The backlash from the entertainment industry almost was immediate in response to the Sept. 11 attacks.

New movies from actors Arnold Schwarzenegger and Tim Allen were delayed because of content including exploding skyscrapers and bombs on airplanes. Clear Channel Communications, which owns about 1,300 radio stations nationwide, published a list of 150 songs that radio stations should avoid playing.

This self-imposed restraint by entertainment companies also has been felt by the music industry. Such diverse acts as Dave Matthews Band and Ozzy Osbourne have had to make changes to their promotional itinerary because of the tragedies. Matthews' company, RCA, had to pull his latest single "When the World Ends," released Aug. 31, from the radio and replace it with another track from the band's latest album, "Everyday."

Osbourne was forced to re-edit the video accompanying his latest release, "Gets Me Through," because of harsher MTV censorship in light of the tragedy. The video contained scenes of an exploding television and a collapsing ceiling.

Andrew Lanthrum, a clerk at Record Revolution, 817 W. Lincoln Highway, said that to his knowledge, his store only has had to pull or postpone the release of a couple of CDs.

"There have been collectors in here looking for this one," he said, pointing to a poster advertising the latest offering from progressive-metal band Dream Theater. The band's latest release, "Live Scenes from New York," contains artwork of fire consuming the New York City skyline on the top of a large flaming apple. The album was released the same day as the attack on the World Trade Center.

Lanthrum also said the newest CD by The Strokes was pulled before it even reached the shelves, due to the controversy surrounding one song, "New York City Cops."

Another CD that has been subjected to scrutiny since the attacks is The Coups' latest album "Party Music," which has a cover depicting group members standing with a fuse and blowing up the World Trade Center.

"We pulled the Dream Theater CD," he said. "We also pulled the Strokes album on the 25th before it even got out. Their company, BMG, wanted that. We didn't even get the CD (by The Coups)."

But most of the relatively few CDs that have been recalled by record companies do not reach music stores, said Brandon Buckley, a music seller at Borders Books and Music in St. Charles.

Drivers living in Chicago's northwest suburbs soon will be able to breathe a sigh of relief as roadwork on Interstate 88 nears its completion.

Construction on the 37-mile stretch of road from Sugar Grove to Rochelle is set to be completed by the end of next month, said Joelle McGinnis, press secretary for the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority.

The road was resurfaced because of the severe weather that plagued the area last winter, and construction began shortly after July 4, requiring workers to strip all existing layers of asphalt down to the concrete and repave it completely.

A thick layer of asphalt is laid over concrete to maximize the life of the tollway, McGinnis said.

Last winter, the Illinois Tollway Authority had to perform emergency repairs on the interstate. Those efforts included replacing potholes caused by ice and snow with cold patches (re-filling potholes with new asphalt).

Because of the extremely cold temperatures, McGinnis said it was impossible for the cold patches to adhere with the asphalt already present, thus creating additional breakup and more potholes.

The tollway authority feared the temporary solutions would not hold up to another severe winter, McGinnis said.

That fact is why the decision was made to put forth the necessary funds to strip down all existing asphalt down to its concrete and then repave it.

Four groups of construction workers went ahead on the repairs, separated into quadrants. Eastbound from Sugar Grove to DeKalb is one, eastbound from DeKalb to Rochelle is another and the other two sections are on the same stretch of road westbound.

Once completed, McGinnis said the road should be able to hold up for 10 years without any additional repairs, but enough severe winters could cause premature construction.

The DeKalb landlord-tenant fact-finding committee ratified the final draft of the landlord-tenant rights ordinance at its meeting Thursday night at the Municipal Building.

The final draft resolved the heavily-debated access/entry clause, which defines how and when landlords should notify tenants before entering rental units.

For now, the committee decided against creating an office of ombudsman because of a debate over who should be appointed to the post, and several members were concerned about the cost of creating the post.

Under the proposed ordinance, ombudsmen would mediate disputes between landlords and tenants.

The committee agreed that if enough disputes arise between landlords and tenants to justify creating the post, the committee will do so one year after the law has gone into effect.

Another important issue solved at the meeting was the controversial access/entry clause. This clause originally would have required landlords to call their tenants one hour in advance before entering the premises if they had no reason to be there.

Mason Properties owner Jim Mason and Don Henderson, the director of the legal assistance office, proposed drafts of the access/entry clause that were so similar that Henderson's draft was accepted with one revision.

Landlords and their agents will have the right to enter rental units "upon reasonable notice at reasonable times," reasonable times being 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The committee agreed that "prior notice" is a one-hour warning, but prior notice is not necessary under several conditions.

These, according to the proposal, are if the tenant has requested repair work, if maintenance inspection must be done, if necessary or agreed services must be supplied, "when repairs elsewhere in the building require access," if inspections required by a government agency must be conducted, and if the landlord is showing the unit to people interested in buying or renting the property. When entering, a "knock on the door and a verbal hello or a phone call immediately prior to entry shall be considered reasonable warning of the entry," according to the proposal. In the event of emergency, no prior notice or consent is necessary.

The landlord-tenant fact-finding committee was formed by former Mayor Bessie Chronopoulos to investigate issues of landlords and tenant concerns. This was done in response after 5th Ward Ald. Patrick Conboy and now former 6th Ward Ald. Aaron Raffel introduced a bill last year that would have defined landlord-tenant rights. The committee consisted of city staff members, area landlords, NIU administrators and one student representative.

The bill will go on to the next DeKalb City Council meeting, which will be held on Monday, Oct. 8th.