Under Illinois law, families researching nursing homes are directed to search a state police Web site for critical information about sex offenders living in the facilities.
But only 59 of the 192 sex offenders in Illinois nursing homes -- or less than one in three -- were listed on that online state registry, a Tribune investigation found.
The shortfall is especially acute in Chicago, where fewer than one in five sex offenders in nursing homes were posted on the state police Web site, the Tribune found.
Part of the problem is a gap in the law: Although some sex offenders can remain dangerous for decades if unmonitored and untreated, many are no longer required to register with police if their convictions or final parole dates occurred more than 10 years ago.
In addition, state investigators have documented more than a dozen instances since 2007 in which nursing homes failed to notify local law enforcement that they housed a convicted sex offender, as required by law, or failed to implement care plans to monitor and treat sex offenders inside the facilities, the Tribune found.
WASHINGTON — Top Illinois Democrats on Sunday wholeheartedly embraced the idea of sending terrorism suspects from Guantánamo Bay to a maximum-security prison about 150 miles west of Chicago, raising the possibility of a major breakthrough in the Obama administration’s efforts to close the military detention facility in Cuba.
But while Gov. Patrick J. Quinn and Senator Richard J. Durbin endorsed housing the detainees at the Thomson Correctional Facility, a maximum-security prison in a rural area, other local leaders were drumming up opposition to the idea, which could still face considerable opposition in Congress.
For the White House, which confirmed the administration’s interest, it could be the best chance so far to cut through the legal and political knots that have stopped it from closing down the prison camp in Cuba. For supporters in Illinois, it is an attractive economic opportunity. And just as opponents have done elsewhere, some in Illinois cast this plan as an unacceptable risk.
Mr. Quinn and Mr. Durbin, in news conferences to promote the plan, said that turning over the state prison, which is unoccupied, to the federal penal system, and using it for maximum-security inmates including as many as 100 captives from the campaign against terrorism, would create several thousand jobs.
But leading Republicans in the state — including Representatives Donald Manzullo, whose district includes Thomson, and Mark Steven Kirk, who is running for the United States Senate seat once held by Mr. Obama — signed a letter to the president on Sunday strongly opposing any such move.
“As home to America’s tallest building, we should not invite Al Qaeda to make Illinois its No. 1 target,” the letter said, referring to the Willis Tower in Chicago, formerly the Sears Tower. “The United States spent more than $50 million to build the Guantánamo Bay detention facility to keep terrorists away from U.S. soil. Al Qaeda terrorists should stay where they cannot endanger American citizens.”
The sharp local debate echoed vehement arguments heard all weekend, after the administration announced that it would try the man accused as the operational leader of the Sept. 11 attacks, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, and several co-conspirators, in a federal court in New York, while putting others accused of terrorism before military commissions for an attack on the U.S.S. Cole. That, too, was presented as a step along the path to closing Guantánamo.
The adorable K-6th grade Navajo children during the second week of school at the Navajo Lutheran Mission in Rock Point, Arizona.
Narrated and videotaped by Rev. Dr. Lynn Hubbard, executive director of the Navajo Lutheran Mission
Featuring K-6 students, teachers and staff.
1-928-659-4201 (Office)
1-928-659-4202 (School)
Navajo Lutheran Mission School:
NELM School Principal Felisita Jones
Kindergarten teacher Sharon Woody
1st grade teacher Lark Pettit
2nd grade teacher Jolene Wilson
3rd and 4th grade teacher Pauline Wagon
5th and 6th grade teacher Eileen Holiday
Tara Chee, NELM Community Services Coordinator and Navajo Language and Culture Instructor
2009 Board of Directors
Navajo Evangelical Lutheran Mission
Ron Augustson, Chair
Janice Lee Jim
Roger Johnsen
Jerry Thomas
Bill Heincke
Richard Wixom
David Ulibarri
Jeannie M. Harvey
Christel Badey
Clarence Begay
Sue Vogel-Herrera
Alice Natale
Carol Buckley, owner of Arizona Flutes and Native Arts in Camp Verde, AZ (high desert in Verde Valley) and a non-native flute musician specializing in American Indian music.
