PEORIA, Ill. – A Peoria woman died Saturday after a cement brick thrown from an interstate overpass crashed through the windshield of her car, authorities said.

Katrina Kelley, 26, was a passenger in a westbound car on Interstate 74 when a foot-long landscaping brick struck the vehicle around 1 a.m., authorities said. She died in surgery about three hours later, said Peoria County Coroner Johnna Ingersoll.

The car’s driver was not injured.

Governor spends $600 on makeup artist, using state funds by mistake

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Gov. Rod Blagojevich mistakenly paid a professional makeup artist who gussied him up for the annual budget speech $600 in state funds, his administration said Saturday.

The money paid to Deborah Dee, a professional stylist from Crystal Lake, included payment for her travel and a lighting consultation prior to his annual State of the State speech on March 7, Blagojevich spokeswoman Abby Ottenhoff said. The Blagojevich administration discovered the billing mistake and has produced documents showing that money from his personal campaign fund was also used to pay Dee, Lee Enterprises newspapers reported Saturday. Ottenhoff said Dee has reimbursed the state for its $600 payment, but a spokeswoman for the Illinois comptroller’s office said the state hasn’t yet received the check.

Dee previously had been hired by Blagojevich for “event preparation,” but was paid by his campaign fund, according to state campaign records.

Dee declined to comment on the work she has done for Blagojevich, saying only that “it’s business.”

Safety concern prompts diversion of New York-Seattle flight to Chicago

CHICAGO – A Delta Airlines flight from New York to Seattle made an emergency landing in Chicago on Friday night after the pilot reported smoke in the plane’s cabin, an airline spokesman said.

Delta flight 597 was carrying 181 passengers and crew members when it landed at O’Hare International Airport about 10 p.m. CDT, Delta spokesman Andy McDill said.

“As a precaution we landed in Chicago without incident,” he said.

Treasurer unveils $1000 rebates for owners of fuel-efficient hybrids

CHICAGO – State officials hope a new $2 million program announced Sunday will encourage use of fuel-efficient vehicles by giving hybrid car owners a $1,000 rebate.

“Hybrid cars use less gas, but they cost more upfront,” Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias said in a statement. “This will help them recoup their investment faster while they save money at the pump.” The state created the so-called Green Rewards program by partnering with local banks and credit unions throughout Illinois.About 2,000 car buyers will be able to receive one rebate per vehicle, but Giannoulias said he would consider expanding the program if there’s more demand. Hybrids can get up as much as 60 miles to the gallon, while producing dramatically less pollutants and greenhouse gasses. The cars can cost $1,200 to $10,000 more than their traditional-fuel counterparts.

Giannoulias, a first-term treasurer, will travel the state in his own Ford Escape hybrid to promote the initiative.

From Associated Press reports