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Illinois at 12 a.m.
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TOP STORY:
ILLINOIS GOVERNOR-HOUSING
CHICAGO — Gov. Pat Quinn's tour of the state to push his program aimed at helping first-time homebuyers quickly turned political as both he and his Republican gubernatorial opponent wasted no time highlighting likely recurring themes in the 2014 race: wealth and taxes. In four planned appearances, Quinn sought to promote his "Welcome Home Illinois" program, which would help first-time homebuyers make down payments on homes and secure lower mortgage rates. In Chicago, the first event, Quinn said the program would "help families who don't have political action committees, who don't have lobbyists, who don't have millions of dollars to buy more than one home." It was a not-so-subtle reminder that his GOP challenger, Bruce Rauner, is wealthy venture capitalist who owns multiple homes. By Don Babwin. SENT: 430 words,
STATE GOVERNMENT & POLITICS
ILLINOIS-TRANSIT FUNDING
SPRINGFIELD — Increasing fuel taxes to pay for Illinois road construction will hurt businesses — and hit consumers at the pump, gas station owners said. A transportation advocacy group wants to hike the motor fuel tax by 4 cents a gallon as a way to fund a new statewide road-building program that would replace a $31 billion, five-year program expiring this year. The last time the motor-fuel tax was increased to benefit transportation purposes was 1990. But gasoline retailers say the answer is not a tax hike, particularly in a sour economy when gasoline already costs $4 a gallon. By Chacour Koop. SENT: 560 words.
AROUND THE STATE:
FBI DIRECTOR-CHICAGO
CHICAGO — FBI Director James Comey says his agency would consider doing more to help stem street-level violence in Chicago, though he stopped short of specifics. His comments during a planned visit to Chicago Monday came after a particularly violent weekend in the nation's third largest city. By Michael Tarm. UPCOMING: 250 words.
ST LOUIS-RIVER BRIDGE
BELLEVILLE — Traffic isn't at projected levels on a new Interstate 70 bridge crossing the Mississippi River between Illinois and St. Louis, according to numbers released by the Illinois Department of Transportation. The Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge was expected to carry about 40,000 vehicles a day. Transportation Department figures show the bridge has averaged about 31,100 a day since it opened in early February. IDOT engineer Tiffany Brase said the lagging number is temporary and not an indication that the $700 million bridge is a bust. SENT: 290 words.
ILLINOIS SCHOOLS-TEST FEES
DEKALB — Thousands of high school juniors students are preparing for this year's ACT as Illinois lawmakers consider whether to pay for the college readiness exam. Nearly 143,000 Illinois juniors took the test last year, which is free and given to students each April as part of two-day testing that's been a graduation requirement from the state since 2002. But state education officials are now debating whether to pass along the $52.50 exam fees to students and their families as a way to save money. SENT: 330 words.
PASSOVER-NO WHITEFISH
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — A hard winter that's forced much of the Great Lakes fishing fleet to wait in port for the ice to melt means there's no one out catching whitefish, usually available in abundance this time of year. That's causing some unrest in the Midwest as Passover arrives, as the shortage means there's no enough at the market for all wanting to make gefilte fish for the Jewish holiday. By John Flesher. SENT: 500 words, photo MIPS105.
FREEZE CONCERNS
ST. LOUIS — The winter that just won't quit has one more punch for the nation's Heartland — a cold front bringing a brief return to sub-freezing weather, creating concerns for growers of apples, peaches, grapes and other fruit. Temperatures in the 70s and 80s in recent days gave way to highs in the 40s in much of the lower Midwest on Monday, with even colder temperatures on the way. The National Weather Service issued freeze warnings for parts of six states — Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Missouri, Arkansas and Illinois. By Jim Salter. SENT: 500 words.
EXCHANGE-CEMETERY WORKERS
CHAMPAIGN — When a blizzard shut down schools, government agencies and businesses across the state on Jan. 6, Patrick Lewis and two assistants were on the job at Sunset Funeral Home and Memorial Park by dawn, making sure a local resident could receive a proper burial. Fortunately, the grounds superintendent of the Danville cemetery and his crew had already dug the grave and covered it with several sheets of plywood before the snow started falling. But they still had to plow the funeral home parking lot and salt the path to the cemetery chapel in time for visitation. Illinois' fourth coldest winter on record has been especially brutal on cemetery crews, who have had to dig through a deeper-than-usual frost line - 21/2 feet in some areas - to prepare for burials. Among other cold-related challenges. By Noelle McGee. The (Champaign) News-Gazette. SENT: 740 words, photo
IN BRIEF:
—GAMBLING EXPANSION: An Illinois House committee is planning a daylong hearing on gambling expansion in the state.
