Russ Twoey, left, and his father Gary, touch the original Leg Lamp during their tour of the Cleveland house made famous in "A Christmas Story." Fans of the holiday classic celebrated its 25th anniversary this weekend. In the movie, the central character's father wins the lamp in a contest.

lisa dejong / the plain dealer

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BLOOMINGTON — Local lore has it that Henpeck, Ill., got its name because its postmaster in the late 19th century was henpecked by his wife.

But it's not the only Illinois town with a curious name.

Places like Oblong, Normal and Henpeck inspired Northern Illinois University linguistics professor Edward Callary to write a book.

Callary has collected stories about how Illinois towns and cities got their names for several years.

"Place Names of Illinois," published by University of Illinois Press, is the result.

From the book:

● Tolono was named, by one account, when a surveyor looking for route for the Illinois Central Railroad was asked if the site was too low. "Too low, no," the surveyor replied.

● Normal's name was changed from North Bloomington after the founding of Illinois State Normal University.

● Bloomington was first Keg Grove. Several kegs of whiskey had been hidden by early settlers, according to legend. Later, it became Blooming Grove when a settler saw some maple trees and thought "it looks blooming here."

● Oblong was named for Oblong Prairie, which had an elliptical shape.

TERRE HAUTE — A federal agency says the law prohibited Terre Haute Mayor Duke Bennett from running for office when he was elected last year.

The advisory opinion by the U.S. Office of Special Counsel said Bennett's candidacy violated the Hatch Act, prohibiting political activities by federal workers.

That opinion agrees with a ruling this month by the Indiana Court of Appeals in which it found that Bennett was an ineligible candidate and threw out the results of the 2007 election.

Bennett, who remains in office, has said he will appeal.

DES MOINES — A man who helped build shacks for the homeless along the Des Moines River in Des Moines has been told by the city to stop building the huts.

David Costello went to the City Council last week looking for help. Instead, his request was rejected and he was told he had violated the city's construction ordinances.

Costello, a member of the nonprofit group Helping Other People Everyday Builders, has helped build about six huts from pallets and scrap lumber.

But the city says the shacks, which feature wood-burning stoves, are a safety risk and a liability for the city.

Officials say they admire Costello's commitment but that he's going about it in the wrong way.

Costello says the council's logic defies common sense and that the huts are not more dangerous than sleeping in a box under a bridge.

GREAT BEND — Security software built into a stolen laptop computer led police to the central Kansas home of the alleged thief.

Great Bend police say they not only found the missing $9,000 laptop in the Hoisington residence, but they also uncovered components of a suspected methamphetamine lab and a quantity of the drug.

Police said the man who resides at the home, Dennis Price, was arrested on drug charges. Price was booked into the Barton County Jail on charges of possession of ephedrine, drug-making equipment and marijuana. His bail was set at $300,000.

Investigators say the manufacturer of the stolen computer tracked it through e-mail and notified police. The laptop and a quantity of tools were taken in the Nov. 21 burglary at a Great Bend business.

DETROIT — More than twice the number of Detroit water customers face service shutoffs than at this time last year.

The Detroit News reports the city's Water and Sewerage Department has counted 10,237 accounts that are at least 90 days overdue.

That number at the end of November 2007 was 5,030.

The number of people donating 50 cents per month through their bills to a nonprofit program that helps residents who can't pay their bills also has dropped by about 10,000 in the tough economy.

The department says discussions have started about adding cash to a fund that helps customers pay bills.

BRAINERD — A 20-year-old Brainerd man had been out of jail for just minutes when authorities say he walked across the street and stole a Sheriff's Department vehicle used for undercover operations.

The man was taken back to jail less than an hour after he was released Wednesday.

Crow Wing County Sheriff Todd Dahl says it isn't clear why the keys were left in the vehicle the man took, but deputies saw him drive away and gave pursuit immediately.

After a short chase, the suspect surrendered.

