More Delay On Sheriff's Special Prosecutor Appointment

McHenry County Judge Thomas Meyer Friday "contrary to my original inclination" postponed for three more weeks a ruling about a Special Prosecutor to investigate Sheriff Keith Nygren.  Meyer set July 29 to decide not whether he should appoint one but whether he can do it at all.

Eighteen months ago former Deputy and Nygren foe Zane Seipler petitioned for a Special Prosecutor to look into his charges Nygren used County resources in his election campaign.  Since then that's expanded into allegations of outright corruption.  Meanwhile, however, the petition's bogged down in rarefied legal argument about whether the State's Attorney's office is really who ought to investigate Nygren, assuming anyone should investigate him at all.

Assistant State's Attorney Don Leist spent months convincing Meyer that the State's Attorney could investigate Nygren even though he's technically the Sheriff's official lawyer.  However, after prodding by Seipler's attorney Blake Horowitz, five months ago State's Attorney Lou Bianchi admitted he wouldn't conduct an investigation since he had a policy of only acting as defense for County officers.  The question Friday was whether that opened the way again for Meyer to appoint someone else to conduct an investigation.

Horowitz argued it did since Bianchi's policy meant he was "unavailable" under Illinois law.  Leist argued it didn't count since that was only supposed to mean Bianchi was sick or somewhere else.  Neither could point to a previous case like this contorted one so both cited different cases they claimed looked at least a little bit like it. That was murkey enough that after a five-minute recess Meyer returned to say he needed time to think about it.

In the pic: Ex-McHenry County Deputy Zane Seipler and attorney Blake Horowitz.

Ribfest Heads For New Record, Rotary Awards Scholarships

Lake in the Hills Rockin' Ribfest is off to a roaring start according to Rotary sponsors.  "(Thursday) we doubled last year's attendance," said Volunteer Co-ordinator Steve Swanson Friday.  "It looks like we have a good chance to beat last year's Friday, too," he said.  "Of course we don't have (attendance) totals yet."

While opening band Person to Person was knocking down Friday evening and headline band the Fabulous Thunderbirds were setting up, Ribfest Chairman Jim Wales presented $1,200 scholarships to five area students.  "That's part of what the proceeds from Ribfest help support he said.

Onstage with their parents were Hailey Fletcher, who'll attend Flagler; Stephanie Patton, headed to Illinois Wesleyan, and Paula Martinez, going to MCC.  Joseph Varzi and Jennifer Tomany who also received scholarships couldn't attend Friday's fest.

Scouts Help Raise Veggies For Grafton Pantry

Scouts from Huntley Scout Troop 167 tended the vegetable garden at Chesak School Friday to  help feed folks at the Grafton Township Food Pantry and earn gardening merit badges, too. "We've pulled all the endive and romaine lettuce (and some broccoli)," said Scout Mukhil Murugasamy.

Troop 167's taking care of the garden the Chesak Martin PTA put in after teacher Kristina Hodge thought it would be a good teaching tool.  "I thought it would give the kids a better understanding of agriculture," she said.  "That's what the community's based on."

The Scout volunteers get to take some of the veggies home but most of the produce will go to the Pantry.  The garden's running a little behind normal thanks to cool temps this spring but "We've already taken some of it to the Pantry," said Scout Bill Hollatz.

In the pic:  Troop 167 Scouts Mukhil Murugasamy and Bill Hallatz (with the cultivator) removed weeds Friday from the vegetable garden at Chesak School.  

New Grinder Makes Way Fast For Algonquin Tree Planting

Algonquin Parks and Forestry workers are done whacking down 720 Emerald Ash Borer victims this season.  Now crews have to grub out all the stumps to make way for new non-ash plantings.

The Village's new turbocharged (really) grinder makes short work of the stumps.  "I'd still be going with the old one," said Matt Paro  locking the grinder down after taking out a six-inch stump 18 inches deep.

 More time-consuming is planting new trees.  The good news, according to Public Works Superintendent Bob Mitchard, is a kindly nursery's donated a lot of free excess stock to the village again this year.

ICC Report Shows Electric Choice Growth

A report this week from the Illinois Commerce Commission shows that the number of retail electric suppliers entering the Illinois market continues to grow and the number of customers selecting one continues to rise. 

“The new statistics show that retail electric choice continues to thrive in Illinois with more than 58% of all electric load served by competitive suppliers with over 75% of all schools, hospitals, businesses, not-for-profits, and others choosing a competitive alternative," said
Roy Boston, Illinois State Chair for the Retail Energy Supply Association. "The report indicates that more than 54 retail suppliers and 133 agents, brokers, and consultants are licensed to do business in the state.

According to the report, more than 50 % of the total electric load consumed in the ComEd service territory is currently provided by competitive electric suppliers. Last month nearly 83,000 residential customers in ComEd’s service territory got their electricity from a competitive electric supplier.

So far, 24 competitive retail suppliers have completed the registration process with ComEd and are actively offering electricity service, the report said. "We encourage consumers to learn more about their right to shop for electricity in Illinois," said Boston. Two recommended websites for that are  http://www.pluginillinois.org/ and  www.resausa.org Boston said.

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.

JAMES S. BAKEWELL, DOB:  02/22/66, 4328 FRIAR TUCK, BUFORD, GA. AGGRAVATED BATTERY(3CTS).--Algonquin PD

ERIC J. ZEVICK, DOB:  07/29/76, 436 CLUB CIRCLE, BELVIDERE. UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE.--LITH PD

NICHOLAS S. STILLER, DOB:  10/04/91, 1203 OAKLEAF AVENUE, JOHNSBURG. HARMFUL MATERIAL.--McHenry County Sheriff's Office
   
BRIAN D. NOSKO, DOB:  02/24/69, 139 EDGEWOOD AVENUE, CRYSTAL LAKE. CHILD PORNOGRAPHY (2CTS).--McHenry County Sheriff's Office
   
JOSE A. RAMOS, DOB:  06/03/73,    460 BUCKINGHAM LANE  #14, CRYSTAL LAKE. HOME INVASION.--Crystal Lake PD
   
DENNIS C. ALCOCK, DOB:  09/01/55, 4511 NANCY DRIVE, CRYSTAL LAKE. AGGRAVATED BATTERY OF A PEACE OFFICER.--Oakwood Hills PD

JAMES W. TOMASO, DOB:  01/04/93, 704 DEAN STREET, WOODSTOCK. BURGLARY, THEFT (UNDER $500)(2CTS).--Woodstock PD
   
STANLEY R. CRISSMAN, DOB:  03/22/70, 919 TRAKK LANE, WOODSTOCK. CRIMINAL TRESPASS TO STATE SUPPORTED LAND, AGGRAVATED RESISTING A PEACE OFFICER.--Woodkstock PD
       
JESSICA NAVARRETE, DOB:  03/27/88, 772 RAND GROVE LANE, PALATINE. CRIMINAL TRESPASS TO RESIDENCE, CRIMINAL DAMAGE TO PROPERTY.--McHenry PD

CHRISTOPHER S. KEETON, DOB:  05/01/68, 4606 PESZ ROAD, ISLAND LAKE. UNLAWFUL PRODUCTION OF CANNABIS SATIVA PLANT, UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE, UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA.
ROBERT W. ROSCHER, DOB:  06/20/65, 4606 PESZ ROAD, ISLAND LAKE. UNLAWFUL PRODUCTION OF CANNABIS SATIVA PLANT, UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE, UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA, UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF CANNABIS.
EMILY L. ANDREWS, DOB:  12/29/80, 10463 270TH AVENUE, TREVOR, WI. UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE, UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA.--McHenry County Sheriff's Office
           
