“Tentative deal settles suit over Kiwane Carrington death,” News-Gazette, September 16
City Attorney Fred Stavins said Thursday that the city has reached a tentative agreement with the family of Kiwane Carrington. The wrongful-death settlement could result in a payout of $400,000 to $500,000 to the Carrington estate.
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Stavins was short on details Thursday, wanting to give city council members a chance to review the settlement before commenting further. The city council still must approve of the agreement before it is finalized, and council members will receive the documents Friday.
“GEO is troubled by new financial waivers,” Daily Illini, September 14
This fall, incoming graduate student employees in the College of Fine and Applied Arts are paying thousands of dollars more in tuition fees than previously required.
The change in tuition waiver policy concerns some representatives of the Graduate Employees Organization, or GEO, which is lobbying for full tuition waivers instead of base-rate ones.
“Champaign police taking ‘aggressive’ approach in wake of crime spike,” News-Gazette, September 14
Police are taking a more “aggressive, proactive approach” in some parts of town to deal with a recent spike in violent crimes, Chief R.T. Finney said on Tuesday.
Compared to this time last year, aggravated batteries have increased by 10.1 percent, robberies by 73.9 percent and armed robberies are up by 27.3 percent, according to a press release.
While the total number of violent crimes has decreased by 0.8 percent compared to this time last year, Finney said, the type of crimes that have increased are random, violent attacks.
“UI President’s House renovation costs: $600,000-plus,” News-Gazette, September 12
The UI has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to remodel the house, following up on plans several years in the making to spruce up the exterior and interior.
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Work on the house at 711 W. Florida Ave., which ranged from replacing hot water heaters to reupholstering furniture to installing a $42,000 hand-woven rug, was funded by a mix of private gifts and university money. No state funding, tuition money or student fees were used to pay for the recent renovations. . .
“Blagojevich asks judge to nullify conviction,” Pantagraph, September 14
Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich has asked a judge to nullify the lone conviction in his mostly deadlocked corruption trial, saying the jury’s decision was underpinned by errors at trial and misconduct by prosecutors.
Trial Judge James Zagel should override jurors’ verdict and acquit Blagojevich of lying to the FBI or set it aside and try him again on that charge, defense attorneys said in a motion filed at the U.S. District Court in Chicago.