Illinois Summary - 9/28/11

Kids In Catholic Charities Care Should Be Transferred Soon

(Springfield, IL)  --  The state says it's preparing to move two-thousand children out of the care of Catholic Charities.  Kendall Marlowe with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services says he expects the transition to go smoothly.  He says the state's child welfare system is much more capable of handling transitions than they were just over ten years ago.  The move comes after a the state ended its contract with the religious group because it didn't want to issue adoption and foster care licenses to same sex couples.

Education Officials Consider Opting Out Of NCLB

(Springfield, IL)  --  Illinois education officials are weighing the decision of whether to opt out of certain provisions of the No Child Left Behind act.  Mary Fergus with the Illinois State Board of Education says the idea is to create a

new testing system that will gauge student progress over a period of time.  She says it will also reduce some of the pressure off of teachers to teach to the tests.  Fergus says the law is long overdue.  It was supposed to be reauthorized in 2007 but was delayed as Congress focused on more pressing issues.

Meetings Next Week For State Facility Closures

(Springfield, IL)  --  Several state facilities are slated to close at the end of the year.  The juvenile detention facility in Murphysboro is on the chopping block along with the mental health facility in Chester.  The state is required to hold public hearings before it can close a state facility.  The public is encouraged to express its concerns at those hearings October 12th.  The Murphysboro meeting will be at 10:30 a.m. at the Davis-McCann Civic Center.  The Chester hearing will be at 4 p.m. at Chester High School.

State Looking For Job Fair Participants

(Springfield, IL)  --  The Illinois Department of Human Services is looking for vendors and employers for its Career Job Fair and Disabilities Expo.  The event will be held October 19th from noon until 4 p.m. at the Orr Building on the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield.  In addition to traditional employment, educational institutions and support agencies, this year's event will also feature organizations that offer volunteer opportunities and information about home-based businesses.  If your organization would like to participate, call Herb Earl at (217) 782-4830 for information.

U of I Police Warn Of Fake Parking Tickets

(Urbana, IL)  --  People attending homecoming at U of I should keep their eye out for fake tickets and parking passes.  Investigators say the tickets are being sold on Craigslist for 30 dollars each.  Police are still looking for information but say people should always purchase their tickets from a verified university vendor.