CHRISTOPHER D. FOURNIER, DOB:  09/18/84, 209 HICKORY TERRACE, ISLAND LAKE. UNLAWFUL PRODUCTION OF CANNABIS SATIVA PLANTS, UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF CANNABIS, UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA(2CTS).--Island Lake
   
COREY J. TISCHART, DOB:  01/13/88, 2325 LAKE AVENUE, CRYSTAL LAKE. UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE, UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA(2CTS), UNLAWFUL USE OF WEAPONS.--Island Lake PD
   
CHRISTOPHER S. KEETON, DOB:  05/01/68, 4606 PESZ ROAD, ISLAND LAKE. THEFT (OVER $500).--McHenry County Sheriff's Office
       
RAFAEL MORA, DOB:  06/10/85, 305 W. THOMPSON STREET, HARVARD. UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE(2CTS), UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF CANNABIS, RESISTING A PEACE OFFICER.--Woodstock PD

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
July 8
1934 HRS 250 N. RANDALL RD. (COSTCO) DRIVING WHILE LICENSE REVOKED. QUINTERO, MARIBEL, F/W 31 YEARS OF AGE, 821 BODE ST., ELGIN. CHARGES: Driving while License Revoked, Expired Registration. RELEASED ON BOND.
0912 HRS 1100 BLOCK OF POPLAR ST. BURGLARY. Several items taken from the residence. Occurred between November of 2010 to current date.
1249 HRS 220 N. RANDALL RD (MORRETTI’S) FRAUD. Charges made on credit card.
1526 HRS 481 N. RANDALL (ACE HARDWARE) HIT & RUN. Vehicle hit by a vehicle that left the area.
1624 HRS 9 CRYSTAL LAKE RD. (KURTIS GALLERIES) THEFT. PENDING INVESTIGATION BY REPORTING OFFICER.
1652 HRS LAKEWOOD RD. & ALGONQUIN RD. ACCIDENT. Two vehicles. Property damage only.
1809 HRS 6900 RAKOW RD. (RAKOW CURVE) INJURY ACCIDENT. One vehicle. Driver transported to Sherman Hospital.
2013 HRS ACORN LN & VILLAGE CREEK DR. FOUND ARTICLE. A purple Roadmaster bicycle was found in the grass. ENTERED INTO EVIDENCE.
2310 HRS 300 BLOCK OF APACHE TRAIL. ACCIDENT. Vehicle vs. Garage door. Property damage only.
Huntley
June 27
Nathalia C. Cook, age 21, of 11159 Douglas St., Huntley, was arrested for criminal trespass.  Ms. Cook posted bond and was released with a McHenry County court date of July 21, 2011.
June 28
Paige N. Cook, age 20, of 11602 E. Main St, Huntley, was arrested on an outstanding DuPage County warrant for failure to appear in court.  Ms. Cook was transported to McHenry County jail to await bond.
Randall P. Laemont, age 51, of 2206 Flicker Ln., Rolling Meadows, was arrested for driving while license suspended and was cited for registration suspended for non-insurance.  Mr. Laemont posted bond and was released with a McHenry County court date of August 5, 2011.
June 29
Marianna Rugo, age 43, of 2043 Woodside Dr., Woodstock, was arrested for driving while licens suspended and was cited for operating an uninsured motor vehicle.  Ms. Rugo posted bond and was released with a McHenry County court date of July 22, 2011.
Elias Ramirez-Estrada, age 23, of 347 Washington St, Woodstock, was arrested for driving while license suspended and was cited for operating an uninsured motor vehicle, and speeding.  Mr. Ramirez-Estrada posted bond and was released with a McHenry County court date of August 12, 2011.
June 30
Dennis Maurice Pruitt, age 36, of 429 Niagra, Park Forest, was arrested for driving while license suspended and was cited for improper display of plates and operating an uninsured motor vehicle.  Mr. Pruitt was assigned an August 19, 2011, McHenry County court date and was transported to McHenry County Jail to await bond.
Alfredo Flores, age 45, of 1539 Plymouth, Carpentersville, was arrested for driving while license suspended and driving with a registration suspended for non-insurance and was cited for driving with a loud muffler.  Mr. Flores posted bond and was released with a McHenry County court date of August 19, 2011.
July 1
Three criminal damage to property reports were taken in the 10700 block of Woodstock Street.  Three mail boxes were damaged.
A burglary report was taken in the 9700 block of Aberdeen Ln.  The victim reports that her laptop computer was stolen.
A burglary to motor vehicle report was taken in a business parking lot in the 12300 block of Rt. 47.  The victim states that her handicap placard was stolen from her vehicle.
Ron M. Pena, age 26, of 248 Virginia Dr., South Elgin, was arrested for driving while license suspended and was cited for a seatbelt violation and operating an uninsured motor vehicle.  Mr. Pena posted bond and was released with a McHenry County court date of August 5, 2011.
Edward M. Putwen, age 34, of 4315 Riverside Dr., Crystal Lake, was arrested for driving while license suspended and an outstanding McHenry County warrant for failure to appear in court and was cited for driving with a loud muffler and defective windshield.  Mr. Putwen posted bond and was released with a McHenry County court dates of August 1, and August 19, 2011.
July 2
Kamal Patel, age 27, of 1917 Sheila St., #105, Woodstock, was arrested for DUI, and was cited for speeding, and improper lane use.  Mr. Patel posted bond and was released with a McHenry County court date of August 5, 2011.
A 16 year-old male from Huntley was arrested for criminal damage to property.  The juvenile was released to his mother and was issued a notice to appear in McHenry County court on July 25, 2011.

D158 Board Reviews "Behavior Management" In Digital Age

Principals told the District 158 Board Thursday they're holding their own on school behavior management (aka: discipline) but hi-tech's making it tough.  The message came in a board briefing on expulsion standards in District 158.

Martin Elementary Principal Rhonda Maciejewski said expulsion usually isn't an issue a her level but that didn't mean the younger kids don't get into trouble.  "Often it doesn't happen at school," she said, "but it still ends up on our doorstep."

Cases in point: The ubiquitous cellphones, the ones with built-in cameras.  "We've had kids that have taken inappropriate pictures and showed them," said Maciejewski who blamed it on a simple lack of common sense.

That changes in Middle School said Heineman Principal Jim Stotz.  Between seventh and eight grades, "There's a real transition somewhere in the summer time," he said.  "They cease to be a little kid," he said.  That's when problems start to turn bigger and,  "They're a little sneakier," he said.  Even so, he said expulsion's rarely a solution there, either.

Huntley High Principal Dave Johnson's the one who usually ends up with problems that can lead to expulsion although most of the kids behave quite well.  "I'm going to bet 90 percent of our kids don't even get a dean's referral," he said proudly.  Indeed, said Johnson, most of the kids expellable infractions for things like drugs and alcohol come from students turning in other students.

That was the key to keeping things under control, said Superintendent John Burkey. "(Students) have some pride in their school," he said.  "They don't want bad things to happen (in it)."

Still, said Johnson, texting and Facebook speed up problems from the outer world invading school halls.

