WGFA NEWS for Friday, February 12, 2010 >
WX > Snow showers today, high near 25. NW wind at 5 mph. Sunny Saturday, high near 25. Sunday high at 25, 20% chance of snow.
– High School B-Ball tonight on WGFA: I-West vs Watseka; St. Thomas More vs Central –
> Another conviction and sentence for a central-Illinois bank robber. 32-yr-old Jason Satterfield was sentenced to 12 years in prison (Tuesday) for a 2007 robbery of the Vermilion Valley Bank of Kempton. The former Piper City man was sentenced by Judge Steve Pacey. Ther 12-year term runs concurrently with an 18-year sentence Satterfield received in Iroquois County for an armed robbery at Iroquois Federal in Clifton in December of 2007.
> Satterfield’s former girlfriend, Noelle Huss of Wilmington, is scheduled to stand trial next Tuesday in Iroquois County. The 25-year-old faces armed robbery and felony theft charges for her alleged involvement in the robbery at Iroquois Federal in Clifton. State’s Attorney Jim Devine said Huss is alleged to have driven the get-away car for Satterfield. Huss was sentenced to 4-year prison terms for her part in bank robberies in Livingston and Woodford counties.
> In Kankakee Circuit Court–Judge Clark Erickson refused to reconsider the sentence he imposed on Shontay Lumpkins for a bogus 9-1-1 call that led to serious injuries for a sheriff’s deputy. Lumpkins was convicted for Disorderly Conduct and handed a 364 day jail term and fined $2,500. The defense argued the sentence was excessive, but Judge Erickson said the sentence was necessary to deter others from the same crime. The crime left deputy Dave Stukenborg paralyzed.
> The City of Hoopeston is getting a new McDonald’s Restaurant. The current one will be replaced with a McDonald’s facility that has a new concept known as Street Retail. It will anchor a strip mall along Illinois Route One. The developers say the existing McDonald’s in Hoopeston will remain open until the new one is completed. The original restaurant opened in Hoopeston in November of 1976. Co-owner Deanna Witzel says construction should start in early spring.
> Extensive damage was reported from an overnight blaze in an apartment building in Danville. Danville Firefighters battled the blaze at 1230 Garden Drive in near-zero temperatures early today (Friday). Assistant Chief Tom Pruitt says there were no injuries. He says preliminary damage estimates are being placed at $150,000. Occupants fled the building into the bitterly cold weather, but were able to quickly find other warm places to stay.
Danville Firefighters were still on the scene after daybreak, but the fire was out. The cause of the blaze remains under investigation.
> State Representative Bill Black is expressing outrage that while local schools and human service providers struggle for survival, Democrats who control Illinois government this week delayed getting down to work on the budget yet another month.
“Our new session began in January, yet only two session days were scheduled all month because the Speaker, the Senate President and the Governor were more interested in campaigning for the primary election than in working on the budget. This week, Governor Quinn, Speaker Madigan and Senate President Cullerton decided to put off working on the budget until mid March. The lack of fiscal responsibility is absolutely mind-boggling,” Black said.
Over strong Republican objections, House and Senate Democrats this week approved Governor Quinn’s request to push back the Governor’s budget address from February 17th to March 10th.
> The Livingston County Board learned Thursday that the Illinois Department of Public Health has granted a probationary permit to allow Flanagan-based Good Samaritan Home to own and operate the county-owned, 122-bed Livingston Manor. However, a final permit cannot be granted until the state inspects Livingston Manor.
The probationary permit is good until March 31. Livingston County Board Chairman Bill Fairfield said the state will renew the probationary permit if the inspection isn’t done in time. Fairfield said he believes we have made the right decision in all of this, and he’s proud of the way it has started out.
In related business, the board also approved a resolution terminating the county employment of the 64 workers at Livingston Manor, starting on Feb. 28. Fairfield said Good Samaritan is in the process of interviewing current employees of the home for employment under its ownership. The transition plan still calls for Good Samaritan to own and operate Livingston Manor until it can build a new, 122-bed nursing home by next year to replace it. It would have to get state permission for that as well.
The board also approved a memorandum of understanding that sets out the timeline of the ownership transfer and other contractual issues related to the sale.
