HARRISBURG — Judge Walden Morris for a second time has denied extended media coverage of the trial of Brian Burns, the former Harrisburg physician accused of murdering his wife in 2016.

Here’s a link to the story at the Southern Illinoisan.

CARBONDALE — Randy Dunn, controversial ex-president of the Southern Illinois University System, will not be teaching at the Edwardsville campus during the spring semester, as had been planned in his separation agreement, according to SIUE spokesman Doug McIlhagga.

Here’s a link to the story at the Southern Illinoisan.

INA, Ill. – Land of Lincoln AmeriCorps is partnering with RSVP of Southern Illinois (SeniorCorps) and the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office to hold a Prescription Drug Take-Back event as part of their Martin Luther King Day service project.

This is one of the three massive service undertakings that the Land of Lincoln AmeriCorps students take part in every year as part of their commitment to the community.

The Drug Take-Back was born out of current needs of the local community.

“We try to choose different project each year for Martin Luther King Day, last year we did a donation drive for LifeBoat Alliance,” explained Megan Rounds, Director of Land of Lincoln AmeriCorps. “We try to find a need and do something to fill that need. Right now there is a problem with prescription drugs sitting around and they could fall into the wrong hands. This event is about giving people an outlet to dispose of their prescription drugs in a safe way.”

The take-back will take place from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 18, at the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office at 403 E. Main Street in Benton and offers a secure, convenient, and responsible way to dispose of unused or expired prescription drugs.

“I want to thank the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, which has been very supportive and helpful with the planning, as well as RSVP of Southern Illinois. We are all excited about this event and are happy to help get unused prescription drugs out of people’s homes before they end up on the street,” Rounds said.

Land of Lincoln AmeriCorps is a grant-based, community service project made possible through the Illinois Governor’s Initiative and the Corporation for National Service in Washington, D.C., under AmeriCorps U.S.A. In Illinois, it is administered by the Serve Illinois Commission for Volunteer and Community Service as a function of the Illinois Department of Public Health.

AmeriCorps follows a long tradition of national service programs, where dedicated, civic-minded Americans provide service to their country and communities.

Land of Lincoln AmeriCorps is a consortium of three Illinois community colleges (Rend Lake College, Kaskaskia College, and John A. Logan College) and Southern Illinois University Carbondale to link the time and talents of college students with their communities’ schools

For more information on the Drug Take-Back event or Land of Lincoln AmeriCorps, contact Rounds at 618-437-5321, Ext. 1351.

A new report on Illinois underfunded pension systems says the state needs to put more money into the benefits programs before they become unsustainable and consume an even larger share of the state’s tax revenue.

Here’s a link to the story at Illinois News Network.

As a weeklong summit of U.S. Catholic bishops begins in the Chicago suburbs, groups of clergy sex abuse survivors are demanding more independent action, and for the removal of Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich.

Here’s a link to the story at Illinois News Network.

Emmy Award-winning writer Bob Einstein, who was best known as cocky stuntman Super Dave Osborne and Larry David’s newly devout friend, Marty Funkhouser, on HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” has died. He was 76.

Here’s a link to the story at the Chicago Tribune.

If congressional Democrats won’t provide the $5 billion President Trump has asked for to fund a wall or other physical barrier along the U.S. border with Mexico and end the partial government shutdown, then Republicans should offer an alternative proposal: $25 billion – five times as much – for border security.

Here’s a link to the story at Fox News.

The exodus from two of the nation’s biggest Blue States continues, according to new numbers from the U.S. Census Bureau. Many Red States, meanwhile, continue to gain population, the figures show.

Here’s a link to the story at Fox News.

As people look ahead to what’s coming up in the new year, 2019 will have more young Illinois children looking back.

Here’s a link to the story at the Chicago Tribune.

In a recent Forbes list, Illinois was listed as one of the top states likely to legalize marijuana in the coming year.

Here’s a link to the story at the Southern Illinoisan.