SPRINGFIELD - Gov. Pat Quinn's plan to close two adult prisons, two youth lock-ups and six halfway houses for soon-to-be-released inmates was met with mixed reviews Wednesday.

BETHANY - Tom Florey was born 80 years ago on Feb. 29, 1932, in Moultrie County. Because of leap year, he will be celebrating his 20th birthday. An open reception will be from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb.

DECATUR - A family party turned into a bloody melee when two men got into a fistfight, which was interrupted by a woman stabbing one of the combatants with a knife and pummeling him with a crowbar, wh

DECATUR - A Blue Mound man charged with videotaping a teen girl in her bedroom by placing a camera in her stuffed animal was sentenced to five years in prison.

DECATUR - A candidate for the Illinois House District that includes most of Decatur has taken some opening shots at one of her opponents in the Democratic primary.

MATTOON - Although Scott Claypool is not an artist, he believes it is important for Mattoon residents to have performing and visual arts available to enjoy locally.

ASSUMPTION - Spelling with competence and "vehemence," Abigail Bressnan defeated all challengers in 18 rounds of the Shelby County Spelling Bee on Tuesday.

A jury convicted former University of Virginia lacrosse player George Huguely of second-degree murder in the 2010 death of his ex-girlfriend, Yeardley Love.

Letters containing a powdery substance were sent to at least three congressional offices this week, and the sender is threatening more that could include harmful material, the top Senate law enforcement official said Wednesday.

The grandmother and stepmother of a 9-year-old Alabama girl who died Monday after allegedly being ordered to run around her family's house -- for hours -- as punishment for lying about taking a candy bar have been charged with murder, police said Wednesday.

While stone carvers chisel new pieces to repair damage inflicted on the Washington National Cathedral by an earthquake last August, fundraisers say the cathedral's restoration fund is $18 million short of the repair cost.

One student was wounded and another was in custody Wednesday after a shooting at an elementary school in Bremerton, Washington, authorities said.

Speculation and messages of support surged in Venezuela Wednesday, a day after President Hugo Chavez announced he would travel to Cuba for surgery.

Violence left five people dead today as protests over Quran burning by coalition troops intensified in Afghanistan. The U.S. Embassy in Kabul went into lockdown.

Ted Turner: Congress is trying to do an end run to OK the Keystone oil pipeline, which could mean disastrous toxic spills and poisoned water.

Dean Obeidallah says the NYPD spying on Muslim American students at 16 universities is profiling at its worst. Why is there no public outcry?

Battling a severe cold, Tiger Woods beat Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano 1 up in the first round of the WGC-Accenture Match Play at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain.

Albert Pujols is objecting to the Angels "El Hombre" ads.

Players meetings are fine, but Magic Johnson thinks the Los Angeles Lakers need Kobe Bryant to sit down with management to address some issues.

Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo will take Joe Johnson's spot on the Eastern Conference roster at this year's All-Star Game after being named an injury replacement Tuesday by NBA commissioner David Stern.

Due to a left knee injury, New York Knicks rookie Iman Shumpert will not participate in the NBA's Slam Dunk contest this weekend. He will be replaced by Utah Jazz forward Jeremy Evans.

Temple is in talks with the Big East about joining the conference as early as 2012, sources confirmed Wednesday. The New York Times first reported on the discussions to add Temple in all sports.

In the wake of a new study, the national president of Pop Warner said he will propose a rule that, for the first time, would limit the amount of contact allowed in youth football practices.

UConn men's basketball coach Jim Calhoun, who is suffering from spinal stenosis, will undergo a surgical procedure Monday to help address the lower back condition.