Colorado and New Mexico, respectively. They are the sons of Morris “Mo” Udall, the courageous and marvelously humorous congressman from Arizona, and his brother, Stewart, who left the House to become John Kennedy’s secretary of interior; two of the best friends the environment and public lands have ever had.

That’s the kind of legacy we can always use. davidbroder@washpost.com

E-MAIL: ddawson@ herald-review.com

The Decatur Airport is the city’s best-kept secret.

We used it recently and had an extremely pleasant experience. The rate was just slightly more than Bloomington, but more reasonable than READ LETTERS TO THE SpringEDITOR ONLINE: field. www.herald-review.com Our trip to the airport was less than 10 minutes. Given the treacherous conditions of the road that morning, we knew we’d made the right decision to not use an out-of-town airport.

Parking, of course, is free, with no problems finding a spot close to the door. We walked right up to the ticket counter and checked in, then went to the dining room to have breakfast while we leisurely waited for the plane.

The staff at the airport is amazing.

After about five minutes, the agent showed up at our table to tell me that a shampoo bottle was leaking inside my ziplock bag and asked if I wanted her to open the bag to tighten the lid. Try getting that kind of service at another airport.

We saw our plane arrive, and soon the agent was back, telling passengers that we could come through security if we wished. We were so relaxed, with none of the rushing, fighting heavy traffic and crowds as we normally do.

My only wish is that the airport be promoted more vigorously. It is a very positive aspect of our city.

Linda England Mount Zion

Thanks to Bush for service; welcome to new president I would just like to thank President Bush for his service.

I am grateful he did not treat the presidency like a popularity contest and took the steps necessary to take on terrorism and keep this country safe from sea to shining sea for the past eight years. At the same time, I wish our new president, Barack Obama, all the best.

Kevin Miller Decatur The Herald & Review welcomes letters to the editor from readers on topics of general interest and public policy.

Letters must be signed with the writer’s full name and contain a current mailing address and telephone number (daytime and evening) for verification purposes. Letters must contain 300 words or less. Writers are limited to one letter every 30 days. Letters that are libelous, of limited interest or in poor taste will be rejected.

Letters may be sent via mail, fax, e-mail or hand-delivered. Contacts are listed at the bottom of the page.

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Go Red

‘Life is good’ Tough Meridian team steamrolls Central A&M/B1

Businesses push healthy hearts/D1

Herald&Review WWW.HERALD-REVIEW.COM

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 28, 2009

Real life options

Senators hear wiretap recordings The governor’s arrest in December led to his historic impeachment trial in the Illinois Senate.

The FBI agent who signed the affidavit detailing federal corruption Lieutenant governor charges would inheirit state’s against budget mess, but he’s Blagojevich not moving in yet. said Tuesday that he had Story/A3 no doubt wiretapped conversations recorded the voice of the governor.

And later in the day, the Illinois Senate, which is weighing whether to

FBI agent testifies in second day of the impeachment trial

n Next in line

By MIKE RIOPELL H&R Springfield Bureau Writer

Holding a career fair for elementary students may seem a bit like jumping the gun, but Durfee Magnet School teachers said they hoped to give children a wider variety of options to think about now. Local A3

SPRINGFIELD — On the second day of Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s impeachment trial, prosecutors gave Illinois senators a review session on the accusations that led to the governor’s arrest last month, as well as a taste of the wiretap recordings obtained by federal agents.

TRIAL/A2

Associated Press

FBI agent Daniel Cain testifies during Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s impeachment trial on the Senate floor.

TOUGH TIMES

Failing grades The basic physical backbone of American society is barely above failing, a report by top engineers says, which includes roads, public transit, aviation, water and sewage. Nation A5

Economy puts pets

down and out

Big Ten in flux In college basketball, a sport that values its stability, it seems every conference is in a state of perpetual transition. By design, players come and go. But anymore, coaches seem to as well. Sports B1

remove Blagojevich from office, got to hear some of those recordings.

Prosecutor David Ellis questioned agent Daniel Cain about the accuracy of the criminal complaint used to arrest Blagojevich at his home last month.

Ellis spent much of Tuesday morning reading the accusations, pausing occasionally to ask Cain if the document was “true and accurate.” Cain responded diligently saying “yes” or “yes, it was.”

“This is a bit of a review for me, and I suspect for some of my colleagues,”

Shelters see an increase in owners forced to give up their animals

can’t afford their care,’ ” said Courtney Pritchett, the shelter’s lead technician.

Linda Clary, Homeward Bound shelter supervisor, said she has been hearing that some people are relinquishing their pets partly because they cannot afford the veterinary bills.

“You can average $300 a year in normal veterinary upkeep,” Clary said.

But she is optimistic about the chances of the Homeward Bound animals to live up to the shelter’s name.

“I haven’t seen a huge downturn in adoptions,” Clary said, adding that the shelter adopts out 750 animals each year. “People in Decatur

PETS/A2

LINE/A2

Lake Decatur level watch Normal winter pool level . . . .612.5 Normal summer pool level . . .614.4 Yesterday’s level . . . . . . . . .611.92 Herald & Review photos/Lisa Morrison

Courtney Pritchell, left, and Linda Clary hold an assortment of pets ready to be adopted from Homeward Bound. The struggling economy has shelters, especially no-kill shelters, filling with pets waiting for new homes. AT TOP: These puppies are part of a litter of Labrador and boxer puppies waiting to be adopted at Homeward Bound.

By HUEY FREEMAN H&R Staff Writer

L O W

24 18 Today: Partly sunny Tonight: Partly cloudy and cold Details/B6

INDEX Classifieds. . . . . . . . . . C4-6 Comics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D5 Dear Abby . . . . . . . . . . . D2 Horoscopes . . . . . . . . . . D5 Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D1-5 Money . . . . . . . . . . . . . C1,2 Movies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D2 Obituaries . . . . . . . . . . D3,4 Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . A4 Puzzles . . . . . . . . . . . . C5,6 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . B1-5 Television . . . . . . . . . . . . D6

75 cents Our 137th year

Issue 28 Four sections

Delivery: 421-6990 Newsroom: 421-6979 Outside Decatur: 1-800-437-2533

By TONY REID

OREANA — Forever is a long time.

And farmer Don Westerman doesn’t relish an endless future of maneuvering lumbering combine harvesters and tractors around a long row of steel power poles marching across his property or bequeathing that fate to his descendants.

Westerman came to look at what might be his family’s destiny Tuesday, when AmerenIP staged an open house in the Argenta-Oreana Elementary School gym to show off its plans to build a new 345,000-volt power line to serve Decatur.

The $15 million project proposes to run the eight-mile-long line from a substation near Oreana to an existing power line running east and west of Maroa; the new line will feed Decatur with power generated by the Clinton Power Station nuclear plant. Ameren says it could save Decatur from being blacked out in the event a storm takes down the existing main feeds from Clinton.

The exact route of the line has still to be worked out, and Ameren is looking at an 81square-mile box from west of U.S. 51 to east of Oreana and just north of Maroa. Westerman, 71, who farms more than 3,000 acres in that general area, said there is a good chance some of his land will end up on a route for the new line.

“We buy all this big machinery and clear out fence rows and try to buy the ground adjoining so we can be more efficient as farmers,” he said.

“And then they go and want to put these dang things in, and I don’t care what they say about keeping the weeds down: When they put these things in your backyard, it’s up to you to maintain it.”

Westerman, who visited the open house with his wife, Elsie, also worries about the future of his land. What happens when he or a descendant wants to sell

T. Scott Gross will explain how to stand out as a business, not just be outstanding, when he speaks at the Decatur Community Leaders Breakfast. Decatur City Manager Ryan McCrady is the other scheduled speaker. Money C1

HIGH

Questions of access, value arise at the first AmerenIP open house H&R Staff Writer

Breakfast tips

YOUR WEATHER

Line worries local, area landowners

DECATUR — The recent epidemic of economic woes has brought a flood of pets into local shelters, some with pedigrees normally associated with well-to-do owners.

“About 15 dogs and cats have come in the last few months from owners who have lost their homes from foreclosures or evictions,” said Teresa Weybright, manager of Macon County Animal Control and Care Center, which holds about 250 pets. “When people lose homes, the animals are often the first ones to pay.”

Weybright explained that some homeowners who undergo foreclosures are unable to find rental properties they can afford that also welcome their animals.

“Many landlords will not allow

TO H E L P n Macon County Animal Control and Care Center, 2820 Parkway Drive, just south of Caterpillar Inc., 425-4508.

Some of the animals mentioned in this story may no longer be available n Homeward Bound Pet Shelter, 1720 Huston Drive, 876-1266. pets,” Weybright said. “Some landlords will charge an additional deposit and even additional rent.”

At Homeward Bound Pet Shelter, a nonprofit center that holds about 60 cats and dogs, there has been a marked increase of owners relinquishing pets for economic reasons.

“In the last six months, we’ve heard more than 10 times, ‘I just

Ice, snow storm rolls across country, knocking out power Carports buckle under a heavy sheet of ice and damage vehicles at Shady Hollow Apartments in Muskogee, Okla.

At least 19 deaths blamed on severe winter weather

By DANIEL SHEA Associated Press Writer

Associated Press

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Tree limbs snapped with a sound like gunshots, blacking out thousands of homes and businesses, and schools and government

offices were closed Tuesday as a major storm spread a glaze of ice and snow from the southern Plains to the East Coast.

At least 19 deaths had been blamed on the weather.

Highway crews fought to keep up with slippery roads and, in some places, were blocked by fallen tree limbs and power lines. Ice had built up 3 inches thick in sections of Arkansas and Oklahoma.

The National Weather Service posted ice and winter storm warnings Tuesday along a broad swath from Texas and Oklahoma through the Mississippi and Ohio valleys, all the way into northern New England. Radar showed smears of snow and freezing rain stretching from Texas to Pennsylvania during the evening.

STORM/A2

A2 LOCAL

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28, 2009

www.herald-review.com

DECATUR, ILLINOIS

Winning numbers selected Tuesday in the Illinois State Lottery:

Pick Three-Midday 3-5-0 Pick Three-Evening 2-5-1

Pick Four-Midday 4-3-8-6 Pick Four-Evening 1-3-6-4

Little Lotto 1-2-16-21-37 Lotto jackpot $4.5 million

Mega Millions 3-11-12-14-21 Mega Ball 25

Mega Millions jackpot $30 million

Lottery numbers online: www.herald-review.com/lottery/ Etc. What’s in the Sky? Mini Camp, 1 p.m., Rock Springs Nature Center, Decatur, $10. Reservations required. For ages 3 and 4. 4237708.

Music Country Idol, 6:30 p.m., AIW Hall, Decatur.

Interval: Small Potatoes, noon, Krannert Center Lobby, Urbana.

Free. 333-6280.

Sherban Lupu, violin with Enescu Ensemble, 7:30 p.m., Krannert Center Foellinger Great Hall, Urbana, $4 to $10. 333-6280.

Nightlife All Request DJ, 8 p.m., Radmaker’s Rock N Roll Tavern. 4853531.

Karaoke, 8:30 p.m., Breakers,

Clinton.

Open Mike Night, 8 p.m., Block’s Brewery, Decatur.

On Stage Worldfest, 12:30 to 4 p.m., University of Illinois Spurlock Museum, Urbana, $5 donation. 333-2360.

Health Blood Pressure Checks, 11 a.m., Charleston Area Senior Center, Charleston, Free. 348-5355 or 234-3311.

Blood Pressure Screening, 10:30 to 11 a.m., Clay City Community Building, Clay City.

Flu Shot Clinic, 1 to 3:30 p.m., Macon County Health Department, Decatur. $25, $10. Medicare Part B accepted. 423-6988, ext. 1333.

Immunization Clinic, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Effingham County Health Department, Effingham. 342-9237.

Plan your week with our calendar every Thursday

MORE EVENTS: www.herald-review.com

WHAT’S HAPPENING

T O D AY Pre-Postnatal Aerobics, , Decatur Family YMCA, Decatur, 6:40 to 7:40 p.m. 872-9622.

