Sheriff's Special Prosecutor: One More Try

McHenry County Associate Judge Thomas Meyer Friday gave ex-Deputy Zane Seipler's attorney one more chance to convince him to appoint a Special Prosecutor to look into charges of wrongdoing in the Sheriff's Office.

Assistant State's Attorney Don Leist said he'd need 14 to 21 days to respond to "the fifth or sixth petition" by Seipler lawyer Blake Horowitz.

"Editorialzing isn't necessary," chided Meyer.

Horowitz has repeatedly amended Seipler's original request more than a year ago to investigate Sheriff Keith Nygren's use of the Sheriff's official logo, whatever it turns out to be, in his re-election campaign.  There's been plenty of time to add new complaints since the case has been bogged down in a protracted argument about whether the State's Attorney's Office could conduct such an investigation.

Assistant State's Attorney Tom Carroll told Seipler (and FEN) the office couldn't investigate his charges because it already represents the Sheriff in a number of cases.  But when Seipler asked the Court for a Special Prosecutor, Leist made the hair-splitting argument that there was no inherent conflict of interest to prevent the State's Attorney from investigating.  After Meyer accepted that, however, State's Attorney Lou Bianchi told FEN what he really meant was the State's Attorney's Office could theoretically either prosecute or defend the Sheriff but in practice its policy was only to defend him.

That sounds like a long circle but Bianchi said Friday it wasn't. "I've been told there was a lot of wrangling (at the bench) between Mr. Seipler's attorney and Mr. Leist," said Bianchi.  "That may have caused our position to be unclear."

"The Sheriff is our client," said Bianchi.  "He has been for 13 months."

That's essentially what Horowitz in a motion told Meyer he'd heard Bianchi say.  Friday, however, Leist wanted Horowitz kicked off the case for saying he'd heard it since that made him a witness. Horowitz called the whole thing "a complete waste of time" and Meyer simply sidestepped the issue ruling the argument was too late.

That put Seipler's Special Prosecutor's request back where it had been when he started but the year's delay has strengthened his argument.  In the meantime his federal case charging he was fired for complaining about  racial profiling has broken loose information suggesting not only ethnic irregularities in ticketing but allegations of murder orders, alien trafficking and bribery.

Since the State's Attorney's Office won't conduct an investigation, Bianchi Friday sounded as if he thought a Sheriff's Special Prosecutor was a foregone conclusion.  "If the judge does decide, our preference would be to appoint a Special Prosecutor in the interest of the County. Someone from the Illinois Appellate Prosecutor or the Attorney General or even a State's Attorney from another County," said Bianchi.  "Anything that doesn't cost the County money."

The request will be before Meyer's bench again April 27 and Horowitz said he'd be ready for a hearing then.
-------
Separately, gadfly Cal Skinner's McHenry County Blog reported Friday Sheriff Keith Nygren is still a McHenry  County resident since he's registered a new voting residence in Crystal Lake.  Ex-sheriff's candidate Gus Philpott thought he'd moved to his home in Florida which might have disqualified him from holding office.  Now Philpott's  Woodstock Advocate has throttled back to worrying if the Sheriff can legally vote in Tuesday's election.

State Legislators Create Diabetes Group

The Illinois Legislature has a lot of caucuses. There's the Black Caucus and the Latino Caucus.  Now there's a Diabetes Caucus. House Minority Leader Tom Cross (R-Oswego), along with State Representatives Mike Tryon (R-Crystal Lake) and Jim Durkin (R-LaGrange) announced the formation of a bipartisan legislative Diabetes Caucus this week to bring heightened awareness to what they call a diabetes epidemic in Illinois.

“Today almost 10% of Illinoisans suffer from either Type I or Type II diabetes," said Cross, "and this new caucus will bring a bipartisan approach to diabetes prevention, awareness and treatment.”

Ignoring the question of what might constitute a political party position on, say, finger sticks, the group's still sort of a mixed bag. Tryon, for instance, is himself a Type II diabetic while Cross and Durkin aren't but have family members who are. Another member is Representative Cynthia Soto (D-Chicago) whose district includes Humboldt Park, reportedly the community with the highest percentage of diabetics in the state.

“Through my own research I have found that many Illinois families struggle to find sufficient information and resources that can help them manage symptoms and maintain a maximum quality of life,” said Tryon.  He and his fellow legislators hope to use the Diabetes Caucus to gin up some legislation to change that.  The rest of the time they hope it will become a bully pulpit to spread diabetes information.

Huntley Pastor Delivers Springfield Invocation

Huntley resident Carol Gates, pastor of Living Waters Lutheran Church on the Crystal Lake side of Miller Road gave the invocation on the floor of the Illinois House of Representatives on Tuesday.  Gates was invited to give the invocation by State Rep. Jack Franks who represents the rural part of McHenry County.

In the pic:  State Rep. Jack Franks and Pastor Carol Gates.

Lawmakers Reject Industrial Hemp

By Diane S.W. Lee   Illinois Statehouse News
Imported hemp products like cereals, frozen waffles and T-shirts will remain on store shelves, But industrial hemp will remain illegal to Illinois farmers who seek to raise  the stuff themselves. A majority of House lawmakers this week  voted to reject a which would have allowed Illinois farmers to get permits to grow and to produce industrial hemp.

“We are importing close to $30 billion of products that we use every single day; clothing, lotions, hair products, physical products with simple fibers,” said the plan’s sponsor, state Rep. Kenneth Dunkin, D-Chicago. “This is a good thing.”

Illinois imports many hemp products from Canada, China and Europe, Dunkin said. Members from the Illinois Farm Bureau supported the proposal, which would have allowed the state’s farmers to take financial advantage of a growing market, Dunkin said. The fibers of hemp plants, often confused with marijuana, are used in a variety of products from cosmetics to clothing and food. Dunkin said hemp’s hallucinogenic chemical content is too low to get people high from smoking it.

State Rep. Roger Eddy, R-Hutsonville, who voted for the proposal, brought up a concern that federal law would trump attempts to grow hemp. “If this bill passes, it sets up the mechanism for the Department of Agriculture to license this,” Eddy said. “But they won’t be able to license this until the federal government lifts, or at least allows, for the growing of industrial hemp, right?”

Dunkin cited the historical uses of hemp. “Do you know the Declaration of Independence was written on hemp paper, representative?” Dunkin replied. “Thomas Jefferson, our (third) president had a hemp farm here in this country. George Washington, our first president, grew and cultivated hemp in this country. These were federal presidents.”

Legislation to legalize medical marijuana, meanwhile, is pending in both the House and Senate.

You can read Diane's full report at: http://illinois.statehousenewsonline.com/5558/lawmakers-reject-permits-to-grow-industrial-hemp/

In the pic:  Hemp is raised commercially for all sorts of non-recreational uses.  During WWII it was raised on northern Illinois to make rope.

