// a href = ./ //

A Central West End apartment building that was the scene of a massive fire last July is set to reopen.

The 3949 Lindell Apartments had housed about 250 professionals and SLU graduate students when it burned. It had taken more than 160 of firefighters from the city and county to put it out.

After seven months, the first phase of the rebuilding is complete. Units in back part of the complex are now ready for renters.

Construction on the front half of the complex, where the fire started, should be finished by August.

The cause of the blaze has never been determined.

The 3949 apartment building has set up a Facebook page to keep the community updated on the status of the building.

Illinois' financial troubles appear to be taking a toll on the popularity of the man charged with fixing them.

A new poll by the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at SIU-Carbondale shows that Governor Pat Quinn has taken a hit. Quinn trailed badly among fellow Democrats, losing to state Attorney General Lisa Madigan by nearly ten points in a hypothetical party primary. The governor also trailed the "undecided" category by almost six points.

The poll also showed Illinois Republicans have no consensus on a gubernatorial candidate, with no one getting more than 10 percent support.

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Benedict XVI is telling the faithful in his first public appearance since announcing his resignation that he stepping down for "the good of the church."

Benedict received a lengthy standing ovation when he entered the packed audience hall Wednesday. He was interrupted by applause by the throngs of people, many of whom had tears in their eyes.

At the start of his audience, he repeated in Italian what he had told cardinals Monday in Latin: that he simply didn't have the strength to continue. He said "I did this in full liberty for the good of the church."

He asked the faithful "to continue to pray for the pope and the church."