WSIL-TV 3 ABC

Top Stories

Last updated 10:40 pm CT March 11, 2010.

Franklin Co. Man Makes Good Use of Storm Debris

3/11/10

FRANKLIN COUNTY—The windstorm on May 8, 2009 left a path of destruction through southern Illinois, but a Franklin County man is using his talent to give storm debris new life.

"About 4 in the morning you'll see him out there sneaking out to the sh
read full story →

Governor Candidates Differ On Budget

3/11/10

WSIL -- A day after delivering his budget proposal Governor Pat Quinn spoke at a Springfield Middle School to fight for an income tax increase. Quinn says without one education will be hard hit.

"We have to make up for the loss of federal money an
read full story →

Proposed Budget Could Mean More Cuts For Counties

3/11/10

FRANKLIN COUNTY-- It's been a tough 2010 for institutions that rely on state money. And Wednesday the governor proposed more cuts and funding delays. Franklin county leaders say that means their finances could go from bad to worse.

One highway d
read full story →

Quinn Calls for Billions in Cuts, Education Surcharge

3/10/10

SPRINGFIELD--- Illinois faces "a crisis of epic proportions," according to Gov. Pat Quinn.

Wednesday he delivered a budget address that called for $2.2 billion in cuts and $11 billion in borrowing to fill a $13 billion budget hole for Fiscal Yea
read full story →

Gun Owners Lobby For More Rights

3/10/10

SPRINGFIELD -- Illinois gun owners say momentum is on their side in the fight for a concealed carry law. They rallied at the state capitol on Wednesday, stating their message loud and clear.

"Concealed carry now," the marching mass chanted.

Th
read full story →

Johnston City Council Meeting Ends In "Scuffle"

3/10/10

JOHNSTON CITY-- A scuffle after Tuesday night's city council meeting is causing quite a stir in Johnston City. City leaders made several cuts at the meeting. A probationary officer and codes officer were laid-off, and the police chief took a pay cu
read full story →

Convicted Teacher Wants New Trial

3/10/10

SALINE COUNTY -- A former Galatia school teacher convicted of dealing drugs wants a new trial.

Tim Monroe was found guilty February 4th of selling cocaine from his Harrisburg home.

Monroe's attorney, Paul Christenson, has filed a motion for a
read full story →

Harrisburg School Board Makes Major Cuts

3/10/10

HARRISBURG-- It was a painful night for the Harrisburg School Board. As board members went line by line choosing which teachers, coaches and programs to cut for next year. No one was officially laid off at the meeting, that will come at their next me
read full story →

Local Government Fears Quinn's Announcement

3/09/10

UNION COUNTY-- The governor's cuts are expected to impact local governments as well.

County treasurers already strapped because of late payments from the state fear Wednesday's announcement will only make conditions worse.

No matter how you d
read full story →

Bonnie Officials Eliminate Police Force

3/09/10

JEFFERSON COUNTY-- Residents of Bonnie will no longer see local police patrolling their streets. Village officials say it wasn't an easy decision, but at Monday night's Bonnie village board meeting, members voted unanimously to eliminate their polic
read full story →

Meals On Wheels Seeks Volunteers

3/08/10

HERRIN -- Volunteers are working overtime, delivering meals to seniors who can't get out. They are stretched so thin, they're looking for help.

Meals On Wheels really needs delivery drivers, especially for the Herrin area. They would drop off a
read full story →

Residents In Eagle Point Bay Want Roads Repaired

3/08/10

JOHNSON COUNTY-- Neighbors in Eagle Point Bay say they're tired of by-passing bad roads, and it's time for someone to take responsibility for repairs.

But, the ongoing debate over who is responsible stems back decades. When the subdivision was b
read full story →

Toyota Blasts Research by SIU Professor

3/08/10

WSIL-TV-- Toyota went on the offensive Monday, blasting research by a Southern Illinois University-Carbondale professor.

Last month Dr. David Gilbert testified before Congress that it took just hours to discover what could be serious issues with T
read full story →

Sesser-Valier Schools Forced Into Layoffs

3/08/10

FRANKLIN COUNTY-- Delays in state aid have put many schools in a financial pinch. That includes Sesser-Valier, where the school board voted on Monday to lay off thirteen workers to save money.

"This is a case where politics is now starting to aff
read full story →

Illinois Targets Struggling Schools With New Program

3/07/10

PULASKI COUNTY -- For years, the Meridian School District has been known as one of the lower performing districts in the state.

"The high school has been ranked in the lowest of five percent of all the schools in the state of Illinois," said Mer
read full story →

Opinions Differ in Nursing Home Ratings Systems

3/07/10

WSIL -- More than half of all nursing homes in Illinois are deemed below average according to the federal Medicare rating system. However in our region the ratio is even more unsettling. Nearly every nursing home in Southern Illinois is ranked in t
read full story →

Firefighters Learn Crash Rescue Skills

3/07/10

OMAHA -- Local firefighters are learning ways around technology found in new cars. Without the training, the crews could be injured while trying to rescue trapped passengers.

