Central Illinois News
Police are searching for suspects in a Feb. 20 alleged shoplifting and assault at Eastland Mall. (WJBC file photo) Police seek attacker in mall shoplifting, assault
BLOOMINGTON - Bloomington Police say they have a lead on a suspect in a shoplifting incident in which an Eastland Mall employee was attacked for trying to stop them.
Police spokesman Dave White says a man fled Journeys on Monday evening after stealing a pair of shoes. White says a store employee was tripped by a woman while trying to chase the suspect. The worker was then beaten by several other men in the mall.
(WJBC file photo) Bloomington Police search for armed robbery suspect
BLOOMINGTON - Bloomington Police say they are seeking security footage of a late night convenience store robbery in hopes of determining the suspect.
Police spokesman Dave White says a man who implied he had a gun robbed the Casey's General Store at Lincoln Street and Morrissey Drive at about 10:15 p.m. Tuesday.
Rep. Dan Brady says the governor's budget proposal is "unacceptable." (Photo courtesy of the Illinois House Republicans) Brady: Budget with tough cuts actually raises spending
Hours before Gov. Quinn presents his budget proposal, Republicans are already working to defeat it.
State Rep. Dan Brady, R-Bloomington, says despite Quinn's plans to close 14 state facilities, include prisons in Dwight and Tamms, the $33.8 billion budget actually increases spending.
ADM hopes to save $100 million with the cutbacks. (Photo used under Creative Commons from Flickr user Frank Campbell) 
Sen. Dick Durbin says the U.S. House should be scrapped because it would stop funneling money to transit networks. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Durbin backs Senate transportation bill
CHICAGO - Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin says Republicans in the U.S. House should start over rather than push forward with a troubled bill on long-term funding for transportation.
He said yesterday that the bill stands little chance of passing with so much opposition. Urban Democrats and Republicans alike worry the bill would put city transit agencies in jeopardy.
The Illinois Audubon Society reports 2,152 bald eagles counted in Illinois in January. (Photo by David Welker/Getty Images) Count shows slightly more bald eagles in Illinois
SPRINGFIELD - A new count shows there were slightly more bald eagles in Illinois this January compared with January of last year.
The Illinois Audubon Society released the numbers on Tuesday, saying there were 2,152 eagles counted. That's up from the 2,108 counted in January 2011. Surveyors use 44 routes in Illinois to count bald eagles. Of those, 29 are along the Mississippi River and nine on the Illinois River. Others are on the Ohio River, Wabash River, Crab Orchard Lake, Horseshoe Lake Conservation Area and Carlyle Lake.
Illinois is seeking a waiver to the federal No Child Left Behind Act. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images) Illinois readies plan on school accountability
SPRINGFIELD - Illinois has a plan to change the way it evaluates the progress of schools and students. The state is submitting it to the U.S. Department of Education.
The Illinois State Board of Education announced details of the plan Tuesday. Targets would be set for each school, each district and for subgroups of students. The goal would be to reduce achievement gaps and the percentage of students not making progress.
Illinois GOP chairman Pat Brady is among the Republicans who accused Gov. Quinn of lacking leadership on the budget.(WJBC file photo) GOP leaders blast Quinn’s proposed budget
SPRINGFIELD - Illinois Republicans are criticizing parts of Gov. Pat Quinn's proposed budget along with some of the ideas he's likely to detail.
According to a budget briefing yesterday, Quinn will propose closing several state facilities during his address today, including the female prison in Dwight and the "supermax" prison in Tamms. Quinn plans to have inmates from Dwight moved to the state prison in Lincoln, while inmates from Tamms would be moved to Pontiac.
State Rep. Dan Brady, R-Bloomington, joins WJBC’s Beth Whisman at 7:10 a.m. (Photo courtesy of Illinois House Republicans) 
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- Chicago police chief refuses comment on spying on NY Muslims
- Dwight village president vows to fight prison closure
- Police seek attacker in mall shoplifting, assault
- Bloomington Police search for armed robbery suspect
- Candidates for Congressional District 16
- Brady: Budget with tough cuts actually raises spending
- ADM says job-cuts plan now will eliminate 1,200
- House panel approves 2 anti-abortion measures
- Durbin backs Senate transportation bill
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