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A great, smooth four-lap run puts Ryan Briscoe on the pole for the Indy 500. What speed did he crank out?

Briscoe ran a four-lap average of just over 226 mph Saturday afternoon.

What made it unusual is that he did it when track surface conditions were at the highest temperature. This often makes a car “loose”.

Qualifying will continue today as the IndyCar Series sets the 33 car field.

Be listening for your chance to win tickets to next Sunday’s race on WJEZ this week.

Burdette Janssen had been reported missing and his body was found shortly before 2pm yesterday by authorities. Janssen was pronounced dead at the scene.

Livingston County Sheriff’s Police and Reading Township Fire Department assisted in the search. Illinois State Police utilized a plane and the Pontiac Fire Department and MABAS #41 and #15 responded with sonar equipment and dive teams.

Livingston County Coroner Mike Burke has ordered an autopsy to determine if a medical event occured before Janssen’s entry into the water.

(Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

PONTIAC – As summer vacation begins, many students and parents are already planning for the upcoming school year.

An important part of the planning process involves the healthcare and immunization of a child.The Livingston County Health Department director of nursing, Jackie Dever, says there are new requirements for sixth and ninth graders.

“They will be required to have the T-dap booster, which is the tetanus, diphtheria and pertussus. In the past, the sixth graders had been required to have that but they are now requiring it of ninth graders also,” said Dever.

Dever says parents or guardians of school-age children need to check with healthcare providers to assure back-to-school physicals and immunizations are up to date.

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The debut of Facebook has begun. What is its stock trading at?

Facebook is currently trading at $40 a share with very heavy volume on the NASDAQ. The price is disappointing to many who saw a much bigger pop when trading started. Facebook shares hit a high of $45 in the first couple of minutes of trading.

Still, a lot can happen in the next four hours.

Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Yesterday we learned the Queen of Disco, Donna Summer, had lost her battle with cancer at the age of 63. A source close to the singer said that Summer had been trying to keep her condition private and was even recording material for a new album. She was a Golden Globes nominee and winner! She was the first African-American female performer to receive an MTV VMA nomination for her video She Works Hard for the Money. She is survived by her husband, two daughters and four grandchildren.

High-profile attorney, Gloria Allred is now representing two of John Travolta’s accusers! Uh oh! John Doe #1 dropped his suit then retained Allred as his attorney and now she is representing John Doe #3, strange! This thing gets even stranger because now the fiancé of the late Jeff Conaway who starred with Travolta in Grease has come forth and said that Conaway confessed that Travolta tried some things on him in the 90′s. It is a disturbing story so I’m not even gonna give you the details, but I will tell you this, this story came from the National Enquirer!

Lea Michelle and Cory Monteith, better known as Rachel and Finn from Glee have been out and about lately and they aren’t shy about their PDA! All in one day they were shopping hand in hand in SoHo then smooching it up at a hockey game!

Bobby Brown performed a new song on the Jay Leno Show, a tribute to his ex-wife Whitney Houston. The song is called Don’t Let Me Die and will be featured on his new album. In the song he sings about “every breath I took was from you”.

Actor Nick Stahl from Terminator 3 has been reported missing by his wife. Authorities do not believe there is foul play concerning his disappearance because he had been known to frequent Hollywood’s skid row section of town looking for drugs. In fact, he and his wife have been separated since January and court papers showed that he had to undergo drug testing before he could see their daughter to prove he hadn’t been using within 24 hours of seeing her. His wife reported him missing on Monday when she had lost contact with him.

Taylor Swift has donated $4 million dollars to the Country Music Hall of Fame for youth education. The donation is the largest from a single star and will help fund the Taylor Swift Education Center.

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Three major motion pictures come to theaters this weekend. Our selections range from babies to battleships to Borat.

Our first selection is ‘Battleship’. This high powered action flick is based on the popular board game, with a twist. Liam Neeson and cast take on robotic aliens to save the planet with what appears to be an Iowa class battleship. (We don’t have them anymore in real life.) ‘Battleship’ is rated PG-13. 

Next on our list is ‘What to Expect When You’re Expecting’. It stars Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez and Chace Crawford in a tale of …well…what to expect when you’re expecting. It’s rated PG-13.

Our last movie is ‘The Dictator’. Yes, Sacha Baron Cohen ups the ante in craziness as he stars as a small country dictator determined to kill democracy by becoming a part of it. ‘The Dictator’ is rated R.

So grab some $7 popcorn and check them out this weekend.

The Livingston Co. Board has approved the coroner's salary (WJEZ file photo).

PONTIAC – After a lengthy discussion, members of the Livingston County Board voted 12-9 on a salary proposal for the Livingston County Coroner.

The proposal includes a salary of $45,000 with $2,500 increases during the next four years.The salary would be at $55,000 at the end of the four-year term.  Some county board members expressed concerns over raising the coroner’s salary while others said this increase still puts the office behind the salary level of other elected officials.

Also on Thursday night, the county approved staff replacements for the Sheriff’s Department and Health Department.

