Fire in WIU residence hall
Investigators are trying to determine what started a fire in a trash chute in Thompson Hall on Wednesday night.
Students were evacuated from the building while crews extinguished the fire and staff began cleanup efforts.
The building’s residents were temporarily relocated to Western Hall, which is where basketball games, concerts, and other events are held.
$50,000 theft from WIU
Western Illinois University is reporting the theft of $50,000 worth of copper pipe.
The university reported the material was taken from the basement of Thompson Hall between late November and Friday of last week.
Police are investigating.
Man sentenced for defrauding company
A northern Illinois man has been sentenced to prison time for embezzling from a western Illinois company.
The Illinois Attorney General’s office said Steven Bennett, 53, of Roscoe, received a seven-year sentence. He pleaded guilty last fall to one felony count of theft.
Bennett was the executive director of 29 Community Integrated Living Arrangement (CILA) homes for people with developmental disabilities in northern Illinois. The homes are operated by Galesburg-based LTC Support Services
Prosecutors said Bennett used corporate credit cards for personal purchases, and forged documents to make the purchases look like they were for the homes he oversaw.
His purchases included more than $45,000 in electronics and appliances, more than $9,400 to remodel his home, and thousands of dollars more for personal trips.
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