—AURORA SCHOOL-GUN FOUND: An 8th grader at a suburban Chicago middle school was charged with aggravated unlawful use of a weapon after a loaded handgun was found inside his locker.
—CHILD STABBED-MOTHER SENTENCED: The DuPage County state's attorney says a 30-year-old woman has been sentenced to seven years in prison for stabbing her young son in the neck.
—INCOME TAX-PROSECUTIONS: Seven Chicago area residents are facing prosecution for alleged federal income tax crimes.
—ANIMAL CRUELTY-ARREST: The owner of a petting zoo who's charged with animal cruelty and neglect has agreed to give up the last two goats of 94 starved and sick animals impounded by Kane County Animal Control.
—CHICAGO-BIKE SHARING: Chicago officials say the city's bicycle-sharing program has set a single-day record.
—DALEY NEPHEW-SENTENCE: A nephew of former Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley has been released from jail after serving a 60-day sentence.
—TRASH CHUTE-DEATH: Authorities in Chicago say a 90-year-old man has died after falling down a trash chute.
—ILLINOIS-CORN CROP: State agriculture officials say wet, cold weather has kept Illinois farmers out of their fields this spring. Only 1 percent of the corn crop has been planted.
—ILLINOIS COMPTROLLER-SIMON: Illinois Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon and her husband earned $208,000 during 2013 and paid $44,000 in state and federal taxes.
—FUTUREGEN-UNIONS: The coal-industry group working with the Department of Energy to build the FutureGen clean-coal project says it has signed deals with 17 unions ahead of construction.
—STATE FAIR-STEELY DAN: Grammy Award-winning rock band Steely Dan will play this year's Illinois State Fair.
—ILLINOIS-UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE: State unemployment officials say 87 percent of all the people in Illinois who lost long-term federal unemployment benefits in December remained out of work a month later.
—LAKE DECATUR-DREDGING: Weather has been affecting an $89 million dredging project on Lake Decatur.
SPORTS:
HKN--BLACKHAWKS-PLAYOFF PUSH
CHICAGO — Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane had time to heal. Now, they're ready to launch a title defense. The Chicago Blackhawks have their stars back and their sights set on a second straight Stanley Cup as they head into the playoffs with a first-round matchup against the St. Louis Blues. "I think once we get a feel for just being in a playoff game again it's going to be exciting," Toews said after Monday's skate. "It's a long season, a lot of challenges coming your way, a lot of injuries, a lot of ups and downs. I think we've done a great job of dealing with all that. We would have liked to have home ice. We would have liked to maybe have a season like we did last year where everything went our way the whole way, but that wasn't case." By Andrew Seligman. SENT: 560 words, photos CXA110, TNMH123.
HKN--BLUES-MILLER TIME
ST. LOUIS — Exactly as advertised, Ryan Miller came to the St. Louis Blues and the goals-against number went down. Until the Blues started losing bodies. They're hoping to get everyone on a lengthy injury list back sometime in the first round of the playoffs against the rival Chicago Blackhawks, and help Miller again be the cool, calm save machine they assumed they'd acquired. The Blues, who had been contending for the President's Trophy before their late-season fade, open Thursday at home as the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference against the defending Stanley Cup champions. By R.B. Fallstrom. SENT: 780 words, photos MOJR111, NY152, MOSTP405.
BKN--MAGIC BULLS
CHICAGO — Joakim Noah had 18 points and 10 rebounds and eight assists, Mike Dunleavy scored 22 points and the Chicago Bulls pulled away late for a 108-95 victory over the Orlando Magic. With one game left in the regular season, the Bulls are fourth in the Eastern Conference playoff race and looking at a first-round matchup with Brooklyn. To catch Toronto and finish third, the Bulls would need to win the season finale at Charlotte on Wednesday and have the Raptors lose at New York. Kyle O'Quinn led Orlando with 20 points on 9-for-11 shooting, and Andrew Nicholson added 19. Rookie Victor Oladipo was limited to 10 points after scoring a career-high 35 points against the Bulls earlier in the season. By John Jackson. SENT: 700 words, photos CXA101-105.
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