Region briefs 7/22/04

Wireless Internet service available soon in Illinois

WEST FRANKFORT, Ill. -- West Frankfort is receiving a $50,000 technology grant as part of Gov. Rod Blagojevich's Opportunity Returns plan. The grant will go toward instituting a wireless community network in Southern Illinois. The network is capable of delivering high-speed, low-cost Internet service to homes and businesses in the area. John A. Logan College, in Carterville, Ill., will serve as the anchor institution for the program and will provide access to more than 1,000 households and small businesses. Research indicates that the network would be self-sustaining at about $10 a month per subscriber.

Stop signs added to Jackson streets

New stop signs have been added at two intersections in Jackson. The Jackson Board of Aldermen, in its last meeting, approved adding stop signs for traffic traveling north and south on North West Lane at Oak Street; and traffic traveling north and south on Oak Hill Road at East Main Street. City officials say the Oak Hill Road stop sign was necessitated by limited sight distance on East Main and because the speed on East Main Street will increase once the Interstate 55 exchange is built. The city says the West Lane intersection has had a high occurrence of accidents and near misses due perhaps to confusion over right of way and sight distance limitations created by on-street parking.

DNA leads to conviction in 17-year-old homicide

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A man who had been a suspect in a killing 17 years ago but wasn't charged until new DNA analysis technology linked him to the crime has been convicted of first-degree murder and forcible rape. A Jackson County Circuit Court jury returned the verdicts Tuesday against Charles Locke, 45, of Amoret. Locke, who was charged in January of last year, faces life in prison without parole.

-- From staff reports