Police Blotters

The filing of charges is not proof of guilt. A defendant charged is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial in which it is the state’s burden to prove his or her guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Lake in the Hills
April 01
0039 HRS ELLIS RD. & ALGONQUIN RD. DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL. BURRY, DAVID E., M/W 47 YEARS OF AGE, 11213 DONALD DR., HUNTLEY. CHARGES: Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol, Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol with a Breath Alcohol Content Over .08, Improper Lane Usage, Improper Turn at Intersection, No Valid Insurance. RELEASED ON BOND.
0732 HRS 8407 PYOTT RD., (LAKE IN THE HILLS AIRPORT). IMPROPER USE OF REGISTRATION. LARUCCI, NICHOLAS J., M/W 32 YEARS OF AGE, 1102 CHERRY ST., LAKE IN THE HILLS. CHARGES: Improper Use of Registration. RELEASED ON BOND.
1529 HRS 3100 BLOCK OF BLACKBERRY DR. DRIVING WHILE LICENSE SUSPENDED. GREENFIELD, TERRI L., M/W 47 YEARS OF AGE. 3915 THORNBERRY WAY, LAKE IN THE HILLS. CHARGE: Driving While License Suspended. RELEASED ON BOND.
1753 HRS 208 RANDALL RD., (BLOCKBUSTER). NO VALID DRIVER’S LICENSE. SANDERS, DANA A., F/W 33 YEARS OF AGE, 21 CYPRESS SQUARE, ELGIN. CHARGE: No Valid Driver’s License. RELEASED ON BOND.
0833 HRS RANDALL RD. & ACORN LN. ABANDONED VEHICLE. Abandoned vehicle towed.
0613 HRS 200 BLOCK OF ELLIS RD. ASSIST AMBULANCE. Female, 65 years of age, having difficulty breathing. Transported to Sherman Hospital.
1033 HRS 200 BLOCK OF BRIDLEWOOD CIRCLE. DOMESTIC. Mother vs. son. Verbal only. One Prior.
1352 HRS 10 BLOCK OF WALNUT DR. DOMESTIC. Father vs. son. Verbal only. One Prior.
1431 HRS RAKOW RD. & PYOTT RD. ACCIDENT. Three vehicles. Property damage only
March 31
0035 HRS PYOTT RD & RAKOW RD. ACCIDENT. Vehicle vs. Deer. Property damage only.
0613 HRS 0 BLOCK OF CROFTON CT. ASSIST AMBULANCE. Female, 84 years of age, having chest pains. Transported to Sherman Hospital.
1559 HRS 101 PYOTT RD., (MOBIL). ACCIDENT. Two vehicles. Property damage only.
1632 HRS 1300 BLOCK OF CUNAT CT. DOMESTIC. Boyfriend vs. Girlfriend. Verbal only. No priors.
1719 HRS RAKOW RD & PYOTT RD. ACCIDENT, Two vehicles. Property damage only.
2205 HRS 500 BLOCK OF SEMINOLE TRAIL. ASSIST AMBULANCE. Female, 3 years of age, having a seizure. No transport.
Algonquin
March 28
17:34pm a 16 year-old female from Lake In The Hills was charged with Retail Theft.  She was taken into custody at Meijer, 400 S. Randall Road.  She was administered a station adjustment and then released into the custody of her father.
March 29
20:32pm Klein, Judith A., DOB: 10/26/58, of 860 Eineke Blvd, Algonquin, was charged with Hit and Run, No Valid DL and Uninsured Motor Vehicle.  She was taken into custody at 195 S. Randall Road.  She was transported to McHenry County Jail, when unable to post bond.
March 31
00:34am  Fox, Evan A., DOB:08/30/88, of 304 Green Knoll Lane, Carpentersville, was charged with DWLS. He was taken into custody at Algonquin Road and Hanson Road.  He was released after posting $150 with a court date of 05/04/11 in McHenry County.
01:08am a 16 year-old female from Algonquin, was charged with Curfew Violation. She was taken into custody at 1495 W. Algonquin Road.  She was given a Notice to Appear with a court date of 04/27/11 in Algonquin and then released to her parents.
17:06pm Martinez, Carlos, DOB: 05/10/70, of 212 Granada, Carpentersville, was charged with No Valid DL and Disobeying Traffic Control Device.  He was taken into custody at Edward Street and Harrison Street. He was released after posting $150 with a court date of 05/04/11 in McHenry County.

McHenry County Unemployment Rate Falls Again

McHenry County's unemployment rate fell 0.2 percent in February according to the latest report released Thursday by the Illinois Department of Security.  But last month's 9.1 percent unemployment rate followed a revised January figure confirming December's 8.8 percent unemployment rate was just a blip over the holidays.

The County rate bested both Illinois' 9.4 percent unemployment rate and the overall U.S. figure of 9.5 percent, all unadjusted for seasonal variation. Illinois' adjusted rate fell for the 13th consecutive month, dropping 0.1 to 8.9 percent in February. The last time the state rate was below 9.0 percent was two years ago in February 2009. The national February rate also fell -0.1 to 8.9 percent. Seasonally adjusted rates aren't available at the county level.

Meanwhile Thursday Gov. Pat Quinn signed into law a measure to ensure unemployment benefits continue to flow to thousands of Illinois residents. It continued the state’s extended benefits program allowing long-term unemployed to collect checks after exhausting standard unemployment benefits. Because of the state’s steadily but only slowy improving unemployment rate, Illinois was in danger of losing federal support of the program. The new law allows the state to change the way it calculates who is eligible for the program.

The legislation passed Thursday also addresses interest the state has to pay on a $2.9 billion federal loan it took out to fund extended benefits. The state has to pay up on $83 million in interest by September, or lose $1 billion in federal tax credits for employers and $100 million in federal unemployment funds.

                         UNEMPLOYMENT (unadjusted)             
               REVISED    Jan 2011          PRELIMINARY Feb 2011               
               LABOR    UNEMPLOYED      LABOR   UNEMPLOYED      JAN 
               FORCE    NUMBER  RATE    FORCE   NUMBER    RATE  2010   
U.S. (X1000)   152,536  14,937   9.8    152,635   14,542   9.5  10.4    
ILLINOIS     6,565,729 632,409   9.6  6,532,884  616,314   9.4  11.8   

MCHENRY COUNTY 179,554  16,784   9.3    179,829   16,442   9.1  11.3    
KANE COUNTY    269,083  26,779  10.0    269,644   26,421   9.8  12.1    
LAKE COUNTY    357,106  37,423  10.5    353,206   37,909  10.7  13.0
DUPAGE COUNTY  516,856  37,991   7.4    517,295   36,615   7.1   9.1

ALGONQUIN       16,497   1,293   7.8     16,529    1,266   7.7   9.5   
LITH            16,829   1,390   8.3     16,856    1,358   8.1  10.3    
CRYSTAL LAKE    22,274   1,989   8.9     22,273    1,911   8.6  10.7    
MCHENRY         15,235   1,528  10.0     15,225    1,466   9.6  11.8   

Huntley Marlowe Feed To Come Down Saturday

Huntley residents might brew some hot cocoa and coffee tonight to stay warm while the village's Marlow Feed building comes down Saturday morning.  Wood recycler Elmer West said Thursday his crew would begin work at 7 am and he expected a big crowd.  "Maybe I ought to sell tickets," he said.

West's salvaging the 100-year old pine from which the Marlow store was built to turn it into, mostly, high-end flooring, although the building's structural beams probably won't be recut and milled.  West said he's already pulled a lot of wood out of the building but some of the hand-hewn wood stacked on the site right now came from an earlier job in St. Charles.  "They're both going the same place," he said.

In the pic:  Wood Recycler Elmer West said pulling down Huntley's Marlowe Feed store Saturday would be tricky since the building's heavy overhang would tend to torque the structure when his crew cuts a way attachments.

Compare And Contrast Grafton Twp. Vs. Island Lake

A protest march in somewhat nearby Island Lake in Lake County Thursday showed that, despite periodic charges "Grafton Township is the laughing stock of Illinois," it may have at least one rival. Grafton's Supervisor and trustees are locked in what's turned into a court battle over who has ultimate power. With a mayor's suit filed two weeks ago against four of the village's six trustees, so is Island Lake.

Grafton, of course, doesn't have an ex-mayor and ex-village clerk up on charges of official misconduct nor the wife of an ex-mayor facing a charge of scamming the village daycare center. (Never mind the lady Rec Director charged with beating up a resident in a bar.) Neither does it have a disabled vet arrested for supposedly pointing his finger like a gun nor another resident who blocked a controversial water tower with a pig farm.

Where Island Lake and Grafton Township most resemble each other is in whopping legal bills. Island Lake's add up in the $250,000 range.  That's at least similar in magnitude to Grafton's depending on who's counting. The legal counsel controversies are sort of mirror images, however.  Most of Island Lake's trustees want to fire Village Attorney firm Ancel-Glink and appoint their own counsel.  Grafton's Supervisor fired Ancel-Glink and now wants to appoint her personal attorney.

Ancel-Glink's lawyer in Island Lake is arguing only the mayor can hire and fire people. That's essentially the opposite to the firm's position in Grafton (albeit articulated by a different attorney) until a McHenry County Circuit Judge ruled otherwise.

In the pic:  Island Lake residents protesting a Mayor's suit against village trustees chanted, "Two, Four, Six, Eight, We Don't Want To Litigate," Thursday. 

News You can Use: Free Mulch At Algonquin Township

Tree trimmers dropped off more wood chips at Algonquin Township's Recycling Center Thursday for conversion into free mulch for residents.  "We can't make enough of the stuff when the weather's good," said Highway Commissioner Bob Miller.

Miller's crews use the Township's handy-dandy tub grinder to macerate discarded Christmas trees and residential bush dropoffs, too.  The resulting mulch for gardens and landscaping's available, as much as anyone wants, 24 hours a day 7 days a week at the Center at the Township Complex on Route 14 about a mile east of Route 31.  (It's on the left and watch the oncoming traffic.)  The mountain of mulch that smells like pine is the Christmas trees and the other two are single-grind and double-grind fine mulches.

Experts Assure Lawmakers On Illinois Nuke Plants

By Mary J. Cristobal, Illinois Statehouse News
Japan’s nuclear crisis from the March 11 earthquake and tsunami has caused global concerns, which have washed onto U.S. shores. The Illinois Emergency Management Agency Thursday assured lawmakers that the nuclear power plants in the state are safe and well-prepared for the unthinkable.

IEMA Director Jonathon Monken said the state has the “most comprehensive state-of-the-art nuclear safety program in the nation,” in testimony Thursday morning before the Senate Energy Committee hearing.

Susan Landahl, senior vice president and chief operating officer of Exelon Nuclear, owner of Illinois' six nuclear power plants, stressed the company's safe operations.

“It’s understandable that many Americans are asking if the events in Japan impact us, whether they should be concerned about our own nuclear plants, and I’m here to assure you that not only do I have full confidence that the Illinois nuclear plants are safe (but) as well as our other plants in the United States,” said Landahl to the panel of senators.

