Illinois Briefs - 2/8/13

Inmates Transferred Out Of Menard

(Chester, IL)  --  More than a dozen inmates from Menard Prison have been transferred to other facilities, after they allegedly injured three staff members in an attack on Tuesday.  State Senator Dave Luechtefeld says some of the inmates were transferred out of the maximum security lockup and into medium security facilities.  A spokesperson for the Department of Corrections wouldn't confirm whether the inmates were sent to medium security prisons but she says all of the inmates will be put in segregation units, away from the general population.

House To Hold Concealed Carry Hearings

(Springfield, IL)  --  The House is two public hearings later this month, which are designed to give gun safety advocates, gun rights supporters and members of the law enforcement community to offer their views on the issue.  The first hearing at Noon on Tuesday, February 19th at the State Capitol.  The second hearing will be at 10a.m. on Friday, February 22nd at the Bilandic Building in Chicago.  Seating at both hearings will be limited, and those who wish to attend will be required to show official state identification and pass through strict security

Dead Lottery Winner Changed Finances To Benefit His Wife

(Chicago, IL)  --  The Chicago lottery winner who died less than a month after claiming his winnings, reportedly changed his financial records so his wife would receive his share of profits from his business.  The "Chicago Tribune" reports Urooj Khan finalized the transaction with his business partner before he won a million bucks on a scratch-off ticket.  That means

his wife now owns half of the dry cleaning business and the real estate associated with it.  His estate was reportedly worth about two million dollars but because of the financial changes, his heirs will only split about 680-thousand.  Khan was killed by a lethal dosage of cyanide last July, about a month after he made the changes.

Job Training Programs To Get Much-Needed Funds

(Undated)  --  Lawmakers OK a bill to throw millions-of-dollars towards underfunded Illinois job training programs.  The bill will fork over five-point-seven-million dollars to the programs.  The money will also be used to meet commitments previously made for job training incentive packages at companies around Illinois.

Bomb Squad Called To Disarm World War Two Souvenir

(Catlin, IL)  --  The University of Illinois bomb squad was called on to neutralize a World War Two hand grenade in eastern Illinois.  "The News-Gazette" reports a Catlin resident bought the grenade at a rummage sale, then called police when a friend said it might be "live."  Bomb squad members used a robot to move the grenade from a truck to a hole dug in a vacant lot.  An explosive was set near the grenade and both were safely detonated.