Board Member Kim Skaja was skeptical of that.  Back in the (pre-digital) day gossip spread through school "in about five minutes," she said.  "It's just being communicated in a different way."

Member Don Drzal said expulsion served to focus students' attention.  "We're not looking to be Draconian here on children.  We're trying to help them along."

It seems to be working, too, summed up Board President Mike Skala.  "We really do have very few problems relative to our population," he said.

Separately, the Board wrestled with how to keep kids and parents from drowning in the flood marginal fliers the district's been sending home in student backpacks.  "Finally we looked at it and said, 'Wait a minute, this isn't our core mission,'" said Burkey.  The goal, he said, was to winnow the payload down to school papers only with the chaff moving over to an electronic bulletin board.  There's still a little sharpening to do but he said the plan should be ready by the next full Board meeting.

In the pic:  D158 Principals Rhonda Maciejewski, Jim Stotz and Dave Johnson review the progression of school discipline problems as kids grow up.

LITH Ribfest Gets Off To Rockin' Start

Thursday evening's open for LITH's Sixth Annual Rockin' Ribfest was held the promise of an even bigger turnout this year than last year's record 17,000 crowd.  The weatherman seems to be an honorary LITH Rotary member this year promising clear skies all weekend with temps in the mid-80's.

Besides ribs and 'cue and lots of rockin' bands, Saturday's fun includes the annual Ribfest Carshow from Noon to 3 pm.  If you've got a groovy rod but haven't registered yet, you can call Jerry Sagona at (847)960-7411 or Lonnie Morgan (847)659-8685 and show off for free soft drinks, plaques, “goodies” and T-shirts.

Huntley Kids' Lemonade To Aid Animal House Shelter

Young Emily Chandler helps out each week at Animal House Shelter, Huntley's no-kill rescue center for dogs and cats.  But that's not enough this week for the volunteer who, according to Dad Rob, "has a heart of gold".  When neighbors in the village's Georgian Place organized a subdivision-wide garage sale, Emily and siblings Jeff and Samantha decided selling lemonade to thirsty shoppers would be a good way to raise money to support the shelter.

The Georgian Place monster garage sale runs through the weekend. You'll find the kids' lemonade stand (offering cookies and books, too) in the middle of it at 10664 Capitol.

In the pic:  Emily, Jeff and Samantha Chandler are big supporters of Huntley's Animal House Shelter.

D300 Names New Jacobs Athletic Director

District 300 announced the new Athletic & Activities Director at Jacobs High School Thursday.  It's Dan Vosnos, long-time Assistant Athletic Director at Evanston High School.  He's replacing Tom Ross who'll be Principal at Westwood Elementary School in Woodstock this coming year.

A Glenview native, Vosnos was also Extra-curricular Academic Support Advisor and Assistant Varsity Football Coach at North Shore perennial Evanston for nine years.  Before that he was a linebacker for the Illinois Wesleyan Titans for four years.  Off the field, Vosnos holds a Master's degree in school counseling from Northeastern University and a Master's in administrative leadership from National Louis University.

In the pic:  Jacobs' new Athletic & Activities Director Dan Vosnos.

Tax Hike Drives Illinois Revenue Growth

By Benjamin Yount, Illinois Statehouse News
It was more taxes in Illinois instead of more jobs that brought in about $1 billion more in State revenue in 2011, according to a new report.

The Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability, or COGFA, a legislative budgeting division, reports that personal income tax revenue grew more than half a billion dollars in fiscal 2011 to $1.3 billion. Corporate tax revenue climbed to $403 million, a $147 million increase. That works out to 67 and 57 percent hikes, respectively.

The bulked up collections in personal income tax revenue mirror the 67 percent rate increase. The 57 percent collected in corporate income tax revenue is actually more than the 47 percent corporate income tax increase approved earlier this year.

The COGFA report points out that money collected from the state's sales tax grew lots more than expected, too. Sales tax revenue jumped from $6.3 billion in 2010 to more than $6.8 billion in 2011. The increase mostly comes from the spike in prices at the gas pump from earlier in the fiscal year.

Kristina Rasmussen, executive vice president with the Illinois Policy Institute, advocate for large cuts in state spending and sweeping changes in tax policy, said taxpayers are getting rooked. "Revenue collections are up thanks to the tax hike, but it's at the expense of Illinoisans who are paying a week's wages in extra taxes this year," said Rasmussen. "To make matters worse, those extra tax dollars are financing pension and debt costs, not additional services."

The median income for a family in Illinois in 2009, the most recent year available, was $53,974 according to the Census Bureau. The new 5.25 percent income tax rate has that family paying more than $2,800 in income tax.

You can read Ben's full report at: http://illinois.statehousenewsonline.com/6562/tax-hike-drives-illinois-budget-growth/

Obituaries

Barbara A. Bell, 58, of Lake In The Hills died at her home Wednesday. A visitation will be held from 4 to 8 pm Sunday, July 10 at the DeFiore-Jorgensen Funeral & Cremation Service, Huntley. A funeral service will be held at 10:30 am Monday at the home.

Bell was born March 30, 1953, in Chicago, the daughter of Edward and Ethel (Livingston) Drabik. She is survived by her husband, Terry, of Lake In The Hills; her children, Cindy (Michael Fernandez) Drabik of Chicago and Brian Suchecki of Lake In The Hills; her step-daughters, Katherine (Albert) Giuliano of Lake In The Hills and Christine (Zach) Bazianos of Northbrook and her four grandchildren, Kayla, Jimmy Angela and Peter. She was preceded in death by her parents.

