Preliminary reports have a helicopter from a Chicago hospital flying to Bourbonnais to airlift accident victim. Details of the accident are sketchy at this time.

Jerry Phillips — Plainfield
Jerry R. Phillips, 77, a resident of Plainfield since 1960, formerly of Kankakee, died June 26, 2009, at St. Joseph Medical Center emergency room, from an apparent heart attack. Graveside services were held July 2 at Woodlawn Memorial Park Cemetery, Joliet. Fred C. Dames Funeral Home, Joliet, was in charge of arrangements.

Michael Dvorak — Coal City
Michael Ray Dvorak, 35, of Coal City, died suddenly Friday (July 3, 2009) at his home. Visitation will be from 4 p.m. Wednesday at the R.W. Patterson Funeral Homes Ltd., Braidwood Chapel, until the 7 p.m. memorial service.
Cremation rites have been accorded. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the family.

Dorene Boone — Watseka
Visitation for Dorene C. Boone, 87, of Watseka, formerly of Martinton, will be from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday at the Baier Funeral Home with a 7:45 p.m. prayer service. A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Monday at St. Martin’s Church in Martinton. Father Robert Coleman will officiate.
Burial will be in Mount Olivet Cemetery, Martinton. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Iroquois Memorial Hospice; St. Martin’s Church in Martinton, where she was a member; or to the donor’s choice. She died Thursday (July 2, 2009) at Watseka Healthcare Center.

Note: This obituary notice has been posted in advance of the print edition. A complete version, which may include changes, will appear in a future edition of The Daily Journal.

Read more obituaries here.

WASILLA, Alaska (AP) — Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin says she will resign from office July 26.

Her spokesman wouldn’t say why Palin decided to step down, but the announcement stirred speculation that she would focus on a 2012 bid for the Republican nomination for president.

Spokesman Dave Murrow says Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell will be inaugurated at the governor’s picnic in Fairbanks at the end of the month.

William “Bill” England, 79, of Decatur, and father of a Kankakee resident, passed away at 5:23 p.m. Wednesday (July 1, 2009) in Decatur Memorial Hospital with his family by his side.

Helen L. Bell, 88, of Frankfort, died Thursday (July 2, 2009) at Family Home Health Services in Cicero.

The Rev. Milo Francis DeMint, 90, of Bourbonnais, formerly of Nottawa, Mich., died Wednesday (July 1, 2009) at Provena Our Lady of Victory in Bourbonnais.

Howard Andrew “Scotty” Stewart, 83, of Kankakee, died Wednesday (July 1, 2009).

Blanche Mary Hish, 91, of Wilmington, died Thursday (July 2, 2009). Visitation will be from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday and from 9 a.m.

Verna D. Keliher, 91, of St. Louis, Mo., died Tuesday (June 30, 2009) at Independence Center, Perryville, Mo.

Ann Marie Hunter, 43, of Kankakee, died Tuesday (June 30, 2009) at Provena St. Mary’s Hospital.