Herald and Review from Decatur, Illinois • Page 3

IEFS Ballot envy New citizen to miss 2008 election Saturday Questions or comments regarding this section? Contact Night Editor John Reidy at 421-6973 have acceptable identification to present at the polls on Election Day. The bill was discharged from the Elections and Campaign Reform Committee last spring, but when it was placed on the House calendar for third reading, which occurs prior to a vote, it was recalled to second reading. House Speaker Michael Madigan then had it referred to the Rules Commit said in that scenario, picture identification would be required. The Illinois State Board of Elections has distributed to election officials statewide a draft of a proposed Election Day registration plan for their perusal, Bean said. The draft plan is based on the work of a legislative commission appointed by Madigan to investigate the possibility of same-day registration.

"The State Board of Elections is saying the commission will recommend same-day registration be adopted in the next legislative session," Bean said. "Elections will change drastically by 2010 if this passes. We'll have to hire a lot more personnel than we have now. Registration and showing ID will slow down voting on Election Day." Under the current Illinois early voting law, voters coming to his office to cast a ballot must show identification with a photo on it, Bean said. That also is true at the polls on Election Day if the voter's registration was received by mail but was not accompanied by a photo copy of picture identification, he said.

But identification with a photo on it is not foolproof in solving vote fraud, Bean said. "In past years, I've found plenty of cases of people from both parties who voted after having moved from the address at which they were registered to vote," Bean said. "On Election Day, each person requesting a ballot signs a certification that they live at the address on the form and are certified to vote from that address. "If they don't live at the address on the form, they have committed voter fraud and are subject to possible local prosecution or, this year, to federal prosecution because this is a presidential election." Macon County clerk says such a change would likely be obsolete quickly By RON INGRAM HSR Staff Writer DECATUR Illinois should mandate that residents present picture identification when they come to the polls to vote as a means of controlling potential voter fraud, state Rep. Bill Mitchell, R-Forsyth, said Thursday.

Mitchell held a news conference at the Macon County Office Building to push for passage of House Bill 4403 during the legislature's fall veto session. The bill, sponsored by state Rep. David Reis, R-Willow Hill, and co-sponsored by Mitchell, would require the Secretary of State to issue voter identification cards to all registered voters who do not already Mitchell tee to die, Mitchell said. The failure to vote on the bill shows that "the powers that be" are being obstructionist, he said. Macon County Clerk Steve Bean said the bill likely will be moot soon because Illinois is moving toward a system whereby a person could register to vote on Election Day and then proceed to cast a ballot.

He 'COMING TOGETHER TO WORK TOGETHER' Young adult fiction author shares her story Readers Anofiymoiis learn about careers in writing By THERESA CHURCHILL Senior Writer LOVINGTON Seventeen-year-old Morgan Hays asked young adult author Stephanie Hale the dreaded question, but she answered it anyway. "I really don't know where I get my ideas," Hale said. "I just kept hearing the same thing over and over: Write what you know." Speaking Wednesday afternoon at Lovington High School to two dozen members of the school's Readers News from Central Illinois DECATUR Harvest Walk on Sunday The 2008 Harvest Walk will be at 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 26, in Fairview Park Pavilion.

Registration begins at 2 p.m. Admission is a donation of $5 per person or $15 for a family of three or more, with proceeds benefiting The Good Samaritan Inn. Cider and pumpkin breads will be available. A silent auction featuring fall and Halloween decorations also will be available. All checks must be made payable to The Good Samaritan Inn.

Call 233-3391. DECATUR Senior Appreciation Day Addus HealthCare is holding the second Senior Appreciation Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 1, at the Decatur-Macon County Senior Center, 1430 N.

22nd St. The celebration will include food, singing, dancing and door prizes. Call Janet Black at 428-1724. DSCMOE Easter Seals 'Girls Scrappin' Easter Seals Disability Services is holding "Girls Scrappin Day Out" from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 1 at Easter Seals, 2715 N. 27th St. The $25 admission includes scrap booking, lunch, snacks, two raffle tickets and prizes. Register a group of at least 10 people and reserve a party room.

Vendors such as Creative Memories, Stampin Up and Longaberger will be in attendance. Call Easter Seals at 429-1052. The Color Purple7 bus trip The Decatur Area Arts Council is taking reservations for a bus trip to see "The Color Purple" on Saturday, Nov. 1 2008. The Tony-nominated musical will appear in the Fox Theatre, 527 N.

Grand St. Louis, Mo. Additional trips are planned to "Radio City Christmas Spectacular: starring the Rockettes," Friday, Dec. 12, and Saturday, Dec. 20.

This show will also appear in the Fox Theatre. Mount Zion native Lara Mof-fett Menard will perform in the show. For reservations or more information, call the Decatur Area Arts Council at 423-31 89. decatur Seeds of Hope highlight The Oasis Day Center and supportive housing programs of Heritage Behavioral Health Center will be highlighted during a monthly Seeds of Hope event at 11 a.m. Thursday, Nov.

6, at Heritage Fields, 3795 N. Charles St. RSVP to Leslie Risby at Irisby heritagenet.org or call 420-4801. DECATUR Adopt a Shelter Dog Month Celebrating Adopt a Shelter Dog Month, the Humane Society of Decatur and Macon County, 2890 N. Martin Luther King Jr.

Drive, has a sale from 5 to 8 p.m. today. Every dog and puppy adopted will receive a free collar and leash. Identification chips are available for $25. DECATUR Election Day senior supper The Decatur-Macon County Senior Center is holding "Presidential Election Day" Soup and Chili Supper 4 to 8 p.m.

