Region briefs 9/5/08

Castro daughter to speak at SIU-Carbondale

CARBONDALE, Ill. — The daughter of former Cuban president Fidel Castro is coming to Carbondale. Alina Fernandez is scheduled to speak Sept. 29 at Southern Illinois University's student center as part of Latino Heritage Month. The 53-year-old Fernandez posed as a Spanish tourist to make her escape from Cuba in 1993. That's when her daughter was 16 and faced being sent away to a state-run school. The author of the 1998 book "Castro's Daughter: An Exile's Memoir of Cuba" has said she dreams of a democratic, independent Cuba. Fernandez also says her hopes for a better life for Cubans were renewed when Castro's brother, Raul, officially replaced him as president in February.

SIU enrollment slips; economy blamed

CARBONDALE, Ill. — Southern Illinois University said fall enrollment at its flagship Carbondale campus is down and the struggling economy may be to blame for some of it. Interim chancellor Samuel Goldman said enrollment is down 1.5 percent to 20,673. That's a decrease of 310 students from last year. Officials said some students are choosing to stay closer to home or taking a break from school altogether. Still, Goldman said there are some bright spots, like the fact that freshman enrollment is up for the second year in a row.

Disaster loans OK'd for 14 Illinois counties

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Residents in 14 Southern Illinois counties recovering from flooding can apply for federal disaster loans. The low-interest loans are available from the U.S. Small Business Administration to homeowners, renters and businesses affected by flooding in March. The filing deadline to apply for the loans is Nov. 3. The counties eligible include Alexander, Jackson, Johnson, Massac, Pope, Pulaski and Union.

— From wire reports