Herald and Review from Decatur, Illinois • Page 2

A2 LOCAL WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2008 DECATUR, ILLINOIS www.herald-review.com LfS v. i Pick Three-Midday Pick Four-Midday Little Lotto Mega Millions Mega Millions jackpot A I i I I 7-0-1 0-2-7-6 1-2-5-9-18 5-27-38-42-55 $51 million jT ur Pick Three-Evening Pick Four-Evening Lotto jackpot Mega Ball Here are the winning numbers selected Tuesday in the Illinois Slate Lottery: -9'9 9-0-0-5 $15.75 million 41 WHAT'S HAPPENING 17" KaraokeDJ, 9 p.m., Curly's, Decatur. Open Mike Night, 8 p.m., Block's Brewery, Decatur. On Stage "Church Basement Ladies," 2 and 7 p.m., Rosebud Theatre, Effingham. 540-2787.

Health CPR for Family Friends, 6:30 p.m., St. Anthony's Memorial Hospital, Effingham. 347-1529. Immunization Clinic, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Effingham County Health Department, Effingham.

342-9237. Immunization Clinic, 9 to 10:30 a.m., Moultrie County Health Department, Sullivan. $7. 728-4114. WellSick Child Clinic, 8:30 to 11:15 a.m., Macon County Health Department, Decatur.

423-6988. Events Etc Oneota and Mississippian Cultural Traditions in the Central Illinois River Valley, 7 to 8:30 p.m., Illinois State Museum Research and Collections Center, Springfield, 782-0061. Music Song and Dance Ensemble of West Africa, 7 p.m., Krannert Center Foellinger Great Hall, Urbana. $8 to $18. 333-6280.

Nightlife "Stevie Ray" Kelton, 9 p.m., Curly's, Decatur, Jeff Markland DJ, 9 p.m., Rad-maker's, Tolono. 485-3531. Karaoke, 8:30 p.m.. Breakers, Clinton. 6616.

Facing Cancer Together, 1 p.m., Decatur Memorial Hospital Rehab Conference Room, Decatur. 876-2380. Lighthouse Group (relationships), 7:30 p.m., Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center, Lumpkin Family Center for Health Education, Mattoon, 348-4040 or 258-4040. Narcotics Anonymous, noon, AFFAS, 2520 E. William Decatur, 1-800-539-0475.

Narcotics Anonymous, 7 p.m., Westminster Presbyterian Church, Decatur, 1-800-539-0475. Take Off Pounds Sensibly, 5:15 to 6:30 p.m., Unity Church, Decatur, 358-4222. Contact us Submissions of items for inclusion in the calendar must be in writing or by e-mail to Calendar, Herald Review, Box 311, Decatur, IL 62525 or jmatheriy or by noon Monday the week prior to publication. Phone calls will not be accepted for submissions. 10:30 a.m., Mattoon.

$40, $30. Support Groups Alcoholics Anonymous, 5:30 p.m., St. John's Episcopal Church, Decatur. 521-7205 or 855-8312. Alcoholics Anonymous, Tomorrow's 8 p.m., First Presbyterian highlight Church, Tay- November lorville, 824- Dance- 3028 or 824- Reimagining 3676- the Prosceni- Choices, urn, 6 and 8 4:30 p.m., Krannert Dove Center Colwell DeWittCoun- Payhousei ty office, Clin- ton.

935- 6072. Divorce-Care, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., Bethlehem Presbyterian Church, Decatur. 428-1206 or 865-2628. DivorceCare, 7 p.m., Resurrection Life Church, Decatur, 877-0574. DrugAlcohol Education, Dove Decatur, 1:30 and 5 p.m.

428- calendar every Thursday EVENTS: Prairie River Historians, 7 p.m., Argenta-Oreana Public Library, Argenta. Staley Retirees Club, 11:30 a.m., AIW Hall, Decatur. Team in Training Information Meeting, 6 to 7 p.m., Bloomington Library, Bloomington, (309) 451-1692, ext. 1022. Seniors Decatur-Macon County Senior Center, Fitness Class, 10 a.m., Bunco, 1 p.m., Decatur, 429-1239.

Johns Hill Center, Ceramics Class, 1 to 4 p.m., Decatur, 429-7750. Salvation Army, Ceramics Group, 8 a.m. to noon, Decatur. Mattoon YMCA, Mattoon Area Senior Center Tai-Chi Classes, "This is a tremendous tribute to all our vets," he said. "I'm extremely proud the school district decided to do this." Eighth-grader Jacob McNa-mara, 13, and sixth-grader Josie St.

