Illinois Briefs - 12/22/11

White Christmas Not In The Forecast

(Champaign, IL)  --  Illinoisans may need to keep dreaming of a "White Christmas" this year.  Forecasters say much of the state will not see enough snow on the ground to qualify for a white Christmas this year.  You have to have at least an inch of snow on the ground for an official white Christmas.  Initially, forecasters figured we'd be in for a snowy start to the winter season, but the La Nina system hasn't been as strong as anticipated.  State Climatologist Jim Angel says while we might get snow in January and February, it just won't happen for Christmas.  He says the northern third of the state has the best odds of seeing snow for Christmas each year.

Five Year Prison Sentence For University Terrorist Threat

(Edwardsville, IL)  --  A man that tried to make a terrorist threat at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville is going to prison for five years.  Olutosin Oduwole had asked for leniency, but was sentenced to five years in prison.  He was arrested in

2007 with guns and what authorities deemed a threatening note.  The note threatened there would be an incident similar to the Virginia Tech shootings if 50-thousand dollars was not deposited into a PayPal account.  Oduwole was found guilty in October and could have been sentenced to up to 15 years in prison.  His attorney plans to file an appeal.

Couple Awarded $700k In Trooper Accident

(O'Fallon, IL)  --  A couple injured in an accident that killed two people has been awarded 700-thousand dollars from the state.  Kelly and Christine Marler were injured when Illinois State Trooper Matt Mitchell hit their vehicle.  The accident killed sisters Kelli and Jessica Uhl.  Mitchell was was talking on his cell phone while driving over 100 miles per hour on Interstate 64 near O'Fallon.  He lost control of his car, causing the accident. Mitchell got probation for reckless homicide.  Earlier this year, the family of the Uhl sisters was awarded eight-million dollars in a lawsuit.

Sparland Losing Village Officials

(Sparland, IL)  --  The Village of Sparland is down to three board members after another resignation.  In addition to the board members that have resigned, the village's mayor, clerk and treasurer have also turned in resignations.  That leaves the village board without enough members to conduct official business.  Under state law, the remaining board members can appoint new members to the board to fill the vacancies.  The Illinois Attorney General's Office has been investigating the actions of the village.  There have been concerns about the village failing to comply with the Freedom of Information Act and with the Open Meetings Act.

State Has $2.4M In Unclaimed Lottery Tickets

(Springfield, IL)  --  If you're looking for some spare cash for the holidays, you might want to check to see if you have any lottery tickets laying around.  Illinois Lottery officials say there are over two-million dollars worth of prizes that are unclaimed.  Winners have a year to claim their prizes and the first prize set to expire is a quarter-million dollar Mega Millions ticket.  There are a half dozen other 250-thousand dollar tickets that will expire over the course of next year.  There are four unclaimed Powerball tickets each worth 200-thousand dollars.  Overall, lottery officials say there are 77 unclaimed prizes.

Illinois DUI Deaths Down

(Springfield, IL)  --   Secretary of State Jesse White says alcohol-related deaths are down nine percent in Illinois.  White says there were 436 alcohol-related deaths in 2010, down from 480 the year before.  White is urging drivers to not to drink and drive during the holiday season.  Last year, eight people were killed on Illinois roadways during Christmas weekend.  Only one was alcohol related.  Police will be out in full force during the holidays looking for drunk drivers and other drivers disobeying traffic laws.

November Housing Sales Up

(Springfield, IL)  --  Home sales in Illinois were up 14-percent in November.  The Illinois Association of Realtors says nearly one-thousand more homes sold this November compared to a year ago.  Association president Loretta Alonzo says signs are starting to emerge that there's a recovery in the housing market.  Alonzo expects the trend to continue into the new year.  The association says 52 counties in Illinois had an increase in housing sales in November.