Pregnancy Center, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Macon County Health Department, Decatur. 423-3794, ext. 1303.

Pregnancy Testing, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., New Life Pregnancy Center, Decatur, 872-5555.

Tuberculosis Clinic and Testing, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Macon County Health Department, Decatur. Medicaid or $10 each test. 423-1472.

Meetings All States Bowling, 9:15 a.m., Spare Time Lanes, Decatur, 8770764.

Business Network International, 11:30 a.m., Decatur Conference

LINE Continued from A1

Herald & Review/Lisa Morrison

Bud is at Homeward Bound because his owner died. He obeys commands well and has been trained to shake hands.

PETS Continued from A1 are some of the most giving people.”

For those who are seeking pets, the good news is that there are some available at the shelters that may be purchased for a fraction of the cost on the open market.

“There are a lot of purebred dogs in here,” said Weybright, as she begins a tour of the Macon County facility. “I have two beautiful German shepherds in here. One is totally house-trained, too.”

There also is a Welsh corgi, which Weybright believes is purebred, that was picked up by animal control in the Forsyth area.

“We have a lot of fantastic animals in here right now,” Weybright said, adding that a Persian and two declawed Siamese cats are available.

Of course, not all animals leave their families because of economic woes.

“We get a lot of animals from seniors who go into nursing homes,” Weybright said. “Every animal in every shelter has a sad story or they would have a family, they would have a home.”

Lucy, a reddish Labrador retriever mixed breed, about 3 years old, has been at the shelter since June.

“She is the sweetest dog,” Weybright said. “Her owners had to move for economic reasons. She is already spayed.

All she needs is a rabies shot, and she can go home.”

A purebred, 3-year-old chocolate and white Brittany spaniel named Sparkle has recently arrived at the shelter.

“She’s a very gentle, loving dog,” Weybright said, adding that she is housebroken and extremely good with people.

“She barks when she wants to go outside.”

A light-colored, 1-year-old American foxhound stands in his cage, poised to get out and go for a run.

“He’s fast, almost like a greyhound,” Weybright said.

“He’s a hunter. When he’s outside, his nose is to the ground.”

To adopt this purebred dog at the shelter would cost $94 or $144, depending on its weight. That includes neutering, a rabies vaccination, other veterinary care and a microchip. Breeders are charging about $250 to $350 for puppies of the same breed.

American bulldog puppies sell for about $800, but the Decatur shelter has taken in a 2-year-old male that would be content to go home with an owner who does not have that kind of money.

“He’s an unbelievable dog,” Weybright said of the large white animal with brown spots and a pink snout that sits perfectly quiet in his enclosure.

But Weybright, who has worked at the shelter for 21/2 years, believes his attitude will turn around quickly if someone takes him home.

“Within a week, he would be the best dog ever,” she said. “He would be so appreciative that someone came to love him.” hfreeman@herald-review.com|421-6985

one day? “How attractive will the land be if it’s got these wires?” he asked.

AmerenIP, which offered free cookies and coffee at the four-hour open house, did its best to make the atmosphere a little less electric. Company representatives said the steel poles would occupy a very small footprint, and farmers can farm right up to the base of them. Landowners will be offered one-time compensation payments based on the value of their land, which the company is willing to have assessed. Easement payments

Center and Hotel, Decatur, 4208714.

Decatur Area Education Coalition, 4:30 to 6 p.m., Madden Arts Center, Decatur. Kindergarten readiness data meeting. 429-3000.

Decatur Day Quilters Guild, 10 p.m., Soy Capital Bank, Decatur.

Decatur Shrine Club, noon, Scovill Banquet Facility, Decatur.

Golden K Kiwanis, 9:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Room, Decatur.

Mount Zion Chamber Board, 4 p.m., Mount Zion Village Hall, Mount Zion.

Seniors Decatur-Macon County Senior Citizen, Fitness Class, 10 a.m., Bunco, 1 p.m., Decatur, 429-1239.

typically work out at about 50 percent of the cost to buy a portion of the land outright.

At the end of the day, AmerenIP could take off its velvet gloves and use legal action to force owners to surrender an easement, but the company has stressed that it wants to avoid confrontation and play fair.

“We’ll hire an appraiser to do a market study,” said Roger Nelson, real estate supervisor for Ameren Illinois utilities.

“We might have agricultural land, we might have commercial, we might have residential. We know we’ve got to value all those differently; you can’t just put one blanket value on all

Johns Hill Center, Ceramics Class, 1 to 4 p.m., Decatur, 4297750.

Salvation Army, Ceramics Group, 8 a.m. to noon, Decatur.

Mattoon YMCA, Mattoon Area Senior Center Tai-Chi Classes, 10:30 a.m., Mattoon, $40 Tomorrow’s per month, highlight: $30 for YMCA memKris Kristofbers. ferson, 7:30 Barclay p.m., Rosebud Public Theatre, EffingLibrary, ham, $42 to Senior Citi$82. 540-2787. zens Day, 9:30 a.m., Warrensburg. Special program, free copies up to $1, classes and Internet help. 672-3621.

Support Groups Alcoholics Anonymous, 5:30 p.m., St. John’s Episcopal Church, Decatur. 521-7205 or 855-8312.

Alcoholics Anonymous, 8 p.m., First Presbyterian Church, Tay-

of that,” he added.

The company had charts and diagrams explaining the new line and even brought in samples of the wiring and insulators. Other charts outlined the lengthy process to get the new line approved by the Illinois Commerce Commission, which regulates the power industry.

After Tuesday, another open house meeting in March or April will look at the development of proposed alternative routes for the line, and a third round of meetings in August or September will present two or possibly three route choices. When the final route selection is made in the fall, the Illinois Commerce Commission could

Continued from A1 Broken tree limbs weighted down by ice crashed onto power lines, cutting service to at least 165,000 homes and businesses in hard-hit Arkansas, utilities said.

“I think we are about to go over the cliff,” said Mel Coleman, CEO of the North Arkansas Electric Cooperative in Salem.

Arkansas utilities warned customers that their power could be out for at least three days.

“We fully expect this to be one of the largest outages

Submissions of items for inclusion in the calendar must be in writing or by email to Calendar, Herald & Review, Box 311, Decatur, IL 62525 or rpansch@ herald-review.com or by noon Monday the week prior to publication. Phone calls will not be accepted for submissions.

treid@herald-review.com|421-7977

Lawmaker testifies on pay-to-play allegations

Continued from A1

STORM

Contact us

then take 12 to 18 months to decide whether it will approve the project.

Oreana resident Leon Jackson, 50, isn’t sure yet whether he’ll join the not-in-my-backyard group or if he can live with the line. But he isn’t kidding about his backyard: His home is about 1,000 feet from the Oreana substation. He told AmerenIP he doesn’t want the new poles impeding access to his property and said he’s going to write his concerns on a form he was given to fill out.

On the question of whether a new line is needed, he can see the power company might have a point. “Everybody needs a backup,” he said.

TRIAL said state Sen. Dale Righter, R-Mattoon.

Senators heard for the first time Tuesday afternoon recordings of phone conversations between Blagojevich and his former chief of staff, Lon Monk.

Prosecutors allege the conversations show Blagojevich setting up a plan to get campaign contributions in exchange for his signature on horse racing legislation.

“I’m telling you, he’s gonna be good for it. I got in his face,” Monk said on the tapes.

“Okay, good,” Blagojevich responded.

There was scant detail in the recordings, but senators listened closely as Blagojevich’s voice could be heard from the Senate speakers.

“I certainly felt, as most of the colleagues did, that it was not a pleasant conversation to hear,” said state Sen. Bill Brady, R-Bloomington.

The recordings were highly anticipated, but Ellis in large part stuck to the contents of the complaint.

It accuses Blagojevich of, among other things, trying to trade President Obama’s former U.S. Senate seat for personal gain and attempting to get campaign donations in exchange for his signature on the horse racing measure.

While reading for about two hours, Ellis avoided profanity alleged in Blagojevich’s wiretapped conversations, substituting “blank” or a shortened version of particular words.

Cain said FBI agents knew Blagojevich’s voice because he’s a public figure. Cain said they also were sure it was him because it was his phones that were bugged, and the context of conversations made it clear Blagojevich was on the line.

“We were very confident it was the governor’s voice in those conversations,” Cain said.

Blagojevich has denied wrongdoing, but he again skipped his trial and, therefore, failed to defend himself in court.

Instead, while the Senate

lorville, 824-3028 or 824-3676.

Autism Society Parent Support Group, 7:15 p.m., The Autism Project, Springfield, 1-877-311-7703.

Choices, 4:30 p.m., Dove Inc., DeWitt County office, Clinton. 9356072.

Drug/Alcohol Education, Dove Inc., Decatur, 1:30 and 5 p.m. 4286616.

Narcotics Anonymous, noon, AFFAS, 2520 E. William St., Decatur, 1-800-539-0475.

Narcotics Anonymous, 7 p.m., Westminster Presbyterian Church, Decatur, 1-800-539-0475.

Take Off Pounds Sensibly, 5:15 to 6:30 p.m., Unity Church, Decatur, 358-4222.

AUDIO AND TRANSCRIPTS: www.heraldreview.com conducted its second day of hearings, the Chicago Democrat embarked on a second day of national media appearances in New York City.

State Sen. Dale Risinger, R-Peoria, said it wasn’t surprising that the governor was spending time on TV interviews rather than in Springfield.

But, Risinger said, the governor wasn't doing himself any favors.

“Obviously, he’s hurting himself in the Senate by not being here,” Risinger said.

For their part, senators asked Cain questions, trying to figure out who else was involved in the investigation into Blagojevich and what some of the other recorded phone conversations might reveal.

But Cain rebuffed nearly every question, saying he wasn’t authorized to say because Blagojevich’s criminal case is ongoing. Some senators found that frustrating.

“Very much so,” said state Sen. Frank Watson, RGreenville. “But we understand, I guess, the criminal

SPRINGFIELD — Day three of the Senate impeachment trial of Gov. Rod Blagojevich will move away from allegations of corruption and into his controversial management of state government.

After spending Tuesday hearing about the federal corruption case pending against the governor, senators who are to decide his political future will listen to testimony from state officials that Blagojevich overstepped his authority on policy and budget issues.

Auditor General William Holland is set to testify about the governor’s plan to

import flu vaccine from overseas in violation of federal law.

The botched plan was criticized because the $2.6 million contract to purchase the vaccine wasn’t inked until three weeks after the agreement was reached. The vaccine later was donated to Pakistan, which eventually destroyed it because it had expired.

Also on tap is testimony from the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules. Blagojevich came under fire for trying to ignore the legislative panel when he tried to expand state health insurance programs.

SPRINGFIELD — The 59 senators who will decide Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s political future heard Tuesday from a member of the Illinois House regarding pay-toplay allegations that have dogged the governor’s administration.

As part of the evidence being gathered in the Senate impeachment trail, state Rep. Chapin Rose, R-Mahomet, outlined the governor’s relationship with Ali Ata and Joseph Cari.

Rose, an attorney, testified before the Senate because he served on the 21-member House impeachment committee. As a member of that panel, he was familiar with the evidence used earlier this month to help deliver a 117-1 vote in the House to impeach the governor.

Ata was given a $127,000 state job as head of the Illinois Finance Authority after he contributed to Blagojevich’s campaign fund.

Cari, a former Democratic National Committee finance chairman, testified in a federal corruption trial that the governor offered him state business if he helped Blagojevich raise money on a national level.

Both men have pleaded guilty in connection with corruption in state government.

Rose will be back on the stand this morning answering questions from senators about his testimony.

— KURT ERICKSON

— KURT ERICKSON

case takes precedent.”

Some lawmakers have been generally critical of Blagojevich in their comments outside the Senate chamber, perhaps indicating that Blagojevich might not fare well in an eventual vote.

The Senate gets to decide, perhaps this week, whether Blagojevich should remain in office. In fact, the governor, in his media appearances, has said he expects he’ll lose his job.

