Man Found Guilty Of Murder In Woman's 2009 Stabbing

URBANA — Jurors on Friday found an Illinois man guilty of murdering a 22-year-old woman, more than a decade after she was stabbed to death in her home.  Michael Henslick, now 31, was 21 at the time of Holly Cassano's murder in a mobile home park in Mahomet in November 2009, The (Champaign) News-Gazette reported. Police have previously said Henslick's arrest was made possible by techniques used by Parabon NanoLabs. The Virginia company often works on cold cases with law enforcement, comparing DNA evidence to information in public databases used by people seeking more information about their ancestry.  - Associated Press

New Sculpture Honoring Lincoln Planned At Springfield Museum

SPRINGFIELD — A new sculpture honoring the 16th U.S. president is coming to the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield. Museum officials announced plans last week for the “Beacon of Endurance” piece, which will stand more than 24 feet tall. Renderings show an obelisk, with a base inscribed with quotes from Lincoln and a stainless-steel upper portion engraved with words describing Lincoln. Members of an advisory panel will weigh in on which words to include, and the museum also plans to take ideas from the public through social media. - Associated Press

Trucks Haul Massive Beams For Rebuild Of Mile Long Bridge

CHICAGO — Trucks hauling massive concrete beams destined for the Mile Long Bridge along the Tri-State Tollway are getting police escorts from a Wisconsin factory to a tollway plaza in Chicago's southwest suburbs. The Chicago Tribune reports the beams will be used in the $4 billion rebuilding and re-widening of Interstate 294 near O'Hare International Airport. A chief engineering officer for the Tollway says concrete beams require less maintenance than steel ones and are more cost-efficient. Officials say the project can be done without raising tolls and is expected to be completed in 2026. - Associated Press

Officials Hope To Name New SIU Carbondale Leader By April

CARBONDALE - Officials hope to name a new chancellor to lead the Southern Illinois University Carbondale by spring. Phil Gilbert is the chair of the Southern Illinois University Board of Trustees. Gilbert said at a meeting this week that a 23-member advisory committee has chosen semifinalists.  Those candidates will be interviewed then narrowed to a list of finalists, who will be invited to visit campus in late March or early April. Board members hope to hire the new chancellor when they meet in April, The Southern Illinoisan reported. The board’s selection will replace Interim Chancellor John Dunn. Dunn has led the campus since December 2018 when then-Chancellor Carlo Montemagno died. - Associated Press