Monken assured the panel that the plants are continually undergoing updates. “It’s an on-going process as far as the equipment that we have that are available to us as resources to address these types of issues,” Monken said. “A lot of these systems, take for example the monitoring system that we have in a ring around of each plant, those sensors are actually designed and constructed by our personnel.”

You can read Mary's full report at: http://illinois.statehousenewsonline.com/5541/iema-assures-lawmakers-of-safety-of-illinois-nuclear-power-plants/

In the pic:  Exelon's nuclear power station at Dresden in Grundy County.

Police Blotters

The filing of charges is not proof of guilt. A defendant charged is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial in which it is the state’s burden to prove his or her guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Lake in the Hills
delayed--Fen Scheduling conflict

Wanted Again: One LITH Airport Manager

No one's sure how local labor market numbers due for release today will shape up but one thing's for certain:  There's a big demand for a Lake in the Hills Airport Manager.  Former Manager T. J. Moore left earlier this month for an offer he couldn't refuse: Public Works Director (and airport head) in DeKalb.

For one thing, the money was better, a lot according to salary schedules, but the new gig  also includes responsibility for DeKalb economic development.  "That's one of my strengths," said Moore Wednesday still settling in to his new office.  "It's a great opportunity," he said, "And DeKalb has a big airport."

Meanwhile LITH is left looking for a new number two to Public Works Director Fred Mullard who's covering the Airport desk again only a little over a year after former Assistant Director Dave Gregoria retired to Florida.  Mostly the job's like any other public works spot involving the usual streets and sewers but in LITH's case it also includes running 3CK, the FAA designation for LITH airport, a reliever for O'Hare and an important amenity to lure businesses to locate in the area.

Fortunately, experience at that isn't required.  "Additional training is available to handle airport responsibilities," reads the job notice.  Applications are open through April 5.  The online version is here:

http://www.lith.org/Employment.html

Moore, a Huntley resident, said he plans to remain just that and commute to his new job.  He said it sort of takes him back to the days when he commuted to Northern to get his BA.  "There are going to be about five days a year when the weather's going to be terrible," he said.  "But (somewhere else) you can predict there'd be five days a year when the traffic would be terrible."

In the pic:  Wednesday was a nice day to fly at LITH Airport.  Civil Air Patrol cadets, for instance, were out on familiarization flights.

McHenry County Health Ranked In State’s Top

McHenry County continues to have some of the healthiest residents in Illinois according to the annual County Health Rankings released Wednesday by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

It was the second year for the report, the most comprehensive of its kind to rank the overall health of nearly every county in all 50 states using a standard way to measure how healthy people are and how long they live.  According to the study, at least in Illinois, generally, the 'burbs are the best place to live to a ripe and healthy old age.  McHenry County ranked number four among the Sate's 102 counties.  Kendall was first, followed by DuPage and, the exception proving the rule, Woodford.  Lake was number eight and Kane was ninth.

You can read the health ranking report here:

http://www.countyhealthrankings.org/illinois

“We hope the County Health Rankings spur all sectors – government, business, community and faith-based groups, education and public health – to work together on solutions that address barriers to good health and help all residents lead healthier lives,” said  Patrick J. McNulty, Public Health Administrator for McHenry County Department of Health.

Bloomin Bunco Coming To Algonquin For Pantry, Lyme Disease

Organizers hope for at least 150 players to turn out next Friday for their "ladies' night out" Bloomin Bunco event at Neubert Elementary School to benefit the Algonquin/Lake in the Hills Interfaith Food Pantry and The Midwest Lyme Foundation.

The Pantry's well known. "When I began volunteering at the Algonquin/Lake In The Hills Food Pantry a typical day served 23 families," said bunco organizer Carol Platt. "Now, it is very common to serve 35 families or more each time the doors open."

The Midwest Lyme Foundation is a group of volunteers who try to provide community awareness, information, and physician training for the treatment and management of Lyme Disease in the Midwest.

Blooming Bunco will start at 7 pm April 8 at Neubert with prizes for each group of 12, raffles and dessert.  Entry's $25 a head but pre-registration's required and needs to be in by tomorrow. Call Platt at 847-658-4105 or Lauren Egler at 815-546-6509 to do that.

House Versus Senate On State Budget?

By Andrew Thomason, Illinois Statehouse News
A budgetary battle could be brewing in the state Capitol, but not necessarily between Republicans and Democrats. House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, and House Republican Leader Tom Cross, R-Oswego, appeared together Wednesday morning to deliver a joint message of fiscal discipline.

The united front in the Illinois House could mean that this year’s budget will pit senators against state representatives, instead of the traditional party divisions. A recently passed law requires that the Legislature lay out how much money it will spend before deciding who gets what but Gov. Pat Quinn’s office, the House and the State Senate have all come up with different numbers.

Madigan laid out one possibility Wednesday. Because the House’s $33.2 billion revenue projection is more conservative than the Senate’s $34.3 billion projection, Madigan said Senate Republicans might be inclined to side with the House in a conference meeting.

State Sen. Matt Murphy, R-Palatine, the Senate GOP’s budgeteer, said he’s not sure how a conference committee on budget legislation would play out. “I think it’s a little premature for us to start to weigh in, and choose sides, in a conference committee that I don’t know is even going to happen.”

Cross and Madigan do have a plan if their numbers are lower than what the state actually brings in during the next fiscal year. “If there’s money available over and above the number we’ve picked … we could use that extra money to pay bills,” Cross said.

The state has $9 to $10 billion in overdue bills.

You can read Andrew's full report at: http://illinois.statehousenewsonline.com/5524/house-versus-senate-on-budget-2/

In the pic:  Legislative leaders Tom Cross and Mike Madigan

House Lawmakers Plan Less Money For Local Schools

By Diane S.W. Lee, Illinois Statehouse News
The latest projection from Springfield is that elementary and high schools across the state can expect at least $600 million less than last year. That estimate came as top Illinois House leaders  Wednesday began hashing out details for K through 12 funding for the state’s fiscal year 2012 budget.

Lawmakers said they hope to knock out a budget earlier than usual so schools can plan ahead rather than deal with the uncertainty of waiting. House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, said lawmakers are going to have to make it clear to schools that there will simply be less money next year.

"Now we’re going to have to pick and choose. Some of these items will be funded. Maybe they will get less funding. Some of these items won’t be funded at all," Madigan said. "That is the process that we will engage in."

In the current budget, elementary and high schools received $7 billion from the state. Schools also received approximately $3 billion from other state and federal funds each year, according to figures from the governor's office. But state Rep. Will Davis, D-Homewood, said there will be $200 million fewer state dollars, and nearly $400 million fewer federal dollars this year. Davis, who will craft the education budget in the House, said he's been told he can spend no more than $6.8 billion.

Although school districts have received less money and delayed payments from the state, the Illinois State Board of Education is still advocating for more education funding. The agency recommends $7.6 billion in state funding for fiscal year 2012 budget, more than 5 percent more than the governor's proposed $7.2 billion.

You can read Diane's full report at:  http://illinois.statehousenewsonline.com/5523/house-lawmakers-plan-less-funding-for-elementary-and-high-schools/

Police Blotters

The filing of charges is not proof of guilt. A defendant charged is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial in which it is the state’s burden to prove his or her guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Lake in the Hills
March 30
0905 HRS OAK ST, & CREEK VIEW LN. DRIVING WHILE LICENSE SUSPENDED. IBARRA, MARTIN J., M/W 56 YEARS OF AGE, 49 WREN RD., CARPENTERSVILLE. CHARGE: Driving while License Suspended. RELEASED ON BOND.
0842 HRS 1300 BLOCK OF CUNAT CT. ASSIST OTHER AGENCY. Assisted the Illinois Department of Corrections with an arrest.
1232 HRS 100 BLOCK OF HILLTOP DR. THEFT. Snow blower taken from residence.
1351 HRS 400 BLOCK OF HARVEST GATE. ASSIST AMBULANCE. Female, 13 years of age, having a seizure. Transported to Sherman Hospital.
1523 HRS 5600 BLOCK OF SAVOY DR. ASSIST AMBULANCE. Female, 47 years of age, with high blood pressure. Transported to Woodstock Memorial Hospital.
1545 HRS 3866 SONOMA CIRCLE, (NATURE’S VIEW PARK). CRIMINAL DEFACEMENT. Juveniles wrote on slide with markers. PENDING INVESTIGATION BY REPORTING OFFICER.
1907 HRS 1200 HEARTLAND GATE, (KEN CARPENTER PARK). FOUND PROPERTY. Gray pair of Men’s Rollerblades.
2329 HRS 200 BLOCK OF WANDER WAY. ASSIST AMBULANCE. Male, 86 years of age, fell and received a head injury. Transported to Sherman Hospital.

