Illinois Briefs - 1/17/12

Illegal Gambling Operation Busted

(Champaign, IL)  --  An illegal gambling operation is shut down in Champaign and 13 people are headed to court.  Police say they found a pay to play poker table and three thousand dollars cash when they raided a rental space last week.  Police say they have information on other possible gambling operations across the city and they plan to shut them down as well.  All 13 people have been cited with a misdemeanor.

Teen Mom Leaves Baby At Firehouse

(Chicago, IL)  --  A teenage mom says she's had enough of parenting.  She dropped her six month old baby off at a Chicago firehouse yesterday morning.  Firefighters say the young mother sat in the firehouse and cried for about 15 minutes before leaving the child.  The Illinois Safe Haven Law allows parents

to leave unharmed babies less than one month old at any hospital, fire station, or police station without question.  It's not clear how authorities will handle this situation considering the baby is more than one month old.

NIU To Reopen Building After Shooting

(DeKalb, IL)  --  Students at Northern Illinois University are heading back into Cole Hall for the first time today.  It's been nearly four years since students have seen the inside of the building.  The university has pumped six-million dollars into renovating the facility after a gunman opened fire in one of the classrooms, killing five people.

Bank Scam Circulated Via Text

(Champaign, IL)  --  Police say a fake text message is being circulated, asking people to call First Midwest Bank with their personal information.  Urbana police say it's a scam sent from someone claiming to be a representative at the bank.  Investigator Dave Smysor tells the "Champaign News Gazette" most legitimate businesses won't ask customers for personal information in a text message.  He says you should never give your personal information out in text messages, especially if you aren't sure the request is valid and if you receive the text but aren't a First Midwest Bank customer.

Synthetic Drugs Removed From Shelf

(Quincy, IL)  --  More than two thousand packages of synthetic marijuana have been removed from store shelves.  It's the result of three undercover operations targeting businesses that continue to sell the deadly drug.  The confiscated drugs had a street value of about 40- thousand dollars.

Jacksonville Developmental Center On Chopping Block

(Springfield, IL)  --  AFSCME is sounding the alarm on Governor Quinn's secret plan to close several state facilities.  A spokesperson for the union says the Jacksonville Developmental Center, Tinley Park Mental Health Center, and Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center are on the chopping block.  Jacksonville State Representative Jim Watson says he was denied access to basic documents and criticized by top Quinn officials for suggesting the meetings be open to the public.  AFSCME officials say closing the mental health and developmental centers put the lives of the residents at stake.

Petitions Seeks To Cut Veterans Fees

(Springfield, IL)  --  Several veterans groups are joining forces to cut license plate fees for  military veterans.   They're circulating a petition which seeks to reduce the standard renewal fee from 99 to 45 dollars a year.  According to "The Southern Illinoisan," that could mean a 42-million dollar drop in revenues to the Illinois Secretary of State's Office.  You can find the petition at PetitionBuzz.com.