Group: 5 deaths highlight need to close facility

SPRINGFIELD -- Advocates for disabled citizens are questioning the deaths of five patients at a Tinley Park disability center.

They plan a news conference Tuesday to renew the call for closing Howe Developmental Center, where five people have died since September.

The advocacy group Equip for Equality says officials need to make good on their promise to close the facility. It was originally scheduled to close July 1, but lawmakers have put that on hold.

They want new Gov. Pat Quinn to weigh in on the issue.

The center lost its certifications from the federal government, which cited problems with record-keeping and patient care.