She has Michigan roots - lived in Davison and taught school in LakeVille Public Schools in Otisville, where she was a Speech and Language Pathologist.
In 1994 Buckley decided to refocus her life, escape from the cold weather, and move to the beautiful Verde Valley in Arizona’s high desert.
She is a poet and writer who plays Native American style flute music and has great respect for the Navajo and other Native American tribes and their respective cultures/heritage.
Carol also teaches classes on how to play the Native flute.
Songs used from Carol Buckley's “Rhythm Keepers” and “Raindrops on Roses” CDs
Navajo Lutheran Mission Second Week of School & Photo Montage:
Carol Buckley's “Raindrops on Roses” CD
Track 4 “Living Life”
Track 6 “Dancing Moccasins”
Cal Farley's Girlstown, U.S.A.
Situated on 1,425 acres of land eight miles south of Whiteface, Texas, (west of Lubbock) http://www.calfarley.org/girlstown/pages/default.aspxThe adorable K-6th grade Navajo children during the second week of school at the... more
Kentucky is no longer top dog when it comes to coon hunting.
Illinois has landed the Professional Kennel Club's world coonhound championships, a 10-day event that had been held in Kentucky for nearly two decades.
While residents of Salem, Ill., prepare for the arrival of nearly 2,000 of the nation's best hounds later this month, business owners in Kentucky still are chafing that they lost an event with an economic impact of up to $3.5 million.
“It's going to be a terrible blow to this area,” said Randy Mabry, owner of Willow Pond Southern Catfish Restaurant in the western Kentucky community of Hardin. “When those guys are here, they spend a lot of money.”Kentucky is no longer top dog when it comes to coon hunting.
Illinois has landed... more
This development in Illinois managed to pass somewhat under the radar, probably because it took place during the dog days of summer. But it’s still a big deal—Illinois has a new law that starts building the infrastructure for a real regional food system:
The legislation establishes a council to develop a fresh farm and food system in the state, and it creates a system that allows buyers for state agencies to pay up to 10 percent above the lowest bid when purchasing locally grown foods. It also sets a goal for state-owned agencies to increase their purchase of locally grown foods each year so that 20 percent of their food purchase is spent on Illinois-grown foods by 2020.
Currently, an estimated 4 percent of the money Illinois residents spend on food each year is for products grown in the state, and just several hundred of the state’s 76,000 farmers are producing for the local market, according to a task force report.This development in Illinois managed to pass somewhat under the radar, probably... more
Pinky takes you on a field trip to Chicago, Illinois, in search of the 1893 Columbian Exposition. Included: a brief introduction to this important world's fair at the end of the 19th century; how the fair helped forge a new national identity; the role of the fair in redefining American attitudes toward the rest of the world; relationships between the fair and the development of U.S. imperialism; how the fair disappeared.Pinky takes you on a field trip to Chicago, Illinois, in search of the 1893 Columbian... more
WASHINGTON, Sept 24 (Reuters) - An Illinois man was ordered held on Thursday on charges he tried to blow up a federal building in the state capital, a case unrelated to the New York terrorism plot.
Michael Finton, also known as Talib Islam, was arrested in Springfield, Illinois, and charged with attempted murder of federal officers or employees and trying to use a weapon of mass destruction, charges that carry a life sentence.
"Fortunately, a coordinated undercover law enforcement effort was able to thwart his efforts and ensure no one was harmed," David Kris, assistant Attorney General for National Security, said in a statement.
