Woman charged after running down teen
ELGIN, Ill. -- Kane County authorities have charged a Streamwood woman with two counts of first-degree murder for allegedly using her car to crush an Elgin teenager.
Police say that 33-year-old Timera D. Branch ran over the curb and deliberately rammed her car into 17-year-old John Keyes as he tried to run away from her Sunday afternoon. His body was pinned against an apartment building on Elgin's east side.
Keyes was pronounced dead at Sherman Hospital a short time later.
Branch faces between 20 and 60 years behind bars if found guilty.
Insurance officials to hand credits to locals
MADISON, Wis. -- State insurance officials plan to hand $12 million in property insurance credits back to local governments next year.
Wisconsin municipalities can pay into a state account in exchange for insurance on public property. State auditors reported in June the account had a $36 million surplus.
The state Assembly passed a bill last week that ordered state officials to reduce the locals' premiums by $12 million next year. The measure is currently in the Senate insurance committee.
State Insurance Commissioner Sean Dilweg has the authority to return the money immediately without legislation. On Wednesday, he announced his office would divide $12 million of the surplus as credit among the locals beginning in January.
Parents don't want shelter next to school
FOND DU LAC, Wis. -- Some parents are objecting to plans by a Fond du Lac Catholic church to open a warming shelter for the homeless next to a primary school.
Sarah Brinkley, who has two small children at St. Mary's Primary School, said the young students are naive and trusting, so the shelter location isn't the best.
Holy Family Catholic Community wants to set up the shelter at St. Joseph Church because the building is barely used during the week.
Sister Judith Schmidt, president of the St. Mary's Springs Academy, said the community should take a closer look at the proposal.
Shelter organizers want to have it open by next month.
Commission: Millions left in student loans
CHICAGO -- The Illinois Student Assistance Commission says it still has $66 million for low-interest, federally secured loans to students for the 2009-2010 academic year.
Rising tuition costs and changes in federal policy that cut lender profits have made it harder to secure student loans. Some banks have dropped out of the student-loan business completely.
The commission says interest on federal student loans range from 5.6 to 8.5 percent. It claims interest on equivalent private loan can run as high as 18 percent.
Police chief resigns, gets severance
DARIEN, Wis. -- The already suspended police chief of Darien has agreed to resign in exchange for a severance package, which hasn't yet been made public.
The village board suspended the chief in December after accusing him of having an inappropriate relationship with an employee and other work violations. The board voted to fire him in March.
However, the termination could only follow a public hearing on the matter.
Aide resigned to avoid cloud over Quinn
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- A former aide to Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn confirms that she resigned amid questions about doing political work on state time.
But Carolyn Brown Hodge said she worked hard to separate political work from official duties and resigned only to avoid creating a cloud over the administration.