Some senators, though, say

they’re reserving judgment.

“I do not make my mind up till we’re done,” said state Sen. Gary Forby, D-Benton.

we’ve ever had,” said Coleman.

“Right now, we’re just hoping it’s days and not weeks.”

Kentucky state officials reported more than 80,000 customers with no electricity, as ice up to 1.5 inches thick broke tree limbs.

“You hear the popping — it sounded like gunfire — and it’s limbs from trees breaking,” said Hopkins County, Ky., Judge-Executive Donald Carroll, who was among those with no power. He said crews in his western Kentucky county were busy trying to clear broken branches from roads.

“It’s a serious situation,” said Kentucky Transportation Secretary Joe Prather. “Our

crews are working nonstop, but the snow in many areas is falling faster than we can clear, so it will take time to make headway.”

Emergency shelters were set up in several western Kentucky communities.

About 25,000 customers were blacked out in Oklahoma as temperatures hovered in the teens and 20s.

More than 42,000 outages were reported in southern and eastern Missouri.

“Lines are still breaking,” John Campbell, operations chief for Missouri’s Emergency Management Agency, said Tuesday night. “All the reports we are getting is they

are losing the battle right now just because precipitation is still falling.”

Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear declared a statewide emergency Tuesday; Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry did the same Monday.

Hundreds of public schools, colleges and universities called off classes Tuesday in parts of Arkansas, Oklahoma, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri and Maryland.

“Playing in the snow is pretty much the thing to do today,” said student Sarah Bonham at Marshall University in Huntington, W.Va. Every county reported

Associated Press photos

One of Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s quotes is displayed as evidence during the second day of his impeachment trial in the Illinois Senate. Senators listened to secretly recorded conversations in which Blagojevich appears to talk about pressuring people for campaign donations.

Day three to focus on state management

Kurt Erickson and Jason Nevel contributed to this article; mike.riopell@lee.net|789-0865.

school closings in West Virginia, where snow on hilly roads changed to sleet and rain in places. As much as 6 inches of snow fell in some areas.

Herald& Review Postmaster: Send address changes to: Herald& Review, P.O. Box 311, Decatur, IL 62525-0311. Eight-week subscription rates are: Carrier home-delivered, $30.40; motor-route, $32; mail in-trade, $38; mail out-trade, $41 (USPS 150-800).

The Herald & Review is published daily at 601 E. William St. by Lee Publishing, Inc., a subsidiary of Lee Enterprises.

Periodical postage paid at Decatur, Illinois post office.

BRIEFS

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Chronic kids

News from Central Illinois

Students with persistent illnesses learn to cope during school/Thursday

DECATUR

Autopsy on gunshot death An autopsy Tuesday at Memorial Medical Center in Springfield found a 54-year-old Decatur man’s cause of death was massive destructive brain trauma from a single gunshot wound to the head.

The man was discovered Monday morning in a garage in the 1000 block of East Pearl Street by a tenant of a nearby building who noticed a door standing open and went to investigate.

Macon County Coroner Michael E. Day said because of family considerations, the man’s identity was not being released. He said toxicology screening and related medical studies were under way.

The investigation by Decatur police and coroner’s office is continuing, and the death has not been classified as a homicide or suicide, Day said.

DECATUR

Feed the Children Maranatha Assembly of God is hosting a Feed the Children program from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 31.

There will be 400 boxes of food and other miscellaneous items provided free to the public.

You must have a ticket to qualify to receive the food and other items. Tickets are available at the information desk in the foyer at the church, 555 W. Imboden Drive, or for more information, call 4232452.

The program is sponsored by Archer Daniels Midland Co., in conjunction with Feed the Children.

Local

Questions or comments regarding this section? Contact Night Editor John Reidy at 421-6973

Herald& Review

www.herald-review.com

Quinn would inherit state’s budget mess Senate impeachment trial of governor could wrap up this week

By KURT ERICKSON H&R Springfield Bureau Chief

SPRINGFIELD — If Gov. Rod Blagojevich is convicted by the state Senate and removed from office, the transition of power is designed to be virtually seamless.

Under the Illinois Constitution, Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn automatically becomes the state’s 41st governor if Blagojevich is ousted, but he would not be able to execute the powers of chief executive until he signs a formal oath of office.

That document likely is prepared and ready to be forwarded to Quinn from the Illinois Attorney General’s Office.

The possibility of Quinn becoming governor in the coming days continues to loom over state government as members of the Illinois Senate hear testimony in Blagojevich’s impeachment trial.

Quinn With the governor choosing to spend his time on television talk shows in New York City rather than defending himself in Springfield, some senators have said the proceedings could be wrapped up by week’s end.

“I think probably Thursday, maybe Friday,” said state Sen. Dan Cronin, R-Elmhurst.

Even Blagojevich has said he believes the Senate will convict him.

Under the state constitution, Quinn wouldn’t have to be formally sworn into office by a judge but could choose to do so as a ceremonial gesture.

Quinn, who has been monitoring the trial, contends he’s ready to lead the state.

“By virtue of being lieutenant governor, he’s prepared to be governor,” spokesman Bob Reed said Tuesday.

Quinn is not yet publicly identifying specific initiatives he will tackle if he becomes governor. Reed said it

would be presumptuous to begin making such plans while Blagojevich remains as governor.

But it’s clear the economy will play a key role in the early days of a Quinn administration.

Not only would he oversee any federal dollars that could come to the state via an economic stimulus package, but he will inherit a massive backlog of bills that, at the start of the year, was estimated at $1.9 billion by the comptroller’s office after the state took out a $1.4 billion loan to speed up payments.

The budget deficit also could be as much as $2 billion, according to estimates from the governor’s office at the beginning of the year. kurt.erickson@lee.net|789-0865

LEARNING ABOUT JOBS

Education coalition hires new director

FORSYTH

By THERESA CHURCHILL H&R Senior Writer

Personal care assistant

ment toward an improved customer service initiative for city government, and I hope citizens utilize the survey to give us valuable feedback on how we are performing.”

Residents also are given a means to contact the mayor, city manager, council members and police and fire chiefs.

Information also is available should citizens wish to commend or complain about the conduct of police officers.

The site’s unveiling comes during a recent push on the part of city staff to bring public information into the online era. The city recently started up its own YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/accessdecatur and also put together a cable TV station called ACCESSDecatur on channel 18.

City staff said more Web site features are scheduled to become active in the coming weeks.

DECATUR — The Decatur Area Education Coalition has chosen a native of El Paso, Texas, as its second executive director.

Irma Brooks, director for the past two years of Magnet Schools and Smaller Learning Communities with the Ysleta Independent School Brooks District in El Paso, starts work Monday in Decatur.

Her husband Gary Brooks, who retired in December as a longtime professor of educational leadership at the University of Texas at El Paso, is a graduate of Millikin University and served as dean of men at Millikin in 1967 and 1968.

“I was hungry for a change,” Brooks said in a telephone interview from her office in El Paso. “I’m looking forward to working with everyone there to improve the quality of education for all children in Macon County.”

Brooks replaces Barb Beck, a former operations manager for AmerenIP, who resigned July 28 after four months leading the coalition because of a change in her job description.

“Irma is a standout in many ways,” said Lucy Murphy, executive director of the Community Foundation of Decatur/Macon County.

“She’s a highly qualified educator and a successful leader of community/school initiatives that make sure students succeed in careers and higher learning.”

Brooks works closely with the community in her current job to help ensure students at 11 middle schools and seven high schools go on to succeed in a job or college.

She previously served as executive director of the Radford School in El Paso, the oldest private pre-K through 12th grade school in Texas, and has a doctorate in educational leadership and administration from the University of Texas at El Paso.

The foundation organized the education coalition in October 2007 after 13 Decatur leaders and Archer Daniels Midland Co. split the cost of a $2 million endowment fund to match donations 1 to 2.

The coalition’s goal is to make the Decatur area one of the most educated communities in Illinois by making sure preschoolers are ready for kindergarten, students perform at grade level and every high school graduate has the skills to succeed.

klowe@herald-review.com|421-7985

tchurchill@herald-review.com|421-7978

The Education and Training Center in Hickory Point Mall will offer a personal care assistant workshop from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Jan. 31, conducted by Alpha Care Health Professionals. Call 876-7100.

GED registration is 10 a.m. every Monday and 5 p.m. every Tuesday.

Classes are free. Call 875-0061.

CERRO GORDO

Lincoln birthday party Hope Welty Public Library will hold a birthday celebration Thursday, Feb. 5, for former President Abraham Lincoln. Actors will portray Lincoln and his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln.

The party starts at 6 p.m. Guests will be served ice cream and cake and have a chance to speak with the Lincolns.

Herald & Review photos/Kelly J. Huff

Durfee Magnet School student Breshauna Cliff looks at her classmates with a smile as she begins a magic trick with Decatur Fire Marshal Lyle Meador and his friend Sherlock Bones, as Quincey Murray watches. Meador and other professionals were taking part in the school’s career fair.

Within reach

DECATUR

Free Children’s Museum day Wal-Mart is sponsoring a free day at the Children’s Museum of Illinois from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 31. Free activities include face painting, make-and-take museum slime, art, story time and visits to the Starlab Mobile Planetarium. Call 423-5437.

DECATUR

Microsoft Word seminar A two-day seminar on using Microsoft Word will be 5:30 to 8:45 p.m. Monday and Wednesday, Feb. 9 and 11, at Richland Community College’s Hope Academy Center, 1050 E. Sangamon St. Cost is $30.

Call Diana Watts, 421-6565.

DECATUR

Balloons aid Relay for Life Pink or red Valentine’s Day balloon bouquets are available from Donna Munson, Area One Realtors to benefit the American Cancer Society Relay for Life.

Bouquet cost is $10 for small and $20 for large, plus $2.50 delivery free. Call 872-9000.

MOUNT PULASKI

‘Cast-Iron Tombstone Trial’ “The Abraham Lincoln Cast-Iron Tombstone Trial,” a re-creation of a historical trial, will be 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 8, in the upstairs courtroom of the Mount Pulaski Courthouse State Historic Site.

Admission is free, but donations will be requested. Front-row tickets may be reserved for $5 by calling 792-5442. Seating is limited.

A3

Durfee Magnet School students get peek at career possibilities

By VALERIE WELLS H&R Staff Writer

DECATUR — Kids who constantly get scolded for talking too much, take heart.

“My dad used to ask me, ‘Do you ever shut up?’ ” said Tara Nickerson, station manager for the Cromwell Radio Group that includes WEJT, WZNX, WZUS and WYDS in Decatur. She also does a morning show with Tim Dudley on WEJT (105.1 FM, Decatur).

Her job involves a lot of talking to thousands of listeners every day, she told students at Durfee Magnet School, where she was one of several speakers for Career Day. That’s not the only skill she needs to do her job. She writes commercials and looks after the business of the stations, too.

“My alarm rings at 3:30 in the morning,” she told students.

“Luckily, when I get up at 3:30, I’m looking forward to going to my

job. Not everyone can say that.”

Holding a career fair for elementary students may seem a bit like jumping the gun, but teacher Susan Barnes, who organized it, said the faculty hoped to give children a wider variety of options to think about now.

“They say, ‘I’m going to be an NBA basketball player’ or ‘I’m going to be an actress,’ and some of them might,” Barnes said. “This (career fair) is more realistic.”

The teachers chose people with careers the students would find interesting but also within reach.

Among the speakers, in addition to Nickerson, were employees of AmerenIP, a forestry worker and Lyle Meador, a firefighter.

With the young children, Meador said, he tailors his talk more to fire prevention and stories about calls he’s been on, using a puppet for the little ones and magic tricks to entertain the older students. He

wants children to realize fighting fires isn’t all firefighters do.

“We never know what we’re going to have to do,” he said.

When someone calls 911 and it’s not a police matter, it’s firefighters who are dispatched to answer.

They answer medical emergency calls, assist with car crashes, and once they rescued a pet lizard who had gone up a tree.

