Rich Egger

The recently approved marijuana ordinance in Galesburg has gone up in smoke.

The law would have allowed police to issue a ticket to those caught possessing up to 2.5 grams of pot. Offenders could pay a fine instead of going to court.

But Mayor Sal Garza will veto the measure and is recommending changes he feels will improve it.

The mayor wants to start an education program for those under age 18 who are caught with small amounts of marijuana. He also wants to increase the fine to cover the cost of implementing the program.

As people gear up for state fairs, dozens across the US have fallen ill with a new strain of the swine flu. That includes a boy in Illinois who contracted the disease after having contact with a pig at a fair in Coles County.

Doctor LaMar Hasbrouck, Director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, said the new version of the flu causes symptoms similar to that of the regular seasonal flu.

Rich Egger's guest is Macomb Police Lieutenant Jeff Hamer. They talk about the on-site assessment that will take place at the police department August 13 - 15.

Two trained assessors from the Illinois Chiefs of Police Association will examine the department to determine whether it should be accredited through the Illinois Law Enforcement Accreditation Program (ILEAP). The department will be graded on 71 professional standards.

The Illinois Supreme Court ruled a school district that suspended a teacher because of allegations of sexual misconduct had a duty to warn another district where  the teacher later found work.

Jon  White was twice suspended from his teaching job in Normal. But the  McLean County school district did not disclose that when the Urbana  schools asked to verify White's employment.

White was eventually convicted of abusing eight girls in Urbana and two  in  Normal. He will spend most of the next 30 years in prison.

Illinois Lieutenant Governor Sheila Simon recognized two wetlands along the Illinois River for their importance to conservation. 

The Emiquon Complex near Lewistown and the Dixon Waterfowl Refuge near Hennepin received the Ramsar designation this year.  The honor highlights efforts to restore both sites to their natural states.

Before a ceremony at Dickson Mounds Museum, Simon said the international designation can help boost tourism for the region.

Legislation requiring all college dorms in Illinois to have sprinklers installed within the next couple years is one of four new fire safety bills Governor Pat Quinn signed into law.

The bill beefs up past legislation by instituting tougher penalties for post-secondary schools that don't comply. That includes a $1,000 per day fine if sprinklers are not installed by September 1, 2014.

The panelists discuss whether online paywalls are changing the way reporters write their stories.

A piece by Tim Burrowes in Encore magazine points out print journalists have traditionally been taught to follow the story pyramid, in which the most important facts are included at the very beginning of the story, with less and less important details lower in the story. This allowed editors to ax the bottom of the story if the space was needed for another story or an ad.

The City of Macomb has taken steps to ensure the water continues to flow this summer despite the drought.

Mayor Mike Inman said water from one of the city's deep wells is being pumped into Spring Lake, which is the city's water source.

“The water manager started pumping from one of our deep wells the first week of July,” Inman said.

“We're pumping roughly 800 gallons a minute from that deep well into the lake, trying to maintain the water level there.”

The city has two deep wells. Both are at Spring Lake.

A look back at the top stories and features from the Tri States Public Radio news department from July 2012.

During the month, a Keokuk man was found guilty of murdering his mother, a judge tossed out a lawsuit filed by a western Illinois hog farm, and the Tri States Public Radio family lost a good friend.

Democratic Illinois Governor Pat Quinn and House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago) support a proposal to shift the pension funding burden from the state to local school districts.

But State Senator John Sullivan (D-Rushville) said there are good reasons to oppose the plan.

“It's a triple whammy for the districts,” Sullivan said. He pointed out:

1) Local districts would be burdened with the responsibility for a major expense.

2) State financial support for school districts continues to decline.