Herald and Review from Decatur, Illinois • Page 3

The big day Ofaama takes the oath Wednesday and online at www.herald-review.com 1 Questions or comments regarding this section? Contact Night Editor John Reidy at 421-6973 News from Central Illinois Coles Centre moves ahead The Mattoon City Commission will consider a development agreement for a multi-hotel and convention center project with a price tag of $26 million over the next decade. The council will meet at 6:30 p.m. today at city hall. The council is expected to vote on several ordinances for the Coles Centre hospitality proposals designed to construct hotels and retail businesses on several acres east of Interstate 57. The development agreement with Chuck Keller, an Effingham developer, and Agracel Inc.

of Effingham County would establish city and developer responsibilities relating to this first project in the 1-57 east tax increment financing and business districts. The council will consider eight ordinances relating to this next step in the Coles Centre project. Seats available for governor trial Legislators say state will have difficult decisions even if governor removed By RON INGRAM Staff Writer DECATUR Two state legislators who voted to impeach Gov. Rod Blagojevich told members of the Decatur Rotary Club on Monday By MIKE RI0PELL Springfield Bureau Writer SPRINGFIELD -When Gov. Rod Blago-jevich's impeachment trial begins Monday, lawmakers say there could be at least some seats available so members of the public can watch.

Senators will weigh accusations that Blagojevich tried to sell President-elect Barack Obama's seat in the U.S. Senate, among other allegations, and they'll eventually decide whether the governor should be removed from office. State Sen. Dale Righter, R-Mattoon, said the rules of the trial don't specify any guidelines on who can attend and watch from the Senate gallery. So general Senate rules will likely be in effect, he said.

That means, as long as there are seats, people can attend. "It'll be really interesting to see if we get a crowd, if you will," Righter said. Most of the hearings will take place during the day, so any crowd could have to take time off work if they want to see the his toric hearing. What they see, though, may not be that exciting. The trial could end up being a fairly dry and reserved proceeding filled with legal details, said state Sen.

Mike Jacobs, D-East Moline. But it doesn't happen very often, Jacobs said, and it's unclear when fireworks might erupt during the impeachment trial. "This is a very political act, and one most people have never seen before," he said. mike.riopelllee.net789-0865 SPRINGFIELD aid services providers are 120 days or more in arrears, Mitchell said. Flider said while "I don't always subscribe to the pile on theory," in the case of Blagojevich, several things caused him to vote for impeachment.

He said chief among them were some of the governor's decisions and their effect on the 101st District. Blagojevich created new programs he did not have the authority to create and to fund them cut programs locally in retaliation for his nonsupport of aspects of the governor's agenda, Flider said. Examples were the loss of funds for the CeaseFire program in Decatur's inner-city neighborhoods and cuts in coal redevelopment funds earmarked for Decatur that instead wound up being spent on rapid transit in Cook County, he said. "Blagojevich came into government as a white knight, saying he was going to clean up government," Flider said. "Now, we have an oppor- tunity to pass real reform laws and sweep the governor out with them." Mitchell said he predicts the harsh fiscal situation Illinois finds itself in will prompt the legislature to pass "the mother of all tax increases" in the spring session.

He said he opposes raising taxes in hard times and believes the state needs to be more fiscally conservative. ringram 421 -7973 Flider that the state faces tough times, even if the governor is removed from office. State Reps. Bill Mitchell, R-Forsyth, and Bob Flider, D-Mount Zion, twice voted to impeach the governor, once Jan. 9, and again Wednesday, after members of the new 96th Illinois General Assembly took their oaths of office.

Blagojevich faces a trial in the Illinois Senate, which could State Rep. Frank Mautino, D-Spring Valley, was named to House Speaker Michael Madigan's leadership team last week. Mautino will serve as the assistant majority leader for the Democrats. The Democrats have a 70-48 majority in the House. Mautino, 47, has served in the House since 1991.

He chaired the Committee on Insurance and was the vice-chair for Committee on Revenue. The promotion comes with a pay raise. Mautino will make an additional $18,067 on top of the $67,836 that all lawmakers earn. Mitchell allowed to happen." Medicaid is a basic expenditure in the state budget and now exceeds the amount the state spends annually on education, Mitchell said. The legislature appropriated $7.5 billion for Medicaid last year but knew that its cost would be about $9 billion, he said.

As a result, payments to Medic process not a criminal one, Mitchell said. He predicted Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn will be the state's governor by mid-February. "The important thing is where we move on to," Mitchell said.

"The state of Illinois is in bad shape. We in the General Assembly have to take responsibility for what was find him guilty of the charges the House leveled against him. If that occurs, the senate then must decide his sentence, Mitchell said. Likely, the governor would be removed from office, he said. The senate trial is a political MAKING IT POSSIBLE SPRINGFIELD Knop among pageant finalists Mackenzie Knop of Forsyth, Miss Decatur-Macon County Fair for 2008, was among the dozen finalists in the 2009 Miss Illinois County Fair Pageant.

Other area finalists included Sabea Boyd of Logan County, Lauri-an Brankey of Coles County and Kaitlin Weitekamp of Montgomery County, who was named second runner-up at the contest last weekend in Springfield. Morgan Metz of Sangamon County was crowned queen at the DECATUR Registration ends today Today is the last day to register for a new Macon County 4-H Junior Master Horseman program. The six-week course runs 6 to 7 p.m. Tuesdays from Feb. 3 through March 10.

