Police say a school bus driver in northern Illinois faces child endangerment charges for allegedly slamming on the brakes because she was angry at kids on her bus. (more…)
Three years of stealing public money and betraying public trust could cost Robert “Randy” Cross the next eight years of his life.
The former director of the Peotone Park District pleaded guilty to four felony counts in Will County Circuit Court Wednesday afternoon ending an episode in his life that began with his hiring in June 2004 at the park district.
In agreeing to a plea deal with the Will County State’s Attorney’s Office, Cross admitted to his misdeeds that included the theft of $103,166.
If all goes well for Cross, he would serve only four years in a state prison.
He pleaded guilty to two Class 1 felonies — theft and continuing financial criminal enterprises; and two Class 3 felonies — official misconduct and forgery. He could have been sentenced to 15 years.
Read the full story in The Daily Journal Thursday.
Drew Peterson offered a $25,000 reward Wednesday for information leading to the return of his wife Stacy, who disappeared six months ago. (more…)
President Dwight D. Eisenhower overruled some of his military commanders in the summer of 1958, ordering them not to use nuclear weapons against China if communist forces blockaded the Taiwan Strait, according to declassified Air Force documents.
Fred Varvell — Bourbonnais
Fred R. Varvell, 58, of Bourbonnais, died April 24, 2008 at his home.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve has cut a key interest rate by a quarter-point, a smaller move than the aggressive easing it undertook earlier this year. (more…)
Movie star Gary Oldman is one of the cast members of the horror film “The Unborn” being filmed tonight at Shapiro Developmental Center in Kankakee, according to the movie’s publicist. Oldman has prominent roles in both the recent “Harry Poter” and “Batman” films.
Visitation for Alvin Thomas Sr., 66, of St. Anne, will be from 10 a.m. Saturday at Shiloh Full Gospel Baptist Church, Kankakee, until the 11 a.m. services. He died Monday (April 28, 2008) at his home.
Theodora A. Hubert, 89, of St. Anne, died Tuesday (April 29, 2008).
• Many retailers want to get you to spend those government checks that are now being sent to taxpayers. But some are even willing to pay for it. Kroger, the national grocery chain with a new store in Bourbonnais, is among retailers aggressively vying for the tax refund and government stimulus checks that are starting to arrive in bank accounts and mailboxes nationwide. Sears also said Tuesday it will offer a 10 percent bonus to anyone who converts their check into a Sears or Kmart gift card. Home Depot and Meijer Stores also are among the chains offering incentives, with many more expected to join in over the weeks ahead.
• “Believe every victim.” That was one of the main messages of “Take Back the Night,” an annual event designed to protest violence against women. Organized by the Zonta Club of Kankakee, a women’s service club, a crowd of 75 gathered Tuesday night at the gazebo near the Ludwig Student Center on the Olivet Nazarene University campus.
•or the 57 law enforcement officers from throughout the region, Tuesday’s training exercise in Kankakee was as real as it gets — minus, of course, the real danger. Over the din of crowd noise blasting across the parking lot at the Splash Valley Aquatic Center, police clad in black crowd-control gear trained to respond as a cohesive and professional unit to potential riots or homeland security emergencies they may face in the future.
• Almost an entire year after the fact, the Manteno High School girls’ soccer team hasn’t forgotten what it felt like to watch Peotone end the Panthers’ season at the Herscher Sectional. Maybe the devastation many of the Manteno players experienced influenced the outcome of Tuesday’s contest with the Blue Devils. Perhaps it was a need for revenge that lit a fire inside the Panthers. Whatever the cause, Manteno put forth an inspired effort and burned the Blue Devils in a 6-0 landslide on Tuesday, as the Panthers not only got back at Peotone but took a huge step toward earning a share of the Interstate Eight title.
• River Valley Metro director Rob Hoffmann can’t get his hands on the state funding he said legally belongs to the area’s public bus system, so he’s appealing to local residents to help get the money released. Without the additional funds, Metro can’t decrease wait time between buses, offer service on Sundays and holidays or carry people to the south Kankakee Wal-Mart, he said.