Also, Sheriff Meredith asked board members to keep him better informed of any issues involving the Law and Justice Center.  He says he found out that the noise level is high because of the air conditioning.  Board member Bill Flott says a noise study expert was addressing the issue.  Flott added that the information was included in the Property Committee meeting minutes. A few board members expressed concerns over not knowing about the issues with the center.

Photo by Getty Images News

After months of buzz, Facebook will be a publicly traded company today. What is its launch price?

Facebook will start trading at $38 a share. Actual public trades will start at 10am central time.

Expectations are high and the stock will be heavily traded from the start. The question is whether Facebook can remain the hot stock on Wall Street as the company evolves.

It should be an interesting day for the company and the financial markets.

Tell us what you think and earn points!

(WJEZ file photo)

PONTIAC – Pontiac Township High School will be filled with friends and family members of students tonight, during the school’s graduation.

The ceremony starts at 7:30 p.m. and PTHS principal Jon Kilgore is telling people not to be alarmed if the event doesn’t start right away.

“We may delay the start a few minutes because we have athletes that are coming over from track, as we do every year. It really puts our students and families in a bind as to whether or not they should be committed to the event,” said Kilgore.

Following graduation late tonight, a tradition continues with “Operation Graduation” at the Rec Center, which includes various activities for the graduating seniors during one final get-together.

Kilgore says the school is exploring the possibility of moving graduation to a Sunday afternoon in future years – and the school will be seeking community input on the matter before next year’s school calendar is finished.

(WJEZ file photo)

PONTIAC – Auditions for the Vermillion Players children’s theatre production of “Li’l Abner” take place today (Friday) from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon.

Auditions will be held at the First Presbyterian Church on West Livingston Street in Pontiac.  Everyone should enter through the west door by the parking lot.

Those auditioning must be no younger than seven years of age and no older than 15 years of age, as of the audition dates.  Everyone auditioning will participate in a voice check, simple dance movements and should come prepared to sing a solo.

Parents need to be at the auditions as information will be given out regarding the production and expectations of participants.  The cast will be announced at the mandatory cast and parent meeting Tuesday, May 29 at 6:30 p.m. at the First Baptist Church of Pontiac.

Officers from Pontiac, Fairbury and Dwight have been pulled from the county's Proactive Unit (WJEZ file photo).

PONTIAC – Police officers from Pontiac, Dwight and Fairbury have been pulled from the Livingston County Proactive Unit.

The mayors of Pontiac, Dwight and Fairbury are expected to meet with the Livingston County Board chair, regarding a possible suspension of an intergovernmental agreement for the anti-gang and drug unit which also consists of officers from the Sheriff’s Department.

Dwight Police Chief Tim Henson says he removed his officer from the unit because of the ongoing investigation surrounding the sheriff.

“Until that investigation is completed, the Dwight Police Department will not be participating in the Livingston County Proactive Unit,” said Henson.

Pontiac Police Chief Dale Newsome says his department is waiting until certain issues are resolved.

“The Pontiac Police Department has suspended our involvement with the Livingston County Proactive Unit until the issues involving management are resolved,” said Newsome.

Fairbury Police Chief Jack Wiser chose not to comment at this time and Livingston County Sheriff Marty Meredith was not immediately available for comment on Thursday morning.

Under a current agreement, the county pays the three towns for each officer that is part of the Proactive Unit.

Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Early reports are out saying the Disco Queen Donna Summer is dead at the age of 63. She had been battling cancer.

Michael Loccisano / Ethan Miller, Getty Images

Kelly Clarkson has received a lot of flak over the years concerning her weight. She is a healthy girl that does seem to go up and down and as much as she is in the spotlight the media seems quite unforgiving to her! The 30 year-old American Idol Season 1 winner stepped out in New York looking very thin and trim! She attended an ABC and Entertainment Weekly party looking fantastic! She has not admitted to or endorsed any weight loss program or exercise routine and I say good for her!

He’s known for Triple D, Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, but at the end of the month, he heads to Indy to drive the pace car! Food Network chef, Guy Fieri. He usually drives into Triple D locals in a red 1967 Chevy Camaro Super sport Convertible. But at the Indianapolis 500 he’ll be cruising the track in a 2013 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 that tops out at 205 mph!

Since Charlie Sheen was fired from his role on Two and a Half Men and Ashton Kutcher came on board the future of the show has been shaky to say the least. Ratings have been slipping as fans don’t seem to be embracing Kutcher and the new dynamic. So, what’s the network to do? Well, CBS decided to move the comedy from its Monday timeslot to join their huge hit The Big Bang Theory on Thursday nights! 2 Broke Girls is the likely contender to take over on Mondays.

Another death in the Kennedy clan, Robert Kennedy Jr.’s estranged wife, Mary Richardson Kennedy, has apparently committed suicide on the eve of their impending divorce. Reports are that she hanged herself in a barn on the property. She and Kennedy had been married for 16 years and had 4 children.

