Peoria Pundit

Right after this happened, and I was writing posts about it, all I kept hearing from folks is how these people were all friends and how no one wanted to seek revenge (or a long sentence) for what happened to Danny Dahlquist.
Now, we have the lawsuit.
The 22-count suit names David Crady, 21, Ryan Johnson, 23, Daniel Cox, 22, and Nicholas Mentgen, 23, as well as Mentgen’s parents, Ronald and Jeanne Mentgen, as defendants. The counts are virtually identical for the former roommates and cite negligence and “willful and wanton misconduct,” in that they “disregarded the safety and welfare of (Dahlquist) and started a fire in the bedroom of (Dahlquist)” on Aug. 12, 2007.
Such an action, the suit alleges, was in “total disregard for the safety of Sheridan Dahlquist.”
The Mentgens, both the parents and their son, also face counts naming them as landlords and owners of the West Peoria house at [...]

Original post by Billy Dennis

Now that Rupert Murdoch announced all his newspaper properties are putting up a pay firewall of some sort, I advised other newspapers to follow suit. This may be happening in Boston:
“Nothing is absolute, but we are heading toward some sort of consumer pay model,” for its Web site Boston.com, Globe spokesman Bob Powers said Friday.
Powers said the newspaper had assembled a team to explore options for online charges and informed Globe unions of its intent Thursday. Charging for Web content holds risks because it can drive away users who are accustomed to browsing the site for free, and in turn can lead to a loss of online advertising.

Folks, this only works if readers and advertisers are also encouraged to move away from print. Raise prices for newsstand sales, charge more for print ads than online. But features on the Web that do NOT appear in paper. Put your comics, Dear [...]

Original post by Billy Dennis

Access to BlogPeoria Project sites has been intermittent this morning. A support ticket has been send to the hosts and they are working on it as I write this. I normally don’t make announcement about hiccups in access, but this has been longer than usual.
I’ll keep you all posted.
UPDATE: As is invariably the case, as soon as I posted this, the site is accessible. Because of the intermittent nature of this issue, I am going to keep a close eye on this this morning.

Original post by Billy Dennis

Two interesting bits of GateHouse Media economic news from the Turner Report.
First, the bad news:
The quarterly report filed today with the Securities and Exchange Commission, showed a sizable decrease in revenue from the same quarter the previous year, with losses in advertising, circulation, and printing, and a $526.1 million loss for the first six months of the year.

And the good news:
Buried close to the end of the report is the news that [regional manager and former GateHouse Media executive Scott] Champion was awarded a $135,000 bonus today.

And I’ve received more than one private email from former Journal Star editorial staffers who say they’re hearing that inadequate staffing due to unfilled vacancies has reporters doubling and tripling up on beats. That’s to blame for the recent spate of missed stories.

Original post by Billy Dennis

Apparently, some of my commenters are getting all their health-care reform news from Rush Limbaugh. So, to provide some clarity, here are five health care myths being spread by the GOP.
Hopefully, this will reduce the wacka-doodle in the comments section.

Original post by Billy Dennis

First, go read this and then come back and view the video:

Original post by Billy Dennis

This just arrived in my inbox. I’m not endorsing any of John Bambeneck’s suggestions, although I agree with most fo the goals he expresses. I’m printing this to generate some discussion:
Have at it:
Friends-
Are you fed up with the mess in Springfield? I know I am. Years of unbalanced budgets that get balanced on the backs of the poor, developmentally disabled and mentally ill. Corruption as far as the eye can see. Springfield “leaders” who prefer dysfunction than get the people’s work done. This is the status quo and each day its getting worse.
I have written an expansive state constitutional amendment to reform the legislature in Springfield. There is a very narrow ability for citizens to get amendments on the ballot which I have used in it requires NO LEGISLATIVE ACTION. If I get enough signatures and the voters approve it, it becomes the law of the land. It’s that simple.
I [...]

Original post by Billy Dennis

More fun with anchorpeople:

Original post by Billy Dennis

A Wall Street Journal article on News Corp. earnings included this little tidbit:
[News Corp owner Rupert] Murdoch said News Corp. plans to charge reader fees for all its news Web sites, which aside from The Journal include newspapers such as the Australian, U.K. tabloids the Sun and News of the World and the Fox News Channel. Many newspaper executives have said they plan to start charging subscriber fees to read their stories online, though few mass-market papers or news outlets have done so. News Corp. executives offered few details of how they will implement the new business plans.

I approve. I’ve argued for years that the sooner news organizations transition from a dead tree medium to online, the better.
It’s based on the premise (far fetched as most ink-stained wretches seem to find it) the value in a newspaper in reporting, not the paper and ink. The Internet has buggy-whipped the business [...]

Original post by Billy Dennis

A Wall Street Journal article on News Corp. earnings included this little tidbit:
[News Corp owner Rupert] Murdoch said News Corp. plans to charge reader fees for all its news Web sites, which aside from The Journal include newspapers such as the Australian, U.K. tabloids the Sun and News of the World and the Fox News Channel. Many newspaper executives have said they plan to start charging subscriber fees to read their stories online, though few mass-market papers or news outlets have done so. News Corp. executives offered few details of how they will implement the new business plans.

I approve. I’ve argued for years that the sooner news organizations transition from a dead tree medium to online, the better.
It’s based on the premise (far fetched as most ink-stained wretches seem to find it) the value in a newspaper in reporting, not the paper and ink. The Internet has buggy-whipped the business [...]

Original post by Billy Dennis