News headlines for the morning of October 30, 2017
- A state representative has begun circulating petitions in an effort to challenge Governor Bruce Rauner in next year's Republican primary. Jeanne Ives of Wheaton has been critical of Rauner for signing certain legislation, including a plan that allows public funds to pay for abortions. She is considered among the legislature’s more conservative members. In a news release, Ives says she is running to "restore common sense to Illinois." Ives is a West Point graduate who has been in the Illinois House since 2013 and previously served on the Wheaton City Council. Rock Island County board member and former state lawmaker Rich Morthland of the Quad Cities has signed on to be her running mate.
- A training site for disabled veterans can now expand beyond the Quad Cities. Friday, St. Ambrose University celebrated the addition of new technology to its assistive technology house, making it accessible to anyone, in person or online.
- A state board has denied a Dubuque hospital's request to buy equipment used in radiation therapy, dealing a blow to plans for a $25 million cancer center. The State Health Facilities Council denied Mercy Medical Center's request last week. Mercy President and CEO Kay Takes says plans for the center won't be abandoned. The facility would be a partnership between Mercy and Medical Associates Clinic, and officials had hoped to open the center by 2020.