Funeral Held For Ex-Springfield Mayor, Medical Examiner Wife

SPRINGFIELD - Funeral services were held for a former mayor of Springfield, Illinois and his medical examiner wife who died last week in the crash of a private plane. Frank Edwards and Sangamon County Coroner Cinda Edwards were remembered Tuesday as ``true community servants" during a memorial service at Springfield’s West Side Christian Church. The 69-year-old Frank Edwards was appointed mayor by the Springfield City Council in December 2010 after the death of Mayor Tim Davlin. Sixty-three-year-old Cinda Edwards had been coroner since 2011. The twin-engine Piper Aerostar the couple were aboard crashed on Jan. 28. Also killed was John Evans of Glenarm. - Associated Press

State Senator Trying To End FOID Cards

QUAD CITIES - Once again Sen. Neil Anderson (R-Moline) is trying to eliminate Illinois' firearm owners identification (FOID) card. He thinks the firearm owners identification card is un-necessary, and a costly burden for the Illinois State Police. Getting a FOID card requires a background check by the state police, then when someone tries to buy a gun, they're also subject to a federal background check. Anderson says practically his bill makes sense, but maybe not politically for some members of the General Assembly. Anderson is also unhappy the cost of a FOID card may go from the current $11 for ten years, to $50 for only five years. The FOID law was enacted in 1968.  - WVIK News

Questions Arise After Foster Children And Adoptees Lose Health Insurance

SPRINGFIELD - Lawmakers are demanding answers about Illinois changing the health coverage for 19,000 current and former wards of the state. A supposed computer glitch left at least 2,500 foster kids and adoptees with no health insurance. The Department of Healthcare and Family Services is defending the system. The state says it’s making sure all qualifying children have access to a managed care plan. Officials say they hope to have all technical issues fixed by the end of the week. - Mike Smith, NPR Illinois

More Illinois Colleges Drop Test Requirements

SPRINGFIELD - A high score on the SAT or ACT is no longer required for admission to more than a dozen 4-year colleges and universities in Illinois. As of last week, that includes Northern Illinois University. It will now accept a high school GPA of 3.0 for admission. Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Western Illinois University, and many private colleges had already have adopted similar policies. The first Illinois school to adopt this policy was Knox College in Galesburg, back in 2005. The University of Chicago, DePaul, and Lake Forest also have test-optional admission policies. - Dusty Rhodes, NPR Illinois

Former Illinois Legislator Pleads Innocent In Bribery Case

CHICAGO - Former Illinois state Rep. Luis Arroyo has pleaded not guilty of bribery charges in a federal court in Chicago. Arroyo resigned his seat Nov. 1, one week after he was accused of paying a bribe to a state senator in exchange for support of a gambling bill that would have benefited one of Arroyo’s lobbying clients. Arroyo’s appearance Tuesday in U.S. District Court was brief and he quickly left the building without commenting to reporters. Arroyo entered his not guilty plea through his attorney Michael Gillespie and he waived indictment by a grand jury. - Associated Press