Finton was arrested on Wednesday in Springfield as he used a cell phone to try to detonate the bomb he believed was inside a van he had just parked outside the federal building.WASHINGTON, Sept 24 (Reuters) - An Illinois man was ordered held on Thursday on... more
So we drove all the way out to the bigger, nicer Pizza Hut in Forsyth only to find that the reason I wanted to go (breadsticks) was not applicable. The waitress tricked us. We sat down, had our drinks, and THEN she informed us. BITCH.So we drove all the way out to the bigger, nicer Pizza Hut in Forsyth only to find... more
(CNN) -- Five members of a family were found slain in their Beason, Illinois, home, authorities said Tuesday, and they urged people in the area to be cautious until the killer is found.(CNN) -- Five members of a family were found slain in their Beason, Illinois, home,... more
The former fundraiser for ex-Gov. Rod Blagojevich spoke to a police officer before he died, Country Club Hills Mayor Dwight Welch said Sunday. Christopher Kelly, 51, of Burr Ridge was sitting up on a gurney while being interviewed by the officer, Welch said. Based on what Kelly told the officer, police are “fairly certain” he tried to kill himself, Welch said. The Cook County Medical Examiner’s office performed an autopsy but said the results are not complete.The former fundraiser for ex-Gov. Rod Blagojevich spoke to a police officer before he... more
Chuck Norris has signed a book deal with Illinois-based Christian publisher Tyndale House. According to acquiring editor Jonathan Farrar, Mr. Norris will work with the pastor Todd Dubord—who co-wrote his last book, Black Belt Patriotism—on a collection of 101 autobiographical facts, which will be published in October.
News of the book, which Mr. Farrar predicts will sell 100,000 copies in its first year, comes more than a year after Mr. Norris dropped an infringement lawsuit against the Gotham Books imprint of Penguin, which published a collection of spoofy factoids about “the world’s greatest human” based on a popular Internet meme started by then-undergraduate Ian Spector.Chuck Norris has signed a book deal with Illinois-based Christian publisher Tyndale... more
The cost of living just went up for Illinois residents, but not because of inflation or other economic conditions. Rather, today marks the effective date for increased taxes levied upon alcohol, candy, soft drinks and personal hygiene products. The taxes, part of the $31 billion capital bill, are designed to offset the costs of infrastructure spending across the state.
Starting today a fifth of liquor in Illinois will now cost an additional 81 cents, reflecting a 90% increase in the excise tax on hard liquor. In addition, a 90% increase on the taxation of a bottle of wine and 24% increase in taxes on beer will also hit Illinois consumers. Despite, the increased taxes going into effect today, consumers may not feel the full effect of the legislation until a month from now. Most liquor stores and grocers have stock-piled as much liquor as possible in an attempt to keep prices lower for consumers for as long as possible.
September 1st also marks the effective date for a more than 600% increase on the taxation of candy, soft drink, and health & beauty products. Illinois, following the lead of nearly a dozen other states, changed the tax classification on these products, marking the birth of a new era in which lawmakers target taxation on these products in the same manner that they have targeted alcohol and tobacco in the past.
In Illinois, the taxes on Candy (of which definitions of candy have caused massive retailer confusion), soft drink and personal hygiene products will increase from the past 1% sales tax rate to the state's general merchandise rate of 6.25%. As a result, every Illinois citizen will pay more for everything from sweet tea to toothpaste. The resulting increase will be felt more in the Chicago than other area as Chicago will now host not only the highest sales tax of any city in the United States, but also the highest alcohol taxes as well.[If you haven't noticed buy now.. Sept 1st]
The cost of living just went up for... more
I have a particular weakness for men and women with stories of dates gone horribly wrong. And I think I’m already on record as having a general weakness for all kinds of women.
Add that to the fact I frequently like to help new authors, and how could I say no to Elizabeth Fournier, who has written the ticklish new book, All Men Are Cremated Equal: My 77 Blind Dates.
Besides amusing us with psycho-social encounters, Elizabeth brings an extra dimension to her story thanks to her vocation: she’s mortician.
She is also the voice of the autopsy exhibit in the forensic wing at the United States National Museum of Medicine.
