Sparta’s Darius Jackson is officially on his way to Division I football. Today is National Signing Day and just after 9:00 AM Jackson inked a letter of intent to play football for Eastern Michigan. The Sparta Senior said the program will be a good match for his talents.

Outgoing Sparta football coach Edmund Jones took Jackson around to a number of schools, including several in the Big Ten, and the Sparta star almost ended up a Golden Gopher.

Jones says he was blown away by Jackson from the start

Jackson covered a lot of ground for the Bulldogs, behind center, at running back and a celebrated safety. He said he won’t be playing triple duty for the Eagles, though.

For Jackson, originally from Texas, it’ll be a big change heading to Eastern Michigan, but he says he enjoys the place he’ll call home the next few years.

Jackson has excelled on the baseball diamond as well, and played basketball for the Bulldogs, although he took off this season to work on strength and conditioning during the recruitment process.

Eastern Michigan plays in the Mid-American Conference’s Western Division and finished 4-4 in conference play last season, 6-6 overall. This year they will play at Purdue and Michigan State and host the Illinois State Redbirds.

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Gov. Pat Quinn says his State of the State address this afternoon will focus on jobs and economic growth because that’s the top issue for Illinois residents. Quinn says the way out of Illinois’ fiscal crisis isn’t just about cutting the budget. He says the key is job creation, especially with small, young companies.

The governor is expected to review state programs implemented by his administration and lay out his plan for working families that will include a proposal for tax relief. Quinn didn’t elaborate, and a spokeswoman didn’t give any further details.

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The annual budget address will be separate from today’s speech, and when that time comes the Governor may be talking about Medicaid and pensions reform. A report from the Civic Federation we told you about yesterday calls for immediate action in those areas, or the state’s backlog of bills may quintuple over the next decade. Gov. Quinn says he has reviewed the report and acknowledges more can be done to cut state spending and payoff the state’s debt.

He says his office has focused on areas to maximize savings and when it comes to pension and Medicaid reforms his administration has plans. Last year Quinn pushed for cuts to the Medicaid reimbursement rate but lawmakers had no appetite for it. The Civic Federation report said the state could face $35 billion in unpaid bills by 2017 if something to cut spending and pay down debt isn’t done soon.

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Two start-up businesses are receiving support from Illinois’ new venture capital fund and there will be more help on the way for other start-ups. The first installments of the Invest Illinois Venture Fund will help support Chicago-based Buzz Referrals, which uses social media to help companies create customer referrals, and Evanston-based AuraSense Therapeutics, which is a biopharmaceutical company. Warren Ribley, director Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, says investments returned through the venture fund will roll into other small companies and start-ups that need a helping hand.

The venture capital fund is part of the $78 million program launched last year called Advantage Illinois, which supports small businesses in the crucial first stages of becoming stable. Ribley says the help is technically a loan. Part of the governor’s plan to pull the state out of debt is to grow businesses which in turn will grow the economy.

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The spring-like temperatures in Southern Illinois are expected to last through at least Saturday. Forecasters say highs will range in the 50s and 60s. The warmer temperatures are also expected a lot more this month but the region could also have some frigid days too. Forecasters say Winter 2012 is already on the top 20 list for warmest winters in the region.

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A proposal to allow Illinois citizens to video record police officers is on hold for now. Bill sponsor Elaine Nekritz says there are a few kinks that need to be worked out with those who don’t like the bill.

Nekritz says she’s negotiating with police on that issue. She plans to call the bill sometime next week.

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A price tag has been put on stopping the spread of Asian carp from Chicago waters into Lake Michigan and beyond. The Great Lakes Commission and the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative have put out a report today with a projected cost of four-point-27 billion to build and maintain the barriers. Cheryl Mendoza is the Associate Director of Petoskey-based Freshwater Future and is pleased with what she’s read.

The report identified three alternatives to keep the massive fish out of the Great Lakes, with costs ranging from three-point-two billion to nine-point-five billion dollars. To break that down, the organizations say it would cost households in the Great Lakes basin an average of one dollar a month through 2059 to cover the costs. The report indicates preventing just one invasive species from getting into the Great Lakes would save up to five billion dollars over 30 years, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has identified ten species in the Mississippi River system that are poised to invade the system.

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Lead paint isn’t any safer than it used to be, and there are new federal rules applying to contractors who deal with places which have it, or which could have it. The rules have to do with more certification. Professionals who repair or renovate houses, apartments, and “child-occupied facilities” built before 1978 must be aware of how to keep people safe from any paint chips or paint dust. Melaney Arnold, spokeswoman for the Illinois Department of Public Health, says the state will have meetings in February and March to educate contractors about new rules for working in homes built before 1978.

For more information, you may call the IDPH lead program at (217) 782-3517.

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High school basketball for Tuesday, January 31:
Steeleville 59, Marissa-Coulterville 41
New Athens 71, Valmeyer 51
Lebanon 76, Dupo 66
Goreville 64, Chester 58
Trico 62, Christopher 44
Murphysboro 63, Carbondale 51
Sesser-Valier 48, Woodlawn 43
Du Quoin 51, West Frankfort 41
Gibault Catholic 53, Triad 46
Columbia 51, Red Bud 41
Breese Central 63, Carlyle 54

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Brandon Paul scored a game-high 18 points, including the go-ahead free throws with 45.5 seconds left, as Illinois upset 10th-ranked Michigan State, 42-41. Paul also had nine rebounds and five assists for Illinois, which halted a three-game slide. The Illini improved to 16-and-6 and 5-and-4 in the Big Ten. The Illini remain at home to host the Northwestern Wildcats Sunday afternoon.

The Salukis fell on the road Tuesday night 58-49 at Northern Iowa. They next play Saturday at home against Evansville. Tip-off at 2:05.

The Blues have two more days until they resume regular season play. They are at home Friday night against the Los Angeles Kings. St. Louis will be looking to snap a two-game losing streak that led into the All-Star break. The Blues open a three-game road trip Saturday at Nashville.

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Obituaries today: Mary Juliett Rader, 88, of Ava; and Dwain Steele Schafer, 66, of Chester.