Classes, which are open to all youth of high school age, will be held at the University of Illinois Extension office, 2535 Millikin Parkway. After completing the course, participants will be asked to share their knowledge of horses with grade school children. A $30 registration fee is required. Register online at web.extension. uiuc.edumacon.

Call 877-6042 for information. Herald Review photosKelly J. Huff Area residents gathered in Mueller Park to commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. in the 23rd annual march. That group marched toward another group that left Hess Park at the same time.

A total of about 200 people took part in the march that met at North Street. Church hosts service to honor civil rights leader 200 people walk to remember man who paved way for Obama By SHEILA SMITH Staff Writer DECATUR The snow- and slush-filled streets of Decatur and temperature at about 15 degrees did not stop the marchers commemorating the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday. Almost 200 people turned out to honor the memory of the man who set the tone for a new vision for America. They marched from Hess and Mueller parks down Martin Luther King Jr.

Drive, filled with pride that King's dream has come to pass on this national holiday. "This is really a symbolic march, and he would probably be a bit mad that we were just marching just for him," said Jeffrey Perkins, president of the local branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. "We came out to march for what King stood for," said Perkins, who led the march from Mueller Park. Burl Stoner, who opened the facility at Mueller Park for march participants, told everyone in the crowd, "I didn't think I would live long enough to see history in the making. You young people should remember this day and preserve it the dream has become a reality." Jeff Roth said he was inspired by King.

"I grew up in the '60s as a young child and never witnessed rioting and other things going on. But I watched television and saw what was going on," Roth said. "King had a beautiful vision for America. Today, with the election of a new president, this is confirmation his vision is real. I am so proud to be an American." Decatur Police Chief James Anderson has been marching for the past five years.

"King's commitment was toward peaceful change. That is what the police department is about," Anderson said. Deputy police chiefs Todd Walker and Ed Smith joined him in the march this year. While leading the march from Hess Park, the Rev. James Wills of Love Fellowship Christian Church called this year "unbelievable" because of the feeling in the air about the election of Barack Obama.

"This is a commemorative march but a historical one," he said. "We are marching on Martin Luther King Day and on the day before the inauguration of our first African-American president." As Wills' group marched, they sang, "We shall overcome." Those who left from Mueller Park filled the air with shouts of "M-L-K" until the two groups converged. 421-7963 fife Wsl DECATUR $1,000 in items taken Items valued at more than $1 ,000 were taken Saturday from a house in the 800 block of South 21st Street, a woman reported to Decatur police. The woman returned home to find the items missing about 11 p.m. Saturday, according to police reports.

Among the items were a Samsung 32-inch, flat-screen television, a Toshiba laptop computer, a Samsung DVD and VCR combination player and a Microsoft MP3 personal audio player. DECATUR can make a difference. He pointed out individuals in the Bible who God used to make a difference and changed the course of history. "Martin Luther King Jr. stood for everyone, and now, we stand here at the eve of history being made with the first black president," Dotson told the crowd.

"I'm glad that we all came together as one, no matter what race or color we are," said Sonya Bratcher, a member of Antioch. "King even dreamed that we would come together as one." "There was a wonderful spirit in this church," Doris Lewis said about First United Methodist. Helen Hancock, 88, a member of First United Methodist who has lived in Decatur since 1956, sat in a pew and listened to a recording of King's voice as he gave his "I Have a Dream" speech. "Dr. King was wonderful," she said.

By SHEILA SMITH Staff Writer DECATUR Kate Shields took several youths from First United Methodist Church out to lunch Monday. She talked to them about the importance of the day being a national holiday in honor of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. "I talked to them about the nonviolence of King and how he was a peaceful man. He made an impact in the world," said Shields, the children, youth and family director at First United Methodist Church. The church opened its doors for the first Martin Luther King Jr.

memorial service Monday and invited several African-American churches in the community to participate. "We had talked about having churches get together and worship together. We knew Martin Luther King Day was coming up, so we all Some marchers wear pictures of Barack Obama on their backs with the words, "The Dream Has Come True," above it. The remembrance of Martin Luther King Jr. took on special significance this year with today's inauguration of the first black president of the United States.

wanted to get together and celebrate and think about where we are as a people," said the Rev. Kent Nobles-King of First United Methodist. Other ministers who attended were the Revs. CD. Stuart; Wesley Todd Dawson and Leland Labrador of Antioch Missionary Baptist Church; the Revs.

Herbert T.J. Jackson and Tom Garmon of Bright Morning Star; the Rev. Tyrone Oldham of New Salem Missionary Baptist Church; and the Rev. Patricia Havis of Trinity C.M.E. Church.

The speaker for the program was Elder Franklin Dotson of New Hope Temple and Deliverance Church. Dotson's message was about how one person Retirement meeting set Macon-Piatt Regional Office of Education will offer a Teachers Retirement System telephone conference Thursday, March 5. To register, call Dick Shelby, regional superintendent, at 872-3721 or e-mail him at dshelby roe39.k12.il.us no later than Thursday, Jan. 29..