Career day was a success as far as Kenyatte Brown is concerned.

Fourth grade is none too young to be thinking about a career, he said. He already knows he wants to be an educator, specifically a school principal.

Classmate Zaria DeBerry is still deciding, but she’s narrowed it down.

“I want to be a doctor,” she said.

“If I can’t be a doctor, I’ll be a teacher.” vwells@herald-review.com|421-7982

City of Decatur touts new Web site, online accessibility

By KENNETH LOWE H&R Staff Writer

DECATUR — The city government unveiled a new Web site Tuesday with an easier-to-remember URL and some new features to aid those who want to stay on top of the city council’s business.

“This is the first of many steps we are taking to improve our communications with the citizens of Decatur,” City Manager Ryan McCrady said.

The new site at www.decaturil.gov features a redesigned look, with idyllic photographs of local sites over a tranquil blue background. The front page has a news feed and regularly updated weekly features.

City council bios and departmental contact information are available, as well as a listing of property demolition court cases containing condemned properties and their owners.

Residents also can view past city council meeting videos and get a video breakdown of the agenda of upcoming meetings. An online map of the city, called the Decatur Digital Atlas, is available that can display different layers to mark neighborhood boundTHE aries or highlight NET roads and railn www.decaturil.gov ways, among n www.youtube.com/ many others.

McCrady said accessdecatur he hopes the site will give a positive impression to families and businesses considering relocation to the Decatur area.

“I am especially excited about our customer service survey that is available with this new Web site,” McCrady said. “It is the first achieve-

Herald&Review

OPINION

BILL O’REILLY

Left-wing media is taking a hit There is much irony in the fact that while liberals have won power in Washington, big time, left-wing media are collapsing all over the place.

In the last couple of weeks, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, the Minneapolis Star Tribune and the mother of all liberal publications, The New York Times, each has issued SOS announcements.

The Seattle paper will cease publication in March unless a buyer is found. Even though it can’t pay its bills, the Post-Intelligencer should have been inducted into the left-wing hall of fame after its publisher told the FBI to buzz off when the agency asked for media help in locating two possible terror suspects.

The Minneapolis paper, dubbed the Red Star by some in Minnesota, filed for bankruptcy after its earnings dropped more than 50 percent in one year. That, despite the presidential vote and a vicious election between Sen. Norm Coleman and Al Franken.

AS FOR THE New York Times: It is Twilight Zone time. The paper already was trying to use equity in its Manhattan office building to pay debts, and now has borrowed $250 million from Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim Helu. And get this: The Times is paying old Carlos an astounding 14 percent interest. What, was Tony Soprano not available? Does the description “loan shark” mean anything to the ideologues running the Times?

The prime lending rate in America is 3.25 percent, and these guys are paying Carlos Slim 14 percent. Wow. On the TV front, the uberliberal, Bush-hating MSNBC network ranked 31 in total day ratings for the first two weeks of January. I think that’s right behind the “Roller Derby Channel.” General Electric, which owns NBC, has taken a sharp turn to the left in its corporate philosophy and, at the same time, is watching its stock price decline from about $50 a share to around $13. The fact that General Electric CEO Jeffrey Immelt still has his job ranks up there with the miracle of the US Airways water landing.

Why are the liberal media taking a pounding when the left now controls Congress and the Oval Office? It may be because of the economy.

After the recession blindsided the folks last fall, anger filled the air. Why weren’t we warned that the financial industry was awash in bad housing loans? President Bush and Sen. John McCain had no answer. So the folks voted for the Democrats.

BUT THAT doesn’t mean the American people became liberals overnight. In fact, some folks became even more conservative with their spending and lifestyles. The images of left-wing media people gloating over the failure of the Bush administration did not cheer many people up. In fact, I believe it teed a lot of them off.

Despite the power shift in Washington, America remains a traditional country that largely rejects big government and radical social change. The former hippies running the crazy-left media will never get that. They believe most Americans want gay marriage, political correctness and unfettered abortion. They believe everyday folks think ponytails and pierced ears on old guys are cool.

Well, these Abbie Hoffman wannabes are sadly out of touch. And soon, maybe out of work. www.billoreilly.com The Herald & Review welcomes letters to the editor from readers on topics of general interest and public policy.

Letters must be signed with the writer’s full name and contain a current mailing address and telephone number (daytime and evening) for verification purposes.

Letters must contain 300 words or less. Writers are limited to one letter every 30 days. Letters that are libelous, of limited interest or in poor taste will be rejected. Letters may be sent via mail, fax, e-mail or hand-delivered. Contacts are listed at the bottom of the page.

The Herald & Review reserves the right to edit, condense or reject any letter.

A4 Wednesday, January 28, 2009

www.herald-review.com

OUR VIEWS

Take the show off the road, governor Herald&Review EDITORIAL BOARD Todd Nelson Publisher

David Dawson

Gary Sawyer

Managing Editor

Editor

The First Amendment: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

Unsigned editorials are opinions reached by consensus of the Herald & Review Editorial board. All other articles on this page are the opinions solely of the authors. We encourage readers to offer opinions on information provided by the Herald & Review.

WHEN THE Illinois Senate opened its historic trial over whether to remove the governor from office, where was Rod Blagojevich?

Talking to Barbara Walters, Geraldo Rivera, Larry King and Diane Sawyer.

If that doesn’t make sense, you must be new to Illinois.

Blagojevich, who will most likely be removed from office by the end of the week, decided to take his show on the road. He started with a news conference Friday in Chicago, then appearances on “Good Morning America,” “The View” and “Larry King Live” on Monday. The media blitz continued Tuesday.

The governor didn’t appear on Judge Judy, but she undoubtedly would find his complaints without merit.

Blagojevich is complaining that the Senate trial rules are not fair. He wants to be able to call witnesses, such as President Barack Obama’s chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, mentioned in the federal case against him. Blagojevich said that’s the only way he can prove he wasn’t trying to sell Obama’s Senate seat, although he’s captured on FBI tapes talking about how much he can gain from appointing someone to the seat.

Blagojevich also said the impeachment is politically motivated. He claims Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn and other Democratic leaders want him out of the way so they can raise taxes. He said Republicans want a tax increase so they can use it against the Democrats in the next election.

The governor also has mixed in some odd metaphors: comparing the situation to a cowboy movie and himself to Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr. and Ghandi.

When he avoids those insane comparisons, Blagojevich’s complaints can sound credible.

Until you look at the facts.

The impeachment trial rules were determined by a Senate committee and are largely drawn from the U.S. Senate rules when it tried President Clinton. Blagojevich or his lawyers had a chance to be involved in setting the rules but never said a word.

In addition, both sides are restricted on who they can call as witnesses. We’re sure there are plenty of witnesses involved in the federal case who would have a lot to say about Blagojevich’s actions.

It also is possible that the state will impose some sort of tax increase this session. That’s because Blagojevich and his fellow Democrats haven’t taken care of the budget business correctly for the past six years. The state is in such a dire financial straits right now that a tax increase may be the only way out.

The governor could have been in Springfield this week, defending himself against these charges. But he, along with his lawyers, decided not to mount a defense. Instead, he’s decided to launch a media campaign complaining he’s the victim. That’s fitting for a governor who has consistently proven he’s more interested in publicity than actually governing the state.

Blagojevich treating the impeachment trial like a criminal trial is a smokescreen. The Senate impeachment trial is about whether the governor is fit to serve as the leader of the state.

Maybe that’s why the governor isn’t defending himself. The evidence that he is no longer fit to serve this state is overwhelming.

LETTERS Unwanted pets do not belong in the garbage I recently received a call from a friend saying someone had dumped a small teacup poodle down by the dam.

It was in a small crate, no hair, blind and hardly any teeth.

Its owner apparently did not want the dog any longer and decided to dump it with the rest of the garbage.

The dog was left to die in freezing temperatures. I am reminding people that there is no need for this type of cruelty. If you cannot care for an animal, please contact the Macon County Animal Care and Control Center, south of Caterpillar Inc. on Parkway Drive.

They will take unwanted animals and treat them in the proper fashion, getting them medical help and finding them a kind and caring family. No animal is ever turned away. No one should have to die alone in the cold.

Please report animal cruelty or welfare checks to 425-4508. If someone is abusing an animal, chances are it doesn’t stop there.

Shelley Phillips Decatur

Senate loses with Caroline Kennedy’s withdrawal I do not know what ultimately persuaded Caroline Kennedy to withdraw her name from consideration for the U.S. Senate.

Maybe it was something about taxes or a housekeeper, the two rumors that seem to have the most “juice” as I write this. To be honest, I don’t care. All I know is that it’s too bad. I believe she would have been a wonderful senator — committed, compassionate and inspirational. I believe we desperately need more women like her, women of stature, women who command attention, who could do and be anything in the world but choose public service.

I am certain she isn’t perfect. I am certain that if you dig long and hard enough, you would find mistakes of some sort.

The sad part is that it should, would, did disqualify her from doing what she might have done to help people and inspire a generation of women — girls today — to walk in her footsteps.

I DO NOT begrudge her the decision she made. At a time when the process of “vetting” people for public office has mushroomed into 100-page questionnaires that few people who have lived outside a convent could pass, it never surprises me when a high-pro-

SUSAN ESTRICH

OPINIONS? CONTACT US:

file person takes their name out of contention. What is surprising, in a way, is when they don’t.

Tim Geithner, Treasury secretary designate, has some unpaid tax problems, as well. He is, presumably, something of an expert in tax matters. There is an even better case, as to him, that he should have known better. I have no doubt his taxes will be paid (they already have been) and the “delinquency,” if that’s what it was, will have absolutely no impact on his fulfillment of his official responsibilities. But I have to wonder whether he would have been picked in the first place if the tax problems had been known then. Somehow, I doubt it. Too bad.

I DON’T THINK I know anybody who has never done anything wrong. I don’t think I know anyone who has never made a mistake, had one made as to them or trusted someone they shouldn’t have. Some of these people, luckily for them and us, go on to become president. Some of them are forced to give up their dreams. Usually, it has more to do with how they “handle” the mistake, whether they succeed in getting out front of it and spinning it away before it blows up in their face.

Both George W. Bush and Barack Obama became president notwithstanding admissions of drug and alcohol use. Doug Ginsburg was denied a seat on the Supreme Court because he was witnessed smoking marijuana at a party. Zoe Baird was denied the top job at Justice because she didn’t pay Social Security for her housekeeper. Kimba Wood was denied the same seat, even

WRITE: Herald & Review Letter to the editor Box 311, Decatur, IL 62525-0311

though she did; as a matter of fact, she was the one who taught me how to do it and explained to me why it would be so important to the recipient in the future to have the Social Security paid in. My housekeeper will be retiring in a few years, and she can thank Wood for the fact that she will receive full benefits.

But somehow, it cost Wood the job lawyers spend a lifetime dreaming of. I can’t even remember why.

KENNEDY WILL be just fine. She will go on to work for the causes she cares about, to be a loving wife and mother and cousin and aunt to her family. But when a little girl walks into the gallery of the United States Senate, she will have a hard time recognizing anyone who looks like her as she looks down on the assembled senators. There are strong and smart women there, but none who would inspire in that little girl the same dream Kennedy could inspire, none who will make her feel, as Obama today makes countless young African-Americans feel, that they can do anything, and nothing they could do matters more than serving their fellow Americans.

I wanted Kennedy to serve in the Senate, not because she deserves the job more than any other contender — doubtless, there are others who have worked harder to be there — or because she knows the issues better. I wanted her to serve because her very presence on that floor, the presence of a woman who has throughout my life been larger than life, might inspire so many other girls to dream the sort of dream our country’s future depends upon. www.creators.com

E-MAIL: ddawson@ herald-review.com

Steve Daniels would make a strong mayor for Decatur It appears Decatur will have two choices for mayor in the coming election. I think it is important that people get to know the candidates very well before they make a choice.

