HARRISBURG (AP) - A former teacher and athletics director at a southern Illinois high school wants a new trial on charges that accused him of selling cocaine to an undercover police officer.

JACKSON COUNTY - A raccoon is responsible for Tuesday night's power outage that affected thousands of Ameren Illinois Utilities customers in the Jackson County area.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Minorities make up nearly half the children born in the U.S., part of a historic trend in which minorities are expected to become the U.S. majority over the next 40 years.

SPRINGFIELD -- Two years removed from Illinois' "power wars" there is once again growing anger toward downstate's largest utility.

SPRINGFIELD - Verizon's bid to sell off its residential telephone business in Illinois hit a significant roadblock Tuesday.

MARION - A beautiful Southern Illinois weekend brought dozens of golfers to Kokopelli Golf Course - and bought a little more time for the beleaguered business.

CARBONDALE- The obesity epidemic in children and adults in Illinois has led to public hearings on the issue.

SPRINGFIELD - State government may have to rely on even more borrowing and cutting in the next fiscal year, once again delaying any major fix to the state's on-going budget problems, top aides to Gov. Pat Quinn said Tuesday.

SESSER ? Uncertain state finances forced the Sesser-Valier school board to lay off employees and cut programs Monday.

JONESBORO ? A Union County resident says his civil and human rights have been violated by the county?s highway and sheriff?s departments, but county officials say they have done all they can to please him.

Much of Jackson County was left in the dark Tuesday night after a power outage hit Carbondale, Murphysboro and Vergennes at 10:02 p.m.

CARBONDALE ? Southern Illinois University Carbondale School of Architecture?s gallery exhibit in Quigley Hall tracks the development of its students from their first year to in-depth thesis projects.

JOHNSTON CITY ? Alderman unanimously approved motions to layoff a full-time probationary police officer, Matthew Gayer, and a code enforcement officer, Gerald Erwin, during a regular meeting Tuesday.

CARBONDALE ? Representatives from Carbondale grocery stores were in attendance at Tuesday?s Liquor Advisory Board meeting, but the board had no discussion on the issue of selling liquor in those stores.

INA ? Hamilton County resident Kelly Woodrow was seated Tuesday night on the Rend Lake College Board of Trustees.

CARBONDALE ? Envelopes from the U.S. Census Bureau have been arriving in mailboxes all over the country this week. But the contents of the envelopes may not be what people expect.

CARBONDALE ? Todd A. Winters, associate dean of Agricultural Sciences at SIUC, was named the school?s interim dean pending Board of Trustees ratification.

The Sesser-Valier Red Devils took advantage of several turnovers and converted 9-of-10 free throws in overtime to defeat Woodlawn 53-44 Tuesday in the Salem Class 1A Super-sectional.

CARBONDALE ? Three suspects believed to be connected to a series of burglaries in February are being sought by the SIUC Department of Public Safety.

JONESBORO ? The Union County State?s Attorney?s Office has released an annual report in an effort to highlight the work of local law enforcement and encourage transparency and better service in years to come.

CARBONDALE - Todd A. Winters, associate dean of Agricultural Sciences at SIUC, was named the school's interim dean pending Board of Trustees ratification.

RLC board seats Hamilton County member

Four Southern Illinois men have been sentenced after pleading guilty to conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine in St. Clair, Madison and Randolph counties.

CARBONDALE - Police continue to investigate reported mob action from Saturday night in the 600 block of West College Street.

BENTON --  Brandon R. Lowe, 21, of Dowell was indicted by a federal grand jury sitting in Benton and made his first appearance in federal court on Tuesday. He was released on bond pending his jury trial, currently scheduled for May 18.