President Barack Obama has nominated an attorney from the southern Illinois   community of Carlyle to the federal bench.  U.S. Senator Dick Durbin on Thursday announced Staci Yandle is Obama’s choice to fill a judicial vacancy in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois.  If confirmed by the Senate, Yandle would serve at the federal courthouse in Benton.  Durbin says Yandle will “bring a wealth of knowledge and litigation experience to the position.”  The Illinois Democrat says he will work with Republican Senator Mark Kirk of Illinois to see the nomination is approved by the Senate.  Yandle has owned her own law practice in O’Fallon since 2007.  She also serves on the Illinois Bar Foundation’s board of directors and has taught at Saint Louis University Law School.