Free Republic

When large, storm-like blips flashed across radar in Southern Illinois and Western Kentucky, the National Weather Service was stunned – because it wasn’t raining a drop. All kinds of guesses flared up on social media: a flock of birds; aliens; residue the government uses to control the weather, etc. But a tweet from Eyewitness News meteorologist Wayne Hart on Tuesday morning seemingly cleared the fog. Citing an unnamed pilot, he said Evansville air traffic control claimed a military C-130 released a stream of chaff – radar-jamming material sometimes used during training exercises – a few miles northwest of Evansville. A...

Cairo, Ill., has a population of fewer than 3,000 people. A plan to demolish two public housing developments would force many residents to leave and cut the school enrollment in half. ___ The authorities announced last month that the cost of fixing the developments was out of reach, and that replacing them altogether would cost almost 10 times as much. For hundreds of residents, the decision may mean not only leaving these crumbling buildings, but also moving from Cairo altogether. “For sure they needed to fix this place up a long time ago,” said Nena Ellis, 38, a mother of...

A Christian student group filed a federal appeal on Tuesday to be reinstated at the Southern Illinois University School of Law, which revoked the group's registered status because members must pledge to adhere to Christian beliefs. The law school's Christian Legal Society chapter filed the appeal with the U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago to challenge a federal judge's July 5 decision to deny the chapter's request to have the university to re-establish the its status while its lawsuit goes forward. SIU claims the Christian Legal Society chapter's requirement that its voting members and leaders adhere to basic...

SPRINGFIELD - It is said that Cairo, Ill., is closer to Memphis than Chicago - literally, and perhaps figuratively, too. Now, Gov. Rod Blagojevich may be taking that sentiment to heart. Blagojevich, who chairs the Midwestern Governors Association, said in February that he is considering also joining the Southern Governors' Association "because southern Illinois is in many ways a southern state." More than a month later, however, the proposal is news to everyone Blagojevich would have to contact to join the club, including the SGA's executive director and chair. Blagojevich already serves as chairman for the Midwestern Governors Association. "And...

The Kansas Jayhawks pay back Illinois! After the Ilini stopped their dreams of advancing in NCAA Tournament last season behind the 40 points of Frank Williams, the Jayhawks head to this year's Elite Eight. The diaper dandies of Kansas stepped up big: Aaron Miles, Keith Langford and Wayne Simien contributed big-time, tallying 20 of Kansas' 40 points at the half. Drew Gooden was simply himself -- the All-American -- a double-double, sparking Roy Williams' Jayhawks to the Elite Eight for the first time since 1996. Yes, a big-time matchup coming up with Kansas vs. Oregon. Will this be the year...