The man was let out of jail Wednesday after being arrested on a probation violation. He now faces charges of fleeing a peace officer and motor-vehicle theft.

JEFFERSON CITY — Federal and state officials say nearly $2.8 million in Federal Emergency Management Agency grants have been approved to aid Missouri victims of storms, floods and tornados that occurred in September.

The approval was announced Friday.

The funds will aid storm and flood victims in Boone, Callaway, Chariton, Lewis, Lincoln, Linn, Marion, Osage, Schuyler, St. Charles, St. Louis, Stone, Taney, Texas, and Webster counties and the city of St. Louis.

More than $2.1 million of the money is for housing assistance. Another $604,000 is for other needs, including transportation, moving, medical and funeral expenses.

LINCOLN — State authorities say hunters killed more than 57,500 deer during the recent Nebraska firearm deer season, setting a record.

A news release from the state Game and Parks Commission says the 2007 record was broken by about 8,100 deer — an increase of about 16 percent.

Commission big-game program manager Kit Hams says the jump occurred because 85,000 bonus tags were issued this year for antlerless white-tailed deer.

He says the goal was to thin the herd, especially in eastern Nebraska, where deer do so much crop damage and so many deer-vehicle accidents occur.

He expects the total deer kill for the year to be between 75,000 and 85,000, which would also be a record. Last's year's total harvest was 68,500.

BISMARCK — Gov. John Hoeven wants the U.S. agriculture secretary to declare 39 counties in North Dakota as disaster areas.

Hoeven made the request on Friday to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer.

If Schafer approves the request, some federal assistance would be available for farmers and ranchers affected both by drought and wet weather.

Hoeven says he made the request due to dry conditions in the western and central part of the state, coupled with late-season rain and snow in some eastern counties that has slowed the harvesting of sugar beets, corn and soybeans.

Hoeven says damage assessment reports justify a disaster declaration.

A disaster declaration would make agricultural producers and business people eligible for emergency low-interest loans and debt restructuring from the USDA and the Small Business Administration.

MILLER — A plant that has been receiving soybeans for almost two months will start processing its products on Monday.

Construction of the South Dakota Oil Seed Processing plant east of St. Lawrence in Hand County began in April. It employs 15 people, all but two full time.

The CEO of On Hand Development Corp. of Miller, Mike Trosen, says the plant will make a lightly customizable soybean meal and a food-grade quality soybean oil.

He says it will process 4.1 million bushels of soybeans a year into 41 million pounds of oil and 95,000 tons of meal.

Forty-three local residents invested $1 million to get the $17.5 million project started.

According to Trosen, the original 43 have grown to more than 300 investors representing about 40 communities in the state.

MADISON — If you want to be notified whenever pesticides will be used in your neighborhood, all you have to do is join a free state registry.

Once you're on the list, professional lawn and landscape companies have to give you 12 hours notice before applying pesticides to lawns, trees and shrubs at addresses you specify.

Most notifications are by telephone, although you might receive a postcard or notice on your door.

The registry is coordinated by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.

Agency spokeswoman Jane Larson says the alerts don't let you protest the pesticide application, but you might keep children and pets indoors that day or keep your windows closed.

The deadline to sign up is Feb. 1.

TORONTO — Canada's Conservative government said Friday that it plans to fast-track the immigration process for skilled workers in high-demand occupations, drawing criticism from the country's opposition leaders that the new rules are unfair.

Immigration Minister Jason Kenney said applications for immigrants in occupations such as health, skilled trades, finance, and resource extraction will be processed within six to 12 months compared with up to six years under the old system. Geochemists, speech-language pathologists, university professors, plumbers and chefs would also be fast-tracked.

The minister also said that Canada will maintain its immigration levels, while countries like the United Kingdom and Australia are cutting back.

"The recent steps this government has taken to improve our immigration system will help ensure that Canada remains competitive internationally and responsive to labor market needs domestically," Kenney said.

Opposition leaders argued the changes would create two classes of immigrants, leaving less-skilled workers stuck at the back of the line.