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SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Illinois environmental officials say it will be at least a year until the start of hydraulic fracturing in the state.The (Springfield) State Journal-Register reports new state regulations for the practice are nearly complete.That's according to Marc Miller, the director of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.But Miller says it [...]

MACKINAW — It appears the Village Board and its president worked out the communication issues that resulted in the board rejecting a trustee appointee in October.The board unanimously approved the appointment of Mark Morman, 30, to fill the vacancy created when former Trustee Kelly Capps moved to Hopedale. Morman sought out Village Board President Craig Friend to inquire about the position when he found out there was an opening after Friend's first [...]

PEKIN — Johnathon Little likely saved a woman’s life when he reported her heroin overdose in time for paramedics to restore her breathing.But Little, 26, also had injected her with the drug in his Pekin apartment. For that he was sentenced Wednesday to 12 years in prison.Officials say drug deaths in Tazewell County are significantly reduced by people willing to report overdoses in time for first responders to apply naloxone, which quickly counters [...]

PEORIA — A suspect has been arrested in two robberies last week.Timothy S. Wilson, 41 of 1320 W. Aiken Ave. was arrested at 2:45 a.m. Tuesday during a traffic stop on North Allen Road. He was charged with robbing a man about 11:30 p.m. Nov. 5 in the 2800 block of West Willowlake Drive. Less than $10 was taken.He also is charged with a robbery about 6:30 p.m. Nov. 4 in the 9000 block of North Allen Road. A  Panera Bread employee who was heading to [...]

PEORIA — Local public radio personality Lee Wenger apparently is on Peoria School District 150's "no-trespass" list stemming from a January 2011 incident in which he shoved a student into a row of lockers.But for how long?Wenger said he was originally barred from District 150 property until the spring of 2011, the end of the semester. But once fall came, he said he was notified he was barred for life.The incident re-emerged Tuesday when [...]

PEORIA — A Peoria man's former girlfriend put him at the scene of a robbery that turned deadly two years. Lakisha Foster told a Peoria County jury on Wednesday that Anthony D. Barlow Jr., 25, 901 E. Republic St., was one of two men who tried to rob Yahya Doud "John" Mahmoud on Nov. 4, 2011. Instead, Mahmoud was shot and died of his injuries 22 days later.Foster said she didn't see Barlow but recognized his voice when he told her "in an aggressive voice" [...]

PEORIA — Jurors took about two hours Wednesday to find a South Peoria man guilty of trying to kill another man this summer.Jerry "Pooh Bear" Hughes now faces at least 31 years and possibly up to 55 years in prison when sentenced Jan. 9 by Peoria County Circuit Judge Kevin Lyons.Hughes showed no reaction when Lyons read guilty verdicts on charges of attempted murder, aggravated battery and possession of a weapon by a felon in connection with the July 14 [...]

SPRINGFIELD — Illinois lawmakers are being advised to keep the week of Dec. 3 open for a possible return to Springfield, perhaps to vote on pension reform.The advisory was issued after the four legislative leaders held another meeting Wednesday to discuss pension proposals.The leaders all said progress was made, but would not divulge details of those discussions.Illinois House members received an email from the office of Speaker Michael [...]

TOULON — The Stark County Board welcomed a former longtime member back to the table Tuesday night after about a yearlong absence occasioned by a contested primary in a redistricting year.Tom Howes, 69, of rural Bradford was appointed to a vacancy created on the eight- member panel by the recent resignation of Richard St. John of Wyoming.Howes, who runs a mobile welding business, had served on the board since 2003 before losing his seat in 2012 in a five- [...]

PEORIA — Peoria School District 150 board members' budget options have gotten a little tougher.They'll either have to accept a deficit slightly higher than the $6 million already projected or find new ways to reduce costs. "Or find other revenue sources," added interim comptroller Dave Kinney. The latest bind is a result of declining property tax revenues for a third year. After developing a $176 million spending plan based in part on a 2 percent [...]