Kane Redistricting Hearing Sets Off Fireworks

An advisory hearing on redistricting in Kane County ended with a bitter exchange Tuesday highlighting conflicts that will effect the lobes of Algonquin and Huntley that dip south of the border but perhaps also presaging some of the problems McHenry County will soon face.

At the county level not just the shape of districts but the shape of County Boards themselves are up for grabs in Illinois this year thanks to the latest census figures and State law.

After a lot of musing about whether the Kane Board should be cut from 26 members to 18 or something in between, the committee settled on 24 as a reasonable number.  Aurora Board Member Bonnie Kunkel in the audience wasn't so sure, though.  She charged the whole redistricting plan was being "ramrodded" through the Board without enough time for debate.

"I have to stop you," cut in Elgin Member and Committee Chairman Cathy Hurlbut setting off a shouting match between the two that ended with Hurlbut's claim that, "Nobody's being railroaded today. I'm not going to let you go down that path."

"I think that you've made my point," Kunkel shot back.

The committee also approved sticking with the current one-member-per-district regime although Hurlbut cut explicit debate short on that motion.  Earlier, members had largely decided multi-member districts would be so big a challenger running a shoe leather campaign wouldn't have a prayer of defeating an incumbent.  Right now, "You can run a campaign on $3,000," Kunkel claimed.

The 800-pound gorilla in both Kane and maybe McHenry County redistricting will be drawing boundaries that don't dilute the federal voting rights of Hispanic residents.  The latest census figures show they represent 30 percent of Kane's population now. Algonquin resident Marc Avelar told the committee the best way to redistrict would be to draw the ethnic districts first and then fill in the rest.  Most members said that sounded like a good idea but applying the same idea in McHenry County might not be so easy.  Hispanics are only about 10 percent of the 2010 population there and drawing a district to include, for instance,  Harvard and almost anywhere else  might be tricky.

In both counties another problem's going to be preserving representation for what's left of the rural areas.  Burlington Member T.R. Smith whose district includes the south half of Sun City said if Kane doesn't draw its boundaries carefully, "Everybody west of 47 will never be heard from again." That's a fear in McHenry County, too.

Once it decides what kind of Board it wants, McHenry County has a new computer program to draw district maps. So far, though, Board Members haven't had an official discussion of which buttons to push for that.  The redistricting deadline's July 1.

In the pic: Kane County's redistricting hearing started out quietly Tuesday.

Supervisor's Attorney Asks Twp. Appointment In Grafton Suit

April 11 is the date for Grafton trustees to explain why Supervisor Linda Moore's attorney shouldn't become the Township Attorney, too.  Rockford lawyer John Nelson missed a March 15 deadline for the motion filed in Circuit Court Friday but the case isn't due up again until the end of April.

Trustees withheld their advice and consent to appoint Nelson earlier this month on the premise that he was suing them on Moore's behalf.  Nelson's brief says that was "unreasonable", especially since law firm Ancel-Glink was defending trustees against Moore's lawsuit while it was still the official Township Attorney.

In a status hearing two weeks ago Judge Michael Caldwell said the trustees had to have "an articulable reason" for rejecting Nelson.

Impersonation Charge Dropped Against Ex-Algonquin Sergeant

McHenry County prosecutors have a month to decide if they want to bring a new charge against ex-Algonquin Traffic Sergeant Wade Merritt for alleged impersonation of a police officer.  Monday Circuit Judge Joseph Condon dismissed a Crystal Lake PD complaint for that but didn't bar filing a new one.

Merritt had to resign from Algonquin PD almost two years ago after a conviction for domestic battery removed his right to carry a handgun.  A few months later Crystal Lake PD pulled him over for speeding and a few weeks after that charged him with impersonating an officer during the stop.  Details were never released but Crystal Lake PD comments indicated Merritt flashed a badge during the pullover. An Algonquin PD spokesman said it wasn't theirs--he'd turned that in when he resigned.

Merritt still faces the speeding charge.  He's asked for a jury trial on that and a date's supposed to be set April 25.

Legislators Defend Tax Hike But Worry About CAT

By Diane S.W. Lee, Illinois Statehouse News
Lawmakers who voted for the recent income tax increase are standing by their vote amid rumors that construction equipment giant Caterpillar Corp. may haul its headquarters to another state.
Blame has mostly focused on the personal and corporate tax increases after word got out that Caterpillar's chairman sent a letter to Gov. Pat Quinn, expressing concerns about the state's unfavorable business climate.

State Sen. David Koehler, D-Peoria, defended his vote on the tax hike to help the state dig itself out of debt. "I think that the burden is on all of us now, whether we voted for it or not, whether we are Democrat or Republican, to make this work, and to put our house in order financially," Koehler said. "Having Illinois with a junk bond status doesn't do anybody any good."”

State Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia, D-Aurora, said Caterpillar is a big employer in her district, but she defended her vote on the tax hike to help the state pay its unpaid bills. “You think we are bad right now,” she said. “We’d be extremely worse off, where we would probably be insolvent, we wouldn’t be able to come back out of the hole that we've dug for ourselves.”

Lawmakers in the previous General Assembly passed the 67 percent personal income tax hike in January on the final day of the lame-duck session. The state's corporate income tax rate rose 45.9 percent. Since then, neighboring states have been trying to woo Illinois businesses.

State Sen. Mike Jacobs, D-East Moline, called Caterpillar "a little disingenuous."

"We've spent hundreds of millions of dollars, federal dollars, to put brand new roads into Peoria," Jacobs said. "And the emphasis behind a lot of those roads was to make sure that Caterpillar could get their equipment in and out. And now that we've spent that money, Caterpillar is saying 'Yeah, we're making record profits, but we want more."

Quinn's spokeswoman Brie Callahan said in an email that the governor is willing to meet with businesses in Illinois and work "toward creating a stable fiscal environment" for the state.

You can read Diane's full report at:  http://illinois.statehousenewsonline.com/5511/lawmakers-defend-tax-hike-express-concern-for-cat/

In the pic:  CAT HQ in Peoria.  For the time being.

Lawmakers Bet On More Money If Casino Smoking Ban Ends

By Melissa Leu, Illinois Statehouse News
 Casinos near Illinois' borders might be able to cash in after the state House passed a measure Tuesday that would allow riverboats to once again allow smoking. Supporters the bill expect the proposal to generate millions of dollars in additional revenue, arguing that the original ban had pushed gamblers into other states. The legislation would exempt the state's 10 casinos from the 2008 statewide smoking ban.

State Rep. Thomas Holbrook, D-Belleville, said the casinos is his district lost about $1 billion in revenues to border state Missouri. Others, however, say these financial loss numbers aren’t completely accurate.

“The figure of what has been lost by Illinois casinos was $200 million, then it was $400 million, but suddenly it (grew to) $800 million,” Kathy Drea, director of public policy for American Lung Association of Illinois.

“I don't totally buy that the revenues are down just because of smoking, I think there's a combination of facts — a recession as they call it,” said state Rep. Patrick Verschoore, D-Milan.. “I'm not a fan of smoking, but like I said, you got to vote for what's best for your district.”

Smoking opponents want to see separate gaming rooms for smokers, citing health concerns for casino workers and non-smokers. But Holbrooke said separate sections won’t work. “We had both smoking an non-smoking sections in our casinos in the past, and most of the non-smoking sections were empty,” he said.

You can read Melissa's full report at: http://illinois.statehousenewsonline.com/5509/border-lawmakers-bet-on-more-revenue-with-end-of-smoking-ban/