I have known Steve Daniels since we went to Eisenhower High School together during the 1970s in Decatur’s good days. At that time, Daniels worked at Tolly’s Markets, his family’s grocery stores. He graduated from Millikin in accounting, earned a CPA and worked as an executive and chief financial officer for large and small companies all over the United States.

Daniels returned to Decatur, got married, expanded his family and became involved in local growth-oriented policies. He re-established friendships with many and has been outspoken about trying new ideas to make Decatur better.

While his detractors focus on silly things, his calls for economic growth, lower taxes, safer neighborhoods and better schools are the keys to Decatur’s future. He says regularly that he believes Decatur should get growing again. We can learn from other cities and apply their best practices here.

I know Daniels is committed to making Decatur better, and he will be a strong advocate for our city and all who live here. I hope others get to know him. He will make a strong mayor for Decatur.

Holly Mowry Decatur READ LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ONLINE: www.herald-review.com

PHONE:

FAX:

421-6979 or 421-7980

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Look ma, no hands

Titans on top

Simple game time snacks that don’t require utensils/D1

Millikin men lose to Illinois Wesleyan University/B1

Herald&Review WWW.HERALD-REVIEW.COM

THURSDAY JANUARY 29, 2009

Seeking new trial Maurice LaGrone Jr, who is serving a life sentence for the drowning deaths of his girlfriend’s three children, is asking for a new trial on the grounds that his lawyer didn’t ask a judge to consider child endangerment. Local A3

Gopher hunting Illinois’ 20-game winning streak over Minnesota will be a hot topic tonight at Williams Arena.

And a road victory tonight could be a crucial step along the way for an Illinois team in the Big Ten championship hunt. Sports B1

Blagojevich plans about-face Governor says he will speak today at his Senate impeachment trial

By MIKE RIOPELL H&R Springfield Bureau Writer

SPRINGFIELD — Gov. Rod Blagojevich has planned a showdown today, on what could be the last day of his administration.

Reversing course on an earlier decision to boycott his impeachment trial, Blagojevich is scheduled to make a rare visit to the state Capitol this morning to make a closing argument before the Illinois Senate.

His pleas could be one of the last things the Senate’s 59 members hear before they vote on whether to remove him after six tumul-

tuous years as chief executive.

Until now, the Chicago Democrat has declined to appear at the historic trial, instead traveling the New Lawmakers react York media to the news of the circuit most governor’s trial of the week appearance. to deny wrongdoing Story/A2 and deride the proceedings as unfair.

Blagojevich’s appearance was announced as prosecutors in the impeachment trial called their final witness Wednesday afternoon,

n Say, what?

setting up closing arguments for this morning.

The Senate will convene at 9:15 a.m. Prosecutor David Ellis will have an hour for his remarks, and Blagojevich will have 90 minutes to make his case. A vote on the governor’s fate could come soon after.

If senators remove him, Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn would take over the state’s top office immediately, sending the 52-year-old governor packing in the midst of his second term. Quinn, a Chicago Democrat who also served as state treasurer,

TRIAL/A2

Associated Press

Mike Kasper, assistant impeachment trial prosecuting attorney, asks questions during Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s impeachment trial on the Senate floor at the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield.

ENOUGH, ALREADY

U.S. Post Office may drop a day

House passes plan The Democratic-controlled House approved by a 244-188 vote a historically huge $819 billion stimulus bill, filled with new spending and tax cuts. Money C1

Postmaster general seeks end to six-day delivery mandate

By RANDOLPH E. SCHMID Associated Press Writer

sizes and ease overcrowding, as well as allow teachers at similar grade levels to collaborate more easily, she said.

“The parents were sent out a letter in December and provided with comment forms, and if they had questions, we’ve answered those,” Brinkoetter said. “We just sent a letter to all our families, prekindergarten through third grade, letting them know. Principals will visit students who will be moving and hold tours of the new building.”

Not all parents received that letter, said Cathy Anderson, who has children in third grade at McGaughey and in the intermediate

WASHINGTON — Massive deficits could force the post office to cut out one day of mail delivery, the postmaster general told Congress on Wednesday, while asking lawmakers to lift the requirement that the THE agency deliver NET mail six U.S. Postal days a Service: www. week. usps.com If the change happens, that doesn’t necessarily mean an end to Saturday mail delivery. Previous post office studies have looked at the possibility of skipping some other day when mail flow is light, such as Tuesday.

Faced with dwindling mail volume and rising costs, the post office was $2.8 billion in the red last year. “If current trends continue, we could experience a net loss of $6 billion or more this fiscal year,” Postmaster General John E. Potter said in testimony for a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs subcommittee.

Total mail volume was 202 billion items last year, about 9 billion less than the year before, the largest single volume drop in history.

And, despite annual rate increases, Potter said 2009 could be the first year since 1946 that the actual amount of money collected by the post office declines.

“It is possible that the cost of six-day delivery may simply prove to be unaffordable,” Potter said. “I reluctantly request that Congress

CHANGE/A2

MAIL/A2

Mideast peace efforts

President Obama’s new Mideast envoy promised a vigorous push for peace, saying Gaza militants must end their weapons smuggling and blockaded borders must be open. World C3

Lake Decatur level watch Normal winter pool level . . . .612.5 Normal summer pool level . . .614.4 Yesterday’s level . . . . . . . . . .611.9

YOUR WEATHER

Herald & Review/Kelly J. Huff

Robert Runyen of Maroa was outside performing good deeds Wednesday after Mother Nature blanketed the area with 6 inches of snow Tuesday. But the angle of his trusty snow blower turned his full head of grey hair into a snow-capped wonder.

Weather story/A3

Mt. Zion enrollment rise spurs change Primary schools will switch to attendance centers

By VALERIE WELLS H&R Staff Writer

HIGH

L O W

33 16 Today: Mostly cloudy Tonight: Mostly cloudy and cold Details/B8

INDEX Classifieds. . . . . . . . . . C4-6 Comics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D5 Dear Abby . . . . . . . . . . . D2 Horoscopes . . . . . . . . . . D5 Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D1-8 Money . . . . . . . . . . . . . C1,2 Movies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D2 Obituaries. . . . . . . . . . . . D3 Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . A5 Puzzles . . . . . . . . . . . . C4,5 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . B1-7 Television . . . . . . . . . . . . D6

MOUNT ZION — At a time when many school districts are watching enrollment decline, Mount Zion schools are seeing steady increases, so many that in the 2009-10 school year, administrators expect to need nine kindergarten classrooms.

In the past two years, 85 new students have enrolled, Superintendent Darbe Brinkoetter said.

To accommodate the increased numbers and keep class sizes down, the board

buildings so often. voted Monday to change the “We talked about transiprimary buildings into attentions, and the research is dance centers, assigning all dated,” Brinkoetter said. preschool, kindergarten and “There’s not a first-grade stulot of research dents to out there. Most McGaughey of it has to do School, while with moving to second- and middle school.” third-graders District offiwill be at cials contacted Mount Zion other districts, Grade School.

Charleston, The change will Monticello, take effect in Mahomet and August. Bus Effingham routes will not among them, be affected, and Superintendent Darbe that have attennothing will Brinkoetter change for studance centers, dents at the intermediate, and all of them are happy junior high or high schools. with their arrangements, she One concern parents have said. expressed is how children The shift to attendance will adjust to moving to new centers will balance class

‘There’s not a lot of research out there. Most of it has to do with moving to middle school.’

Lincoln museum wants to address a world record Plan is to have thousands read famous speech on 16th president’s birthday

By JASON NEVEL H&R Springfield Bureau Writer

75 cents Our 137th year

Issue 29 Four sections

Delivery: 421-6990 Newsroom: 421-6979 Outside Decatur: 1-800-437-2533

SPRINGFIELD — Abraham Lincoln’s most famous speech could make the Guinness Book of World Records for the number of people simultaneously reading from the same document.

On the 200th anniversary of the 16th president’s birth, the Abraham Lincoln Presidential

Library and Museum in Springfield is attempting to get more than 223,363 people to read the Gettysburg Address in unison.

The reading will occur at 9:30 a.m.

Feb. 12.

The old record was organized by Waldenbooks throughout its stores nationwide, said David Blanchette, spokesman for the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency.

The idea of reading “The Gettysburg Address” already was planned, but Blanchette said he wanted to up the ante.

“I decided, ‘Why don’t we pursue a world record?’ ” The reading will be done via live Web cast on www.presidentlincoln.org. Forms

to participate in the reading can be accessed through the Web site, beginning Friday. The information received from the forms will be used to determine if the record is broken.

“We’re hoping anyone that does attempt the record fills out the form and sends them to us,” Blanchette said. “It’s going to be a long process of documenting people who did this.”

President Obama has been invited to attend the bicentennial celebration, but Blanchette said the president would not be able to participate in the reading.

Obama has not verified if he will be coming to Springfield for the celebration. jason.nevel@lee.net|789-0865

A2 LOCAL

THURSDAY, JANUARY 29, 2009

www.herald-review.com

DECATUR, ILLINOIS

Winning numbers selected Wednesday in the Illinois State Lottery:

Lottery numbers online: www.herald-review.com/ lottery/

Events Etc. Lions in Winter Reading Series, Eastern Illinois University, Doudna Fine Arts Center’s Black Box, Charleston. Free. 7 p.m. 581-3110.

Music Greater Decatur Chorale, 7:30 p.m., Decatur Civic Center, Decatur, 422-8535.

Kris Kristofferson, 7:30 p.m., Rosebud Theatre, Effingham. $42 to $82. 540-2787.

School of Music Student Recital, 2 p.m., Millikin University Kaeuper Hall, Decatur.

Nightlife “Stevie Ray” Kelton, 9 p.m., Curly’s, Decatur.

Country Night with DJ Halfdead, 8 p.m., Radmaker’s Rock N Roll Tavern, Tolono. 485-3531.

David Lee the DJ, 10 p.m.,

Lock, Stock and Barrel, Decatur.

DJ/Karaoke, 8:30 p.m., Elbow Room, Decatur.

Jackie Lawson and Tad Freezland, 6:30 p.m., Stoney’s Steakhouse, Dalton City.

Joe Stamm Acoustic, 8 p.m., Sliderz, Decatur.

Karaoke/DJ with Ricky, 9:30 p.m., Shorty’s, Decatur.

Open Mic, 7 p.m., AIW Hall, Decatur, 875-2416.

On Stage “Funny Valenntines,” 6 p.m., Conklin’s Barn II Dinner Theatre, Goodfield, $31. (309) 965-2545.

Health Cardiac Rehab Orientation, 1 to 3 p.m., Decatur Memorial Hospital, Cardiac Rehabilitation Department, Decatur. Free. Requires physician referral. 876-2496.

Cesarean Section Class, 6:30 p.m., St. Anthony’s Memorial Hos-

Plan your week with our calendar every Thursday

MORE EVENTS: www.herald-review.com

Associated Press

From left, U.S Postmaster Gen. John Potter, Postal Regulatory Commission Chairman Dan G. Blair and Phillip R. Herr of the General Accounting Office testify before the Senate Governmental Affairs subcommittee on Capitol Hill in Washington.

MAIL Continued from A1 remove the annual appropriation bill rider, first added in 1983, that requires the Postal Service to deliver mail six days each week.”

“The ability to suspend delivery on the lightest delivery days, for example, could save dollars in both our delivery and our processing and distribution networks. I do not make this request lightly, but I am forced to consider every option, given the severity of our challenge,” Potter said.

That doesn’t mean it would happen right away, he noted, adding that the agency is working to cut costs, and any final decision on changing delivery would have to be made by the postal governing board.

If it did become necessary to go to five-day delivery, Potter said, “we would do this by suspending delivery on the lightest volume days.”

The Postal Service raised the issue of cutting back on days of service last fall in a study it issued. At that time, the agency said the six-day rule should be eliminated, giving the post office, “the flexibility to meet future needs for delivery frequency.

A study done by George Mason University last year for the independent Postal Regulatory Commission estimated that going from sixday to five-day delivery would save the post office more than $1.9 billion annually, while a Postal Service study estimated the saving at $3.5 billion.

