World grieves with Newtown

People around the world are grieving with the residents of Newtown, Conn., over the murders of 26 school children and staff, offering their support by sending toys, money and other gifts.   One town hall volunteer describes the outpouring as people “way of grieving” and an effort to reach out to those most directly affected by the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre.  Monsignor Robert Weiss of St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church says he has been asked frequently how people so shattered should celebrate Christmas. He says hearts “will be broken again on Christmas morning when that one special person is not there to open their gifts.” But Weiss urges people to celebrate the day in its truest sense and pray for hope, healing and peace.

controversy at Ottawa Hospital

Though OSF St. Elizabeth Medical Center is saying good-bye to twin doctors, Idries and Jamil Abdur-Rahman, a Facebook page called “Save the OB Twins” is trying to keep them in Ottawa. St. Elizabeth’s press release said the twin OB-GYN’s are departing for Waukegan January 1 and the hospital wishes them luck. It is on Facebook, though, many of the doctor’s patients claim OSF officials forced the doctors out becaue of philosophical differences. A post credited to Jamil Abdur-Rahman claims because they took patients to other hospitals that allow vasectomies and tubal ligations, hospital officials told them they were not “OSF team players”. The post additionally says OSF told them the hospital could do nothing to make their practice “easier” under the religious guidelines of OSF. The OSF Ottawa hospital says despite losing two OB/GYN’s, another doctor is ready to step in at the birth center.

treasurers that were hidden

Water levels on Midwest rivers are going down but, they’re uncovering boats and a millennium-old map engraved in rock. The Associated Press quotes an anthropologist, who claims the rock – perhaps as old as 1200 years has appeared in the Mississippi River in Southeast Missouri. Steve Dasovich, of Lindenwood University in Missouri, says the rock appears to be a map of prehistoric Indian villages not yet known to historians. A World War II minesweeper, once moored on the Mississippi at St. Louis has become visible along with old steamboats. Dasovich says the Missouri and Mississippi were heavily traveled by steamboat in the 1800’s. He says they were quickly and poorly built and proned to damage on smaller rivers due to debris.

fuzzy wuzzy project

Honig Bell Coldwell Banker Realtors wants kids in Newtown, Connecticut to have a “fuzzy wuzzy” Christmas. The company’s thirty eight offices in the top 2/3’s of Illinois, including Ottawa are collecting “teddy bears” for the town reeling from the horrific shootings of December 14. Judi McConville with Honig Bell Ottawa says they’ve received a terrific response from their downstate offices and they have 50 teddy bears waiting in their 1402 Columbus street offices. One of their realtors, who doubles as a UPS driver, will deliver the bears leaving for Newtown sometime Monday and the company will absorb the cost. If you still want to donate, according to McConville, Honig –Bell Coldwell banker of Ottawa will accept teddy bears through Friday and make sure they get to Newtown. Again, the office is at 1402 Columbus south of the Wendy’s.

President in Hawaii

 White House officials say President Barack Obama will attend today’s funeral for U.S. Senator Daniel Inouye in Hawaii.  Officials say Obama does not plan to speak at Sunday’s ceremony at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.  Inouye died at the age of 88 on Monday.

donate to Operation Hero Miles

 Governor Pat Quinn is urging Illinois residents to support military veterans this Christmas by donating their unused frequent flier miles to Operation Hero Miles. Quinn will discuss the program during a visit today to Fisher House at the Edward Hines Junior Veterans’ Affairs Hospital in Chicago’s western suburbs.

bullied student in trouble

A 15-year-old has pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct for threatening to shoot people at his central Illinois school, though the teen said he never intended to carry out the threat. The Peoria Journal Star reports the boy told friends he was frustrated with being picked on and bullied and was going to shoot students at Farmington High School. The teen faces probation when he is sentenced February 1st.

cost of stalking?

A central Illinois city has been charged more than $100,000 in legal fees to defend a police officer accused of stalking another officer while on the job. The Peoria Journal Star reports documents released to the newspaper show city taxpayers have been billed nearly $113,000 since the case was filed last year. Peoria police Officer Donna Nicholson filed for a no-stalking order against fellow Officer Jeff Wilson. Nicholson contends that Wilson tracked her car with a GPS device.