Herald and Review from Decatur, Illinois • Page 3

HeralddReview CrBRIER OCA -'A Tuesday, March 2, 2004 1 i Mm is t-t 1 wraEd pirated imsigUeiis7 msgwlair jjofe you saved a baby this morning or helped save somebody's home because you're still late for work." Swan, vice president of the Illinois Firefighter's Association, argues that members of the "civil guard," including volunteer firefighters, should be afforded employment protections similar to members of the National Guard. After all, 70 percent of the state's fire departments rely on volunteers, according to the Illinois state fire marshal. The latest figures show some 16,000 volunteers in Illinois. "I don't think most of us who live in cities where we have a paid force realize how important volunteer firefighters are," said state Rep. Mike Boland, D-East Moline.

At the behest of the Illinois Firefighter's Association, Boland is sponsoring House Bill 4851, also known as the Volunteer Firefighter Job Protection Act. "Well, they've told me stories of people who have been fired," Boland said. "One was an amazing story, because the firefighter who got fired actually was out on a call fighting a fire at the company that fired him." In some cases, larger employers may not realize how important volunteer forces are to the state's small towns and villages. "In most cases, the smaller business understands," Swan said. "They're the hometown business, and they under stand the importance of keeping their firefighters there" Boland's legislation would also allow firefighters to sue their employers if they were fired because volunteer duties forced them to miss work or show up late.

Similar laws are in place in seven other states, Swan said. Boland's proposal faced opposition last week from the Associated Fire Fighters of Illinois, the union that represents the state's paid firefighters. The group might push Boland to place a population cap on his legislation, so that it would not apply to larger departments. Pat Guinane can be reached at patrickguinaneJee.net or 789-0865. Rules would be similar to National Guard By PAT GUINANE Springfield Bureau Writer SPRINGFIELD Volunteers who battle fires in small communities across Illinois cannot always avoid the hot seat when that duty makes them late for their regular jobs.

"The vast majority of employers throughout the state are very good and understanding. I want to make that clear," said Colona Fire Chief John Swan. "There are just a few that really don't care who you are and what you've done they don't care if Partners Salute wuu.i.j,..iii'hm, i wmiw lujnimnni, in miu. kmiiiwmwi -ti-iirrr ii Ti -ri irr 1' DECATUR Man arrested; drugs seized in raid A 25-year-old Decatur man was arrested after police seized more than $12,000 worth of cash and drugs in a raid Monday afternoon at a residence in the 2500 block of East Garfield Avenue Police seized 37 grams of crack cocaine, 12 grams of powder cocaine 327 grams of marijuana with a combined street value of $8,170, as well as $3,910 in cash. The man was charged with possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and possession with intent to deliver marijuana.

Assisting Decatur police in the raid was the department's Emergency Response Team and the Macon County Sheriffs narcotics detective CLINTON Clinton station back online after shutdown The Clinton Power Station is back online after being shut down since Feb. 2 for refueling and routine maintenance In addition to refueling the reactor, Exelon Corp. workers performed extensive inspections and maintenance on many operating components to ensure the unit operates safely and reliably over the next 24 months. "The work completed by the Clinton team has improved the condition of the plant and is helping Exelon Nuclear become the best operator of nuclear stations in the world," company Vice President Bob Bement said in a news release. DECATUR Safe stolen from Hot Spot Food Burglars added insult to injury Sunday when they not only stole the safe from Hot Spot Food and Liquor, 1108 W.

Eldorado but also stole the business' two-wheel hand cart to haul the safe away. Ninety cartons of cigarettes and a VCR security tape also were stolen during the break-in, which occurred between 12:15 and 7 a.m. Sunday, according to police reports. The safe contained an undisclosed amount of cash. CHARLESTON Man pleads innocent in puppy killing A Mattoon man pleaded innocent Monday to a charge alleging he killed a puppy.