The next postal rate increase is scheduled for May, with the amount to be announced next month.

Under current rules that would be limited to the amount of the increase in last year’s consumer price

CHANGE Continued from A1 school. A younger daughter will begin kindergarten next year. She thinks she didn’t receive a letter or survey because her younger child is not yet enrolled.

“I know that my other daughter that went from third to fourth grade (moving to the intermediate building) had adjustment issues,” Anderson said. “She had difficulties with a bigger school, different staff.

She really had trouble getting up and going to school and got really worked up about it.”

Anderson fears her youngest will have similar problems.

“I feel that a first-grader is

index, 3.8 percent. That would round to a 2-cent increase in the current 42cent first class rate.

The agency could request a larger increase because of the special circumstances, but Potter believes that would be counterproductive by causing mail volume to fall even more.

Dan G. Blair, chairman of the Postal Regulatory Commission, noted in his testimony that cutting service also could carry the risk of loss of mail volume. He suggested Congress review both delivery and restrictions it imposed on the closing of small and rural post offices.

The post office’s problem is twofold, Potter explained.

“A revolution in the way people communicate has structurally changed the way America uses the mail,” with a shift from first-class letters to the Internet for personal communications, billings, payments, statements and business correspondence.

To some extent that was made up for my growth in standard mail, largely advertising, but the economic meltdown has resulted in a drop there also.

Potter also asked that Congress ease the requirement that it make advance payments into a fund to cover future health benefits for retirees. Last year, the post office was required to put $5.6 billion into the fund.

“We are in uncharted waters,” Potter said. “But we do know that mail volume and revenue, and with them the health of the mail system, are dependent on the length and depth of the current economic recession.”

He proposed easing the retirement prefunding for eight years, while promising that the agency will cover the premiums for retirement health insurance.

At the same hearing, the General Accounting Office agreed that the post office is facing an urgent need for help to preserve its financial strength. But the GAO suggested easing the prefunding requirement for only two years, with Congress to determine the need for more relief later.

Potter noted that the agency has cut costs by $1 billion per year since 2002, reduced its work force by 120,000, halted construction of new facilities except in emergencies, frozen executive salaries and is in the process of reducing its headquarters work force by 15 percent.

way too young to throw them into somewhere new,” she said. “I especially don’t like the fact that they’ll have so many little kids in one building.”

She has written to Brinkoetter with her objections, she said.

“From everything I’ve heard, nobody’s thrilled,” said Chris Frederick, whose daughter is in first grade.

Frederick did receive a survey, which he filled out and e-mailed to the district office. He also has written a letter to the superintendent since the decision Monday to go forward with attendance centers.

“I told her I was displeased with the decision and think (children) need more stability,” he said. vwells@herald-review.com|421-7982

Pick Three-Midday 2-9-2 Pick Three-Evening 1-5-8

WHAT’S HAPPENING

T O D AY pital Auditorium, Effingham. 3471529.

Mobile Mammography, SBL Arthur Clinic, Arthur. Free for women who qualify. 1-800-639-5929.

Pre/Postnatal Aerobics, Decatur Family YMCA, Decatur, 5:30 to 6:15 p.m. 872-9622.

Pregnancy Center, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Macon County Health Department, Decatur. 423-3794, ext. 1303.

Pregnancy Testing, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., New Life Pregnancy Center, Decatur, 872-5555.

Prepared Childbirth Classes, 7 p.m., Decatur Memorial Hospital Classrooms, Decatur, 876-3448.

Well/Sick Child Clinic, 8 to 11:15 a.m., Macon County Health Department, Decatur, 423-6988.

Meetings Decatur Area Education Coali-

Little Lotto 1-6-7-13-15 Lotto 5-19-26-34-42-45

Pick Four-Midday 3-1-2-1 Pick Four-Evening 9-9-5-8

tion, 4 to 5:30 p.m., Richland Community College Boardroom, Decatur. Young Scholars and Workers Meeting. 429-3000.

Early Bird Kiwanis, 6:45 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility, Tomorrow’s Decatur.

Metro highlight: Rotary Club, Central Illinoon, nois Jazz FesDecatur Club, tival, Decatur Decatur. 494Conference 1543.

Center and Suicide Hotel, Decatur, Knight 5 p.m. to midChess Club, night. 546-6091.

7 to 10 p.m., Prairieland ABATE, Decatur.

Thursday Noon Toastmasters, noon, Barnes Citizens Building,

855-3018.

Seniors Decatur-Macon County Senior Center, Computer Basics Class “Surfing the Web,” 9 a.m., Quilters, 9 a.m., Cards, 1 p.m., Decatur, 429-1239.

John’s Hill, Watercolor class, 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Decatur, 4221509.

Support Groups Al-Anon, 10 a.m., Central Christian Church, Decatur.

Al-Anon, 8 p.m., First Presbyterian Church, Mount Zion.

Get High on Life Group, 8 p.m., AFFAS. 521-7204 or 620-3444.

Ostomy Support Group, 7 p.m., St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital, Effingham. 258-4112 or 348-4112.

Polio Survivors & Friends, 5 to 6:30 p.m., Sarah Bush Lincoln, Lumpkin Family Center for Health Education, Mattoon. 345-1549.

Exhibits David Erlanson Gallery, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Richland Community College, Decatur. Robyn Rognstad, “Relating to Fluorescence.”

Decatur Airport Gallery, 6 a.m.

Lotto jackpot $4.5 million Mega Millions jackpot $40 million

to 10 p.m., Decatur. Watercolors by Joyce Matteson. 422-1509.

Decatur Public Library Gallery, Second Floor, Decatur. Pastel drawings by Helen Hamilton. 422-1509.

Gallery 510 Arts Guild, Decatur, Fiber Art by Brenda Bunch. 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. 422-1509.

Hieronymus Mueller Museum, Decatur. 1 to 4 p.m. 423-6161.

Macon County History Museum, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Decatur. 4224919.

Madden Arts Center, Decatur. 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Solid art exhibit: Heyduck, Boshart, and Griffin. 423-3189.

Perkinson Gallery, noon to 5 p.m., Millikin University, Kirkland Fine Arts Center Lobby, Decatur.

Abraham Lincoln Inspirational Invitational. 424-6318.

Contact us Submissions of items for inclusion in the calendar must be in writing or by email to Calendar, Herald & Review, Box 311, Decatur, IL 62525 or rpansch@ herald-review.com or by noon Monday the week prior to publication. Phone calls will not be accepted for submissions.

Senators say governor unlikely to alter outcome Some say they wouldn’t be shocked if Blagojevich resigned, despite denials

By JASON NEVEL H&R Springfield Bureau Writer

SPRINGFIELD — Illinois lawmakers had mixed reactions when they heard Gov. Rod Blagojevich would be in Springfield today for the Senate impeachment trial.

State Sen. Dale Righter, R-Mattoon, was surprised by the governor’s decision to come to the state Capitol.

“He’s kind of made it clear up to this point he didn’t want to have anything to do with this process,” Righter said.

Yet some senators were not surprised Blagojevich was planning an appearance to make his case to stay in office.

“This is it. This is the swansong,” said state Sen. Dan Rutherford, R-Chenoa. “If he doesn’t give his last pitch, it’s going to be to the winds of fate then.”

“I think, with the governor, you can

never be surprised,” said state Sen. Dale Risinger, R-Peoria.

Risinger said it makes sense for the governor to make an appearance after spending two days on the national talk show circuit.

“I think the governor needs to make a statement to us rather than the New York press. He went out there and did the PR stuff. He should be here because it’s serious for him, it’s serious for us, but it’s serious for the state of Illinois,” said Risinger.

State Sen. Frank Watson, RGreenville, said he didn’t know what the governor might say in his own defense today.

“Maybe he’ll announce he’s going to resign,” Watson said.

State Sen. Dave Luechtefeld. ROkawville, said he would not be shocked if the governor stepped down.

“It wouldn’t surprise me if at the end of his speech if he would say ‘I quit’ or ‘I resign,’ ” Luechtefeld said.

State Sen. Mike Jacobs, D-East Moline, said he didn’t think the governor would voluntarily leave office, but if he

did, it may benefit him.

“I think if he resigned, it would delay the criminal trial,” Jacobs said.

Blagojevich spokesman Lucio Guerrero said the governor has no plans to resign today.

“He can say whatever he wants to say, whether it be defending himself, whether it be apologizing, whether it be resigning,” said state Sen. Bill Brady, R-Bloomington.

Watson added that there is little Blagojevich can say today to save himself from being kicked out of office.

“After today … it’s criminal. There are people beyond the governor who ought to be held accountable for what has been done to the taxpayers,” Watson said.

State Sen. Gary Forby, D-Benton, was among those who isn’t sure Blagojevich will change many minds.

“Will it make a difference? I doubt it,” Forby said.

Rutherford said he was keeping an open mind about the governor’s appearance.

“I think to be fair, we want to hear what the governor has got to say,” Rutherford said. jason.nevel@lee.net|789-0865

Watson: Trial attendance is important

By MIKE RIOPELL H&R Springfield Bureau Writer

Associated Press

Illinois Sen. Louis Viverito, D-Burbank, bottom right, confers with fellow senators during Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s impeachment trial on the Senate floor at the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield.

TRIAL Continued from A1 was expected to arrive at the Capitol this morning in preparation for the possible transfer of power.

During the third day of the trial, prosecutors sought to display what they argued was the governor’s abuse of power and mismanagement of state government.

“The sad thing is that this is news we knew existed several years ahead,” state Sen. Bill Brady, R-Bloomington, said.

The final witness in the tribunal, Illinois Auditor General William Holland, testified about several unflattering audits of agencies under Blagojevich, including one in which a politically connected company spent taxpayer dollars on a celebratory dinner after winning a lucrative state contract.

“This is pretty sobering stuff today if you listen to it,” said state Sen. Dave Luechtefeld, R-Okawville.

Vicki Thomas, director of an administrative agency known as the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules, was asked whether she thought Blagojevich’s efforts to expand health care programs against lawmakers’ wishes violated state law.

“Yes, I do,” Thomas said.

But Republicans in the Illi-

‘We’re just finding him incompetent.

We’re just saying the people don’t have his confidence, anymore.’

State Sen. Gary Forby, D-Benton nois Senate raised some objections Wednesday to the proceedings, arguing that they should get to hear from more witnesses.

Ellis originally planned for 13 witnesses but whittled it down to six as the trial played out.

Republicans said senators should hear as much testimony as possible before voting on whether Blagojevich should remain in office.

“He is entitled to a fair and thorough process,” said Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno, R-Lemont.

The GOP objections provided a glimpse of partisan bickering in a trial where most lawmakers had said they wanted to avoid such fighting.

“The trial shouldn’t be driven by a time schedule,” added state Sen. Dale Righter, RMattoon. “It should be driven by the evidence.”

Republicans also wanted to know whether it was proper to consider evidence against Blagojevich dating to before his 2006 re-election.

State Rep. Chapin Rose, serving as a witness at the trial, said yes.

“There appears to be a pattern of abuse that began even before he was elected,” the Mahomet Republican said.

Although talk of impeaching Blagojevich has been rumbling in the statehouse for more than a year, Blagojevich’s Dec. 9 arrest on federal corruption charges triggered the historic proceedings. The Illinois House impeached him on a 117-1 vote earlier this month.

Witness testimony in the trial took a little more than two days. Ellis questioned witnesses, but they were not cross-examined because Blagojevich and his lawyers declined to participate in the proceedings.

State Sen. Gary Forby, DBenton, said there was enough evidence presented to make a decision about whether Blagojevich is fit to hold office. He said the legal threshold being used by the Senate is not the same as a criminal trial.

“We’re just finding him incompetent,” Forby said.

“We’re just saying the people don’t have his confidence, anymore.” mike.riopell@lee.net|789-0865

SPRINGFIELD — Though he’s still recovering from a stroke he suffered last year, state Sen. Frank Watson has attended the impeachment trial of Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

The Greenville Republican skipped his own Watson swearing-in ceremony earlier this month as he continued his recovery. That meant missing his last days as Senate minority leader, a post he held for six years.

