Illinois Briefs - 11/25/12

Powerball Jackpot Jumps To Record $425 Million

(Undated)  --  No one managed to match all six numbers to claim Saturday night's 325-million-dollar Powerball jackpot.  That means the jackpot for the next drawing stands at a record 425 million dollars.  The previous record of 365-million was set nearly seven years ago.  The cash option for the upcoming drawing on Wednesday will be more than 278 million bucks.  But it won't be easy to walk away with all that cash.  The odds of winning the grand prize are roughly one in 175 million.  Powerball is played in 42 states, plus Washington, DC and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Evanston Native Has Key Role At Inauguration

(Washington, DC)  --  An Evanston native who serves in the Marine Corps will have a pivotal role in President Obama's second inauguration.  Staff Sergeant Cooper Evans will be part of the Joint Task Force, National Capital Region that will provide support for what will be the nation's 57th inauguration of a President.  Sergeant Evans will serve as a visual information specialist, coordinating video and photo coverage for events before, during and after the inauguration.  Evans is currently stationed at the Pentagon.

NIU Wins Eleventh Straight Game

(Ypsilanti, MI)  --  Northern Illinois wrapped up an undefeated season in the Mid-American Conference yesterday, defeating Eastern Michigan 49-7.  The Huskies will face Kent State, which also went undefeated in the MAC, in the conference championship game Friday in Detroit.  This is the first time that NIU has reached eleven wins in the regular season.

Unusual Turkey Part Headlines Huntley Festival

(Huntley, IL)  --  It's a popular if somewhat daring choice of turkey body part that Huntley's Parkside Pub chooses to fry up and serve each year before Thanksgiving.  For the 30th year, the pub served up 12-hundred pounds of turkey testicles during its fundraising festival on Wednesday.  Pub owner Jeff Lovell said the unique deep-fried morsel is often compared to a fried mushroom by those that taste them.  Lovell was hoping to break his record of 44-hundred vistors, set last year, with a ten-dollar admission fee that goes to local charities.