News

Normal–A Unit 5 bus monitor resigns after facing predatory criminal sexual assault charges  involving a girl who was not a Unit 5 student.

Stephen Orendorff, 61, is charged with three counts of predatory criminal sexual assault of a minor and two counts of criminal sexual assault involving the same victim. The alleged sexual assaults took place over a five year span.

Orendorff has been suspended from his job.

His bail is posted at $100,025. A February 10 arraignment is scheduled.

Fort Jesse Road between Blair Drive and Towanda Avenue will remain closed to all traffic until 4:00 p.m., Thursday February 2, 2012.

The water main repair requiring the road closure has been completed and pavement repair work will be completed today and tomorrow.

CHICAGO –Illinois Republican Party Chairman Pat Brady issued the following statement in response to Governor Pat Quinn’s State of the State Address:

“Since 2010, Republican and Democrat Governors across the United States have implemented sweeping reforms and made tough choices to improve their states’ financial conditions. Unfortunately, Governor Quinn’s State of the State Address today confirms that he has no comprehensive plan for dealing with the near catastrophic fiscal condition of our state or the political courage to make the reforms necessary for Illinois to have a government that it can afford.”

BLOOMINGTON — A McLean County Chamber of Commerce initiative to build an incentive fund to attract a new low-fare air carrier to the Central Illinois Regional Airport gained $300,000 Monday from Bloomington, Normal and McLean County.

There have been talks with Frontier Airlines, but there is no signed deal, Bloomington Mayor Steve Stockton on Tuesday. The incentive package totals $455,000 with the local governments’ contributions, and Stockton said it could be open to one or more airlines.

Bloomington Mayor Steve Stockton said attracting more airlines would lower fares and strengthen Bloomington-Normal’s position against other airports in the area.

Stockton also added that this could be important for local quality of businesses and  economy for quality transportation for Central Ill.

This is the central location key in helping keep C.I.R.A.

NORMAL–Two Bloomington brothers are facing charges of home invasion and mob action for events that occurred on January 22^nd at a home in Normal.

According to Normal Police Corey and Craig Wissmiller allegedly went to a party uninvited and were involved in an altercation. After leaving the party the brothers then returned later and forcefully entered the home and punched a man.

Corey Wissmiller is also being charged with Criminal Damage to Property and Craig Wissmiller is being charged with criminal trespass to a residence, the victim did not sustain any serious injury in the altercation.

Bloomington–A Bloomington male may have been stabbed Monday night outside of the Irving Community Center on Illinois Street. The male was involved in a fight of 50 to 75 juveniles. Many fled the scene upon the Bloomington Police Department’s arrival around 7:40 p.m.

The fight began inside the center, until they were told to leave the building, the police said.

The injured male was taken to OSF St. Joseph Medical Center in Bloomington.

There have been no arrests made, and the police are still investigating.

The ISU student-run organization, F.L.A.M.E., will screen the documentary “Until the Violence Stops” tonight for students and community members. The documentary’s purpose is to inform interested students about messages behind the play, “The Vagina Monologues.” F.L.A.M.E. spokeswoman Charlotte Adams spoke about why the group chose to show this particular documentary.

Adams explains the message of “Until the Violence Stops”

The documentary will begin showing at 7pm in Schroeder Hall, Room 203.

"Until the Violence Stops" is 2003 documentary film directed by Abby Epstein.

After an hour-and-a-half State of the Union speech delivered by President Obama, Illinois Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger spoke with reporters about his reactions to the speech.

President Obama touched on energy improvements and opening 75 percent of the nation’s oil reserves, with options in off-shore drilling. Kinzinger spoke about the advantages of this perspective on energy.

Kinzinger’s thoughts on energy reform

The President also briefly touched on education reform in his lengthy speech. Kinzinger commented that though he has high expectations for this area of politics, he wants more details from Obama.

Education reform needs more information

Educational reform, in particular to college institutions, could be seen in the form of lowered tuition prices in the future.

After 46 years as Penn State’s head football coach, Joe Paterno’s legacy may be erased due to the recent allegations of coach Jerry Sandusky. Kevin Powell reports on ISU students different views on Joe Pa’s memory after his death.

A clothes dryer fir caused approximately $3,000 damage to a house in the Savannah Green Subdivision last night.

Normal Fire Department responded to 1001 Chippewa Street for the report of a dryer on fire at about 7:45 pm Sunday evening. When the first engine arrived, the occupants had safely evacuated from the home. Firefighters were able to extinguish the fire by disconnecting utilities and using handheld pump cans within about ten minutes. Firefighters remained on scene for about 30 minutes to check for fire extension and to ventilate the smoke from the house.

The fire was contained to the fire itself, but heat from the fire damaged the nearby clothes washer and walls of the laundry area. Because the fire was extinguished quickly, there was minimal water and smoke damage to the rest of the house. Firefighters removed the damaged dryer from the home

The homeowners have insurance and no one was injured.