Those six years aligned with the Blagojevich’s term so far, and Watson said it was important for him to attend, even if it meant wading through hours of often-dry testimony at the impeachment trial.

“I wanted to be here to be part of this,” the 63-year-old lawmaker said.

Watson has submitted multiple written questions of impeachment witnesses, though many go unanswered because of the nature of the trial.

Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno, R-Lemont, has taken over for Watson as the top GOP member in the Senate.

For now, Watson said he plans to serve out his current term.

“I’m getting a lot of rest, and I’m getting a lot of exercise,” Watson said. “I need to do that.”

Watson has served in the Illinois Senate since 1983. mike.riopell@lee.net|789-0865

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 30, 2009

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CONVICTED New governor Quinn accepts ‘honor,’ dire situation

Blagojevich’s fate sealed by senators’ unanimous vote; impassioned plea moves no one

By KURT ERICKSON and JASON NEVEL H&R Springfield Bureau Writers

SPRINGFIELD — Illinoisans sat down to supper Thursday evening with a new governor at the helm of state government.

In an unprecedented, but not unexpected, move, the Illinois Senate voted 59-0 to convict Rod Blagojevich of the impeachment article presented by the House and strip him of his powers as chief executive. They also voted unanimously to ban a man with presidential ambitions from holding public office in the future.

The 4:50 p.m. vote automatically made Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn the state’s 41st governor. He will serve out the remaining two years of Blagojevich’s term.

“The ordeal is over,” Quinn said.

The dramatic transfer of power could signal a new era in the Democrat-controlled statehouse, which has been mired in gridlock for more than a year because of conflicts between the legislative and executive branches.

“We must lift this heavy dark cloud over our state. The only way this cloud can be gone is when Gov. Blagojevich is no longer the governor,” said state Sen. Dan Rutherford, R-Chenoa.

Blagojevich, accused of abusing his power, was not in the Capitol to hear the bell toll on his political career. He appeared in the Senate earlier

By MIKE RIOPELL H&R Springfield Bureau Writer

Associated Press

Illinois senators, including Frank Watson, center, react after the removal of Gov. Rod Blagojevich at the Illinois State Capitol.

CONVICTED/A2 RELATED VIDEO: www.herald-review. com

Associated Press

Herald & Review/Stephen Haas

Gov. Rod Blagojevich speaks during closing arguments in his impeachment trial.

Pat Quinn is sworn in as governor by Illinois Supreme Court Justice Ann Burke, while his son Pat Quinn IV looks on.

‘Jurors,’ other elected officials sound off on historic event H&R Springfield Bureau staff

Following are what some Illinois officials were saying about removing Rod Blagojevich as governor Thursday: ■ “These are not words and deeds of a public official who understands or comprehends what public trust means.” State Sen. Dale Righter, R-Mattoon ■ “I have not seen in three governors anyone blatantly abuse the process of shared government as what I’ve seen happen by Rod Blago-

jevich.” state Sen. Dan Rutherford, RChenoa.

■ “If this doesn’t change anything in this state then it really hasn’t been worth it.” State Sen. Dave Luechtefeld, ROkawville ■ “Corruption in this state is a cycle that we must learn to avoid.”

State Sen. Bill Brady, R-Bloomington ■ “We didn’t have to be here today.

This should have been done before now.” State Sen. John Jones, R-Mount Vernon

■ “I don’t think the governor was so guilty on the criminal charges, but I think he is guilty in one area and that is being derelict in running the state.” State Sen. Mike Jacobs, D-East Moline ■ “We now have an opportunity to restore integrity to not only state government but to the state of Illinois as a whole.” Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White ■ “Good riddance. The Blagojevich scandal has been a national embar-

rassment. I hope and pray that today’s decision by the Illinois Senate will give our state the fresh start it so desperately needs.” U.S. Rep. Phil Hare, D-Rock Island ■ “It was very sobering. It was a surreal experience.” Illinois Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias ■ “We find no pleasure in today’s outcome. We acted in the best interest of the people of this state.” State Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago

SPRINGFIELD — Gov. Pat Quinn’s history in Illinois politics has been a decadeslong effort to craft his image as a populist politician, a man working in government but often trying to petition it from the outside.

On Thursday, Quinn stood at the podium of the Illinois House and swore the oath of office to become the 41st governor of Illinois.

“It’s a very great honor to be here in the people’s House,” Quinn said.

“If all of us, the people of Illinois, are cheerful, and earnest, cooperative, frank and honest, we can achieve great things in the Land of Lincoln,” he said.

The conviction of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich minutes before in his Illinois Senate impeachment trial transferred power to Quinn.

He immediately went from directing obscure government programs such as the Broadband Deployment Council to taking his place in the state’s highest elected office.

In that role, Quinn will have to deal with the staggering problems of the state’s dire financial situation and divisive politics, responsibilities that far outweigh his duties in a term as state treasurer and nearly two terms as lieutenant governor.

In his first hour as governor, he didn’t rule out tax increases in the months to come, refusing to adopt the pledge Blagojevich made to avoid raising income and sales taxes.

Some observers say Quinn’s climb up the political pecking order could represent a stark change from the leadership style of Blagojevich, who was often at odds with lawmakers about issues major and minor.

“This is a guy whose word you can count on,” said Charles N. Wheeler III, who oversees the Public Affairs Reporting Program at the University of Illinois

QUINN/A2

Probe of 1993 Lockmiller murder to continue, despite disimissal of Beaman charge Prosecutor notes no time limit exists for bringing charges

By EDITH BRADY-LUNNY Lee News Service Writer

BLOOMINGTON — The dismissal of murder charges against Alan Beaman on Thursday does not mean prosecutors have called off their investigation into the 1993 death of

75 cents Our 137th year Issue 30 Four sections

Jennifer Lockmiller, who was from Decatur.

Beaman’s lawyers were handed a onepage dismissal by Assistant State’s Attorney Mark Messman, minutes before walking into court for an 11:30 a.m.

Beaman hearing to review the status of the case. The reason listed for the dismissal was “pending fur-

INDEX

ther investigation.”

After the 10-minute hearing, Messman said the dismissal should not be construed as a proclamation from the state that Beaman is innocent.

“That’s not what we’re saying,” MessLockmiller man said.

In a statement released after the hearing, McLean County State’s

Classifieds . . . . . . C3-6 Comics . . . . . . . . . . D5 Dear Abby . . . . . . . . D4 Horoscopes . . . . . . . D5

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Attorney Bill Yoder said: “The investigation into the death of Miss Lockmiller will continue in an effort to bring her killer to justice, and the public is reminded that there is no statute of limitations as to the crime of murder. All options for future prosecutions remain available.”

Yoder was not in the courtroom for the hearing, which was handled

by Messman and prosecutor Bill Workman.

Lockmiller’s family declined to

Opinion . . . . . . . . . . A5 Puzzles . . . . . . . . C3,5 Sports . . . . . . . . . B1-7 Television . . . . . . . . D6

comment about Beaman or the court actions earlier in the day.

Beaman was released on bond after the state Supreme Court reversed his 1995 murder conviction in a May decision that cited weak evidence against the former Illinois Wesleyan University student. He had been accused in the stabbing and strangling death of Lockmiller, his ex-girlfriend, while she was a student at Illinois State University. He

BEAMAN/A2

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 30, 2009

www.herald-review.com

DECATUR, ILLINOIS

Winning numbers selected Thursday in the Illinois State Lottery:

Lottery numbers online: www.herald-review.com/lottery/

Events Dancing Central Illinois Singles & Couples Dance, 8 to 11 p.m., VFW Post 755, Springfield, 546-9515.

Etc. Hot Chocolate Hob Knob Pajama Party, 5 to 9 p.m., The Pink Poodle, St. Joseph. 840-2243 or 202-4419.

Music Cameron Matthews, 8 p.m., Hansen Student Center, Bloomington. Free. (309) 556-3584.

Central Illinois Jazz Festival, Decatur Conference Center and Hotel, Decatur, 5 p.m. to midnight.

546-6091.

Country Music Show, 7 to 10 p.m., Lion’s Club, Shelbyville. Free.

East Village Opera Company, 7:30 p.m., Krannert Center Studio Theatre, Urbana, $14 to $30. 3336280.

Greater Decatur Chorale “Shed

a Little Light: Songs of the Moon and Stars,” Decatur Civic Center, Decatur, $10. 422-5911.

Simon Webb, 8 p.m., Bement Country Opry, Bement, 877-6499.

Nightlife C-4, 8 p.m., Bullseye Bar and Grill, Hammond.

Dancing with DJ Sean Michael, 10 p.m., Block’s Brewery, Decatur.

Dirty Ernies, 9 p.m., Sliderz, Decatur.

Free Juke Box Party, 8:30 p.m., Mac’s Tackle Box, Decatur.

Karaoke with Wiz, 8 p.m., 22nd Street Discount Liquor, Decatur.

Karaoke/DJ Ricky, 9:30 p.m., O’Malley’s, Sullivan.

Lost Boys, 9 p.m., AIW Hall, Decatur, 875-2416.

Mobile Soundz DJ & Karaoke, 8:30 p.m., Korn Krib, Latham.

Repeat Offenders Band, 9:30 p.m., Prairie Rush Saloon, Tallula.

Rock of Ages, 8 p.m., Decatur Conference Center and Hotel,

Plan your week with our calendar every Thursday

MORE EVENTS: www.herald-review.com

CONVICTED Continued from A1 in the day and delivered a 50minute speech, saying the allegations against him didn’t merit his ouster.

“I never ever intended to violate any law,” said Blagojevich, who ran for the office on the promise of fighting the kind of corruption that sent his predecessor, Republican George Ryan, to prison.

Blagojevich, 52, became the first Illinois governor to be removed from office.

Although he’d had a troubled relationship with lawmakers for years, his problems snowballed Dec. 9 when he was arrested at his Chicago home on federal corruption charges.

He was in Chicago when the vote was taken, choosing to fly in and out of Springfield Thursday — a practice for which he often was criticized.

Blagojevich had shunned the impeachment proceedings, instead scurrying through a marathon series of television interviews designed to show the trial rules were unfair.

Impeachment prosecutor David Ellis called those claims unfounded and told senators to focus instead on Blagojevich’s alleged attempt to sell the state’s then-vacant U.S. Senate seat.

“It’s an f-ing valuable thing,” Ellis said, quoting the governor as alleged by federal prosecutors.

Senators said they convicted Blagojevich because of the criminal proceedings under way against him, as well as his failure to abide by the rules and laws of the state.

“He’s trampled on our Constitution with his behavior,” said state Sen. Tim Bivins, RDixon.

State Sen. Dale Righter, RMattoon, called Blagojevich a “devious, cynical, crass and corrupt politician.”

State Sen. Frank Watson, R-Greenville, said Blagojevich would have been better served if his aides had sometimes told him “no.”

“Who was there to say, ‘Whoa. Wait a minute?’ ” Watson said.

State Sen. Mike Jacobs, DEast Moline, had expressed some doubt about the evidence in the early going of the trial, but he joined his colleagues in voting to get rid of the governor.

“The one thing that made me vote ‘yes’ was that the governor was not to be trusted and didn’t seem to be able to move Illinois forward,” Jacobs said.

State Sen. Bill Brady, a potential candidate for governor, said Blagojevich’s ouster is yet another sign that corruption remains a problem in Illinois.

“Although we’re closing this chapter today, our work is not done,” said Brady, R-Bloomington.

Blagojevich acknowledged he’d had a rocky relationship with the legislature.

QUINN Continued from A1 at Springfield.

As senators deliberated about Blagojevich’s fate in the Illinois Senate on Thursday, Quinn’s family gathered at his Capitol office. His nieces played ring-around-the-rosy on the marble floors. And a television showing the impeachment trial could be seen through Quinn’s glass office doors.