Joe M. Greenwood, 31, faces a felony charge of aggravated cruelty to animals. He is accused of beating and kicking a 4-month-old terrier, killing the dog on Aug. 29. He waived his right a preliminary hearing Monday.

Greenwood was scheduled for another hearing on April 5. The charge against him can result in a prison sentence of one to three years or up to 2'A years of probation when there's a conviction. Greenwood is free on bond. DECATUR Electronics, jewelry stolen from home Burglars kicked in the front door of a house in the 700 block of East Johns Avenue between 9:30 and 10:20 p.m. Sunday and stole items valued at more than $800, a woman reported to Decatur police Missing were two VCRs, a stereo system with speakers and cassette player and two necklaces each valued at $100.

SHELBYVILLE Early Intervention meeting slated Early Intervention Parents as Leaders will hold information meetings for parents and guardians of children receiving Early Intervention services or who have left the EI system in the last six month. The first meeting will be 6:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, March 3, at the Shelbyville Public Library, 154 N. Broadway. Meetings will also be 6:30 to 8 p.m.

Thursday, March 11, at Mount Zion Public Library, 115 W. Main and Little Flower Church, 800 Stephenson Drive, Springfield. Attendance is expected at only one of the meetings. Registration is required. Call 899-7524.

Herald ReviewElizabeth Ortega Above: Partners Salute honoree Julie Curry, deputy chief of staff for economic development and labor for Gov. Rod Blagojevich, laughs Monday with friend State Rep. Jay Hoffman, D-Collinsville, at Partners in Education's annual awards luncheon at Richland Community College. Below: Mike Stacey, Macon County Farm Bureau president, accepts the Outstanding Business Partner award on behalf of Randy Prince, Macon County Farm Bureau executive vice president, at the luncheon. Partners in Education recognizes Julie Curry for support of education By RON INGRAM Staff Writer Charges in abuse case dropped But former employee of Bivens- Whitten still facing a trial By STEPHANIE POTTER Staff Writer DECATUR Macon County State's Attorney Scott Rueter dismissed some of the charges against a former employee of the Bivens-Whitten Juvenile Detention Center who had been accused of making improper advances toward teenage girls held there Joseph W.

Hall, 46, was set to stand trial Monday on charges of official misconduct and battery. A teenage girl, then 15, told police Hall had made improper sexual statements, kissed her on the cheek and hugged her during the time she was held at the now-closed center in January and February 2002. Hall had been charged in connection with similar incidents involving three other teenage girls who had been held at the center. Each case was to be tried separately, and a Macon County jury in December acquitted Hall in one of the cases. He awaits trial in the other cases.

Hall has maintained he is innocent of all the charges. He declined to comment after Monday's dismissal, other than to say he is glad this part of the case is over. Rueter wouldn't comment on the reason for the dismissal, saying the charges could be refiled. Macon County sheriffs detective Bill Hotwick said it's his understanding the alleged victim didn't show up for Monday's trial. Hotwick said he's disappointed the cases have dragged on for two years, and that Rueter didn't argue that all the cases be tried together.

Macon County court records indicate Hall's attorney, Phillip Tibbs, asked the court in September to sever the counts against Hall so he would be tried separately as to each alleged victim. The judge granted that motion with no objection by Rueter. Rueter said there was no legal basis to object to the cases being severed. It would be possible to try the cases together if they all involved the exact same alleged behavior, but the allegations were somewhat different in each case, he said. According to an Illinois Department of Corrections spokesperson, Hall had served time for armed robbery and other offenses.

He testified at trial that he turned his life around and got a degree in social work. Probation officials were aware of his background when they hired him, he said. Hotwick said he's spoken to state Rep. Bill Mitchell, R-Forsyth, about proposing legislation that would prevent similar Wrings in the future Mitchell said in a telephone interview that he has drafted proposed legislation that would prevent anyone with a felony conviction from being hired as a probation officer. Court Administrator Don Meyer, who heads the probation office, said he can't comment on Hall's hiring because it is a personnel matter.

