WGFA NEWS HEADLINES for Wednesday, June 10, 2009 >
Murder suspect could be eligible for death penalty…. Task Force help leads to arrest of Kankakee man…. Iroquois, Ford County Board reports….
Weather > Showers and T-storms possible today, high near 75.
* The death penalty has not been ruled out for a Watseka man facing a 4-count murder rap for the brutal deaths of two Sheldon men. 27-year-old Brian Garrett appeared in Iroquois Circuit Court (Tues), where he was appointed a death penalty lawyer. Garrett’s charged with the weekend stabbing deaths of 48-yr-old Robert Wood and 61-yr-old Ralph Elsey at their Sheldon home. State’s Attorney Jim Devine said the case is still being investigated. Any decision about a death penalty should a conviction happen, is yet to be made, according to Devine… > {action}
Garrett’s jailed on a one-million dollar bond. He was arrested Sunday night near Warsaw, IN after fleeing from Illinois. Police in Indiana apprehended the suspect in a wooded area in rural Kosciusko County. Iroquois County Coroner Bill Cheatum said an autopsy revealed Wood and Elsey both suffered multiple stab wounds. Devine explains the case against Garrett ….. > {it is}
* A $250,000 bond is in place for an Onarga man following Saturday’s wounding of a veteran Iroquois County police officer. Richard Hubney is charged with Aggravated Discharge and Battery with a Firearm. He allegeldy threatened suicide at his home. Onarga Police Chief Phil Statler was shot trying to disarm Hubney. Statler was hospitalized in stable condition. Hubney is also charged with Aggravated Domestic Battery for an earlier altercation against his wife.
* A case investigated by the Kankakee Project Safe Neighborhoods Task Force finds 23-yr-old Junius Nickens of Kankakee facing weapons charges. If convicted, Nickens faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison for posession of firearms by a felon and another five years for possessing a firearm with an altered serial number. ATF Special Agents and Kankakee City Police arrested Nickens after a federal grand jury indicted him last month. Nickens was in possession of a 12-guage shotgun, a.40 caliber handgun and a Glock .9 mm handgun. He also has previous felony convictions for Possessiona nd Delivery of a Controlled Substance.
* The Iroquois County Board appears to be back at square one in dealing with the budget. Even though suggested cuts of up to 15% were on the table for consideration Tuesday, frustrated board members left a 4.5 hour meeting knowing cuts have to be made but the Finance committee will have to try again. A super majority vote was needed to ammend the current budget, so 17 votes were needed to implement 6.25% across-the-board cuts. A motion failed on a 15-8 vote. A second motion to slice 12% from the budget failed too. Finance Chairman Jim Meyer said he’s not real hopeful.
* Ford County residents will now have the option of building a personal wind energy system on private property. All property owners who are not under the zoning jurisdictions of the county’s three incorporated towns – Gibson City, Paxton and Piper City – are eligible. The Ford County Board unanimously approved the amendment Monday. The News-Gazette reports Zoning Officer Larry Knilands saying “Everyone in the county, no matter where they live, at least has the opportunity to consider it.” He said that was his goal in drafting the county’s zoning amendment for private wind energy. There is also a related, major change in the county’s special use permit fees. A private windmill permit fee will be $100, rather than $5,000 now collected for each commercial wind turbine.
* Hoping to save money on transportation and utility costs, some school districts in Illinois are looking at eliminating one day of classes each week. But, while a four-day school week might make students jump for joy, the concept has yet to take flight. On a 104-10 vote, the Illinois House in late May approved a proposal to form a task force to study the feasibility of a four-day school week. The measure was quickly endorsed by a Senate panel, but was never brought up for a full vote before lawmakers left town May 31.
94.1FM, WGFA