His reception, though, won’t necessarily be a thoroughly warm one. As Blagojevich has been scrutinized because of a federal investigation, his eventual arrest and impeachment, Quinn has had to answer as to why he remained on the ticket as the governor’s running mate in 2006.

“He’s got some serious problems trying to govern the next two years,” said state Sen. John Jones, R-Mount Vernon.

“Quite frankly, there are several people around this building that endorsed the governor two years ago,” Jones added.

Republicans have worked quickly to tie Quinn to Blagojevich, including in the weeks following the former governor’s arrest last month.

While several Republican officials had harsh words for Quinn, some appeared ready to give him some bene-

BEAMAN Continued from A1 was sentenced to 50 years in prison.

Beaman, now 36, served 13 years in prison.

Normal Police Chief Kent Crutcher said the decision to dismiss the charges does not change the nature or pace of the investigation.

“We will continue to investigate as we have done since the court’s reversal,” Crutcher said.

Crutcher said police and prosecutors developed a list of things to follow up in the case, and officers continue to

T O D AY Sports Zone, Decatur.

Runnin’ on Empty, 9 p.m., Radmaker’s Rock N Roll Tavern, Tolono, 485-3531.

Stevie Ray Kelton-Oke, 9 p.m., Curly’s Sports Bar, Decatur.

TeKeLa DJ, 9 p.m., Whit’s End, Decatur, Julie Clifton.

Variety Music DJ with Erica, 9:30 p.m., Shorty’s, Decatur.

Whiskey Briar, 9 p.m., Timbuktu, Long Creek, 855-8083.

On Stage “Funny Valentines,” 6 p.m., Conklin’s Barn II Dinner Theatre, Goodfield, $33. (309) 965-2545.

“Goodnight Moon” and “Runaway Bunny,” 7 p.m., Sangamon Auditorium, Springfield, $25. 2066160.

Health Blood Pressure Screening, 11 a.m. to noon, Herrick Cafe, Herrick.

Free. 1-800-879-3212.

Cardiopulmonary Education

“I know sometimes I push too much and prod too much.

I confess, maybe I fight too much,” Blagojevich said.

But, he said his efforts were aimed at helping people.

“I believe in all of the evidence that has been presented to you … you haven’t proved a crime. How can you throw a governor out of office with insufficient and incomplete evidence?” Blagojevich said.

Senators said Blagojevich’s speech was masterful, but it didn’t alter the outcome.

“Obviously, he’s somewhat disillusioned,” Brady said.

“Much like his entertainment hero, Elvis Presley, this governor puts on a good show,” Righter said.

Quinn, a 60-year-old attorney, said he’s ready to assume the duties of governor. Along with serving as lieutenant governor for six years under Blagojevich, the Chicago Democrat was state treasurer from 1991 to 1995.

Quinn takes over at a time when Ilinois faces a massive backlog of bills a projected $3 billion budget deficit, and a slew of policies and initiatives imposed by Blagojevich but reviled by lawmakers.

Analysts say he will have his work cut out for him.

“You can’t overstate the problems we have,” said University of Illinois at Springfield political scientist Kent Redfield. “It’s a terrible time to become governor.” kurt.erickson@lee.net|789-0865

go work through that list.

The joy of the dismissal was tempered by the anger defense lawyers expressed over how the case was resolved.

“It’s not a nice way for it to end,” said Karen Daniel, with the Bluhm Legal Clinic at Northwestern University School of Law in Chicago.

Daniel, added that she believed Beaman and his family were owed an apology and an acknowledgement that an injustice had been done.

The defense lawyer said she hopes Beaman’s case does not end with the dismissal.

“Alan Beaman is not the only person this has hap-

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WHAT’S HAPPENING

fit of the doubt, even before the impeachment vote.

“I see him being a very fair statesman-type individual,” said state Sen. Dan Rutherford, R-Chenoa. “If he were to become the governor of Illinois, he would be a good person to work with.”

Quinn’s foray into Illinois politics began with petition drives in the 1970s, and he eventually led the 1980 push that reduced the size of the Illinois General Assembly from 177 members to 118.

That kind of populist, grassroots action has come up frequently in Quinn’s career, from the establishment of an organization to help people with their utility bills to pushes in recent years to stifle pay raises for lawmakers and other top state officials.

“We will make the will of people the law of the land,” Quinn said at his first news conference as governor.

Besides serving as lieutenant governor, Quinn’s public career includes four years as state treasurer, starting in 1991.

Both offices can be seen as relatively low-profile jobs in the grand scheme of Illinois politics, leaving few clues as to how he might function in the state’s highest-profile job.

“This is probably the most trying, difficult time in the history of our state,” Quinn said. mike.riopell@lee.net|789-0865

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Session, 1:30 p.m., Decatur Memorial Hospital, Cardiac Rehabilitation Department, Decatur, 876-2496.

Health Screenings, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Effingham County Health Department, Effingham, Tomorrow’s 342-9237. highlight: Pregnancy Center, 8 SMT Golf a.m. to 4 Day and Long p.m., Macon Drive Contest, County 9:30 a.m. to Health 3:30 p.m., Department, Decatur Indoor Decatur, 423Sports Center, 3794, ext.

Decatur, $30 1303. entry fee, $10 Pregnancy golf room hitting Testing, 9 fee. 421-7468. a.m. to 3 p.m., New Life Pregnancy Center, Decatur, 872-5555.

Tuberculosis Clinic and Test-

ing, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Macon County Health Department, Decatur. 423-1472.

Meetings Breakfast Sertoma, 7 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility, Decatur.

Commodore Duplicate Bridge Club, 12:30 p.m., 2560 E. Federal Drive, Decatur, 422-0095.

Unitarian Universalist Men’s Group, 1 p.m., Tuscany Steak & Pasta House, Decatur, Visitors welcome.

Seniors Decatur-Macon County Senior Center, Fitness Class, 10 a.m., Bingo, 1 p.m., Decatur, 429-1239.

Support Groups Al-Anon, 8 p.m., St. Mary’s Hospital, Room 561, Decatur.

Alcoholics Anonymous, 8 p.m., U.S. Bank, Community Room, Taylorville.

Reformers Unanimous (addictions), 7 p.m., Salem Baptist Church, Decatur, 422-4274.

Exhibits Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, Springfield.

558-8934.

David Erlanson Gallery, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Richland Community Col-

lege, Decatur.

Decatur Airport Gallery, 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., Decatur. 422-1509.

Decatur Public Library Gallery, Second Floor, Decatur. 422-1509.

Gallery 510 Arts Guild, Decatur, 422-1509.

Hieronymus Mueller Museum, Decatur. 1 to 4 p.m. 423-6161.

Lincoln College Museum, McKinstry Building, Lincoln. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. 735-5050, ext. 295.

Macon County History Museum, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Decatur. $2 and $1. 422-4919.

Madden Arts Center, Decatur. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. 423-3189.

Perkinson Gallery, noon to 5 p.m., Millikin University, Kirkland Fine Arts Center, Decatur. 424-6318.

Under the Prairie Museum, Elkhart. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 947-2522.

Vespasian Warner Public Library, Clinton. 935-5174.

Contact us Submissions of items for inclusion in the calendar must be in writing or by email to Calendar, Herald & Review, Box 311, Decatur, IL 62525 or rpansch@ herald-review.com or by noon Monday the week prior to publication. Phone calls will not be accepted for submissions.

Blagojevich loses security protection CHICAGO (AP) — New Gov. Pat Quinn has canceled former Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s security detail.

Quinn said Blagojevich’s security detail ended when he arrived home from the state Capitol on Thursday.

Former Republican Gov. Jim Thompson has said it is the custom in Illinois to extend security to a former governor for one year to ease their transition back to private life. The detail provides protection and drives the ex-governor around.

Quinn says the superintendent of the Illinois State Police agrees with his decision.

Under the circumstances of Blagojevich’s removal, Quinn says it is the “appropriate way” to go.

Obama notes ‘painful episode’

Associated Press

State worker Derek Needham removes a board containing the photo of Rod Blagojevich after Blagojevich was removed as governor.

Quinn vows state parks review

By JASON NEVEL H&R Springfield Bureau Writer

SPRINGFIELD — The opening of shuttered state parks and historic sites could be one of several changes Pat Quinn will enact as the new governor of Illinois.

In his first hour as governor, Quinn told reporters he wants to reopen state parks, as well as review the fate of the Pontiac Correctional Center, which former Gov. Rod Blagojevich identified for closure.

Quinn also pledged to review the move of about 100 Illinois Department of Transportation employees from Springfield to Harrisburg.

As part of a budget cutting maneuver last year, Blagojevich closed seven state parks and 14 historic sites, including Weldon Springs State Park near Clinton, Wolf Creek State Park near Windsor, Hidden Springs State Forest near Strasburg, Bryant Cottage in Bement and Lincoln Log Cabin near Lerna.

Quinn would not say how the cash-strapped state can afford to reopen the facilities.

pened to. We need to examine this and figure out how to stop it from happening again,” Daniel said.

Defense lawyer Jeff Urdangen was blunt in his criticism of prosecutors and police who handled the case.

Urdangen started with James Souk, a former prosecutor who is now a judge.

“James Souk disregarded his obligation as a prosecutor” by withholding evidence of a second suspect, said Urdangen, also of the Bluhm Legal Clinic.

Former State’s Attorney Charles Reynard, also now a judge, supervised and approved of Souk’s conduct,

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But, he said, “Our state parks are precious. I think it’s very important that we open the state parks.”

“I look forward to Pat Quinn opening the state parks,” said state Sen. Mike Jacobs, D-East Moline.

That might be a popular decision with some of the state’s taxpayers, but later decisions on the state’s financial situation could mean some up unpopular choices for the populist governor.

Granberg Quinn also raised the prospect of a short tenure for former state Rep. Kurt Granberg as director of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. The Carlyle Democrat was named to the post in one of Blagojevich’s last official moves before his impeachment conviction Thursday.

“I believe there should be a natural resources professional in the Department of Natural Resources,” Quinn said. jason.nevel@lee.net|789-0865

Urdangen said.

Finally, Urdangen criticized Yoder “who could and should have listened” to the defense about dismissing the case.

Urdangen also disclosed that Beaman was offered a deal by prosecutors several months ago — dismissal in exchange for time served in prison.

“Alan broke the world’s record for saying ‘no,’ ” Urdangen said.

During the court hearing, Urdangen lashed out at Messman over the return of Beaman’s $25,000 bond. His family had to post the bond in June so Beaman could be released from custody while

prosecutors evaluated whether to retry him.

Urdangen asked that Judge Scott Drazewski to exercise his discretion and return the full bond. Usually the court system keeps 10 percent of any bond posted, even in an acquittal.

Drazewski told Urdangen that a motion should be filed in writing and set for a hearing, a process that gives the state a chance to respond.

Messman said he wanted to review the law on the matter.

“Read some law? Please,” Urdangen responded sarcastically to Messman.

Drazewski suggested that the courtroom was not a

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama said the removal of Rod Blagojevich has ended a “painful episode for Illinois.”

“Today ends a painful episode for Illinois,” Obama said Thursday night in a statement. “For months, the state had been crippled by a crisis of leadership. Now that cloud has lifted.”

Last-minute clemency granted CHICAGO (AP) — Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich granted clemency to a Chicago developer and a former drug dealer just hours before the Illinois Senate voted to throw him out of office.

Blagojevich ordered the criminal conviction of Frederick Scott Latsko expunged from public records. Latsko, who develops residential properties, served one year of probation after being sentenced in 1985 on theft and forgery charges.

Blagojevich also pardoned Jimmie L. Beck, convicted in Cook County on drug and battery charges. Beck served a one-year sentence on a drug charge after being sentenced in 2001.

Blagojevich also ordered Beck’s records expunged.

Beck said he met Blagojevich's wife, Patricia, while the two worked at the Chicago Christian Industrial League, a West Side homeless shelter; she was fired last week.

place for theatrics, and the hearing ended. eblunny@pantagraph.com M.K. Guetersloh contributed to this report.

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