Police Blotters

The filing of charges is not proof of guilt. A defendant charged is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial in which it is the state’s burden to prove his or her guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Lake in the Hills
March 29
0209 HRS 100 BLOCK OF WOODY WAY, DOMESTIC BATTERY, Brother vs. brother. 5 Priors. FAIL TO FILE.
1144 HRS 145 HILLTOP DR., (KNOCKLES PARK). FOUND ARTICLE. Tan kayak.
1145 HRS 320 N. RANDALL RD., (ARBY’S). ASSIST AMBULANCE. Male, 79 years of age, injured his head from a fall. Transported to Woodstock Memorial Hospital.
1235 HRS 6900 RAKOW RD., (RAKOW CURVE). ACCIDENT. Three vehicles. Property damage only.
1235 HRS 1400 BLOCK OF JEFFERSON ST. ASSIST AMBULANCE. Female, 85 years of age, with back pain. Transported to Good Shepherd Hospital.
1921 HRS 00 BLOCK OF INDIAN TRAIL. ASSIST AMBULANCE. Female, 75 years of age, having chest pains. No Transport.
2157 HRS 700 BLOCK OF WEDGEWOOD CIRCLE. IDENTITY THEFT. Unknown subject using complainant’s name for income. TURNED OVER TO THE IRS.
2159 HRS 300 BLOCK OF COUNCIL TRAIL. SUSPICIOUS INCIDENT. Found open door on vehicle.
Huntley
March 21
A forgery report was taken at a business in the 12300 block of Rt. 47.  The business received a counterfeit $20 bill.
March 23 
Miguel M. Flores, age 20, of 11711 Kenneth St., Huntley, was arrested for driving while license suspended and was cited for operation of an uninsured motor vehicle and no head lights when required.  Mr. Flores posted bond and was released with a McHenry County court date of April 15, 2011.
A 15 year-old male from Huntley was arrested for possession of controlled substance at the High School.  The juvenile was released to his father and will attend peer jury.
Merri L. Larson, age 46, of 40W518 Freeman Rd., Huntley, was arrested for DUI, DUI blood alcohol over .08 and an outstanding Kane County warrant, and was cited for display of expired registration, operation of an uninsured motor vehicle, displaying a false insurance card and no DL on person.  Ms. Larson posted bond and was released with a McHenry County court date of April 15, 2011 and a Kane County court date of April 13, 2011.
Kardiel R. Reyes, age 32, of 673 Bristol St., Pingree Grove, was arrested for no valid drivers license was cited for no rear registration plate light.  Mr. Reyes posted bond and was released with a McHenry County court date of April 15, 2011.
March 24
A 14 year-old female from Huntley was charged with disorderly conduct at the High School.  The juvenile was released to her parents and will be petitioned into juvenile court.
Daniela Medina, age 23, of 421 Leah #1A, Woodstock, was arrested for driving with no valid drivers license and was cited for improper turn.  Ms. Medina posted bond and was released with a McHenry County court date of April 15, 2011.
Renato Pantaleon, age 37, of 888 Gelway, Pingree Grove, was arrested for driving with no valid drivers license and was cited for improper display of registration.  Mr. Pantaleon posted bond and was released with a McHenry County court date of April 15, 2011.
March 25
Jason S. Klatt, age 31, of 10873 Harry Dr., Huntley, was arrested for driving while license suspended and was cited for disregarding a stop sign.  Mr. Klatt posted bond and was released with a McHenry County court date of April 15, 2011.
March 26
Michael P. Keating, age 31, of 11N220 Wildwood Dr., Elgin, was arrested for DUI and was cited for speeding and improper lane use.  Mr. Keating posted bond and was released with a McHenry County court date of May 13, 2011.
A theft of service report was taken in the 10000 block of Yarley Dr.  A taxi cab driver stated that his passenger left his cab without paying the fare.
A forgery report was taken at a business in the 11700 block of Rt. 47.  The business took in a counterfeit $20 bill.
March 27
A burglary to motor vehicle report was taken at a business parking lot in the 11300 block of Kiley Dr.  The victim states a purse and a wallet were stolen from AN unlocked vehicle.
A dumping complaint was taken in the 10900 block of Sawgrass Lane.  The victim states that 17 political signs and 2 traffic cones were left in the yard.
Kristin C. Hedberg, age 25, of 11244 Caldwell Dr., Huntley, was arrested on two counts of domestic battery.  Ms. Hedberg was transported to McHenry County jail to await bond call.

Area Job Fair Shows "Employers Are Hiring"

About 700 hopefuls filled McHenry County College's Gym Monday looking for work.  That was about 100 more people than a similar Job Fair Sponsored by MCC’s Career Services Department and the McHenry County Workforce Network, drew last year.

The nation's famous "jobless recovery" isn't really jobless. Economists worry, however, it isn't generating as many new jobs as there are new people entering the workforce.  Seventeen companies were at the Fair and Jeff Poynter from the Workforce said that was surely proof that "employers are hiring again."

On the other hand, MCC's Career Services' Frank Lanko said at his on-the-ground level it's hard to separate normal churn from actual job creation.  "Are these new positions or are just they old ones that are being refilled?" he asked.  "I don't know the answer."

On the macroeconomic level it's important to policy makers.  On the micro level for job seekers, it doesn't make much difference.  Huntley HVAC tech Kurtis Lesak in line to apply for a spot at Scott Forge in Spring Grove simply wanted any kind of employment.  "I've even been applying for retail jobs just 'cause I can't find work," he said.

LITH's Delores Vega was in one of the lines at a temp agency.  She was laid off five months ago from her customer service job of 12 years and said she's not very hopeful.  "It's bad," she said.  "There really aren't a lot of jobs out there and so many people are unemployed."

Algonquin resident Patricia Mahoney was in line to see if she could get a job with Centegra after a long workforce timeout as babysitting grandma and part-time checker at Jewel. "(Employers) look at me and all they see is I'm old with an old (emt) certification," she said.  Not that she won't go down fighting. Mahoney said she might retread herself. "If I have have to I'll go back to school here (at MCC)," she said grimly.

Elgin Community College has another job fair coming up in two weeks, Friday, April 8.  There are supposed to be 80 area employers there with positions to fill  from 1 to 4 pm at the college’s Spartan Events Center.

In the pic: The line for Centegra applicants was the longest one at the MCC’s Career Services,  McHenry County Workforce Network Job Fair Monday.  Something or other about a new hospital?

Work Resumes To Make Way For Algonquin Bypass

Work to clean up contamination resumed Monday at Algonquin's Toastmaster site to make way for the start of construction of Route 31's Western Bypass around its present intersection with Route 62.  The foundations of the former Toastmaster factory and an estimated 60,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil need to be trucked off and replaced before work on the bypass itself can begin.

Rubble from the burned Toastmaster factory and debris from demolition of the nearby Prairie Trail properties was carted off long ago.  The "site remediation" contract's a different one.  Work began in January but then sputtered to a halt.  IDOT Communications Director Guy Tridgell said the problem was mostly the weather.  First the blizzard, then the cold snap, then a week to relocate some NICOR utilities, recently he said resumption was delayed by rain..

Tridgell declined to say anything about a report IDOT rejected an offer from Huntley contractor Huckstorf Excavating to cut its price to haul off the Toastmaster factory debris if the company could have the stuff for fill instead of taking it to a disposal site.  "I'm not going to comment on that," he said.  "The contract was awarded and proceeded as planned."

While work continues on the Toastmaster site, plans are underway to remove six other buildings in the path of the bypass.  Work to knock them down is expected to begin next month.

In the pic:  Concrete rubble from the Prairie Trail buildings in Algonquin disappeared Monday. The Toastmaster foundations may take a little longer.

Racers Tuning Up Tendons For Run Through The Hills

The cutoff for registration for the area's first big run of the year, LITH's Run Through the Hills, is fast approaching. It's next Wednesday

The 12th annual 5 and 10K race (or walk, depending on preference) is Sunday, April 10, on the village streets through the rolling terrain around Woods Creek Lake in the mature section of town. So are the molehill races for the kids.

There's a bushel of race awards for overall male and female winners in the 10 and 5K's and three deep in five-year age groups starting at 15 up through 60 and over. Walkers get finisher ribbons. All the kids take home a shirt, numbered race bib, participation award and a goody bag. Everybody gets a long-sleeve technical shirt, not to mention a pancake breakfast by LITH's Rotary Club. (Non runners can buy breakfast for $3.00 with a ticket  at at the LITH Village Hall, door.

Since it's the first chance to run off a little bit of the Winter's cabin fever the turnout's usually pretty strong. Online registration, details, maps and whatnot are all here: http://www.lith.org/RTTH.html

Questions or if you or a family member would rather volunteer to help than run, check with Andrew Gemmell, Race Director, Lake in the Hills Parks & Recreation Dept. at 847-960-7462 or agemmell@LITH.org.

LITH Honors Local Student Athlete

The Lake in the Hills Village Board recognized native son Jared Koch and Marian Central Senior with a Certificate of Achievement last week.  An outstanding football player for the Hurricanes, the 189-pounder silvered in the IHSA wrestling championships last month, too.  Topping that, though, he's also been selected to attend the U.S. Air Force Academy this Fall.

In the pic:  LITH Village President Ed Plaza presents a Certificate of Achievement to soon-to-be cadet Jared Koch.

Minority Communities Ask For More Representation

By Andrew Thomason, Illinois Statehouse News
Faults in Illinois’ political geography came to the surface Monday during a state Senate Redistricting Committee Monday. Many minority groups voiced their worries about ignoring fault lines during the upcoming redrawing of local, state and federal electoral boundaries in the state.

The Asian population of Illinois, the fastest growing minority population in the state, is particularly at risk for under-representation, several minority group advocates said. Ami Gandhi, legal director for the Asian American Institute, said “After the 2000 census, five Illinois senate districts were over 10 percent Asian-American, but the district lines that were redrawn in 2001 left only two Illinois senate districts to be over 10 percent Asian-American.”

No Asian candidate has ever been elected to the Legislature or any statewide office.

“It’s not just necessarily by race that they are looking to put an Asian, or in our case we would be looking to put an African-American in (office),” said Melissa Williams of the NAACP. “It’s a situation where we may have a candidate that we feel strongly about, but we don’t have enough pull because there aren’t enough of us to put that candidate in.”