Pierre, 11, were among 18 students who got to hear more about Nailer's four deployments overseas during his 25-year career with the Army. Jacob said he was amazed to hear how duty once required Nailer's unit to keep going in Iraq, even after an improvised explosive device destroyed the truck that had been following them. "There are downsides to being in the service, but those are the risks you have to take to fight for freedom," he said. "I'd like to do that when I grow up." Josie said it was more productive to be in school than to have the day off. "Instead of sitting around doing nothing, we are talking about Veterans Day," she said.

"It's a lot better." Plan your week with our HOLIDAY Continued from A1 presented a U.S. flag in a case from the Army and National Guard and several pins soldiers receive when they return home. "There were a few of us who took it upon ourselves to say they should go to the community, too," Nailer said. "If you don't have support at home, you're not going to have support over there." Afterward, activities at the middle school included students decorating paper flags with their handprints, graphing war casualties, creating a timeline of major conflicts and writing letters to servicemen and servicewomen. At the elementary school, fifth-graders were learning about Medal of Honor winners, fourth-graders were studying veterans memorials, third-graders were reading letters sent home by servicemen and servicewomen and second-graders were making placemats for the Veterans 'If you don't have PARK MORE x4 1 L.u.-.1(ii,lMwri;Tf,wll"-'-l1-j Herald ReviewKelly J.

Huff Jodi Pierceall wipes away a tear from her eye as her son Thomas, 3, watches during an all-school assembly in honor of Veterans Day. Pierceall 's father, the late James Sheets, was a Vietnam War veteran. Administration Hospital in Danville. Many students also heard from veterans who stayed to tell them about their experi support at home, you're not going to have support over Army Sgt Tray Nailer FTl Meetings All States Bowling, 9:15 a.m., Spare Time Lanes, Decatur, 877-0764. Decatur Golden Kiwanis, 9:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility, Decatur.

Decatur Quitters Guild, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Soy Capital Bank Trust, Decatur. Decatur Quilters Guild Day Group, 10 a.m., Grace Baptist Church, Decatur. Decatur Shrine Club, noon, Scovill Banquet Facility, Decatur. Decatur Vegetarian Society, 7 p.m., Decatur Public Library, Decatur.

Pieces of Love Workshop, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Christ United Methodist Church, Decatur. Irs ences serving their country. Bill Conley, commander of American Legion Post 117, said he was happy to see the day unfold. calling them this week to tell them they can apply." Applications for the program are available in the lobby of the Law Enforcement Center, 333 S.

Franklin and must be returned to the police department by Dec. 8. If the department receives more requests than there are bracelets available, a lottery will be used to determine which applicants receive them, Smith said. Once recipients have been 3 My youngest the Air colonel. "I had the Air and been my whole Continued from A1 more than two dozen state parks and historic sites expected to close by the end of the month, and that has many wondering about future access to the memorial in the park.

Ernest Thorp, a World War II Army Air Forces veteran and former prisoner of war, spoke of how proud he was of all fVtf" -r(- Courtney worked overtime and tapped into his retirement account to try to catch up with two loans on his home. But, in the end, he couldn't persuade Countrywide Financial, which managed the loan for Wells Fargo, to modify the loan. "I feel like I missed the boat," he said of the new efforts to help more homeowners. "I'm just mad at the whole system." One reason the problem has been so tough to solve for borrowers such as Courtney is that the vast majority of troubled loans were packaged into complex investments that have proved extremely hard to unwind. Deutsche Bank estimates more than 80 percent of the $1.8 trillion in outstanding troubled loans have been packaged and sold in slices to investors worldwide.

Most of those loans likely won't be helped by the new plan. The rest are "whole loans," which are easier to modify because they have only one owner. Still, after more than a year of slow and weak initiatives, there seems to be a serious effort among major retail banks to get at the heart of the credit crisis: falling U.S. home prices and record foreclosures. Citigroup said Monday that it is halting foreclosures for borrowers who live in their own homes, have decent incomes and stand a good chance of making lowered mortgage payments.

JPMorgan Chase Co. last month expanded its mortgage modification program to an estimated $70 billion in loans, which could aid as many as 400,000 customers. The bank already has modified about $40 billion in mortgages, helping 250,000 customers since early 2007. Starting Dec. 1, Bank of America Corp.

plans to modify an estimated 400,000 loans held by newly acquired Countrywide Financial Corp. as part of an $8.4 billion legal settlement reached with 11 states in early October. Seen any good mnvipc Find out what's hot in theaters every Friday Heralded Review Herald Review Postmaster Send address changes to: Review, P.O. Box 311, Decatur, IL 62525-0311. Eight-week subscription rates are: Carrier home-delivered, motor-route, $32; mail in-trade, $38; mail out-trade, $41 (USPS 150-800).