Oh, did I mention she lives in a boring little town—Boring, Oregon. And because of that, she’s become a reality TV star on MySpace known as The Green Reaper. More about that, later.
And here’s a spoiler alert: there’s a happy ending to her book.I have a particular weakness for men and women with stories of dates gone horribly... more
Can you turn pollution into food? That's what Aquaranch in Flanagan, Illinois is doing with their innovative aquaponics farm. OrganicNation.tv visits the high-tech facility which uses fish waste as fertilizer for organic herbs and vegetables.
Myles Harston of AquaRanch Industries has been working with aquaponics 1992. At his innovative facility, he grows tilapia and a wide variety of certified organic vegetables including lettuce, kale, chard, herbs, tomatoes, and hot peppers. Myles is hoping to become certified for organic fish production as soon as that standard, currently under development, is finalized by the USDA.
Because all inputs can be measured throughout the lifespan of the tilapia, Myles can guarantee a product free from heavy metals like Mercury (which wild-caught fish are often exposed to in our oceans and lakes) and free from hormonal manipulation. Many people are not aware that farm-raised fish often undergoes a sex change to the gender which grows the fastest. For example, in tilapia, the males grow faster so conventional producers change all the females to male. At Aquaranch, Myles spawns the fish himself to ensure that his process is all-natural.
While touring the facility, it occurred to me that Aquaponics could be a great solution for urban land-locked environments in need of safe, fresh food. Myles mentioned that this process could be done in old warehouses with rainwater collected on the rooftops!
The Illinois Family Institute is a Christian hate group dedicated to making life miserable for the gay community. Not surprisingly, the Institute opposes hate crime legislation or any legal protection based on gender identity or sexual orientation. What may come as a surprise, however, is that the group favors the bullying of gay children and young adults.The Illinois Family Institute is a Christian hate group dedicated to making life... more
Most of the attention, weatherwise has been on Hurricane Bill and its potential impacts on the East Coast, but on Wednesday, that all changed with a severe weather outbreak across the Midwest.Most of the attention, weatherwise has been on Hurricane Bill and its potential... more
Author Joy Ibsen of Trout Creek, MI will sign her latest book "Unafraid" and host a presentation at 7 p.m. (CT) on Monday, August 24, 2009 in the Danish Immigrant Museum in Elk Horn, Iowa.
A former resident of nearby Kimballton, IA, Ibsen will be singing and playing piano during a songfest that will include works from her first book "Songs of Denmark."
Co-authored by her late father, Rev. Harald Ibsen, "Unafraid" includes portions of sermons he delivered at the Immanuel Lutheran Church in Kimballton, IA, followed by a fiction story about how his words impacted local parishioners.
The event is sponsored by the Danish Brotherhood Lodge 341 and the Danish Immigrant Museum.
It include songfest of Danish-American songs using a recently refurnished piano donated by the famous late Danish comedian Victor Borge.
Joy Ibsen is past president of the Danish Immigrant Museum board of directors.
Call Clayton Nielsen at 1-712-764-4343 or Annette Andersen at 1-712-773-2025.
Danish Immigrant Museum in Elk Horn, IA http://www.danishmuseum.orgAuthor Joy Ibsen of Trout Creek, MI will sign her latest book "Unafraid" and host a... more
RFWtv presents the 2009 Summer Camp music festival (pt2). A Jay Goldberg Events & Entertainment and Jam Productions outdoor event, the festival draws acts from a variety of genres with a recurring appearance from the band Moe. Held in Chillicothe, IL at Three Sisters Park, this year Umphrey's McGee matched Moe. set for set, even timing several well choreographed firework spectacles during performance highlights.
In part 1 of 2, RFWtv features performances from GIRL TALK, LOTUS, PANGEA and GOMEZ. Part 2 features 2 songs by Umphrey's McGee, moe. & Willie Nelson.
For more information visit TheRFW.comRFWtv presents the 2009 Summer Camp music festival (pt2). A Jay Goldberg Events &... more
