News

Lerna Dogs Rescued

The Coles County Animal rescue is looking to place nearly two dozen dogs in loving homes after the animals were taken from a home in rural Lerna.

Officials say the orginial owner agreed to turn over 22 of her 27 dogs but the shelter also had to take the other five because conditions didn't improve.

Some of the dogs have injuries and infections but they're all expected to survive.

Pictures of the dogs can be found on the shelters Facebook page.

If you are interested in adopting any of these dogs contact the Coles County Animal Rescue at (217) 345-4112.

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U of I Promotes Dean to Provost

The University of Illinois has chosen the dean of its College of Engineering to take over as provost at the school's flagship campus.

Chancellor Phyllis Wise says Ilesanmi Adesida will step in as provost on August 16th.

The provost is the top academic and budget official on campus.

Adesida says he's excited to go to work for Wise and help set the direction for the campus for decades to come.

Adesida is a native of Nigeria and is a graduate of the University of California-Berkeley.

He came to the University of Illinois in 1987 as an electrical and computer engineering professor.

He was appointed dean of the College of Engineering in 2006.

Adesida will be paid $430,000 a year.

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Charleston Scam

Charleston police are warning the public about a possible scam.

Police say an 18 to 20 year old male is been going door to door selling magazine subscriptions.

They say this male claims he's raising money for the Charleston High School soccer team.

Police say the high school is not sponsoring any fundraisers of this kind.

Authorities say the male is claiming he's associated with the company United Circulation LLC out of Waterloo, IA.

The Charleston Police Department would like everybody to be aware the suspect attempting to sell the subscriptions could be committing fraud.

They say if someone was legitimately selling subscriptions they would have a permit from the city.

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Coach Sallee Leaving EIU

Eastern Illinois Director of Athletics Barbara Burke has announced women's basketball head coach Brady Sallee is leaving his position at EIU.

Sallee leaves Eastern to become the 11th head women's basketball coach at Ball State University.

Burke says a national search for Sallee's replacement will begin immediately.

Sallee recently finished his eighth season at Eastern Illinois guiding the program to a third straight post-season appearance.

Sallee's career record is 136-110.

Over the past five seasons he has lifted EIU to the top of the OVC with five straight top three finishes including the program's first OVC regular season title in 2010.

EIU has posted 20-win seasons in three of the last four seasons.

EIU made the post-season NIT in 2010 and 2012 with a post-season WBI appearance in 2011.

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Emerald Ash Borer

A well known bug is back in our trees.

Officials say the Emerald Ash Borer has been confirmed in Decatur.

The small, invasive insect is responsible for the death of millions of Ash trees across the U.S. and Canada.

Officials say the severity of the infestation is difficult to determine at this time, but signs and symptoms may not appear for a few years.

The ash borer does not pose a risk to humans.

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Charleston High School Security

Charleston High School is holding a special meeting tonight to vote on changes that include adding security cameras throughout the school, changing the outdoor locks and purchasing four metal detector wands.

This comes after a February gun threat and lockdown at the high school.

We'll have more on the security changes on tomorrow's edition of News Watch.

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Jewelry Heist Update

A jewelry heist is still under investigation in Tuscola tonight.

Officials say they're still looking for information about the break in at Zales Jewelry Store in Tanger Outlet Mall.

On May 1st, police responded to an alarm call to the outlet store.

When they arrived, police found a van had been crashed into the front door.

Officials say they don't know how much jewelry was stolen.

News Watch will continue to follow the story.

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U of I Move Out

Clean up or pay up!

That's what Champaign officials are saying to University of Illinois students.

City workers say inspectors will be out checking for over flowing dumpsters and trash in the city.

Violators face a trash removal fee and an additional $100 administrative fee.

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Taylor Concedes Race

A former University of Illinois football star has officially conceded in his race for the Democratic nomination in a central Illinois legislative race.

Winston Taylor announced his decision Monday.

He lost to Decatur schoolteacher Sue Scherer by 69 votes.

Taylor sought a discovery recount in Macon and Christian counties but did not further challenge the results of the March 20th primary.

The former state Environmental Protection Agency administrator fought an uphill battle.

Scherer got nearly $90,000 from campaign funds controlled by House Speaker Michael Madigan.

Taylor took 42.6% of the vote to Scherer's 43.7%.

Springfield Alderman Sam Cahnman finished a distant third.

Taylor says he will contact both Scherer and Republican nominee Dennis Schackelford before deciding whether to endorse one of them in the November election

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Dog Food Recall

Diamond Pet Foods is expanding a voluntary recall to include batches of nine brands of dry pet food formulas manufactured between December 9, 2011 and April 7, 2012 due to potential Salmonella contamination.

In April 2012, Diamond Pet Foods initiated three voluntary recalls of Diamond manufactured dry dog food.

Although none of the additional products being recalled have tested positive for Salmonella, the company is pulling them from store shelves as a precaution. Diamond Pet Foods is coordinating efforts with federal and state health and regulatory agencies and decided to independently expand the recall to ensure the safety and well-being of customers and their pets.

The company says they've taken corrective actions at our Gaston, S.C., facility and voluntarily expanded the recall out of concern for customers and pets.

Brands included in the recall include:

Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul
Country Value
Diamond
Diamond Naturals
Premium Edge
Professional
4Health
Taste of the Wild

To determine if their pet food is recalled, consumers should check the production codes on the back of bags that have a number “2” or a “3” in the 9th position AND an “X” in the 10th or 11th position.
The best-before dates for the recalled brands listed above are December 9, 2012 through April 7, 2013.


The recall affects only products distributed in the following U.S. states and Canada.  Further distribution through other pet food channels may have occurred.

Alabama
Florida
Georgia
Indiana
Kentucky
Massachusetts
Maryland
Michigan
Mississippi
New York
North Carolina
Ohio
Pennsylvania
South Carolina
Tennessee
Virginia
Canada

The Kirkland Signature products included in the recall include:

Kirkland Signature Super Premium Adult Dog Lamb, Rice & Vegetable Formula (Best Before December 9, 2012 through January 31, 2013)
Kirkland Signature Super Premium Adult Dog Chicken, Rice & Vegetable Formula (Best Before December 9, 2012 through January 31, 2013)
Kirkland Signature Super Premium Mature Dog Chicken, Rice & Egg Formula (Best Before December 9, 2012 through January 31, 2013)
Kirkland Signature Super Premium Healthy Weight Dog Formulated with Chicken & Vegetables (Best Before December 9, 2012 through January 31, 2013)
Kirkland Signature Super Premium Maintenance Cat Chicken & Rice Formula (Best Before December 9, 2012 through January 31, 2013)
Kirkland Signature Super Premium Healthy Weight Cat Formula (December 9, 2012 through January 31, 2013)
Kirkland Signature Nature’s Domain Salmon Meal & Sweet Potato Formula for Dogs (December 9, 2012 through January 31, 2013)

Diamond Pet Foods says pet owners who are unsure if the product they purchased is included in the recall, or who would like replacement product or a refund, may contact Diamond Pet Foods via a toll free call at 1-866-918-8756, Monday through Sunday, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. EST.

Consumers may also go to a special website, diamondpetrecall.com, for more information.

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Coles County Fatal Accident

A Mattoon man is dead after a motorcycle accident near Lerna.

The Coles County Sheriff's department says 27-year-old Joseph Eveland was westbound on County Road 300 North, west of Lerna, when his motorcycle started to wobble.

They say the bike left the road, went into a ditch and hit a culvert.

Police say Eveland was thrown from the motorcycle.

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