•September 7, 2016•

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Lake Shelbyville will hold the seventh annual youth firearm deer hunt October 8 and 9. To apply for the hunt, youth must be less than 18 years old on October 8, 2016 and be accompanied by an adult on the hunt. Applications must be received by 4 p.m. September 15. Applications may be picked up at the Lake Shelbyville Project Office Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. or online at: www.tinyurl.com/LakeShelbyville-Hunting. Read More

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Individuals from more than 40 countries compose what Eastern Illinois University officials say will be another record-breaking international student enrollment for the institution.

Bill Elliott, interim director, International Students and Scholars, said the department will see a significant increase from the 291 international students enrolled a year ago. While exact numbers won’t be official until the university releases its Fall 2016 10th day enrollment figures in early September, projections indicate an enrollment of well over 400 international students, representing both undergraduate and graduate students.

“Certainly, we’ve put forth an aggressive international engagement effort,” Elliott said. “But I believe the true key to our success has been the campus community working so well together.”

In addition to the OISS staff who “are to be congratulated for all the hard work and effort they’ve expended on behalf of the university,” faculty and staff throughout campus have worked collaboratively to establish a strategic plan specifically designed to grow the international student body. Read More

•September 7, 2016•

Millikin University has been named one of the Midwest’s best colleges according to The Princeton Review’s 2017 College Selection Guide. The well-known education services company lists Millikin University among its “Best in the Midwest” recommended schools in its “2017 Best Colleges: Region by Region” website feature accessible at princetonreview.com/bestMWcolleges. Only 156 colleges in 12 Midwestern states made The Princeton Review’s “Best in the Midwest” list for 2017.

Millikin University President Dr. Patrick White says, “Millikin is a great university where everyone is committed to Performance Learning, through which every student is challenged and supported to learn and do, to act and perform, in a way that builds confidence, competence, and success. Millikin is a special place, and it is always good news when others like The Princeton Review acknowledge what we know and place Millikin where we belong among the best colleges and universities in the country, based on the life changing education that is enacted here.”

The Princeton Review editors made their selections based on data the company collected from its survey of administrators at several hundred colleges in each region, as well as its staff visits to schools over the years, and the perspectives of college counselors and advisors whose opinions the company solicits. Read More

•September 7, 2016•

The Illinois Supreme Court has adopted six new rules to establish a regulatory framework for a new state law that decriminalizes the possession of small amounts of cannabis and drug paraphernalia.

Supreme Court Rules 585, 586, 587, 588, 589 and 590 were created in response to legislation the Illinois General Assembly approved this past spring and Gov. Bruce Rauner signed into law last month. Public Act 99-697 took effect July 29, 2016, and the new Supreme Court Rules take effect September 1, 2016.

Under the new law, possession of up to 10 grams of cannabis or drug paraphernalia seized during the offense is characterized as a “civil law violation” and is punishable by a fine of between $100 and $200. Previously, possession of up to 10 grams of cannabis was a Class B Misdemeanor that was punishable by up to six months in jail and fines up to $1,500, and possession of drug paraphernalia was a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to one year of imprisonment and a fine between $750 and $2,500. Read More