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
July 7
1720 HRS 4600 BLOCK OF ROLLING HILLS DR. DOMESTIC BATTERY. NICHOL, CORMACK W., F/W 22 YEARS OF AGE, 885 2A PRAIRIE VIEW LN., WOODSTOCK. CHARGE: Domestic Battery. TRANSPORTED TO MCHENRY COUNTY JAIL.
2210 HRS ALBRECHT RD. & MILLER RD. ILLEGAL CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOL. JUVENILE M/W 17 YEARS OF AGE, LAKE IN THE HILLS. CHARGE: Illegal consumption of alcohol. RELEASED TO PARENT.
JUVENILE, F/W 15 YEARS OF AGE, ALGONQUIN. CHARGE: Illegal consumption of alcohol. RELEASED TO PARENT.
1354 HRS 400 BLOCK OF VILLAGE CREEK DR. DOMESTIC. Step-father vs. Step-daughter. Verbal only. Four priors.
2043 HRS 0 BLOCK OF ROLLING HILLS CT. DOG BITE. Dog vs. dog.
2145 HRS 5200 MILLER RD. (SUNSET PARK) BURGLARY TO A MOTOR VEHICLE. Purse was stolen from an unlocked vehicle.
2211 HRS 1300 BLOCK OF ADAMS ST. ORDINANCE VIOLATION.  Fireworks. Citation issued.
Algonquin
July 5
10:12am Staniulis, Ryan A., DOB: 09/07/91, of 1931 Dorchester Avenue, Algonquin, was Wanted on a Warrant out of McHenry County for Theft.  He was taken into custody at the Algonquin Police Department.  He was released after posting $200 with a court  date of 07/19/11 in McHenry County.
16:08pm A 12 year-old male from Algonquin was charged with Theft Under $300.  He was taken into custody at the Algonquin Police Department.  He was referred to the Tri Area Court For Teens and then released into the custody of his mother.
17:56pm A 16 year-old male from Crystal Lake and a 17 year-old male from Cary were both charged with Retail  Theft.  They were taken into custody at Wal-Mart, 1410 S. Randall Road.  They were both released on a Notice to Appear with a court date of 08/31/11 in Algonquin.
July 6
02:16am Harris, Dillian L.. DOB: 09/24/91. of 2123 Teton Parkway, Algonquin, was Wanted on a Warrant, out of Winnebago County for Domestic Battery.  He was taken into custody at Lake Cook Road and Haegers Bend.  He was released after posting $1,000 with a court date of 07/25/11 in Winnebago County.
July 7
13:01pm Urdal, Arvid C., DOB: 08/29/76, of 107 Canterbury, McHenry, was Wanted on a Warrant out of Cook County for Failure to Appear on a DWLS charge and on a Warrant out of DuPage County for Failure to Appear on a DWLS charge.  He was taken into custody at the Algonquin Police Department.  He was released after posting $500 on the Cook County Warrant with a court date of 08/04/11 in Cook County and after posting $300 on the DuPage County Warrant with a court date of 08/08/11 in DuPage County.
14:02pm A 17 year-old female from Huntley and a 17 year-old female from Lake in the Hills were both charged with Retail Theft.  They were taken into custody at Wal-Mart, 1410 S. Randall Road.  They were released on a Notice to Appear with a court date of 08/31/11 in Algonquin.
16:51pm Ramirez-Hernan, Nestor, DOB: 01/27/82, of 802 Ollie Court Apt 3G, Carpentersville, was Wanted on a Warrant out of Carpentersville for DUI.  He was taken into custody at Sandbloom Road and Compton Drive.  He was picked up by Carpentersville PD when unable to post bond.
17:46pm Pinda, Jorge A., DOB: 02/03/81, of 627 Virginia Road, Crystal Lake, was charged with No Valid Driver’s License and Expired Registration.  He was taken into custody at Randall Road and Commons Drive. He was released after posting $150 with a court date of 08/10/11 in McHenry County.
19:45pm Brandt, Michael A., DOB: 04/28/76, of 1060 Meghan Drive, Algonquin, was Wanted on a Warrant out of McHenry County for Reckless Driving.  He was taken into custody at 1060 Meghan Drive.  He was released after posting $1,000 with a court date of 08/08/11 in McHenry County.

LITH Rockin' Ribfest Debuts Today

Roustabouts and pit masters hustled around LITH's Sunset Park Wednesday preparing for this afternoon's open of the sixth annual Rockin' Ribfest presented by LITH Rotary.

Featuring nationally renowned grillers and BBQers and regionally recognized family entertainers, the four-day event includes other favorites like funnel cakes, roasted corn, homemade lemonade and beverages that foam as they gush from the tap.

Rockin’ Ribfest is the signature fund-raising event for the Lake in the Hills Rotary Club, a service organization of business and professional leaders who donate money and their time to  community organizations. All proceeds from Rockin’ Ribfest to support the LITH Rotary Charities.

Here's this year's Rockin' Rotary schedule:

Today
4:30   pm Gates Open
5:00   pm Food/Beverage Service Begins
6:00   pm to 8:00pm Hip Hugger
8:30   pm to 10:30pm Libido Funk Circus
10:30 pm Food/Beverage Service Ends
11:00 pm Grounds Close 
Friday
4:30   pm Gates Open
5:00   pm Food/Beverage Service Begins
6:00   pm to 8:15pm Person to Person
9:00   pm to 10:30pm The Fabulous Thunderbirds
10:30 pm Food/Beverage Service Ends
11:00 pm Grounds Close 
Saturday
11:30 pm Gates Open
12:00 pm Food/Beverage Service Begins
12:00 pm to 1:00pm Mercury Rising
12:00 pm to 3:00pm Car Show
1:30   pm to 4:30pm The Aunt Janet Band
5:15   pm to 8:15pm 28 Days
9:00   pm to 10:30pm Starship featuring Mickey Thomas
10:30 pm Food/Beverage Service Ends
11:00 pm Grounds Close 
Sunday
11:30 pm Gates Open
12:00 pm Food/Beverage Service Begins
12:00 pm to 3:00pm Pirates Over 40
3:45   pm to 6:30pm MellenCougar
6:30   pm Food/Beverage Service Ends
7:00   pm Grounds Close

HHS Theatre Camp Preps For First Performance

Members of Huntley High School’s Summer Theatre Camp rehearsed Sleeping Beauty and the Z’s Wednesday preparing for next week's shows in the Performing Arts Center at Huntley High School. The production's District 158’s sixth annual summer theatre camp for students in grades 5-12. More than 50 students are involved in this year’s production.

Performances are next Thursday, July 14 at 7 pm, next Friday, July 15, at 10 am and 7 pm and next Saturday, July 16 at 3 pm. Tickets are $5.00 and may be purchased at the door starting one hour prior to each performance, or by calling (847) 659-6535. Proceeds support Huntley High School’s speech/theatre program. 

In the pic: Stage Director Karen Miller tells actors to "act" their characters.  "Just saying the words is the easy part," she told them.

Algonquin Commons Free Concerts Begin Sunday

Algonquin Commons third annual free Sunday Nights summer concert series begins (yep) Sunday with Caribbean rock, reggae and calypso leavened by a strong admixture of Jimmy Buffet tunes. Playlists are a little unorthodox in the South Chicago neighborhood Johnny Russler and the Beach Bum Band call home.

Pre-concert and during, from 4 to 7 pm, the series features children's activities, refreshments, food and prizes.  The music istelf starts at 5 pm and runs 'till 7.

Other concerts at Algonquin commons this month include:

July 17--SODA
July 24--Small Time Dave & The Windy City Groove
July 31st--7th Heaven

If you go here: http://www.inlandrealestate.com/images/ac_insider_eblast/2011concertseriesflyer.png there's a printable coupon for deals at some of the Commons restaurants nearby.

Huntley Fire Station Four Up And Running Now

Residents around west Algonquin and south Square Barn roads can rest a little easier now that Huntley Fire Protection District's new Station Four is in service.  Three full-time firefighters moved trucks and gear into the new facility Tuesday, according to Deputy Chief Ken Caudle.

Motorists flying by might cast an eye toward the new emergency signals on Algonquin Road just west of Square Barn.  They'll light up now to stop traffic whenever there's an emergency call to Station 4.

New Casinos Held Back From Quinn

By Benjamin Yount, Illinois Statehouse News
Illinois lawmakers approved five new casinos in May, but the bill isn't expected to reach Gov. Pat Quinn's desk until October. "I find it curious that if the House and Senate vote for something … that they don't swiftly send it on to the governor," said Quinn  Wednesday.

State senators are holding the plan to add one casino in Chicago, two in the suburbs, and one each in Rockford and Danville with a special legislative maneuver. "I am prepared to use (my veto powers)." said Quinn. "I have done it in the past, but I don't have any particular plan right now."

The governor has expressed skepticism about the casino legislation to add the five new casinos and expand gambling opportunities at racetracks and Illinois' 10 existing riverboats, yet he has not said what changes he would like to see in the bill. Quinn supports a new casino in Chicago, but not the one for Danville. Also, he's all but declared he will not allow slot machines at the racetrack at the Illinois State Fairgrounds.