Most of those who testified in the packed hearing room said the only way to ensure their wants and needs are met is by having another round of hearings once a map has been drafted but before the legislature has voted on it. There is no requirement for that.

Concern about how quickly a new map could be passed has been raised because of the current political landscape in Springfield. For the first time since the adoption of the 1970 constitution, Democrats control both chambers in the Legislature and the governor’s office.
That makes Republicans votes on redistricting proposals unnecessary and puts them in nearly the same position as the groups that spoke during Monday’s hearing. It could be only take a few days for a map to go from draft to legislation waiting for Gov. Pat Quinn’s signature if Democrats were united behind it.

But Redistricting Committee chairman Sen. Kwame Raoul, D-Chicago, said he would try to make a draft map available to the public. “It’s my intention to, as soon as there’s a rendering of a map, to post that up so people could see that so we could have hearings afterwards and so people can be informed,” Raoul said.

You can read Andrew's full report at: http://illinois.statehousenewsonline.com/5493/minority-communities-ask-for-more-representation-2/

In the pic: Minority groups testified Monday at a hearing on State redistricting in Chicago.

Obituaries

Thomas R. Wozniak, 74, of Huntley died peacefully  Sunday. A Memorial service will be 4pm Saturday, at DeFiore Jorgensen Funeral Home, Huntley. The family will greet friends from 2 pm until the time of the service.

Wozniak was born August 23, 1936. He married his wife Arlene in 1958. He is survived by her, children Linda (Steve) Ramirez and Mike (Sheri) Wozniak and grandchildren Kenneth (Shannon) Staskiewicz, Christine and Tommy Wozniak. He is also survived by two sisters, Barbara (Richard) Wrzala and Dorothy Settann.

He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother Robert.

In lieu of flowers memorials may be directed to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation c/o “Hooten Hoppers” Memory.

Police Blotters

The filing of charges is not proof of guilt. A defendant charged is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial in which it is the state’s burden to prove his or her guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Lake in the Hills
March 28
0245 HRS ASHFORD LN. & BRADFORD LN. DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL. EIGENSCHENK, CORY A., M/W 22 YEARS OF AGE, 1621 DRIFTWOOD LN., CRYSTAL LAKE. CHARGES: Driving While Under the Influence of Alcohol, Improper Lane Usage, BAC over .08.RELEASED ON BOND.
1215 HRS 101 N. RANDALL RD., (DOMINICK’S). DRIVING WHILE LICENSE SUSPENDED. KIM, ANNA NMI, F/W 54 YEARS OF AGE, 2164 WATERFORD CT., ROUND LAKE. CHARGES: Driving While License Suspended. TRANSPORTED TO MCHENRY COUNTY JAIL.
1140 HRS 2500 BLOCK OF CADBURY CIRCLE. ASSIST AMBULANCE. Male, 45 years of age, with a head injury. Transported to Woodstock Memorial Hospital.
1613 HRS 100 BLOCK OF HILLTOP DR. ASSIST AMBULANCE. Female, 92 years of age, leg pain. Transported to Sherman Hospital.
1647 HRS 2126 W. ALGONQUIN RD., (CONVENIENT). LOST ARTICLE. Delayed. Subject lost his wallet.
Algonquin
March 25
09:59am Rivera, Juan J., DOB: 09/09/83, of 321 N. Main Street Apt. 1, Algonquin, was charged with Aggravated Battery, Aggravated Battery with a Deadly Weapon and two counts of Domestic Battery.  He was taken into custody at 321 N. Main Street.  He was transported to McHenry County Jail to await a bond hearing.
16:03pm Mok, Courtney Anne, DOB: 07/24/85, of 1327 Lund Avenue, Algonquin, was charged with DWLS. She was taken into custody at Edgewood Drive and Harper Drive.  She was released on a Personal Recognizance Bond with a court date of 04/27/11 in McHenry County.
March 26
00:47am  Merritt, Michael G., DOB: 11/29/77, of 1717 Rosewood Lane, Johnsburg , was charged  with DUI, DUI Over, Improper Lane Usage and Uninsured Motor Vehicle.  He was taken into custody at Route 31 and Cary Road.  He was released after posting his Illinois Driver’s License and $100 with a court date of 04/27/11 in McHenry County.
16:15pm Kennedy, Kaelyn L., DOB: 05/04/90, of 222 E. Depot Street, Silver Lake, WI, was charged with DWLS, Speeding and Uninsured Motor Vehicle.  She was taken into custody at Main Street and Cary Road. She was released after posting $150 with a court date of 05/04/11 in McHenry County.
16:34pm  Bilbrey, Anthony J., DOB:  08/16/84, of 123 Dartmoor Drive, Round Lake Park, was Wanted on a Warrant out of McHenry County for Failure to Appear on a No Valid Driver’s License charge. He was taken into custody at 15 S. Randall Road.  He was released after posting $500 with a court date of 04/14/11 in McHenry County.
March 27
08:48am Vasquez-Ramirez, Jose Luis, DOB:  06/01/75, of 1701 Meadow Lane, McHenry, was charged with No Valid Driver’s License and Speeding.  He was taken into custody at Route 31 and Cary Road.  He was released after posting $150 with a court date of  04/27/11 in McHenry County.
15:09pm Munoz-Lopez, Juan, DOB: 07/09/84, of 103 Meadowdale Court, Carpentersville, was charged with Retail Theft.  He was taken into custody at 832 S. Randall Road.  He was released after posting $500 bond.
17:49pm  Marsik, Tracy Ann, DOB:  07/17/76, of 2098 Valley Road, Lombard, was charged with DWLS, Speeding, Uninsured Motor Vehicle, Suspended Registration and Failure to Notify Change of Address. She was taken into custody at 601 W. Algonquin Road. She was released on a Personal Recognizance  Bond with a court date of 4/27/11 in McHenry County.

More Battle Likely At Special Grafton Township Meeting

On paper Grafton Township's Annual Meeting in two weeks shapes up to be a yawner since no substantive action is scheduled.  But a Special Meeting called last week for an hour earlier will probably see the Township's typical fireworks.

Forty voters signed a petition demanding a Special Meeting April 12 at 6 pm before the Township Annual Meeting to overturn a Grafton Board decision about how to unwind the complicated land scheme that was supposed to finance a new Township Hall. (You can read the petition here: http://www.scribd.com/doc/51702053/Graft-on-Special-Meet ) It calls for the Township to buy back the Township complex it sold the Grafton Road District all at once instead of over a three year period.  That's basically what Township Supervisor Linda Moore argued for after voters at last year's Annual Meeting chose to undo the sale without specifying exactly how.  After months of negotiations and delay, in January the rest of the Board overrode Moore's plan in favor of buying the complex back over a three year period.

Trustee Barb Murphy Sunday said that's still the best idea.  "The electors wanted it put back the way it was.  We did it in installments so  there'd be enough money.  Five months ago (Moore) said we'd have to cut services or we'd bankrupt the Township."

Trustee Rob LaPorta Sunday said he was dubious the Township had enough money to buy the complex back in one chunk.  "From what we have seen, we have high concerns about the financial status of the Township."

LaPorta and Murphy both charged the Township's books haven't had a professional audit in almost two years and that Moore has "adjusted" them so much they can't tell how much money the Township has anymore.

The Special Meeting proposition is similar to one Moore earlier tried to put on the agenda for the Annual Township meeting  but the rest of the Board voted it down on the basis of a legal analysis from former Township Attorney firm Ancel-Glink.  It said Moore's formulation was vague and beyond what "electors" could legally do at an Annual Meeting.

Moore's attorney last week filed a motion in her case against the rest of the Board  to order Ancel Glink, now Special Counsel for work related to the case, not to act as Township Attorney.  LaPorta at the time said the firm wasn't acting as Township Attorney since the advice had been free and, besides, the Board doesn't have any sort of attorney right now.  Moore subsequently nominated her own lawyer, John Nelson, to be Township Attorney but trustees rejected him.

A second part of the Special Meeting petition contains a novel provision, sort of a British Rule where the loser in a court case pays the other side's expenses.  Only the way it's written in the petition it appears to say if the Township doesn't buy back the complex within 60 days of passage, any voter can bring suit against the Board collectively and individually and they have to pay for it, win or lose.

Moore referred questions about the petition to its circulators.

In the pic:  About 10 percent of registered voters showed up at last year's Grafton Township Annual Meeting.

Algonquin Readies For Spring Cleanup

Algonquin residents this week will start plowing through the piles of stuff that collected over the winter to get read for the Village's Spring Cleanup in April.

The cleanup, a program by the village and its hauler Waste Management, is for single-family residences and townhomes that currently receive residential refuse and recycling services. The idea's to reduce fire hazards in homes and to spruce up their neighborhoods.

