Herald and Review from Decatur, Illinois • Page 1

CLUTTE Yi- ER Dramatic end to lllini home streakCl tricks to help get organized! Dl VISIT US ON THE WEB: WWW.HERALD Bush's mm ral Reorganization, funds cut already criticized in states and Capitol By LIZ SIDOTI Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON A Pentagon plan to restructure the Army National Guard has sparked bipartisan outcries in Congress, even before President Bush's formal pro- Nfo people like Blocks people REVIEW.COM the budget year that begins Oct. 1. The plan will include about $5.25 billion to pay for the current numbers of Army National Guard forces, but not the higher level that Congress has authorized and lawmakers say is needed in wartime. Additionally, the Pentagon wants to shift some Guard brigades from combat roles to support units. "I don't see how in the world the Guard meets its mission," said Rep.

Robin Hayes, Added Rep. Ml Herald Review photosChase Agnello-Dean Decatur's newest nightspot. at downtown hot spot "You've got someone who's amazing and someone else who is not who's going to get better tips?" Still, some employees attended improvisation sessions with Albright for weeks before Block's opened. They were unpaid improvisation sessions. That didn't and still doesn't surprise Block's general manager, Teddi Lucas.

"You have to know the kids," she said. "When they came in, they were so excited. What we were looking for all along was a certain personality. People came in without serving experience, but we thought, 'We can teach 'em to "There were people who would come in after work and have fun. For them, it was a release." Tim Cain can be reached at timcain or 421-6908.

in former furniture store. StoryF1 's John Murtha, "You can mark my words. They're not going to cut the National Guard." His point is that lawmakers will not allow it, even though Congress is controlled by Bush's own Republican Party. In fact, a bipartisan group of 75 senators said in a letter to the president Thursday that they "strongly oppose these proposals." GUARDA2 State high court takes on immunity Wrongill death suits challenge liability of law enforcement By MATT ADRIAN Springfield Bureau Writer SPRINGFIELD The Illinois Supreme Court is deliberating two cases this year concerning law enforcement's total immunity from lawsuits, even when officers choose to ignore their sworn duty. The state high court is reviewing how authorities acted in a Rock Island County car wreck and a Chicago domestic violence situation.

Women died in both cases, THE ISSUER Tracking the news Law enforcement The latest Illinois Supreme Court tackles blanket immunity for law enforcement in two upcoming cases stemming from wrongful death lawsuits. Whaf next The cases are under review. and the ensuing wrongful death lawsuits were blocked by a state law that gives blanket immunity to local governments. The Illinois Municipal League suggests these protections are necessary for cities and counties to provide everyday services. "When a city sends out a firetruck or an ambulance, sometimes people die," said Larry Frang, the league's assistant executive director "What's the easy way to avoid liability? Stop fighting fires, stop using police, stop sending out ambulances? The General Assembly says 'We don't want the government to give up on needed What if law enforcement is contacted but never intervenes? "I don't think the legislature ever really anticipated that no one would simply come," said Michael W.

Rathsack, the plaintiffs' attorney in both lawsuits. "They anticipated that people would do things wrong. They C0URTA2 Tips, FEBRUARY 5, 2006 Songs of an era gone by Nenrn sniritnals nor- formed by several choirs rang through Shilling Auditorium at Richland Community College in celebration of Black History Month on Saturday. "We've heard these songs all our lives, and the people who sang them had a message to sing," said Betsy Stockard. Local B1 Grandpa Minister dies Actor-comedian Lewis, who played "Grandpa" on the famed 1960s sitcom The Munsters," died Friday night at age 82.

Lewis had been an actor, a restaurant owner and a political activist, even drawing 50,000 votes as a Green Party candidate for governor of New York in 1998. LifeD4 First for Atlanta mourners Mourners poured into the Georgia Capitol Rotunda to pay tribute to Coretta Scott King, the first woman 'inrl thrt firof bum iiiiiii ai IU LI IC? III Ol black per son to lie in honor in a statehouse that was once a seat of segrega P. tion. Police estimated 10,000 people in less than three hours passed the open casket. Nation A5 Author, feminist dies at 85 Betty Friedan, whose manifesto "The Feminine Mystique" became a best seller in the 1960s and laid the groundwork for the modern feminist movement, died Saturday at her home of congestive heart failura She was 85.