The Herald Review is published daily at 601 William SL by Lee Publishing, a subsidiary of Lee Enterprises. Periodical postage paid at Decatur; Illinois post office. AID Continued from A1 homebuilder Toll Brothers Inc. posting disappointing quarterly results, the Dow Jones industrial average closed down nearly 180 points. The financial crisis took on a new dimension on Capitol Hill.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called for "emergency and limited financial assistance" for the battered auto industry and urged the outgoing Bush administration to join lawmakers in reaching a quick compromise during a postelection session of Congress. The new mortgage assistance plan was announced by the Federal Housing Finance Agency, which seized control of Fannie and Freddie in September, and other government and industry officials. Officials say they hope the new approach, which takes effect Dec. 15, will become a model for loan servicing companies that collect mortgage payments and distribute them to investors. These companies have been roundly criticized for being slow to respond to a surge in defaults.

James Lockhart, director of the housing finance agency, urged investors to "rapidly adopt this program as the industry standard." Still, government officials had no estimate of how many homeowners would be able to qualify. Fannie and Freddie own or guarantee nearly 31 million U.S. mortgages, or nearly six of every 10 outstanding. But they have far lower overall delinquency rates, under 2 percent. To qualify, borrowers would have to be at least three months behind on their home loans and have to owe 90 percent or more than the home is worth.

Investors who do not occupy their homes would be excluded, as would borrowers who have filed for bankruptcy. Qualified borrowers would get help in several ways: The interest rate would be reduced so they would not pay more than 38 percent of their gross income on housing expenses. Another option is for loans to be extended to 40 years from 30 and for some of the principal to be deferred, interest-free. Though lenders have beefed up their efforts to aid borrowers over the past year, their action hasn't kept up with the worst housing recession in decades. More than 4 million American homeowners, or 9 percent of borrowers with a mortgage, were either behind on their payments or in foreclosure at the end of June, according to the most recent data from the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Indeed, Tuesday's announcement comes too late for Troy Courtney, a 44-year-old San Francisco police officer. He moved out of his home in Mill Valley, earlier this month, taking his children, three dogs and one cat with him, after failing at several attempts to get a loan modification or a short sale. A short sale occurs when the lender agrees to receive less than the loan is worth. veterans and of those who built the memorial at Weldon Springs. "Thank you, and let's fight to keep this here," he said.

Army Maj. Jerry Clarke, chief of 1i Vif ITf IfTV1 f' f-' riifii i -hu, MffmnBH World War II veteran and Clinton resident Ernest Thorp claps during the staff for U.S. Rep. Tim Johnson, R-Urbana, gave the audience a reason to hope, however. "About 25 years ago, this park received grant money from the secretary of the Interior of the United States," said "With that grant money came the stipulation that the park cannot be closed without the permission of the secretary of the Interior's office.

"Our office has made that clear to state of Illinois officials, and it is our belief that by law, this park must remain open." Clinton Mayor Ed Wollet served as the master of ceremonies for the event organized by DeWitt County Homefront. In addition to Mitchell, Thorp and Clarke, speakers also included Peter Thomas, director of the Lincoln's Challenge Academy in Rantoul, and state Sen. Bill Brady, R-Bloomington. "There are few American heroes," Wollet said in introducing Thorp, "but this man is one of them." Thorp served in the 452nd Bomb Group and was shot down over the North Herald Review photosKevin Barlow The color guard enters during the Veterans Day ceremony at Weldon Springs State Recreation Area. was a navigator in B-52s for Force and retired as a lieutenant a son-in-law who also served in Force for 21 years as a meteorologist retired as a captain.

So, I have around the military and this uniform life. I'm very proud of that." kbarlowpantagraph.com Sea on Aug. 4, 1944. He was captured and held as a POW for eight months. Now 88 years old, he told the crowd that Veterans Day is one of his favorite days.

"I had five children, and I prayed that my children would never have to wear a uniform," Thorp said. "But both of my sons did, as my oldest served as a captain in the Army and served in Vietnam. TRACKING Continued from A1 police use a mobile receiver to tune in to the person's unique radio signal. A handheld directional antenna is used to determine the direction of the strongest radio signal so searchers can move in that direction until the missing person is located. Each unit costs about $25 and must have its batteries replaced once a month, Smith said.

Finding a local group to take on the task of making the battery switches remains on his list of things that need to get done to make the program viable, he said. "We hope to have this in place before the end of the year," Smith said. "I've got a list of five to seven families who have expressed an interest in participating. I'll be determined, a meeting will be scheduled with the families involved and the bracelets will be issued at that time, he said. Lorentz said the irony is that her mother is in a Piatt County nursing home and not eligible to apply for a bracelet.

"We'd like to have local mental health agencies take on this project long term," Lorentz said. "We're working on that.".