by Rick Kambic/Editor-In-Chief

Jeff Cooley's retirement, effective Dec. 31, was announced on Tuesday. Cooley, the vice president for Business Affairs, will be concluding a 25-year career at Eastern to spend more time with his family. "Jeff's retirement will be a huge loss to Eastern's administrative team," said Eastern President Bill Perry. (0) comments

by Rick Kambic/Editor-In-Chief

The Illinois state budget was approved by lawmakers on time and Eastern survived with a 2.8 percent budget increase, but Rep. Chapin Rose, R- Mahomet, is concerned with the delayed delivery of the bill to Governor Rod Blagojevich. "At this time of year, the university's budget is always evolving," said Jeff Cooley, vice president for Business Affairs. (0) comments

by Staff Report

Coles County was one of six southern Illinois counties that Governor Rod Blagojevich declared as state disaster areas on Tuesday. Personnel and equipment can be mobilized to help local government officials with disaster recovery, including trucks, heavy equipment and work crews to remove debris quicker, and provide assistance with security. (0) comments

by Bob Bajek/Sports Reporter

Steven Malehorn, manager of the Thut Greenhouse, has seen many flowers bloom. This month, however, Malehorn will witness an unusual blooming. The rare Titan Arum plant will flower after maturing for six and a half years. According to The Huntingon Botanical Gardens Web site, his peculiar plant is native only in Sumatra, Indonesia. (0) comments

by Ashlei Maltman/City Reporter

B.F. McClerren and his wife, Dorothy, will be portraying Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln at 9 a.m. today at the Neal Welcome Center. McClerren taught at Eastern for 30 years as a history professor and taught the Lincoln Senior Seminar. "While teaching, you also learn a great deal," McClerren said. (0) comments

by Kristina Peters/Campus Reporter

Rick Oeth said all you need to fly a plane is desire - and the participants in the Johnson Flight Academy camp have just that. "There's no particular prerequisites other than desire," said Oeth, camp director. He said some camp participants have previous instruction while others have no previous experience, but all are enrolled in the Air Force Youth Auxiliary Program. (0) comments

by Kristina Peters/Campus Reporter

When Elisa Lewis wears a Girls State shirt out in public, she gets comments. Most often the comments are from someone proclaiming that they attended Girls State in the past. Girls State is the equivalent to Boys State in which students who have just completed their junior years in high school are brought to the camp to learn about the basic principles of government. (0) comments

The Music Saves Lives Blood Drive will be at the EIU Newman Catholic Center on Monday from 1 to 6 p.m. All donors will receive a VIP Access Pass to the Vans Warped Tour in St. Louis on July 1. Donors will also get a rock and roll T-shit, music download card, and will be eligible to win an autographed Toy Hawk Skateboard. (2) comments