It only takes a few seconds for Jaime Garrett, of Norris City, to cut t
read full story →

Green Industry Prepares For Energy Incentives

3/06/10

WILLIAMSON COUNTY -- Southern Illinoisans wrap their minds around solar technology, and those in the field say they need more help. Especially with government incentives aimed at energy efficiency coming soon.

Officials expect millions to turn to
read full story →

Price of Chicken Wings Flies High

3/05/10

JACKSON CO. -- Local restaurant owners say they're seeing the price of chicken wings fluctuate more than ever before. It's getting more expensive to serve them... because they've become such a popular item.

Amid the award-winning ribs and signatur
read full story →

Johnson County Sheriff Honored

3/05/10

WSIL -- Johnson County's longtime sheriff has made his way into the record books. Elry Faulkner has now served as his county's top cop for 36 years, longer than any other sheriff in Illinois history.

Faulkner was honored for his service by th
read full story →

Tomato Shortage Drives Up Prices

3/05/10

HERRIN-- If you want to eat fresh tomatoes, be ready to pay a steep price.

Freezing weather this winter killed off 70 percent of the crop in Florida, which is the country's biggest tomato provider this time of year.

Now, local restaur
read full story →

Weatherization Help For Low-Income Families

3/05/10

WEST FRANKFORT -- Illinois families can get free help that will save you money on your utility bill. The Illinois Home Weatherization Assistance Program starts Monday.

The program helps low-income homeowners replace furnaces, windows and insulati
read full story →

Jackson County Ambulance Service Gets Upgrade

3/02/10

CARBONDALE-- When responding to an emergency, paramedics know that every second counts. But often times, piles of paperwork can set crews back. To avoid that, some paramedics in Jackson County are trying something new.

"Over the next couple of w
read full story →

Bradley Fights Ameren Rate Increase

3/05/10

MARION -- Ameren says it needs another $130 million from customers to cover the cost of operations. But a southern Illinois lawmaker says people need a cut in gas and electric rates instead.

The Illinois Commerce Commission could make that decisi
read full story →

Postal Service Considers Cutbacks

3/02/10

CARBONDALE-- Snail mail could be getting even slower. The U.S. postal service is proposing cutbacks to help deal with a nearly $300-million deficit.

The mailman might be getting Saturdays off.
It's just one of the cutbacks the US postal servi
read full story →

Crews Try to Keep Fires Under Control

3/05/10

WILLIAMSON COUNTY- Some local firefighters are keeping busy dealing with brush fires. On Friday, Williamson County fire crews responded to four calls in the span of about 3 hours, and they're worried a warmer weekend will lead to more fires.

Davi
read full story →

Bank Robbery Suspect Pleads Guilty

3/01/10

WSIL — A Herrin man faces up to 20 years in prison for his role in a August 2009 bank robbery.

Lawrence Noascono, 37, pleaded guilty Friday to charges of aiding and abetting bank robbery.

Noascono and Frederick Goosby, 36, of Marion, were accu
read full story →

Prescription Mistake Sends 8-Year-Old To Hospital

3/02/10

GRAND TOWER -- The wrong dosage of medicine sends an 8-year-old Jackson County boy to the hospital. Permanent damage won't be known for another month, as the boy continues to rid his system of the powerful drug.

Now, his parents are warning other
read full story →

New Hires at IDOT Amidst Budget Crisis

3/05/10

WSIL-TV-- With Illinois in the midst of a fiscal crisis, Gov. Pat Quinn is expected to propose billions of dollars in cuts in his budget address next week.

In a preliminary outline released last week, the largest cut was in education.

That's wh
read full story →

Laser Removes Varicose Veins

3/01/10

MT. VERNON — Varicose veins are unsightly. But they can also cause serious health problems.

Jeff House of Centralia has been dealing with them for a couple of years now.

"I don't like going to the hospital. It's been bleeding. It's bled four
read full story →

Talking Politics: The Civic Federation Recommends Tax Increase

3/01/10

WSIL-TV — The Civic Federation of Chicago has released a plan which recommends that the state raise the income tax for individuals and businesses, provided officials first cut back spending and reform the state’s pension system, in order to balance I
read full story →

Illinois Concealed Carry Advocates Watch Supreme Court

3/02/10

WSIL-TV--- The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday in a challenge to the City of Chicago's handgun ban.

In oral arguments, justices appeared to be leaning toward a ruling that would limit state and local firearms regulations.