Typical discards include toys, old clothes, couches, beds, dressers, grills, and patio furniture. And the best thing is stickers aren't required.  Items that won't be collected include automobile parts, landscape waste, white goods, and construction materials.

All items must be curbside by 7am. The pickup dates vary, however:

      East - Saturday, April 9
      Central - Saturday, April 16
      West - Saturday, April 23

There's a map here showing the area boundaries: http://www.algonquin.org/egov/docs/1299116960959.pdf

Meijer Starts New "Simply Give" Program For Food Pantry

Randal Road retailer Meijer last week started around round of its “Simply Give” campaign to  support of local food banks and pantries.  It's part of a campaign by all the stores in the Midwest chain to help restock the shelves of nearly 200 local food pantries in Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky. 

“It’s very inspiring to see how our customers have joined us to help their communities during these tough economic times,” said Janet Emerson, executive vice president of operations for the Grand Rapids, Mich.-based retailer.  “This is our eighth “Simply Give” program, and we are very pleased that we are closing in on $2 million in food donations since 2008.”

The latest “Simply Give” effort will continue through May 14. The program encourages local shoppers to purchase a $10 Meijer Food Pantry Donation Card at special displays throughout the store. The cards are converted into Meijer Gift cards and given to, in this case, the Algonquin Lake in the Hills Food Pantry.  Meijer will "seed" the program with $100,000 in grocery gift cards that will be divided equally among all the participating food pantries. 

The company’s Simply Give program is complemented by other food based initiatives, including the donation of fresh food to local food rescue organizations in communities throughout the Midwest.

Tax Income Drops For Illinois In 2010

By Andrew Thomason. Illinois Statehouse News
Tax money coming into state and local governments in Illinois fell sharply —  by $2.2 billion dollars between 2009 and 2010, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The decline in tax revenue from $32 billion to $29.8 billion is on par with a pattern that has emerged during the past several years. Areas that measure a state’s economic health — income, sales and property taxes — all have weakened.

Illinois isn’t alone in watching tax revenue drop off. The 50 states saw a decrease of $14 billion in tax money between 2009 and 2010, according to census numbers. Even though income dropped for Illinois, general fund spending increased from $27.9 billion to $29.7 billion between 2009 and 2010.  The total state budget is a combination of general fund spending and other dedicated and federal dollars.

Experts in government and economics say the driving factor behind the numbers was the most recent economic recession. “We were not expecting, like no one was really expecting back in 2008, that revenues would fall that much,” said Kelly Kraft, spokeswoman for Gov. Pat Quinn’s Office of Budget and Management.

What made Illinois government’s problem more dire than others, even from cities within the state, was its increased spending during the past decade, according to J. Fred Giertz, an economics professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

The trend of spending more while taking in less exacerbated an already disintegrating financial situation. “When you see general tax increases, even in an environment where the Republicans made big gains in the midterm elections, despite that you still see some tax increases it just shows how severe the fiscal problems were,” said David Merriman, head of the Department of Economics at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

The worst of the worst is probably behind the state. The unemployment rate has been declining in the state, and projections by Quinn’s office and the Legislature’s Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability show income tax collections for this year above last year, even before factoring in the recent tax hike.

You can read Andrew's full report at: http://illinois.statehousenewsonline.com/5486/tax-income-drops-off-for-illinois-in-2010/

Obituaries

William H. Niemann, 85, of Huntley, died Saturday at the Hospice of Northeastern Illinois following a short illness. Visitation will be held from 4 until 8 pm Friday at the DeFiore Jorgensen Funeral & Cremation Service, Huntley with a wake service at 7 pm. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10:30 am Saturday at St. Mary Catholic Church, Huntley, with visitation at church one hour before the Mass. Burial will be in St. Mary Cemetery.

Niemann was born June 9, 1925, in Chicago, the son of William F. and Valerie (Von Bergan) Niemann. He married Irmgard Mohaupt May 12, 1951. He is survived by his wife; daughter, June B.; son, William R.; daughter, Kathleen L., and eight grandchildren, Tom, Tim, Allyson, Amanda, Lauren, Will, Emily & Matthew. He was preceded in death by his granddaughter, Grace, and twin brother, Robert.

Memorials may be made to St. Mary and Trinity Lutheran churches in Huntley or Northeastern Illinois Hospice.

Police Blotters

The filing of charges is not proof of guilt. A defendant charged is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial in which it is the state’s burden to prove his or her guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Lake in the Hills
March 27
0142 HRS ACKMAN RD. & RANDALL RD. DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL. BURNS, PATRICK J., M/W 34 YEARS OF AGE, 4303 BAYVIEW DR., CRYSTAL LAKE. CHARGES: Wanted on Warrant out of McHenry County Sheriff’s Office for Contempt of Court, Bond set at $100.00 full cash. Driving While Under the Influence of alcohol, and Speeding. RELEASED ON BOND.
1606 HRS ACORN LN. & RANDALL RD. WANTED ON WARRANT/DRIVING WHILE LICENSE REVOKED. DOMINGO-DOMINGUEZ, TORIBIO, M/W 32 YEARS OF AGE, 68 WOODBINE DR., CRYSTAL LAKE. CHARGES: Wanted On Warrant out of McHenry County Sheriff’s Office for Probation Violation, $10,000 10% for bond, Driving While License Revoked and Improper Display of a front Registration Plate. TRANSPORTED TO THE MCHENRY COUNTY JAIL.
1508 HRS 1115 CRYSTAL LAKE RD.m (LITH PD). FOLLOW-UP ARREST: AGGRAVATED BATTERY. JUVENILE, F/W 16 YEARS OF AGE. CHARGE: Aggravated battery and resisting a peace officer. RELEASED TO PARENT.
0405 HRS 220 N. RANDALL RD., (MORETTI’S). CRIMINAL DAMAGE TO VEHICLE. Vehicle damaged in the parking lot.
1244 HRS 600 BLK OF LORREE LN. ASSIST AMBULANCE. Male, 62 years of age, fell and injured his leg. Transported to Good Shepherd Hospital.
1325 HRS 250 N. RANDALL RD., (COSTCO). ACCIDENT. Two vehicles. Property damage only.
2106 HRS 300 BLOCK OF TECUMSEH TRAIL. ASSIST AMBULANCE. Male, 45 years of age, having chest pains. Transported to Sherman Hospital.
Algonquin
delayed--technical problem

Let Not Thy Left Hand, Etc.

Man the lifeboats and dog the hatches.  The National Weather Service this morning said a flood warning still remains in effect on the Fox River at Algonquin. "At 3:45 am Sunday the stage was estimated to be at 3.0 feet. Flood stage is 3.0 feet. The river is expected to remain at 3.0 ft through Tuesday," reads the warning.  Only the river isn't at 3.0 feet, according to the  U.S. Geological Survey whose Algonquin gauge said the river level was at 2.04 feet at 3:45 am this morning.

How to explain the discrepancy?  "We don't use that gauge," said an NWS spokesman at the Chicago weather office in Romeoville.

The river's risen about 7 inches in the past week.

In the pic:  The Fox at Algonquin this morning.

Enjoying The Shirtsleeve Weather?

Nothing says Spring in Illinois more than frost on the windshield. So how common is shovelable snow in our area this time of year? Not unusual at all, it turns out.

In Chicago,  54 of the past 139 years (about 39%) have had at least one day with an inch or more of snowfall on or after March 25th, according to the National Weather Service. In fact 17 of those years had multiple days with over an inch of snowfall including 6 days with over an inch of snow back in the Capone era, 1926.

Here are some of the recent late season (after march 25th) Chicago snowfalls:

SNOWFALL    DATE
  3.0     4/11/2007
  3.0     4/ 7/2003
  2.1     4/ 5/2009
  1.9     3/27/2008
  1.6     4/ 7/2000
  1.2     3/29/2009

Here are the top 10 biggest late season single day snowfall totals for Chicago:

RANK   SNOW      DATE
   1    13.6    3/25/1930
   2      9.4    4/05/1982
           9.4    4/02/1975
   4      9.0    4/06/1938
   5      8.9    3/26/1970
   6      8.2    4/01/1970
   7      7.8    3/30/1926
   8      7.7    3/29/1954
   9      7.1    3/29/1964
 10      6.6    3/26/1934

In Rockford where the weather's different, 47 of the past 118 years (or about 40%) have had days with an inch or more of snowfall on or after march 25th. of those 10 have had more than one day with over an inch of snow including 4 days in 1970 and 1926. Here are recent late season Rockford snowfalls:

SNOWFALL    DATE
  1.9     4/11/2007
  1.8     3/29/2009
  1.2     4/07/2000
  1.1     4/01/2002
  1.0     4/12/2007

The top 10 biggest late season single day snowfall totals for Rockford are:

RANK   SNOW      DATE
   1    13.5    3/31/1926
   2    10.4    3/29/1972
   3      7.0    4/18/1912
   4      6.3    4/05/1982
   5      6.0    4/06/1938
            6.0    3/25/1933
   7      5.0    3/29/1954
   8      4.8    3/29/1964
   9      4.6    4/02/1975
 10      4.5    4/02/1936
            4.5    3/28/1894

No big snows are currently in the forecast for the region. Yet. "Late season snows are notoriously difficult to predict much in advance," said a meteorologist.

