Susan Smith-Harmon
Madison County seeks appeal after SIUE student threat conviction tossed
Friday, 22 March 2013 02:46 Published in Local NewsMadison County Prosecutor Thomas Gibbons is asking Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan to appeal the appellate court's ruling to the state's Supreme Court.
Twenty-seven year old Olutosin Oduwole was released Monday from a prison in Jacksonville. He'd been serving a five year sentence linked to a 2011 conviction of attempting to make a terrorist threat.
Prosecutors say a note found in Oduwole's abandoned car in 2007 threatened a murderous rampage if he wasn't paid $50,000. As an aspiring rapper, Oduwole claimed the writings were just lyrics or other musings.
Maura Possley, a spokeswoman for Madigan, said Gibbons' appellate request was being reviewed.
The bill is sponsored by House Speaker Michael Madigan and comes out of a laborious process where lawmakers are addressing the pension problem piece by piece instead of a total overhaul at once. House members voted in favor 66-50 yesterday. It's the third scaled-back pension bill the House has recently approved.
Thursday's proposal says that no cost-of-living increases can be taken until retirees reach 67 years of age, or five years after retirement and applies COLAs only to the first $25,000 of an annual pension.
Illinois has nearly $100 billion in unfunded pension liability because for years lawmakers either skipped or shorted payments.
Dad: Highland Marine's services to be in his metro-east hometown
Friday, 22 March 2013 02:23 Published in Local NewsThe father of Aaron Ripperda says plans are being made to have the wake for his 26 year old son in Highland, Illinois. Kent Ripperda says a funeral Mass will be held at St. Paul's Catholic Church, but plans won't be finalized until there's word about when his son's body will be returned.
Ripperda was killed Monday during an explosion at the Hawthorne Army Depot. The 2005 Highland High School graduate was two months from ending his tour of duty with the Marines.
Meridith Funeral Home in Highland is handling arrangements.
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