NIU's orientation staff is using a new evaluation system to determine what helps students get to know NIU and what needs improvement. The previous system used a questionnaire with a rating scale of one to five for each orientation-day item, from the lunch...

ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER JENNIFER LOVEN WASHINGTON (AP)—During the summer's Midwest floods, government emergency contracts were awarded so haphazardly that companies could land business with a simple phone call and agencies sometimes paid far more than...

ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER MATTHEW FORDAHL CHICAGO (AP)—The Illinois chapter of the National Organization for Women endorsed Comptroller Dawn Clark Netsch for governor Sunday, but it refused to say if the group would support a female candidate for lieutenant...

The NIU volleyball team's goal of making it to the Sweet Sixteen round of the NCAA tournament was denied in a 15-5, 15-8, 15-8 loss to Penn State Saturday night. The seventh-ranked Lady Lions (28-4) took advantage of a well- balanced attack to put a damper...

ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER MICHELLE LOCKE PETALUMA, Calif. (AP)—A lone candle that burned in a window at Polly Klaas' home was gone Sunday and the shades were drawn. Two months after her abduction at knifepoint from a slumber party, her body was found...

AP DIPLOMATIC WRITER DONALD ROTHBERG DAMASCUS, Syria (AP)—Secretary of State Warren Christopher said Sunday that Syria has promised to cooperate in determining the fate of seven Israeli soldiers missing in action in Lebanon, and to grant exit permits...

The Board of Regents has created a tentative game plan to begin reviewing the seven programs cited for elimination by the Priorities, Quality and Productivity initiative. In the second phase of its PQP initiative, the Illinois Board of Higher Education...

The cases against eight members of an alleged crack cocaine distribution ring are proceeding through the courts, and will continue toward the setting of a trial date over Christmas break. Assistant State's Attorney Duke Harris said most of the defendants...

ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER HARRY ROSENTHAL SPACE CENTER, Houston (AP)—NASA decided Sunday to turn one of the Hubble Space Telescope's troublesome solar wings into instant space junk by simply dumping it overboard during an overnight space walk. For the...

SANTIAGO, Chile (AP)—The death of drug lord Pablo Escobar left the Medellin cocaine cartel ‘‘totally dismantled,'‘ Colombian President Cesar Gaviria said Sunday. ‘‘We Colombians have proved that there was no criminal organization capable of...

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS On a Sunday dominated by defense, the Pittsburgh Steelers made the play of the day. Levon Kirkland made a leaping tackle to stop Drew Bledsoe's quarterback sneak on fourth-and-goal from the 1 on the final play, allowing the Steelers...

ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER ED WHITE CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP)—Grapes are off the menu at University of Illinois dining halls. The fruit were removed in November after the student-run Residence Hall Association endorsed a grape boycott sponsored by the United...