The Court s
read full story →

Strong Support for Grocery Liquor Sales

3/03/10

CARBONDALE-- A petition drive to allow Carbondale grocers to sell alcohol is wrapping up and stores say they've gotten even more support than expected.

Nearly 10,000 people have signed their name in support. It doesn't ensure the measure will pa
read full story →

So. Illinoisans Weigh In on Budget Website

3/04/10

WSIL-TV-- People across Illinois have not been shy about sharing their ideas for solving the state budget crisis.

Governor Pat Quinn has been taking suggestions online since last week at www.budget.illinois.gov. Thousands have responded.

Peopl
read full story →

Dillard Concedes; Brady Officially GOP Candidate for Governor

3/05/10

CHICAGO (AP) - State Sen. Bill Brady has officially captured the
Republican nomination for Illinois governor after a month of
uncertainty.

His victory by just 193 votes out of more than 767,000 cast
persuaded the second-place finisher to conced
read full story →

Kokopelli Still Hanging On

3/01/10

MARION -- Thanks to a large influx of golfers at Kokopelli Golf Club in Marion the past few days, the course has enough revenue to stay open past its original March first closing date. It's now considered day to day, which is very good news to the J
read full story →

Tuition Increase at SCC, No Layoffs Yet

3/01/10

ULLIN-- Students and staff at Shawnee Community College gathered for a moment of prayer Monday afternoon in anticipation of a meeting of the Board of Trustees

"I definitely think everybody's very well aware of what's going on and certainly a littl
read full story →

John A Logan May Cut Staff and Programs

3/02/10

WILLIAMSON COUNTY-- An anxious audience waits as John A Logan college leaders consider cuts to faculty, staff and programs. The college board spent the late Tuesday night hours discussing those cuts in closed session. Board members say they've bee
read full story →

Democrats Have A Job Opening

3/03/10

WSIL -- Who says you need experience to be Lieutenant Governor? After all Jason Plummer, the Republican nominee for the position, has never held elected office. Neither has Scott Lee Cohen, who voters chose to be the democrats nominee, of course he r
read full story →

Local Contractors Prepare For Busy Spring

3/03/10

WILLIAMSON COUNTY-- It only takes one look at local neighborhoods, to realize what many contractors will have their hands full with this spring.

"Roofing, definitely," said Weddle Construction owner Darrin Weddle. "You know the weather's breaking
read full story →

Bleak Financial Condition for SIU

3/04/10

CARBONDALE-- SIU President Glenn Poshard addressed the media Thursday and laid out the bleak financial condition of the university.

Some of the issues addressed:
- The state owing SIU $145 million
- Governor Quinn's expected $10
read full story →

New Charges Against Gallatin Co. Sheriff

3/04/10

WSIL -- Gallatin County Sheriff Raymond Martin faces new federal charges.

On Wednesday, a federal grand jury sitting in Benton returned a 15 count superseding indictment charging Martin with drug and weapon offenses, as well as new charges accusi
read full story →

News 3 COVER IT LIVE

2/04/09

WSIL-TV - We're making news interactive with our live blog.

Lets us know If you have reports of breaking news in your community.

Send your comments on stories seen on News-Three.

Begin by clicking on the play button below.

If you have d
read full story →

IDOT Highway Construction Projects in Southern Illinois

3/01/10

WSIL-TV — Here's the lastest road construction projects from the Illinois Department of Transportation.

I-57 MP 1 near Cairo Alexander Minor Delays Expected 5/1/2010 Bridge work on 2 structures

Illinois 147 from Illinois 145 to Illinois 146 Joh
read full story →

Recent Earthquakes Used To Educate Southern Illinoisans

3/01/10

CARBONDALE — Local experts say most of us forget we also need to be prepared for an earthquake. The New Madrid Seismic Zone has produced catastrophic quakes before.

A seismometer at Southern Illinois University Carbondale detected the earthquake
read full story →

Coal Mine Receives Bomb Threats

3/02/10

CARMI -- Authorities in White County are investigating threats against a local coal mine.

White County Sheriff Doug Maier says his office is looking into a series of bomb threats called in to White County Coal's Pattiki Mine near Carmi. The first
read full story →

IL Lawmakers Propose Children's Bicycle Helmet Law

3/03/10

Some state lawmakers want to require kids to wear a helmet when they ride a bicycle. The new legislation would give police the power to ticket children and their parents if they violate the rule.

Carbondale's Bicycle Surgeon gets a lot of custome
read full story →

Small Quake Rocks Missouri Bootheel

3/03/10

SIKESTON, Mo. (AP) - The U.S. Geological Survey says a small
earthquake shook southeast Missouri along the New Madrid Fault.

The agency says the magnitude 3.7 earthquake was detected at
1:37 p.m. Tuesday about 15 miles south-southeast of S
read full story →