State Sen. Terry Link, D-Waukegan, said he wants to give Quinn as much time as he needs. "We're actually helping him, in a sense, by not sending it to him," said Link, who helped write the casino legislation, and shepherded it through the Senate. "If the governor says I'd like X, Y, Z, and we can agree on X, Y, Z then we would put it into a (new piece of legislation) and right now it would all be done in the veto session.”

Quinn said in addition to local leaders, he wants to meet with Illinois Gaming Board Chairman Aaron Jaffe, who has in the past called the casino expansion plan "garbage." Jaffe has said the legislation falls short because it selects locations for the new casinos, a responsibility originally delegated to the Gaming Board. He also has expressed frustration at the lack of money for his regulators to oversee the new casinos.

You can read Ben's full report at:  http://illinois.statehousenewsonline.com/6555/new-casinos-could-go-to-quinn-in-october/

Professional Regulation

The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation announced the following disciplinary orders in the month of May:

Dependable Roofing & Siding, Algonquin – roofing contractor license placed in refuse to renew status for knowingly making false statements, unprofessional conduct and violation of Act (practiced on a non-renewed license).

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
July 06
1541 HRS ROUTE 47 & ACKMAN RD. DRIVING WHILE LICENSE SUSPENDED. RAPP, BRANDON ALLEN, M/W 25 YEARS OF AGE, 785 PRAIRIE VIEW APT 3B, WOODSTOCK. CHARGES: Driving while License Suspended, Registration Suspended Mandatory Insurance Violation and Expired Registration. RELEASED ON BOND.
1015 HRS 35 HILLTOP DR. (HILLTOP DAM) FOUND ARTICLE. A rainbow-colored paddleboat along with a red and yellow canoe against the spillway. ENTERED INTO EVIDENCE.
1818 HRS RANDALL RD. & ALGONQUIN RD. ACCIDENT. Two vehicles. Property damage only.
2140 HRS 1107 PATTON AVE. (SKATE PARK) THEFT. Of a bicycle. PENDING INVESTIGATION BY REPORTING OFFICER.

County Board To Examine Assessments

Tuesday's meeting of the McHenry County Board involved a quotidian agenda of grant acceptances and obscure commission appointments but the one in two weeks holds promise of controversy when Members hope to start finding out how the County's assessment mess happened.

A request for the County Housing Commission to pass along some federal money to the local Habitat for Humanity chapter for the non-sweat equity part of a house for a disabled vet set off a half-hearted debate.  The question was  whether it made any sense to build a new house with all the empty ones sitting around.  The measure passed since in McHenry County there isn't really a way to use the money to rehab an existing house even if the Board wanted to.

County Administrator Pete Austin reported the County's budget is more or less on track with six months of the year gone now except for fines and fees at the Circuit Clerk's office.  It's not clear yet, he said, if the downturn there's because of fewer cases being filed or more people hoping if they ignore a fine it'll go away.

LITH's Jim Kennedy, knocked off the County Board in the general election last year, is sort of back in County government, again, anyway.  Members Tuesday appointed him to a two-year term on the County nursing home operating board.

As the meeting wound down it was District 3's Barb Wheeler, Crystal Lake, who finally opened a two month-old can of worms asking if anyone could explain the Grafton assessments controversy and what it means for everybody else in the County.

Austin extemporized a simple visual analogy for the general effect: "It's kind of like a balloon," he said.  "If you push it down in one place it goes up elsewhere."

District 5's Paula Yensen, LITH, said she was happy her own assessment had gone down but had already looked into the matter since a lot of other folks' went up.  "(McHenry County Assessor Bob Ross said) what the Grafton Assessor had done was 'highly unusual', his exact words," she said.

There was a rough consensus the Board at least ought to hear what Ross has to say and maybe, Grafton Assessor Bill Ottley, too.  The next Board meeting's July 19.

In the pic: County Administrator Pete Austin said even though fuel costs are way ahead of expectations, this year's budget's still OK since Finance chief Ralph Sarbaugh (rear) found some extra money left over in an inside pocket of last year's budget.

Huntley Woman Named Miss Illinois

A Huntley woman will be the state's entrant in the Miss America Pageant in January in Las Vegas. Nineteen year-old Hannah Smith, sophomore at McHenry County College won the Miss Illinois Scholarsip Contest in Marion during the holiday weekend.

A former Miss Huntley and Miss McHenry County, 2009, Smith will enroll at NIU this Fall with a double major in Business and Dance Performance. That makes the $1,000 special talent award she won for en point dancing in the competition handy.  Smith also won an award last week in the preliminary swimsuit competition.

In the pic:  Hannah Smith waved to her fans after being crowned Miss Illinois this weekend.

School Backpacks Applications At Grafton Township

Times are still tough for a lot of families and the whopping cost of back-to-school supplies makes them tougher.  Too tough in some cases which is the point of the Salvation Army's Back To School Program.  Applications for a backpack full of all the stuff the schools require each new year are available at the Grafton Township Supervisor’s Office. Supervisor Linda Moore's number is (847 )669-3328 for an application.  The deadline is July 25.

In the pic:  The Salvation Army gave about two dozen back-to-school backpacks to needy families in Grafton Township last year.

Court Challenges, Possible Overrides For Quinn Budget

By Benjamin Yount, Illinois Statehouse News
If a lawsuit doesn't settle questions about pay raises for state workers in the next week or so, lawmakers in Springfield say they'll try to act in the Fall veto session, said Illinois budget experts.

After Gov. Pat Quinn approved a $32.9 billion budget with $366 million in spending cuts, he told nearly 30,000 state employees that lawmakers did not include funding for their salary increases in the 2012 budget. If the state paid for them, Illinois would run out of money by spring, he said. “We have got to run the government, got to make sure (the money) lasts for an entire fiscal year,"  Quinn said. "I had no choice."

However, Quinn may have no choice but to fund the raises, because the state negotiated them in a contract with state workers during the Blagojevich administration in 2008, said state Rep. Frank Mautino, D-Spring Valley. "Some of the things (Quinn has) done, I think the courts are gonna say can't be done because of contractual rights," said Mautino, a budget expert who helped write the spending plan for the House Democrats.

Most workers in line for a raise are union members, but some are in management positions. The deal with the union, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, or AFSCME, provided for nearly 15 percent in pay increases distributed over the four years of the contract.  AFSCME Council 31 Executive Director Henry Bayer said state workers have done their part to help with Illinois' budget woes. "Under negotiated cost-savings agreements reached at the bargaining table, three times in the last 18 months they deferred scheduled increases, and thousands have taken unpaid furlough days," said Bayer in a statement.

AFSCME spokesman Anders Lindall said the union is expected to file a lawsuit against the state in "the next day or two." If the union does not file a lawsuit over the pay raises, then Mautino said lawmakers are expected to act in the Fall. The veto session also is the earliest that school districts are expected to get answers about the governor’s elimination of $89 million for school buses statewide and $11 million for regional superintendents.

