Briefs: Third man sentenced in firebombing
A 24-year-old man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for his role in a firebombing that killed a Joliet woman and her 4-year-old daughter. Sergio Anguiana had cooperated with prosecutors and testified at the trials of two co-defendants that he drove the night of the 2005 attack but that he didn't know what the duo intended to do. The two other men, Juan Santana and Ignacio Jacobo, have already been convicted of first-degree murder in the deaths of 35-year-old Maria Nunez and her daughter Merary. Jacobo was accused of throwing a rock through the window of Nunez's home, while Santana threw a firebomb through the broken window. Two of Nunez's older children survived.
80 years handed down
A Chicago man has been sentenced to the maximum 80 years in prison for shooting a man, then abducting his ex-girlfriend and their four children and holding them hostage at an Elkhart, Ind., motel. An Elkhart County judge told 31-year-old Jerry White on Thursday that he was among the worst of the worst and deserved the long sentence. A jury last month convicted White on one count of attempted murder and eight counts of criminal confinement. White was accused of shooting the man during the Jan. 20 abduction. The man was blinded. Police sought White, the woman and the children for more than three days until they were found unharmed. The case led to an Amber Alert that drew national attention.
Buy state fair Mega Pass
Today is the last day to take advantage of the Illinois State Fair's holiday special and purchase a 2008 Mega Pass for $45, a $15 discount. The Mega Pass is a ticket to the more than 100 carnival, midway and Adventure Village rides at the Illinois State Fair in Aug. 8 to 17. To order, call (217) 785-3482 or (217) 782-6661 and charge the pass to your Visa or MasterCard. Mega Passes are not valid for admission to the fairgrounds or rides on the Skyglider and Giant Slide.
Sindoor powder recalled
The Kane County Health Department is warning consumers not to use 3.5 oz. packages of Swad-brand sindoor, an orange or red powder used in some traditional South Asian Pacific ceremonies that is applied to the face or scalp, imported by Raja Foods LLC of Skokie, because the product contains high levels of lead. Although the product was not intended to be sold for food use, its labeling is confusing and implies that it may be used as food. The Illinois Department of Public Health has confirmed two cases of lead poisoning in consumers who used the product as an ingredient in home-cooked meals. Other uses of the product, including as a cosmetic, can also be dangerous due to the high lead levels.
Tollway budget approved
Illinois State Toll Highway Authority directors Thursday adopted a $670 million budget for 2008. The fiscal plan includes $236 million for operating expenses compared to $224.6 million in 2007. The budget also channels $230 million into the tollway's $1.39 billion capital program. Future road work includes widening the Reagan Tollway and northern Tri-State Tollway.