Quick Hits in Illinois: Man Convicted of Murder in Shooting of Police Officer; Illinois State University Plans 2% Cuts – Illinois

Man convicted of murder for shooting police officer

A man has been convicted of first-degree murder in the fatal 2021 shooting of a police officer and the injury of another officer as the two investigated a barking dog complaint at an Illinois hotel. Bradley Sgt. Marlene Rittmanic and her partner responded to barking dogs in an unattended vehicle in a hotel parking lot. They were shot after locating the room where the possible owner of the vehicle was staying. Darius Sullivan, who was arrested in Indiana two days after the shooting, will be sentenced at a later date.

Illinois State University plans 2% cuts

Illinois State University administration is directing all of the school's departments to immediately cut spending by 2% to avoid a general fund deficit by the end of this fiscal year. According to an email from the vice president for academic affairs, each department, including the Office of the President and Athletics, will be required to cut 2% of funds that come from general funds, while Auxiliary Facilities Services will face an unspecified across-the-board cut.

Remnants of Hurricane Helene will hit Illinois

The remnants of Hurricane Helene will impact much of Illinois over the next few days. Heavy rain is falling across southern Illinois after the system was downgraded to a tropical storm. Rainfall from Helene is also expected in central Illinois, and parts of northeastern Illinois could also see sudden thunderstorms this weekend. Helene came ashore in Florida as a Category 4 hurricane.