Take your thumbs off the keypad and put your hands on the wheel -- it's now illegal to text-message while driving.

A state law that takes effect Friday also bans checking e-mail, updating Facebook and Web surfing while driving, though using your phone's GPS is still OK.

"We want everyone to keep their attention on the roadway," said Capt. Scott Compton, an Illinois State Police spokesman. "Texting and cell phone use is a distraction that not only takes your eyes off the road, but often takes more than one hand to do."

The texting ban is one of nearly 300 new laws taking effect with the new year, ranging from ethics reforms in the wake of ex- Gov. Rod Blagojevich's ouster to how credit card companies can market on college campuses.

But the new rule likely to affect people's daily lives the most is the law prohibiting drivers from sending or reading electronic messages on hand-held devices. Drivers can text only to report an emergency or if they put the vehicle in park or neutral while stopped in traffic or on the shoulder.

"It's a very good thing," said Myra Wyatt, 42, of Lincoln Park. "Just yesterday I was texting in rush-hour traffic, and this new law will definitely make me think twice."

The new law will have to be enforced, but it's a primary offense. That means police will be able to pull over drivers for it, similar to the power they have if motorists fail to wear a seat belt.

While most motorists interviewed by the Tribune on Thursday applauded the law, many were skeptical that it could be enforced.

Oregon on Friday became the 12th state to ban the disposal of certain electronics into landfills.

The second phase of the state's electronics recycling law makes it illegal to trash televisions, computers and monitors and could lead to a $500 fine.

Oregon's e-cycle law was passed in 2007 to slow electronics waste and the toxins released as they break down.

The first phase was launched a year ago and required electronics manufacturers to pay for a permanent statewide program with free, convenient recycling.

In the first eight months, Oregon collected more than 14.3 million pounds of TVs, computers and monitors.

The founder of a Southern California grocery chain who was once convicted on racketeering and other felonies is free after pleading guilty to a lesser count.

George Torres admitted Monday to one count of failing to collect payroll taxes from employees at his Numero Uno markets. He received credit for time served while awaiting prosecution and faces no further jail time.

Torres faced as much as life in prison in April after a federal jury found him guilty of 55 counts, including charges that he ordered the killing of rivals and bribed public officials.

A judge later threw out the most serious charges after prosecutors discovered evidence that may have exonerated him.

Torres' attorney says he's grateful for the court's work that led to his client's freedom.

The Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday sued the former head of a defunct Pittsburgh-area medical staffing company, claiming he led a stock fraud and misappropriated $6.4 million by lying about the company's finances.

The SEC sued Richard McDonald, who had already been charged by federal prosecutors, and three other former executives at World Health Alternatives Inc.

"A key aspect of the fraud involved the manipulation of World Health's accounting entries," the lawsuit reads. "This made the company appear more financially sound and masked McDonald's misappropriation of funds."

McDonald, 35, of Gilpin Township, was indicted in August in a wide-ranging fraud that federal prosecutors say has cost investors more than $200 million.

According to that 20-count grand jury indictment, McDonald allegedly diverted funds from World Health while president and chief executive officer from 2003 to 2005. McDonald is also accused of failing to pay some $2.3 million in federal taxes withheld from employee payroll checks and with evading his own federal taxes.

McDonald has an unlisted phone and his criminal defense attorney, William C. Kaczynski, said he doesn't represent McDonald in the SEC matter and doesn't know if anyone else does. Kaczynski relayed a request for comment to McDonald, who did not immediately respond Wednesday.

The parents who pulled the balloon boy hoax in hopes of landing a reality TV show were sentenced to jail Wednesday — 90 days for him, 20 days for her — and barred from profiting from their newfound celebrity status for the next four years.

Choking back tears, Richard Heene apologized in court for the frenzy he caused when he claimed his 6-year-old son Falcon had floated away in a giant helium balloon shaped like a flying saucer.

"I'm very, very sorry. And I want to apologize to all the rescue workers out there, and the people that got involved in the community," said the 48-year-old Heene, a UFO-obsessed backyard scientist who turned to storm-chasing and reality TV after his Hollywood acting career bombed.

The sentencing was the culmination of a saga that transfixed the nation in October with the sight of the silvery balloon hurtling through the sky on live television. In the end, it was all a publicity stunt by a family broke and desperate for attention and money after networks kept rejecting their reality TV show pitches.

A judge approved the payment Thursday in federal bankruptcy court in Manhattan. It follows initial payouts of over $15 million in July.

Lawyers at the Baker & Hostetler firm say they're following a paper trail that spans the globe while laboring to process over 16,000 claims seeking to recover billions in losses.

Trustee Irving Picard reported last month that he so far recovered about $1.2 billion and sued hedge funds and other large investors for another $14.8 billion.

The 71-year-old Madoff was sentenced earlier this year to 150 years in prison for orchestrating an epic Ponzi scheme that wiped out life savings and entire charities.

An Austin businessman and two of his companies are accused in an alleged scam using former NFL players to attract investors.

The Securities and Exchange Commission on Tuesday filed securities fraud charges in federal court in Austin naming Kurt B. Barton, Triton Financial LLC and Triton Insurance.

The SEC alleges $8.4 million was raised from about 90 investors to purchase an insurance company.

Regulators say the money instead went to pay Triton expenses.

The SEC says Barton and Triton have consented to court orders freezing their assets and appointment of a receiver.

Barton attorney Joe Turner says his client will work with the receiver to ensure that investors "do not lose their money."