You can read Ben's full report at: http://illinois.statehousenewsonline.com/6550/lawmakers-court-challenges-overrides-likely-for-quinn-budget/

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
July 05
2233 HRS 100 BLOCK OF WRIGHT DR. ILLEGAL CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOL. JUVENILE, M/W 16 YEARS OF AGE, LAKE IN THE HILLS. CHARGES: Illegal consumption of alcohol. RELEASED TO PARENT.
JUVENILE, M/W 16 YEARS OF AGE, LAKE IN THE HILLS. CHARGES: Illegal consumption of alcohol. RELEASED TO PARENT.
0802 HRS 4443 ROLLING HILLS DR. (ROLLING HILLS PARK) CRIMINAL DAMAGE TO PROPERTY. Swing set damaged.
0851 HRS 900 BLOCK OF CYNTHIA LN. LOST ARTICLE. iPad. Entered into LEADS.
1250 HRS RAKOW RD. & PINGREE RD. ACCIDENT. Two vehicles. Property damage only.
1831 HRS 471 N. RANDALL RD. (PAPA SAVERIO’S) BATTERY. PENDING INVESTIGATION BY REPORTING OFFICER.
1916 HRS 8407 PYOTT RD. (LAKE IN THE HILLS AIRPORT) ASSIST AMBULANCE. Female, 13 years of age, having an asthma attack.  Transported to Northern Illinois Medical Center.
Algonquin
July 2
00:50am Martinez, Ashley R., DOB: 08/16/84. of 1304 N. Claremont, Chicago, was charged with Domestic Battery.  She was taken into custody at the Thirsty Whale, 1700 S. Randall Road.  She was transported to Kane County Jail to await a bond hearing.
03:29am Seiler, Brett M., DOB: 03/25/92 of 270 Terramere Lane, Lake in the Hills, was charged with Resisting a Peace Officer, Reckless Driving, No Valid Driver’s License, No Proof of Insurance, Failure to Give Notice After Striking Unattended Vehicle, Failure to Give Notice of Accident, Not Driving On Right Side of Roadway, Failure to Reduce Speed and Disobeying Flashing Red Light.  He was taken into custody at the Lake in the Hills Police Department.  He was released on a Notice to Appear with a court date of 08/03/11 in McHenry County.
09:54am Mitchell, Stacy M., DOB: 08/01/72, of 3880 Willow View Drive, Lake in the Hills, was Wanted on a Warrant, out of McHenry County, for Failure to Appear on a Resisting a Peace Officer charge.  She was taken into custody at 107 S. Main Street.  She was released after posting $575 with a court date of 08/04/11 in McHenry County.
July 3
01:51am Murrin, Timothy L., DOB: 01/31/69, of 1025 N. Sterling Avenue #211, Palatine, was charged with DUI, Leaving the Scene of an Accident and No Proof of Insurance.  He was taken into custody at Bunker Hill Drive and Golden Eagle Drive.  He was released on a Personal Recognizance Bond after posting his Illinois Driver’s License with a court date of 08/10/11 in McHenry County.
02:01am Provost, Michael T., DOB: 02/28/79, of 14736 Fieldstone Drive, Huntley, was charged with Leaving the Scene of an Accident, Failure to Reduce Speed and No Proof of Insurance.  He was taken into custody at Barrington Road north of I-90.  He was released on a Personal Recognizance Bond with a court date of 07/27/11 in McHenry County.
04:44am Morgan, Michael J., DOB: 09/21/90, of 1301 Big Sur Parkway, Algonquin, was charged with Domestic Battery.  He was taken into custody at 1301 Big Sur.  He was transported to McHenry County Jail to await a bond hearing.
July 4
02:56am A 17 year-old male from Elgin was charged with No Valid Driver’s License, Improper Lane Usage and Possession of Cannabis.  He was taken into custody at Randall Road and Huntley Road.  He was released on a Notice to Appear for the traffic violations with a court date of 07/19/11 in McHenry County and on a Notice to Appear on the drug charge with a court date of 08/31/11 in Algonquin.

Governor's Veto Leaves County Schools' Office Rudderless

Interviews expected this week with candidates for McHenry County Regional Superintendent of Schools probably will be canceled, according to County Administrator Pete Austin since, "We don't know if we'll have the money to pay them."

Even though they're locally elected, salaries for Regional Superintendents are paid with State funds.  Last week, however, with a stroke of his amendatory veto pen, Governor Pat Quinn removed $9.1 million from the new fiscal year's budget to do that.  Most Regional Superintendents around the state vowed to stay on the job, at least until the outcome of a probable request for a court injunction against the cut and a possible override when the Legislature reconvenes in October.  That can't happen in McHenry County, though, since newly-elected Regional Superintendent Joe Williams of Huntley announced a month and a half ago he didn't want the job after all and wouldn't continue as Assistant Superintendent, either.

The five staffers--whose salaries aren't state-funded but come out of  County taxes--have been effectively leaderless since then.  Austin said Friday the Lake County Regional Superintendent's been informally helping the County limp along by scribbling an official signature on G.E.D. certificates, for example.

Board Chairman Ken Koehler who would appoint a new Regional Superintendent said two weeks ago there were 11 applicants for the spot and he planned to winnow them before beginning initial interviews.  Now that's in abeyance until there's some sort of agreement about funding.

One solution would be for McHenry County to assume responsibility for paying the Regional Superintendent and the likewise State-paid Assistant Regional Superintendent.  "It would take a change in policy by the County Board to pay them," said Austin.  That would be about a $200,000 change in policy, though, and Board members have been reluctant so far this year to monkey with a budget they fought hard to balance.

Austin said he'd met with Lake County officials Friday to talk about formalizing the ad hoc aid the neighboring Regional Superintendent's been providing McHenry County.  He said there were no conclusions about it yet, though.

In the pic:   Technically State Aid to McHenry County Schools is supposed to go first to the Regional Superintendent of Education, too.

Fireworks Illuminate Huntley Sky For Fourth

The bonfires John Adams expected were absent at Huntley's Outlet Center Monday but illuminations of which he spoke filled the sky to celebrate the 235th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.  When the parking lot filled, motorists lined both sides of Freeman Road east to Carriage Way to watch the display.

New this year was HPD Officer Brett Kinney on a bicycle pedaling furiously up an down the line on Freeman to keep spectators out of the line of fire and out of the line of rushing late-comers, too.

Neighboring farm couple Gordon and Karen Stade maintained order among motorists they let park on the long driveway to their secluded home.  "All we ask is for them to send a donation to the American Cancer Society," said Karen. "Sometimes they do," she added.

Fireworks Ignite Small Fire In Unincorporated Algonquin

Fourth of July celebrants setting off fireworks also set off a small fire Monday evening in a pile of construction materials on Arthur Road in the Haegers Bend neighborhood of unincorporated Algonquin.

Battalion Chief John Greene said neighbors who noticed the blaze called it in at about 10:30 pm but they and others had mostly doused it with a garden hose by the time firefighters got there.  Firefighters foamed the embers to make sure the fire was completely out.

Lane Switches Set Today For Rakow Road

Traffic on Rakow Road's scheduled to shift to new new temporary lanes today between 31 and Pyott Road as work advances to expand that stretch of the road to four lanes continues.  Construction officials warned of flaggers and occasional closures to single lanes today.

Also set for today was the permanent closure of Skyridge Drive, north of Ackman Road just west of Rakow. Meanwhile officials said work continues on roadway excavation and storm sewer installations.  The concrete extension of the Crystal Creek box culvert near McHenry Avenue is now complete.  All traffic signal timings have been checked and adjusted.

New Laws Take Effect In Illinois

By Benjamin Yount Illinois Statehouse News
Illinois newest laws cover the spectrum from death to taxes. Most notably, Illinois became the 16th state to abolish the death penalty Friday.