Hall's case was set for a pretrial hearing March 15. Stephanie Potter can be reached at or 421-7984. House Elementary and Secondary Education Appropriations Committee, Curry also got a resolution adopted as the legislature was about to adjourn creating a bi-partisan committee to oversee Project Success as a means to insulate the program from future funding cuts, she said. When Blagojevich was looking earlier this year for a program to get parents more involved in their children's education, Curry said she told him such a program already existed and pointed to Project Success. Goetter, who served as Curry's campaign chair when she ran for the legislature, said Curry worked as a representative to reform education funding, especially the grants given to school districts to help children from families living below the poverty level.

She said Curry also pushed for increased funding for early children education to help meet children's needs earlier in life State Rep. Jay Hoffman, D-Collinsville, said he grew up with Curry in Highland, meeting her in kindergarten. "Julie Curry has done so much for so many people from her election as county treasurer to the state legislature in 1994 to the governor's office," Hoffman said. "She has been a leader in Central Illinois and downstate Illinois on education issues. She has made sure we made fundamental changes in education that kept teachers in the classroom." Ron Ingram can be reached at or 421-7973.

DECATUR Julie Curry is "an avid advocate for Illinois children," Decatur school board member Jackie Goetter said as she lauded the former state representative for her support of education during Partners in Education's 16th annual salute About 300 people gathered at the Shilling Center at Richland Community College to honor Curry: 2004 valedictorians and salutatorians from Macon County high schools; the Macon County Farm Bureau as Partners in Education's outstanding business partner of the year; and Mary Stephenson, Maroa Grade School principal, as the outstanding World of Work grant recipient. Richland received special recognition for multiple activities among which are continuing support and strengthening of kindergarten through 12th-grade education, holding the eighth-grade career fair, supporting the regional spelling bee and awarding Richland trustee scholarships. Curry resigned as state representative for the 101st District last year to accept the post of deputy chief of staff for economic development and labor in the office of Gov. Rod Blagojevich. But her support of education, which predates her election to the legislature in 1994, has not decreased, supporters said.

"She has changed titles, but one thing that has not changed is her commitment to kids," said Jane Shade of Project Suc- cess. After Project Success began locally in 1992, Curry, then the Macon County treasurer, showed up at an event to scoop ice cream for hundreds of inner city children, she said. When former Gov. George H. Ryan decided three years ago to remove funding for Project Success, it was Curry who worked to restore money to the state budget, Shade said.

As chair of the Hearing set for Ramsey man accused of murdering wife By RON INGRAM Staff Writer ical problems. Fayette County Coroner Bruce Bowen said an autopsy found Teresa Street died of strangulation. The coroner's jury ruled her death a homicide. Friedel said a preliminary hearing in the case has been set for April 7. Whether it will be held will depend on the findings in the fitness hearing.

Ron Ingram can be reached at or 421-7973. juana and two empty prescription drug bottles also were found in the home's living room. A state trooper testified at the coroner's inquest in August that Richard Street had suffered from a drug overdose. Street was hospitalized for an extended period in a coma as a result of that overdose. He developed circulation problems in his limbs and his legs were amputated.

Street is in a wheelchair and has no movement in his arms as a result of his med A charge of first-degree murder was filed Jan. 23 against Street, 34, alleging he suffocated his 34-year-old wife Fayette County State's Attorney Stephen Friedel said Monday he waited to file the charge to see whether Richard Street would recover any use of his arms and improve his health so he could aid in his own defense. When authorities arrived at the Street house on June 9, they found Teresa Street's body and her husband unconscious nearby. A bag of mari VANDALIA A hearing is scheduled March 15 in Fayette County Circuit Court to determine if Richard R. Street is fit to stand trial on a charge of first-degree murder in the June 9 death of his wife, Teresa Street, in their Ramsey home Street made a second appearance Monday in court where his attorney, Marc Kelly of Vandalia, filed a motion for the fitness hear ing..