Nation A6 New looks as easy as 1-2-3 Giving a house a fresh look can be as easy as covering a throw A pillow with a spare square of fabric, according to home rV economist Merrill-Lee West- FoHow her zK steo-bv-steD direc- tions for easy-to-do tC rrvp.r Home P1 Your weather HIGH LOW Today: Partly sunny and cold Tonight Partly cloudy and very cold DetailsB6 Index Classifieds E4-1 6 Money F1-4 Comics Inside Movies D5 Dear Abby D2 Obituaries. Horoscopes D5 Opinion B5 Home E1-3 Puzzles E7.10.15 Life D1-6 Sports C1-8 Local B1-5 Television Inside III $1.75 Our 134th year Issue 36 Six sections III lilil '02138 "00002 Delivery: 421-6990 Newsroom: 421-6979 Outside Decatur 1-800-437-2533 HERALD REVIEW DECATUR, ILLINOIS A division of Lae Enterprises posal, showing the clout of a force that draws members from communities across America. Lawmakers' pre-emptive objections also point out the hurdles facing the administration as it seeks to persuade Congress to accept any defense changes that might hurt people back home. Bush will ask Congress on Monday to give the Pentagon $439.3 billion, excluding the costs of fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, for ON WITH THE SHOW Beer from all over the country, including Bass Ale and Goose Island 312, can be found on tap at Block's Brewery. with delivering food.

"They're theater people," Albright said two months ago, discussing the people he was auditioning and preparing to become Block's staff. "And they're used to rehearsing before the show goes up. The more that they practice, the better they're going to be. discover something completely different a ent nrone CJnss rnmnptitinn 1 1 VJ i ill 4i 1 Block's Brewery bartender Lucas Cycotte makes a drink at the bar in downtown Staff servers are eager to take center stage By TIM CAIN Entertainment Editor DECATUR Applicants scrambled and waited, and waited for a chance to be part of the cast. But the public part of this performance primarily involved bringing food and drink to customers at downtown Decatur's newest nightspot, Block's Brewery.

The restaurantbargathering place had a sneak preview New Year's Eve and has been open since, with its grand opening taking place this weekend. But plans for building Block's have been in place for some time. Jayson Albright, Block's director of operations and entertainment, began assembling the wait staff in October, knowing part of the vision of the place was to have waiters and waitresses who could sing, dance and do skits, along Building a brewery: Patrons j) students to trie duner dowi 5 k- nr'VW YfC-i a lands 1 rSP Banterra Bank hired the students for the 30-second regional commercial, which is expected to reach 150,000 homes in Kentucky, Missouri and Southern Illinois. The instructor for the class offered the commercial as a friendly class competition, which required tons of research on the bank. "Everyone in the class brainstormed ideas to present to the bank," Wempen said.

"We were the third group to present. We acted out how the commercial would be and tried to make it as realistic as possibla" Their realistic marketing technique helped his group's idea to be chosen to appear as the commercial to air during A0A2 Super Bowl The pregame hype is over. Now it's time for football, but the forecast isn't exactly sunny for the Super Bowl. Nearly 43 percent of the Super Bowl's audience feels ignored by the advertisers. They are women.

And they're sick of beer ads. StoryFI group bank commercial in spot after 1st quarter By ALICIA SPATES Staff Writer CARBONDALE Some viewers may turn the channel during the Super Bowl commercials, but Brian Wempen of Assumption will be sure to stay tuned, at least until the beginning of the second quarter. Wempen, along with fellow students of his advertising production class at Southern Illinois University at Carbon-dale, received the opportunity to produce a commercial that will air today after the first quarter of the Super Bowl. Lee News ServiceSteve Jahnke Along with Brian Wempen, a senior radio-television major from Assumption, at left, the others who helped create the Super Bowl commercial that will air today were, from left, Junior Cynthia Erickson from Urbana, senior Carta Cozzi from New Lenox and senior Rob GarfinkeJ from Cincinnati, Ohio..