The Pantagraph Bloomington, IL

Deaths

Joseph Supan TOLUCA -- Joseph "Joe" Supan, 68, of Toluca died at 5 a.m. Tuesday (June 21, 2005) at Proctor Community Hospital, Peoria.

A Better 'Batman' ; Despite Flaws, Nolan Helps to Resurrect Comic Book Hero

Batman Begins 3 stars Director: Christopher Nolan

Death Toll Rising; Time to Bring Troops Home

Maybe it takes a Nebraskan and a decorated veteran of Vietnam to see the truth about Iraq. Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel now tells the June 27 U.S. News: "Things aren't getting better; they're getting worse. The White House is completely disconnected from reality. It's like they're just making it up as they go along. The reality is that we're losing in Iraq."

Neighbors Slow in Reporting Fire ; Streator Woman Died in Blaze

STREATOR -- Neighbors watched a fire in which a disabled Streator woman died -- but no one thought to call it in right away, fire officials said Wednesday. Elizabeth "Betty" Goldsmith, 79, of 525 S. Otter Creek Road, was pronounced dead about 5:20 p.m. Tuesday at the scene. She was found dead in her bed, firefighters said.

Movie Characters Say the Darnedest Things

The nice thing about the American Film Institute's annual poll is that it gives movie buffs a golden opportunity to act all superior. After all, what does the AFI know?

Bands of America Offers Variety of Music

Besides The Ahn Trio on Wednesday, the annual Bands of America Summer Symposium concert series has plenty to offer local music lovers during the symposium's run from Monday through July 1. For the record, this year's symposium marks a big milestone for Bands of America: No. 30.

Dailydigest

News in brief Obama to speak at Heartland campus

Pull Your Own

Deaths

H. Thomas Brown BLOOMINGTON -- H. Thomas "Tom" Brown, 76, of Bull Shoals, Ark., formerly of Bloomington, died June 2, 2005 at Pine Lane Healthcare.

Deaths

Walter R. Bunn BLOOMINGTON -- Walter R. Bunn, 90, of Sabal Palms, Largo, Fla., formerly of Bloomington, died June 16, 2005, in Largo.

Deaths

William R. Holden Jr. BLOOMINGTON -- William R. Holden Jr., 55, of Alton, formerly of Bloomington, died at 5:40 a.m. Monday (June 20, 2005) at Saint Anthony's Hospital, Alton.

Former Sheriff has a Lot to Repay

EUREKA -- It will be a long time before Woodford County recovers the entire $234,000 embezzled by former Sheriff Bill Myers. Myers, 55, pleaded guilty in July 2002 to federal felony charges of mail fraud and money laundering. An investigation revealed he misused credit cards and county grant money to pay for cash advances, electronic equipment, firearms and personal travel expenses.

Drug Court Grant Sought ; Program Will Push Rehab

BLOOMINGTON -- A drug court that emphasizes rehabilitation rather than jail time could be only a year away in McLean County if federal funding can be found. "If we get a grant, we could start by June 1. If we don't get a grant, it could delay things," McLean County Circuit Judge Scott Drazewski told The Pantagraph Editorial Board Wednesday.

Don't Exclude Options with No-Tax-Hike Pledges

Now that Jim Oberweis has pledged not to raise taxes if the Republican is elected governor, let's hope it doesn't create a parade of other candidates -- or might-be candidates -- making the same promise. It's not that we want to see state taxes increased or think they need to be increased. We just think elected officials and those who aspire to be should not prematurely box themselves into corners.

Quit Carping and Support Campaign Limits for 2008

Republican lawmakers in Illinois need to get beyond the rage and/ or jealousy of Gov. Rod Blagojevich's $10.3 million re-election war chest and think about capping campaign contributions as the federal government does. Last month, the governor proposed capping individual donations at $2,000 and party/political action contributions at $5,000. Corporations and unions could not give anything unless they form political action committees to collect money from employees and members.

Short Takes

Coming soon Scheduled to open in area cinemas next Friday (July 1) is just a lone arrival ... Rebound, starring Martin Lawrence as a hot-headed basketball coach who blows a court-side gasket one too many times and is fired, forcing him to take a gig as the coach of a hard-luck junior varsity team. Where, oh, where have we heard this one before?

Goodfellas' Says Bring the Family ; Restaurant Boasts Healthy Portions, Varied Cuisine

I was expecting something a little more ... Mafia. But Goodfellas' Restaurant aims to please families not "the Family" and its earthy decor reflects the elegantly eclectic nature of this new Bloomington eatery. Atmosphere

Electronic Monitoring Worth the Cost-Savings

It was encouraging to read The Pantagraph's June 14 editorial endorsing a drug court and trial of electronic monitoring in McLean County. Since the fall of 2000 the Alternatives to Jail Committee, a coalition of organizations interested in justice issues spearheaded by the League of Women Voters of McLean County, has been studying and advocating ways to administer justice locally without crowding the county's jail or necessitating an expensive addition.

Durbin Comments Warrant Impeachment

What in the hell is he (Sen. Dick Durbin) smoking? If he is allowed to serve another term after the comments he made, then the taxpayers of Illinois get what they deserve. We are at war, there are young Americans dying on foreign soil, and Durbin stands on the floor of the Senate and decries that these poor prisoners are being mistreated. They are probably living better there than they do in Iraq.

Financial Facts of Life ; College Grads Can Use Proven Money Strategies to Get Ahead

Getting started Financial experts have offered advice for recent or upcoming college graduates: * Consolidating students loans can lock in low interest rates and save cash in the long haul, but watch for consolidation fees and front-loaded interest payments that don't decrease the principal balance of the loan for several years.