The Pantagraph Bloomington, IL

Baseball Team Home to Face Northern Iowa

Illinois State's baseball team looks to get above .500 in the Missouri Valley Conference when it entertains Northern Iowa for a four-game series beginning today at Redbird Field. ISU comes in 7-10 and 2-2 in the Valley. The Redbirds won the first game of each doubleheader at Evansville last weekend, but couldn't get a sweep either time.

Nchs Nets Softball Win

PEORIA -- Shanna Diller led the way with three hits as Normal Community High School used 10 singles to down Peoria Notre Dame 8-4 in a nonconference softball game Thursday. Calli Grimes added two hits for NCHS (2-0) and also pitched the final three innings for the save, striking out four.

Olympia Makes Early Statement

BLOOMINGTON -- The state's top Class A high school softball teams are officially put on notice. Two-time defending state champion Olympia will have to be reckoned with somewhere down the line.

'X' Marks the Spot for Kearns, Raiders

Ryan Kearns threw 5 1/3 strong innings to lift Bloomington High School to a 7-3 victory over host Lincoln Thursday in a nonconference baseball game. Kearns earned his first decision by allowing 10 hits, walking one and striking out two. He gave up three runs, but only one was earned as BHS improved to 4-0.

Governor Promotes Discount Drug Plan

BLOOMINGTON -- Gov. Rod Blagojevich stopped at a Twin City drugstore Thursday afternoon to promote a new, state-run discount prescription program. "The rising cost of prescription drugs is one of the biggest issues and the biggest challenges facing our senior citizens," Blagojevich said during a news conference at Walgreens, 1525 N. Veterans Parkway, Bloomington. "I know our senior citizens need relief, and I know they need relief now."

Woodworking Shop Destroyed in Blaze

EL PASO -- A barn that had been converted into a woodworking shop was destroyed by fire Thursday morning near El Paso. Firefighters were called at 9:26 a.m. to Barret Scheurmann's property at Woodford County roads 2890 East and 800 North, about three miles southeast of El Paso.

Bank Plans to Build Downtown ; Contingent Upon Normal's Plans

What's next? * Normal's downtown redevelopment plans willbe discussed at the City Council meeting 7 p.m. Monday at City Hall.

Listening to Little People ; Class Looks at How Kids Think

EUREKA - If you have four boxes and eight doughnuts, how many doughnuts are in each box? Kindergarten student Chloe Bruell gave the correct answer - two - Thursday morning. But Janet Mildenberger, a senior at Illinois State University, wanted to know more. She wanted to know how Chloe was thinking about the word problem.

Carlock Mayor Say's He'll Protest Principal's Demotion

NORMAL -- The mayor of Carlock said he plans to file a complaint with the Unit 5 school district questioning the validity of a meeting in which a school principal was transferred to a teaching position. Mayor Ted Ratajski said he will file a grievance today under the school district's uniform grievance procedure.

Theater Owners Seek Donations, Volunteers for Renovation Project

LeROY -- The owners of the Princess Theatre in LeRoy are asking for the public's help in restoring the long-closed movie house. David Kraft and Kris Spaulding are offering LeRoy residents the opportunity to contribute money or to volunteer their time to help run it.

Three Face Robbery Charges

BLOOMINGTON -- A 16-year-old boy and two Bloomington men were charged Thursday with holding up a man outside a Twin City grocery store. Chadwick Wakefied, 23, and Christopher Wakefield, 18, both of the 1200 block of West Olive Street, face felony counts of aggravated robbery. They are scheduled to appear in court on April 9.

Deaths

Clarence Derick Jr. PIPER CITY -- Clarence G. "Clary" Derick Jr., 94, of Champaign, formerly of Butte, Mont., and Columbia, Tenn., died at 5:55 p.m. Wednesday (March 31, 2004) at Carle Foundation Hospital, Urbana. He was born April 3, 1909, in Champaign, a son of C.G. Sr. and Edith L. Blowe Derick. He married Virginia Khym. He later married Robbie Tanksley. He later married Margaret "Peg" English Bracken on May 26, 1973. Margaret died Dec. 20, 1997.

Deaths

Kenneth Mason McLEAN -- Kenneth Mason, 88, of McLean died at 5:58 p.m. Wednesday (March 31, 2004) at BroMenn Regional Medical Center, Normal.

Deaths

Merle Eugene Spratt LeROY -- Merle Eugene Spratt, 81, of LeRoy passed away at 10:20 a.m. Thursday (April 1, 2004) at the LeRoy Manor, LeRoy. His funeral will be at 10 a.m. Monday at Calvert-Belangee-Bruce Funeral Home, LeRoy, with the Rev. Tim Vollstedt officiating. Burial will be in Oak Grove Cemetery, LeRoy. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home. A Masonic service will be at 7:45 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home.

Deaths

Brian Sutton LINCOLN -- Brian E. Sutton, 30, of Auburn, formerly of Lincoln, died at 8:40 a.m. Wednesday (March 31, 2004) in a auto accident at Springfield. Service: 11 a.m. Saturday at Holland and Barry Funeral Home, Lincoln, Colin Bird officiating.

Deaths

Bernadine Marksteiner NORMAL -- Bernadine Marksteiner, 77, of 1226 Jersey Ave., Normal, died at 7:15 p.m. Wednesday (March 31, 2004) at LeRoy Manor Nursing Home, LeRoy.

Deaths

Ina Mae Pate BLOOMINGTON -- Ina Mae Pate, 82, of 202 W. Locust St., Bloomington, died at 2:13 a.m. Thursday (April 1, 2004) at ASTA Care Center, Bloomington. Her funeral will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at Beck Memorial Home, Bloomington, the Rev. William "Bill" Smith officiating. Internment will be in Rosewood Cemetery, Bloomington. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. today at the funeral home.

Transfers in Ag Agency Dropped ; Governor Listens to Farmers' Lobby

SPRINGFIELD -- Gov. Rod Blagojevich reversed field Thursday and will no longer push to transfer workers out of the Illinois Department of Agriculture and into other state agencies as a way to streamline government. The proposal, unveiled in February, wilted under intense opposition from downstate lawmakers, who announced the governor's flip-flop on Thursday.

Tax Cheats Face Tougher Irs Scrutiny

BLOOMINGTON -- IRS Commissioner Mark Everson picked April 1 to announce the IRS would be a lot less tolerant of taxpayers fooling around with their returns. In a teleconference Thursday, Everson announced the IRS has been beefing up its enforcement efforts and would add an additional 4,000 auditors, tax collectors, criminal investigators and other "front- line" enforcement staff should President Bush's 2005 budget proposal pass. That spending plan increases the IRS' budget by nearly 5 percent.

Jobless Rate Drops a Bit

BLOOMINGTON -- Unemployment dropped slightly in Bloomington- Normal and McLean County in February, dipping to 3.3 percent from 3.4 percent in January, according to figures released Thursday by the Illinois Department of Employment Security. "That's a seasonal change," said Norman Kelewitz, IDES labor market analyst, most of it in the school section of government employment. Over the year, government employment was down, he said, "and a lot of that was due to budget problems, which affect a lo...