Jeremy Schroeder, executive director of the Illinois Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, a grassroots organization that pushed for the abolition of the state's death penalty since 1976, said Gov. Pat Quinn, who signed the bill into law in March, ordered life sentences for anyone on death row, including defendants in a handful of death penalty cases statewide.

"It's certainly kind of a sad waste of taxpayer money, knowing that those people aren't going to be placed on death row," added Schroeder.  Illinois has not executed a prisoner in more than 10 years.

Online shoppers will pay the state's sales tax when they buy from online stores that do not have a physical store in Illinois. Rates start at 6.25 percent, but vary depending on local communities. Illinois' so-called Amazon Tax, which took effect Friday, drove online retailer Fat Wallet out of the state. The web-based coupon and deals site moved its 56 employees from outside of Rockford to Beloit.

But it's not all weighty issues that prompted new laws. Friday also brings a new requirement for bitter-tasting antifreeze. The law is a result of pet owners, and the deadly consequences of antifreeze which has a naturally sweet taste. Antifreeze is toxic and causes fatal kidney failure in pets. Illinois joins a dozen other states in requiring that a bitter-tasting ingredient be added to antifreeze.

Other new laws target drivers who refuse to take a breathalyzer test after causing a wreck while driving under the influence of alcohol; criminals who harm children and pension eligibility for Chicago teachers.  Everyone in a car is now required to wear a seatbelt, too.

You can read Ben's full report at:  http://illinois.statehousenewsonline.com/6547/july-1-brings-new-laws-to-illinois/

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
July 04
0326 HRS ALGONQUIN RD. & CRYSTAL LAKE RD. DRIVING WHILE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL. ECHEVERRIA-MORALES, CARLOS M., M/W 25 years of age, 450 EASTWOOD DR., WOODSTOCK. CHARGES: Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol, Median Violation. TRANSPORTED TO MCHENRY COUNTY JAIL.
BAUGH, ERIC M., M/B 35 years of age, 600 LEGION, MAYWOOD. CHARGES: Wanted on Warrant, DuPage County, Failure to Appear, Traffic Violation, $2,500 @ 10%, Wanted on Warrant, Forest Park, Failure to Appear, Obstructing, $10,000 Full Cash. TRANSPORTED TO MCHENRY COUNTY JAIL.
2212 HRS ACKMAN RD. & RONAN DR. DRIVING WHILE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL. EISNER, DAVID J., M/W 34 years of age, 106 BROOK ST., ALGONQUIN. CHARGES: Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol, Driving under the Influence of Alcohol with a Breath Alcohol Content over .08. RELEASED ON BOND.
0004 HRS 5400 BLOCK OF WILDSPRING DR. DISORDERLY CONDUCT. Male subject causing a disturbance. FAIL TO FILE.
1209 HRS 1000 BLOCK OF HEAVENS GATE. INFORMATION FOR POLICE. Siding damaged by unknown means.
1954 HRS 100 BLOCK OF PHEASANT TRAIL. INFORMATION FOR POLICE. Large group of subjects gathering.
2023 HRS 00 BLOCK OF WANDER WAY. ORDINANCE VIOLATION. Fireworks confiscated and P-ticket issued.
2108 HRS 500 BLOCK OF GRACE DR. DOMESTIC. Father vs. son. Verbal only. No priors.
2240 HRS 1500 BLOCK OF MONROE ST. SUICIDAL SUBJECT. Female, 46 years of age, needing an evaluation. Transported to Sherman Hospital.
2138 HRS 2265 W. ALGONQUIN RD. (THORNTONS) BATTERY. Male subject struck Complainant. FAIL TO FILE.
2151 HRS 2800 BLOCK OF IMPRESSIONS DR. DOMESTIC. Father vs. son. Verbal only. No priors
July 03
1548 HRS 101 N. PYOTT RD. (BUCKYS MOBIL) WANTED ON WARRANT.  KAMPAS JR., TERRANCE M., M/W 21 YEARS OF AGE, 105 HAWTHORNE RD., LAKE IN THE HILLS. CHARGE: Wanted on Warrant out of McHenry County for Possession of a Stolen Vehicle, bond amount is $50,000/10% applies. TRANSPORTED TO MCHENRY COUNTY JAIL.
0328 HRS 220 N. RANDALL RD. (MORETTI’S) BATTERY. Two females. PENDING INVESTIGATION BY REPORTING OFFICER.
1012 HRS 290 N. RANDALL RD. (VERIZON WIRELESS) ACCIDENT. Two vehicles. Property damage only.
2158 HRS WHTMORE WAY & BRIDLEWOOD CIRCLE. ORDINANCE VIOLATION. Fireworks. CITATION ISSUED.
2235 HRS 231 N. RANDALL RD. (TACO BELL) DOMESTIC. Husband vs. wife. Verbal argument only. No priors.
2254 HRS 4500 ALGONQUIN RD. (7-11) BATTERY. Complaint was struck by another male subject. FAIL TO FILE.
2257 HRS 00 BLOCK OF LINCOLN ST. MISSING JUVENILE. Male, 17 years of age, left the residence at 1830 hours. Entered into LEADS.
Algonquin
delayed--FEN schedule conflict

The Fourth Estate On The Fourth Of July

by Pete Gonigam
July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence which delegates nailed to the door of the Pennsylvania State House in case anyone who wandered by wanted to read it.  Nobody did, so Lord Howe defeated the Continental Army and a few months ago Queen Elizabeth gave the former rebellious colonies to Prince William and Kate Middleton as a wedding present.  ("It was either that or a toaster," said the elderly monarch.)

I made that up. What the Congress really did on the night of July 4 was have newspaper publisher John Dunlap print 200 copies of the Declaration laying out why "these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States."  Within two weeks--lightning speed for the time-- every newspaper in the colonies had reprinted the thing and the Revolutionary War was on.  We won.

Dunlap's Pennsylvania Packet, or General Advertiser, thanks in no small part to his government printing contract, went on to become the first successful daily newspaper in the new United States blazing a path to riches in the news biz that worked for at least a century:  Overt or covert, get a government subsidy.

That's why a report three weeks ago from the Federal Communications Commission was so interesting.  Examining the condition of the news media (dire), what it didn't do was issue a clarion call for a walloping dollop of government money to solve the problem.  That was the bright idea out of my alma mater, the Columbia J-School, a couple of years ago which, in itself, spoke volumes about the current state of American journalism.

What the state of American Journalism is, is abysmal, according to the FCC.  Daily newspaper circulation is down to about the same level it was in 1940.  That's with around 2.5 times the population. It's not, as most people think, a problem with the Internet, at least not as a news medium.  The numbers basically hit a plateau about the time CBS went to a half-hour nightly newscast in 1963.  TV, lousy as it is as a news medium (very), offered people the first real alternative to newspapers  and a  lot of them took it.

The FCC report skips what happened next.  Newspapers tried to become more like TV.  More graphics--in color, too--with lots of "news you can use" about how to lose weight, live longer, have more sex and get rich quick.  In essence, editors tried to remake their publications into newspapers for people who don't really like newspapers

Even stalled out,  newspapers were still money machines, though, and the trolls on Wall Street unleashed a wave of consolidations. It led to the same kind of mindset Bob Lutz in his recent book claims brought about the demise of GM:  The "bean counters" forgot there was a step in the process between "X dollars input equals Y dollars profit"--you actually have to put out a product someone wants to buy.

