7am News, Sports and Obits

Latest WGIL news
Click to play or
Right click and "Save Target As" to download
Click for Galesburg, Illinois Forecast
Home - Cancellations - Community Events - Contact Us - Mornings - News - Obituaries - Pictures - Programs - Special Events Audio - Sports - Weather
Quinn, Lawmakers Discuss Sale of Thomson Prison
CHICAGO (AP) -- Gov. Pat Quinn says selling a prison in rural northwest Illinois is a once in a lifetime opportunity to create jobs in the struggling area.

But plans to sell the prison that would then be used to house some detainees from the Guantanamo Bay detention center in Cuba is creating controversy because of safety concerns.

Federal officials are expected at Thomson Correctional Center on Monday to inspect the prison.

Quinn says Illinois is being considered along with at least two other cities in Colorado and Montana.

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin traveled around the state with Quinn on Sunday to sell the idea of a prison deal.

The Democrat says he hopes Illinois has an edge because President Barack Obama knows about the economic climate in the area around prison.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
11 15 09 by Newsroom
News management powered by Xpression News

Click here for the WGIL News Archive

Click here for national news

The following provision applies to all visitors (which shall include persons and representatives of legal entities, whether such representatives are persons or digital engines of a kind that crawls, indexes, scrapes, copies, stores or transmits digital content). By accessing this Web site or digital service, you specifically acknowledge and agree that: (i) Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium; (ii) No Associated Press materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and non-commercial use; (iii) The Associated Press will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions therefrom or in the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages arising from any of the foregoing; (iv) The Associated Press is an intended third party beneficiary of these terms and conditions and it may exercise all rights and remedies available to it; and (v) The Associated Press reserves the right to audit possible unauthorized commercial use of AP materials or any portion thereof at any time.