Feisty deacon: "Police say a deacon from Mount Olive Bapist went to the Normandale Compass Bank to deposit the church's offerings when a man approached him. The man then allegedly knocked the deacon down, took the money and started running away. The suspect, however, was in for a surprise. The deacon was carrying more than a money bag to the bank... he was carrying a loaded gun. He began firing at the suspect, who slipped, fell to the ground and dropped the cash. When the robber went to retrieve the bag, the deacon threatened to shoot him if he touched it. The suspect ran away".


Illinois: Legislature shoots down victim disarmament bills: "Illinois lawmakers Thursday mowed down a series of major gun-control bills favored by Gov. Blagojevich and Mayor Daley during a marathon day of legislative sausage-making. ... Facing today's deadline to pass bills, the House and Senate churned well into the evening Thursday, with the biggest news of the day involving the fate of the gun initiatives. By a 37-21 vote, the Senate overwhelmingly approved a National Rifle Association-backed package that would require purchasers at gun shows to undergo criminal background checks, force the State Police to destroy those background records after 90 days and scrap most local gun-control laws outside Chicago. That bill moves to the House, but its fate there appeared in doubt after House members rejected an identical NRA-backed bill by a 63-50 vote with 71 votes needed for passage."