If anyone with any sense had looked they'd have seen newspapers circling the drain well before the rise of the Internet. All the swell free news on the Web wasn't what clobbered newspapers, anyway.  It's an overstatement but not much of one to say that free ads on Craigslist are what's killing traditional newspapers.  The FCC reported want ads as recently as 10 years ago brought in 40 percent of newspaper revenue.  Last year that was down to 25 percent of a much smaller pie and still falling.

The Great Recession and its moribund rebound just helped push papers over the edge.  Ex-Intel CEO Craig Barrett observed a couple of years ago that "you can't save your way out of a recession," but it looks like that's what a lot of advertisers are trying to do, anyway.

So who cares?  Well, according to the FCC report citizens should. "An abundance of media outlets does not translate into an abundance of reporting".  (Save for FEN, of course.)  Pundits and fast-buck charlatans claim news aggregators and "citizen journalists" will fill the gap.  The problem is someone sometime has to actually report some news to aggregate and it really isn't likely it's going to be a bunch of little old ladies (of either sex) in tennis shoes.

You can read the FCC report  here: http://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2011/db0609/DOC-307406A1.pdf  .  It's only 478 pages.

Thomas Jefferson who wrote most of the Declaration famously said, “Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.”  Me, too, but right now we seem to be heading toward the former.

Dunlap, incidentally, grew rich in real estate, retired early and spent the last 17 years of his life in the intense  study of whiskey bottles and how fast he could empty them.

Me?  I'll have a Pepsi, thanks.  It's been 44 years now I've been swimming against the mainstream.

Fourth Starts In Huntley Where Fireworks Will End It, Too

A brief kids' bicycle parade around Huntley's Farmers' Market marked the area's start for this year's long Independence Day weekend.  It'll wind up in Huntley, too, with the only Fourth of July fireworks display in the vicinity scheduled Monday at the Outlet Center.

The bike parade was part of All American Family Fun Day at the Farmers' Market which included special activities for youngsters, LITH's answer to Elvis, Peter Guerin warbling from the gazebo, and, of course, lots of garden veggies. Perhaps not enough for all the shoppers who showed up, though.

"I'm looking around but some of the things I'm looking for are already gone," said Huntley resident Linda Ball at the Providence Farm stand.  "The bunnies ate all our sugar snaps (peas)," explained daughter Britney.

Kathy Donald, owner of the Belvidere farm, said she brought all she could.  "We cleaned out the garden," she said.

Huntley's free Fourth of July fireworks show is set for "as soon as it's dark" at the Outlet Center parking lot Monday evening.  However, a good view's also available from Freeman and Dhamer Roads and Freeman/Van Acker Road ought to be pretty good,too. The weatherman says the chance of rain Monday's roughly zero.

Huntley is the only local village with fireworks on the Fourth.  Algonquin postpones the pyrotechnics until Founders' Days at the end of the month and LITH does theirs at the Summer Sunset Festival in September.

Fireworks are scheduled this evening in Crystal Lake and Barrington.  Barrington's free but the CL one costs, at least to watch from the beach.

Musical Cast Hams It Up At LITH Meat And Deli Shop

Kids from the cast of District 300 Foundation's upcoming production of Into the Woods, Junior, serenaded shoppers Saturday at LITH's Butcher on the Block gourmet meat and deli shop.  It was the first of three previews around the District for the Sondheim Broadway musical performing at Jacobs High School in two weeks.

Based (very) loosely on Grimm fairy tales, Into the Woods hit the Great White Way in 1987 winning Tony's for Best Score and Best Book.  The District 300 Foundation's production, cut down from the original, will have four performances, July 15 and 16 and July 22 and 23, all at 7:30 pm.

General seating will be $5 with tickets available at www.d300presents.org or by email at stephen.fodor@d300.org .

Bulletin: Fireworks Dangerous, Illegal

Notwithstanding Jean Shepherd's uproarious account of "my old man" and his uncle shooting it out with Roman Candles on the main street in Gary one Fourth of July, the Illinois State Fire Marshall warned recently, "exploding fireworks in the hands of untrained professionals or children can be a recipe for bodily harm and death to users and spectators."

Specifically banned by Illinois law are "fireworks that explode when lit and include firecrackers (of any size or type), bottle rockets, sky rockets, roman candles, pin wheels, chasers, buzz bombs, missiles, and any other exploding items that are hand held".

Huntley PD recently emphasized it has a "zero tolerance" policy on fireworks.  That means get caught, you get a ticket, not a warning to be careful.  Algonquin and LITH have zero tolerance fireworks policies, too.

It could be worse, of course.  One Illinois department this year suggested a handful of Mentos in a bottle of RC as a safe way to celebrate the Fourth of July.

Audit: DCFS Still Falls Short

By Jamey Dunn, Illinois Issues
A recent audit found that  investigations of reported child abuse and reviews of death cases by the Illinois Department of Child and Family Services still are not living up to state law, although the agency has made improvements in recent years.

Child Death Review Teams that fall under the department’s purview face a backlog of cases, Illinois Auditor General Bill Holland's office found. The teams are required to review the deaths of children who were wards of DCFS, subjects of open cases, subjects of abuse or neglect investigations in the year before their deaths, and children whose deaths are reported to the department as the result of abuse or neglect. For FY 2010, the department did not complete 70 out of 95 death reviews within 90 days of the DCFS investigation.

Kendall Marlowe, spokesperson for DCFS, said part of the holdup is the amount of time it takes county governments to send the death certificates to teams “because we live in a state with 102 counties, and those counties have different resources and different processes.”

While auditors found 13 problem areas at the agency, the number is down from 15 in the previous audit, and auditors did cite progress in a number of areas. Marlow said federal requirements have pushed DCFS to track its performance on a regular basis. “This is an agency that over the last 10 years has become performance-driven. We measure and analyze our own performance on a continual basis and are not satisfied until we are serving every child and family in the most effective way possible.”

You can read Jamey's full report at:  http://illinoisissuesblog.blogspot.com/2011/06/audit-dcfs-falls-short-on-response.html

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
July 02
0146 HRS ACORN LN. & VILLAGE CREEK DR. AGGRAVATED FLEEING AND ELUDING. SEILER, BRETT M. M/W 19 YEARS OF AGE, 270 TERRAMERE LN., LAKE IN THE HILLS. CHARGES: Aggravated Fleeing and Eluding, Criminal Trespass to Motor Vehicle, Five counts of Speeding, Speeding over 40 miles Per Hour Over Posted Speed Limit, Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol, No Valid Illinois License, No Headlights, Two Counts of Disobeying a Traffic Device, and Disobeying a Traffic Signal. TRANSPORTED TO MCHENRY COUNTY JAIL.
1641 HRS 101 N. RANDALL ROAD (DOMINICKS). RETAIL THEFT. MOCHAN, LINDSAY M., F/W 33 YEARS OF AGE, 311 STARWOOD PASS, LAKE IN THE HILLS. CHARGE: Retail Theft. RELEASED ON BOND.
0050 HRS 300 BLOCK OF VILLAGE CREEK DR. BATTERY. Several male subjects fighting. FAIL TO FILE.
0824 HRS 500 BLOCK OF DELAWARE DR. BURGLARY FROM MOTOR VEHICLE.  Fifty dollars were taken from a locked vehicle. TURNED OVER TO INVESTIGATIONS.
2216 HRS 200 BLOCK OF STICKLEY LN. MISSING JUVENILE. Male, 15 years of age left residence. Transported to Woodstock Hospital for evaluation.