Algonquin Wins Conservation, Native Landscaping Kudos

The Village of Algonquin won a Conservation and Native Landscaping award recently for work on its Yellowstone Natural Area on the village's East Side.

Yellowstone Natural Area was an existing four-acre turf grass detention basin with an adjacent three-acre highly degraded (means trash trees) oak woodland. Four years ago it was retrofitted and planted with native vegetation. Now the area's a well-established prairie that infiltrates and cleans stormwater from the surrounding residential development. Intensive brush cutting, controlled burning, and overseeding's improved the woodland.

The point of the exercise was to return the area to a native landscape to provide aesthetics, wildlife habitat, improved water quality and (ta-da) low maintenance. The award from the Environmental Protection Agency and the Chicago Wilderness organization says it did.

In the pic: Algonquin's Yellowstone Park in the triangle between Algonquin and Haeger's Bend roads last year.

GOP Calls For Tightening Medicaid Eligibility

By Mary Massingale, Illinois Statehouse News
States across the nation are ratcheting down Medicaid services and eligibility to hold down costs, but Illinois officials are standing by reforms that Republicans claim just skim the surface. Illinois Senate Republicans believe the state can do better than $800 million in savings expected from the reforms during the next five years.

The $14 billion state-federal Medicaid program offers health insurance for mostly low-income children, pregnant women, parents with young children, senior citizens and the disabled. Chief among the reforms passed in January were requirements to move 50 percent of the state’s 2.8 million Medicaid participants to a “medical home” within the next four years through "coordinated" or managed care, and to move residents from nursing homes and other institutional care into community-based settings.

“That was a good step one,” said McHenry County State Sen. Pam Althoff who served on the Medicaid reform task force. “But there’s now a step two.”

Julie Hamos, director of the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services, said the reforms are intended to keep people healthy and thereby hold down costs, “If Medicaid (health care) services were not in place, sick people without health insurance would have to resort to more expensive hospital and institutional care,” Hamos said in an emailed statement.

States nationwide are preparing for up to 16 million new Medicaid participants when the bulk of the requirements of the new federal health care law go into effect in 2014. Illinois is expecting 500,000 to 800,000 new participants, mainly low-income childless adults able to participate for the first time. That would add the equivalent of $2.6 billion to $4.2 billion a year in costs to taxpayers, using FY2010 HFS data. The federal government is expected to pick up most of the tab of new participants until 2020 when its share drops to 90 percent, but states are nonetheless downsizing their Medicaid services where they can to save money now and in the future.

Illinois Republicans say the state needs to lower income eligibility levels now. But the federal health care law requires that states maintain Medicaid eligibility standards that are equal to or more inclusive than what were in effect the date the Affordable Care Act became law last year. States must seek waivers to change eligibility standards.

In Kansas Republican Gov. Sam Brownback this month wrote the federal government for an overall exemption from the “maintenance of effort” requirement, and asked that the state receive its federal match in a lump sum to do with it as it chooses.

You can read Mary's full report at: http://illinois.statehousenewsonline.com/5485/state-holds-medicaid-program-steady-in-face-of-cuts-nationwide/

McHenry County Indictments

A McHenry County Grand Jury returned indictments this week against the following individuals:
The charges against these defendants are merely allegations against them.  The defendants are presumed innocent of any crime until proven guilty in court.
   
CIRILO P. PRECIADO, DOB:  02/09/61, 803 HAYES STREET, HARVARD. AGGRAVATED DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE.--Huntley PD

JONATHAN J. PAWLICKI, DOB:  12/10/91, 4 FIELDCREST COURT, ALGONQUIN. AGGRAVATED BATTERY, CRIMINAL DAMAGE TO PROPERTY, POSSESSION OF FIREARM WITHOUT FIREARM OWNERS IDENTIFICATION CARD.--LITH PD

ZACHARY A. VALENTA, DOB:  04/15/85, 1502 WASHINGTON STREET, LAKE IN THE HILLS. UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE, UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA, UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF HYPODERMIC SYRINGE OR NEEDLE.--McHenry County Sheriff's Office

CHRISTOPHER E. WELTER, DOB:  02/01/74, 612 W. LINCOLN ROAD, MCHENRY. POSSESSION OF STOLEN PROPERTY.--Lakemoore PD
   
ROBERT ARTHUR WILDEY, DOB:  05/26/56, 337 PARK AVENUE, CARY. AGGRAVATED BATTERY(3CTS), RESISTING A PEACE OFFICER.--McHenry County Sheriff's Office

EDWARD R. MAGOON, DOB:  11/26/52, LKA:  2013 COOLIDGE AVENUE, JOHNSBURG. THEFT (OVER $500.00).--McHenry PD
   
BYRON T. HOWARD, DOB:   09/29/81, 5118 WILLOW DRIVE, WONDER LAKE. RECKLESS DRIVING, AGGRAVATED FLEEING OR ATTEMPT TO ELUDE A POLICE OFFICER.--Wonder Lake PD
   
DANA L. WRIGHT, DOB:  06/27/73, 58 HILLTOP DRIVE, LAKE IN THE HILLS. UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE, UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF CANNABIS.
FRANKLIN L. WRIGHT, DOB:  07/14/63, 58 HILLTOP DRIVE, LAKE IN THE HILLS. UNLAWFUL POSSESSION WITH INTENT TO DELIVER A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE, UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE, UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF CANNABIS, UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF CANNABIS--North Central Narcotics Task Force
   
CASSANDRA B. WEIRICH, DOB:  11/15/77, 1719 N. LAKEWOOD ROAD, MCHENRY. UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE(4CTS).--McHenry PD
   
ALEXANDER F. HENSON, DOB:  10/02/84, 1816 W. GRANDVIEW DRIVE, MCHENRY. UNLAWFUL DELIVERY OF CANNABIS, UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF CANNABIS, UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA.--McHenry PD
   
LAURA A. KWIATT, DOB:  02/16/65, 3701 JAMES STREET  #1C, MCHENRY. UNLAWFUL DELIVERY OF A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE--McHenry PD

CAROL A. FRIEDBERG, DOB:  09/02/91, 1307 RICHMOND ROAD  APT F, MCHENRY. UNLAWFUL DELIVERY OF A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE, UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE.--McHenry PD
   
ADAM G. OLMETTI, DOB:  12/07/93, 1131 QUANSET COURT, SCHAUMBURG. UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE.--Fox River Grove PD
   
TROY M. KNUTSON, DOB:  10/17/70, 915 SEMINARY AVENUE, WOODSTOCK. UNLAWFUL DELIVERY OF A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE, UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE.--McHenry County Sheriff's Office
   
CRYSTAL D. URY, DOB:  07/26/68, 115 GROVE STREET, WOODSTOCK. UNLAWFUL DELIVERY OF A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE, UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE.--McHenry County Sheriff's Office.

Police Blotters

The filing of charges is not proof of guilt. A defendant charged is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial in which it is the state’s burden to prove his or her guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Lake in the Hills
March 26
0324 HRS 250 N. RANDALL RD., (COSTCO). AGGRAVATED BATTERY. AMMIRATI, MICHAEL G., M/W 23 YEARS OF AGE, 1005 DAKOTA DR., WOODSTOCK. CHARGES: Aggravated Battery to a Police Officer, and Two Counts of Disorderly Conduct. TURNED OVER TO MCHENRY COUNTY.
2013 hrs 2321 W. ALGONQUIN RD., (FRADILLIO’S). DRIVING WHILE LICENSE SUSPENDED. MALICKI, DANIEL A., M/W 44 YEARS OF AGE.
1 W ACORN LN, LAKE IN THE HILLS. Charges: Driving while license suspended. RELEASED ON BOND.
0249 HRS 220 N. RANDALL RD., (MORETTI’S). DOMESTIC. Boyfriend vs. girlfriend. Verbal only. No priors.
1400 HRS 9244 TRINITY DR., (MB WARP SKATE PARK). ASSIST AMBULANCE. Male, 13 years of age, possible broken leg. Transported to Sherman Hospital.
1429 HRS 600 HARVEST GATE,  (VILLAGE HALL). INFORMATION FOR POLICE. Report for insurance.
1733 HRS 400 BLOCK OF HARVEST GATE. DOMESTIC BATTERY. Husband vs. wife. No priors. FAIL TO FILE.
2041 HRS 10 BLOCK OF MANCHESTER CT. ASSIST AMBULANCE. Male, one year of age with a facial injury. No transport.
2233 HRS 10 BLOCK OF CLARK AVE. ASSIST AMBULANCE. Male, 30 years of age, not breathing. Transported to Sherman Hospital.