A hotel masseur, Luis Gonzalez, has come forward and admitted to actually going to bed with John Travolta in 1997! The accuser sat down with the National Enquirer, enough said.

Robert Downy Jr. is perhaps the biggest comeback kid ever! The numbers have been crunched and the actor who plays Iron Man and Sherlock Holmes stands to make about $50 million dollars off of The Avengers! He is physically in the movie for about 37 minutes, soooooo…smart man!

Would you love to know who the world’s most powerful celebrity is? You might be surprised! It’s Jennifer Lopez? According to Forbes Magazine, she earned $52 million dollars last year after joining American Idol and releasing her new album. #2 is Oprah, #3 is Justin Bieber, #4 Rihanna and #5 is Lady Gaga.

Zappos

Are you one of the many women who fell victim to Kim Kardashian’s promise of shaping up the easy way with Skechers toning tennis shoes? Did you wear the shoes faithfully only to notice absolutely NO CHANGE? I feel your pain. I felt pressured, myself, to take the easy way out. You mean all I had to do was wear these great looking tennis shoes and I could tone everything from the waist down? I was all in! I purchased a pair of Easy Tones by Reebok. I too, have had no toning, but I really like how they feel on my feet and they seem to keep my lower back in line, so I can’t say I am unhappy with them. Reebok settled a suit with the Federal Trade Commission last September for false advertising and checks are expected to be cut within the next few months. Well, now Skechers is in the hot-seat, the FTC says that the only thing purchasers of the Shape-Ups got was a workout of their wallet as these shoes were upwards of $100 a pair! Skechers, however, says they stand behind their claims, but they have decided to agree to settle the claims to avoid any further legal proceedings. The FTC goes so far as to say that consumers who purchased and wore Skechers Shape-Ups actually gained weight instead of losing!

So, what if you want to get in on the lawsuit? It’s easy really, just log onto the FTC website and go to the Skechers Refund page or you can call the hotline at (866) 325-4186. This all proves that the only way to lose weight and tone is through diet and exercise, my two least favorite words in the English language!

Tell us what you think and earn points!

Photo by Getty Images Entertainment

A new study shows an association with coffee drinking and longevity. What are the details?

The National Institute of Health stated that their 13 year study showed and association with drinking up to six cups of coffee a day and a reduction in heart disease and stroke. Researchers caution that there was no certain cause and effect, just an association.

However, the study does fall in line with similar research in the past couple of years. So drink up!

Tell us what you think and earn points!

Jabari Parker photo by Mark Myre

A great kid on and off the floor.   Jabari Parker is one of the nicest people you will ever meet.    His faith in god is incredible and the way he handles himself is awesome.   The soon to be senior star of Simeon High School is on the cover of Sports Illustrated.   They are calling him the next Lebron James.   He has division one offers from everyone in the country and he will make his decision later in the year.   On a personal note we watched Derrick Rose play at the Pontiac Holiday Tournament and now we get to watch Jabari play one last time in late December.   My advice is get your tickets now because the gym will be sold out.   ]]> http://wjez.com/parker-hits-cover-of-si/feed/ 0 Jabari Parker photo by Mark Myre http://wjez.com/home-foreclosures-at-five-year-low/ http://wjez.com/home-foreclosures-at-five-year-low/#comments Thu, 17 May 2012 11:50:36 +0000 Todd Lowery http://wjez.com/?p=70095

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The latest report shows good news for the housing market. Are we out of the woods yet?

Although it is a good sign, the housing market is still far from recovered. Foreclosures were down 14% from this time last year.

Home prices are still down from last year as well and it may be a slow road back to 2008 price levels.

(WJEZ file photo)

PONTIAC – A resolution establishing the coroner’s salary and an intergovernmental agreement with Showbus are among the items to be considered by members of the Livingston County Board tonight.

During the 6 p.m. meeting at the Livingston County Public Safety Complex in Pontiac, the board will also vote on various appointments to fire protection districts and staffing replacements.

Also, a Pro-Active Intergovernmental agreement will be considered along with resolutions for a Veteran’s Working Cash Loan and approval of settlement agreements.

The board is scheduled to have an executive session, regarding collective negotiating matters.

(photo courtesy of PTHS)

PONTIAC – A Pontiac Township High School junior received a summer music camp scholarship from the Pontiac Women’s Club.

Maureen Doran was awarded the scholarship for her participation this summer in the Illinois Summer Youth Music Camp.  The Pontiac Women’s Club Music Committee chair Lorraine Kammerman presented the award to Doran.

Photo by Getty Images News

A really cool celestial event takes place this Sunday as a solar eclipse will be viewable in the United States. What time should you look for it?

Start looking for the eclipse late afternoon Sunday into the early evening hours. Here, in Illinois we will see a partial eclipse, but the southwestern states will see a full eclipse in a swath from Northern California to West Texas.

Remember, don’t look at the sun directly. Use a sheet of paper with a hole in it with another sheet below. You will be able to see the crescent created by the sun and moon just fine.