BLOOMINGTON–The City of Bloomington Water Department will be repairing a water main on Fort Jesse Road between Blair Dr. and Towanda Ave.

The repairs will begin on Tuesday January 31, 2012. Due to the area where the water main is located the street will be closed through traffic. The street will be closed until the water main and street repairs are completed by the city crews. An alternative route would be Blair Drive, College Ave and Towanda Ave.

NORMAL–Beaufort Street between Broadway and Uptown Circle will be closed to all traffic beginning Tuesday, January 31, 2012 through Friday, February 17, 2012, for work associated with the Uptown Station and Uptown Plaza projects.

Normal–The Constitution Trail RR crossing at the AMTRAK Station will be permanently closed to all traffic beginning Monday, January 23, 2012.

Closure at this time is required to complete the Uptown Plaza landscaping project associated with Uptown Station.  Until further notice Constitution Trail will be detoured at Phoenix Street on the south side of the RR tracks, and at the north side of Uptown Circle on the north side of the RR tracks.

Normal–Illinois State University’s Mennonite College of Nursing Assistant Professor Kim Astroth has been   selected as a 2012 Illinois Board of Higher Education Nurse Educator Fellow.

The program includes a $10,000 grant toward continuing research. It is awarded to those who have made significant contributions to their nursing education programs.

Astroth, who joined the Mennoite faculty in 1999, is on of the only 18 nurse educators in the sate to receive the fellowship. She is planning to use the funds to further her research on the study of physical function and disease self management in individuals with chronic kidney disease.

“As the number of individuals with diabetes and/or hypertension continues to increase, so will the risk for development of chronic kidney disease,” said Astroth.

During her tenure with Illinois State, Astroth has taught primarily medical surgical nursing clinicals, with an emphasis on critical care. She assisted with Mennonite’s development of the Ph.D. in nursing and a new master’s degree sequence, the Clinical Nurse Leader program.

Astroth earned her Ph.D. from the University of Missouri in St. Louis. She received research grant awards for her dissertation from Sigma Theta Tau International Nu Chi and Xi Pi chapters.

SPRINGFIELD– More than 152,000 Illinois residents have registered to participate in a multi-state earthquake drill. The Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) is encouraging more people to participate in the 2nd annual earthquake drill February 7th.

“With the New Madrid and Wabash Valley seismic zones located in Southern Illinois, it’s important for people to know how to stay safe if a major earthquake occurs,” said IEMA Director Jonathon Monken.  “The Great Central U.S. ShakeOut will be the perfect opportunity for families, businesses, schools and other groups to practice the ‘Drop, Cover and Hold On’ protective actions they should take during an earthquake.”

“Drop, Cover and Hold” describes the actions you take in case of an earthquake.  “Drop” down to the floor, take “Cover” under a sturdy desk, table or other furniture, and “Hold On” to the furniture item and be prepared to move with it until the shaking ends.

More than 1.2 million people in nine states currently are registered to participate in the Shakeout drill. The drill will begin at 10:15 am on Feb. 7. Last April, more than 250,000 Illinois residents participated in the first Shakeout drill in the Central U.S.

BLOOMINGTON–A Bloomington woman has reached a tentative plea with local prosecutors in the case of her daughters death. The plea will allow Candis Ethridge to avoid trial for child endangerment because she failed to protect her three year old daughter Destiny Cox from her boyfriend David Gharrett. The plea will offer probation for Ethridge and also will allow her not have to do any additional time in jail. David Gharrett is facing murder charges for the death of Ethridge’s daughter.

PRINCETON- Wednesday at around 3 o’clock in the afternoon, a male subject holding a shotgun walked into Princeton High School through the north entrance. The gunman moved throughout the school arriving at his destination in the hall way outside of the lower level classrooms.

The Princeton Police responded to the scene and immediately evacuated the building to secure the school. Upon police entry, the gunman, Blake R. Schimdt age 18 of Princeton was sitting alongside the hall with the shotgun in hand while seeming to be highly emotional and distressed.

After long negotiations, police were able to recover the weapon from Schimdt and take him into custody. Schimdt was then taken to Perry Memorial Hospital for evaluation.

There were no reported injuries and case remains under investigation with uncertain charges.

On Sunday police reported a minor being charge with a DUI, possession of drug equipment, and a hit and run. The boy was seen in the parking lot of the McDonalds on south main where he hit a car then took off. Lucky for him the police was in the same parking lot, and did not let the kid get far.

On Saturday police reported a fight on the steps of 410 Vernon. Apparently the fight was started over a game of guitar hero. When the police got there the victim said that he was punched in the face then head butted, but he refused rescue. According to the police report the guy had bruises and some loose teeth.

On Saturday police reported that two local residents were arrested for possession of cannabis, and drug equipment. The two were seen on Raab road and pulled over for an illegal turn. The police were prepared to write out a ticket when they notice the cannabis in the back seat. The two men got caught for having one half a gram of marijuana and 29 grams of mushrooms.