Turbulent Airport Talks Stall in Decatur Partnership
Decatur Park District and Central Illinois Regional Airport in Bloomington suspended negotiations to form a joint venture citing economic downturn and airline industry uncertainties. CIRA sought passenger service and cargo expansion, but funding rules tied to boarding minimums complicate retaining about $1 million in federal funds.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Decatur
Decatur Park District
Central Illinois
Bloomington
Bill VanAlstine
Park District
Airport Task Force
VanAlstine
CIRA
Decatur Airport
Meningitis claims NIU student Mabruk Khandaker
AP reports 21 year old Northern Illinois University junior Mabruk Hussain Khandaker died after contracting meningococcemia, a blood borne meningitis bacterium. He diedThursday at Kishwaukee Community Hospital. Close contact with infected throat secretions spreads the disease.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Dekalb
Northern Illinois ‘University
Mabruk Hussain Khandaker
Kishwaukee Community Hospital
College of Business
Khandaker
Underdog lawyer wins freedom for Joliet inmates
Kathleen Zellner led Omar Saunders and cousins Calvin and Larry Ollins to release after 14 years in prison for a 1986 Chicago rape and murder. DNA testing later showed evidence could not be linked to them, signaling a grave wrongful conviction and ongoing civil implications against police.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Chicago
Kathleen Zellner
Joliet
Zellner
Bartlesville
Okla
Omar Saunders
Calvin
Larry Ollins
Lori Roscetti
Stateville
Saunders
Ollins
Calvin Ollins
Marcellius Bradford
Kathleen Zellner pursues wrongful conviction exonerations with media scrutiny
The Illinois attorney, famed for freeing seven men through DNA evidence, faces praise and criticism for high profile cases. Marcellius Bradford, interned 67 years before a coerced testimony expungement, remains jailed on separate charges while others like Billy Wardell were freed after years in prison. Zellner cites multi million dollar verdicts enabling her work, while critics say publicity drives her actions.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Marcellius Bradford
Cook County
Billy Wardell
University of Chicago
Zellner
Law and Order
DuPage County State
Joseph Birkett
Edward Blake
Roscetti
Kathleen
Blake
Saunders
Ex-city manager acquitted of forgery charges
BELLEVILLE AP A St. Clair County jury acquitted former Mascoutah City Manager Roderick Wilhelmi on forgery and official misconduct counts after seven hours of deliberation. Testimony showed city workers used equipment and credit for personal purchases, but prosecutors argued the acts were illegal while the former mayor said such practices were common. The verdict ends the high profile case in which Wilhelmi faced accusations involving a forged receipt and city resources.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Belleville
St. Clair County
Mascoutah
Roderick Wilhelmi
Wilhelmi
Charles Graut
Illinois
Robert Haida
Ryan Brennan
Joe Christ
Also Mentioned on This Page
Amanda Smith
Valerie Stevens
Karen Scott
Sag Harbor
Life Stride
Montero
Velour
Jason Maxwell
Ericka
Q&a and Gas
Erika Taylor
Joe Boxer
Willow Wear
King Jewelry
Danelle Journal
Metro
Oria
Orig
Amanda Smith Metro
America
Nine West
Barr
Wainscott
Jeanne Pierre
Nel
Ben Berger
Cajon
This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!