Tuesday, Nov. 4, at 1430 N. 22nd St. The meal includes a choice of soup or chili, corn bread and beverage for $6. Donated baked goods will be for sale.

Phone-in carryout orders will also be available. Call 429-1239 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., or e-mail Leslie Stan-berry, executive director, at les stanberrycomcast.net; Kris Fite, outreach coordinator, at Kfite135 comcast.net; Bil Larrick, administrative assistant, at Bil1450comcast. net; or Judy Peifer, activity coordinator, at Jpeifer52comcast.net. NOTICE The Herald Review strives for accuracy.

Readers who think an error has been published are encouraged to call the Herald Review newsroom at 421-6979. When an error is found, a correction will be published. LI Si i -r 'fmwMw wi-i; s-i i Hale Anonymous book club, Hale then related the incident from her freshman year at High School that inspired her to write "Revenge of the Homecoming Queen," published in 2007 by Berkley Jam Books. "The boys in our class thought it would be really Herald ReviewLisa Morrison Chontella Young-Ivy spent time in prison but was back to share a message of hope and change with current inmates. She also sang a solo in the program.

www, Stephanie hale.com Former inmate gives awards to people who help prisoners would be sitting there," Yarbrough said. "What's the difference between you and me? I didn't get caught." Roger Walker, director of the Illinois Department of Corrections, said he had never before been honored by a former inmate. Walker credited Debbie Denning, the department's director of women's services, for implementing so many programs that help inmates. Abel gave a plaque to her mother, Shirley, who raised Sheryl's son after he was born in prison. The young man is now in college.

Pickerill, who hopes to return to college and work for an international relief agency, said seeing former inmates and a state representative who care about inmates empowered her. "It makes me know I can do it," she said. By HUEY FREEMAN Staff Writer DECATUR When Kristen Pickerill, an inmate at Decatur Correctional Center, saw a woman she knew striding to the podium, she let out a loud cheer. Pickerill, 26, a former heroin addict serving a six-year sentence for residential burglary, was elated to see a former inmate who returned through the front door. Pickerill of Oak Park was among 140 women who spent most of Thursday in the gym at the medium-security prison.

They listened to inspirational speeches and sermons, then enjoyed the prison choir and praise dancers and watched a former inmate hand out awards to prison officials. She was greatly encouraged by what she saw and heard. "One of the greatest fears we have as inmates is that society doesn't want us back," said Picker ill, who hopes to be released on parole in 15 months. "They don't know who we are. They believe we are dangerous, because of what they have seen on TV.

We are just broken people." The daylong event, called "Coming Together to Work Together," was the brainchild of Sheryl Abel, who was released from the Decatur prison in 2002, after serving six prison terms that spanned 15 years. Abel, director of Hope a nonprofit assistance agency for ex-offenders, held an awards ceremony, handing out plaques and hugging those who helped her and her organization. State Rep. Karen Yarbrough, D-Broadview, who helped Abel's group land a $25,000 state grant, was one of the recipients. Yarbrough told the inmates it hurt her heart to see them in the prison.

"But for the grace of God, I funny to get everyone to vote for a boy who was not very popular to be on the homecoming court, and he won," she said. "So you had this, I don't want to say geeky guy because he was really nice, with the most popular girl in school, riding on a car together." With that, Hale had her audience eating out of her hand, much the way she did with "Revenge" and with the sequel "Twisted Sisters," published in April, even though at 35, she's a long way from being a teenager. A Macon County resident, she also said the only time she can write are when her two young sons, one in elementary school and one not in school yet, are asleep, and that one of the first things an aspiring author should do is hire an agent. Club adviser Karen Smith-Cox, the school district's librarian, said she invited Hale to speak so the students could see that writing books is a real career option. Aspiring authors in the club include sophomore Eddie McGo-nigle, 15, who has published some of his stories online, and junior Kalee Huffman, 16, who said she can hardly wait for Hale's third book in the series, "Spring Breakup," to come out in March.

Senior Callie Baugus, 17, club president and the school's homecoming queen, also said she found Hale intriguing. "It was cool to see into an author's mind," she said. For her part, Hale said it was good to meet so many teenagers excited about reading. "Books compete with the Internet, cell phones and PlayStation," she said. "It's great to see they still have a place in teenagers' lives." 421-7978 Three teens arrested in connection with recent burglaries link these subjects may have to additional crimes," Dickerson said.

Walker said there has been a series of burglaries and attempted burglaries to businesses on East Eldorado Street in recent weeks in which the three are suspected to have been involved. The efforts have included attempts to tear through roofs and break windows to gain access to various businesses. to a vehicle theft reported to police Oct. 2, he said. Items taken in the burglary at Midwest Title were cash and vehicle titles, and cash was taken during the Subway break-in, Walker said.

Police Lt. David Dicker-son said the juvenile detectives received assistance from the police department's Street Crimes Unit and patrol officers in apprehending the juveniles. "We're looking into any on Wednesday. Walker said the three juveniles were ordered detained after an appearance before Associate Judge Lisa Holder White In addition to the burglaries, the 13- and 14-year-olds were arrested for retail theft at the Circle gas station, 501 N. Main that was reported Wednesday, Walker said.

The 13-year-old boy also was arrested on a charge of possession of a stolen vehicle in reference By RON INGRAM Staff Writer DECATUR Three boys, ages 13, 14 and 16, were arrested Wednesday by Decatur police in connection with two recent burglaries to businesses on East Eldorado Street, said Sgt. Jason Walker, juvenile detective supervisor. Break-ins were reported at Midwest Title, 1450 E. Eldorado on Oct. 14, and the Subway restaurant, 1499 E.

Eldorado.