One Found Dead After Sun City Fire

Huntley firefighters found the body of a 73-year old man in the midst of a housefire in Sun City late Friday morning.  Authorities withheld the name of the man found at 12786 Oak Grove Dr. while next of kin were being notified.

Huntley police arrived first at the fire at about 10:30 am and told firefighters there was a victim inside.  Rescuers were driven back, though, when heat from the fire became so intense the smoke itself caught fire in a process known as flashover.  One firefighter suffered a minor burn.

Rescuers returned to the search and retrieved the victim, then brought the fire under control about 15 minutes later.  Nineteen HFPD firefighters helped quell the blaze, along with eleven others from other districts.  Extensive damage to the house was estimated at $160,000. Intense heat from the blaze caused siding damage, estimated at $10,000, to the adjacent house to the south.

Huntley investigators Friday said they could tell the fire broke out in the kitchen of the home but still didn't know how it started. The fire's under investigation by the State Fire Marshall's Office. A Kane County Coroner's autopsy of the victim is expected Monday. Huntley Chief Jim Saletta reported smoke detectors were present and working in the home when the blaze began.

McHenry County Officials Learn Firefighting At Huntley

"Flashover" when trapped gasses from a fire reach about 1,000 degrees, hot enough to ignite smoke particles, was one among many topics at a day-long operations orientation Friday for McHenry County officials Friday at the HFPD training tower in rural Huntley.  In one demo it took less than two minutes for gasses at floor-level to reach 500 degree temps necessary to ignite a sheet of paper.

"These guys, they presented safety from the beginning to the end," said LITH Trustee Russ Ruzanski.  "They know their work."

Ruzanski, suffering a cold, passed on a passage through the tower's smoke room. Algonquin Village Manager Bill Ganek was game, though, to suit up in 60 pounds of firefighter's gear so he could crawl on hands and knees through an unlit maze filled with the smoke from 1,000 old sweatsocks, some horse manure and the spare off an old Plymouth--or something that smelled a lot like that.

Emerging drenched in sweat, Ganek pulled off his breathing mask to comment, "No matter what kind of workout you do, you're not ready for this."

About 20 other officeholders and administrators from around Mchenry County also attended the orientation by the Chiefs, Officers and Firefighters of McHenry County, the McHenry County Fire Chief’s Association and the McHenry County Fire Trustees' Association.

In the pic:  Algonquin Manager Bill Ganek after passing through a simulated burning building at HFPD's training tower Friday.

Whooping Cough Outbreak Reaches Algonquin

A case of whooping cough at St. John's Lutheran School in Algonquin this week brought to 38 the total confirmed cases of pertussis in McHenry County.

Most of the outbreak which now exceeds the total number of cases all last year are still located in the Cary Fox-River Grove area, according to the McHenry County Department of Health, but five cases are now listed in Crystal Lake and one was confirmed last week in Lake in the Hills.

MCDH has scheduled two pertussis vaccination clinics. One is today from 9 am to 1pm at Algonquin Township Building in Crystal Lake.  The second will be  Wednesday from 3 to 7 pm at MCDH’s Crystal Lake office. The cost is $50 per individual.  Medicaid is accepted for individuals aged 11-18 with a current card. The vaccine is $15 for those aged 11-18 who are uninsured and underinsured, and uninsured adults aged 19 and older who meet income requirements.

MCDH spokesmen warn  Pertussis is especially dangerous for infants who are not fully immunized until 4-6 years old, those who are immune compromised, and older persons. For more information on pertussis, visit www.mcdh.info or call MCDH’s hotline at 815-334-2800.

Centegra Huntley Fair Highlights National Diabetes Month

November is National Diabetes Month so Friday was a good time for Centegra Health System's fourth annual Diabetes Fair at the Health Bridge Fitness Center-Huntley.  The event was headlined by David Tomlinson, VP for Operations at Centegra, himself a diabetic.

The point of the fair was that diabetes is widespread but treatable, especially within Centegra.  If you missed the Diabetes Fair, there's a lot of info about the malady here:

http://centegra.org/clinical-services/diabetes-services/

In the pic:  Technicians screened for diabetes, eye, foot, blood pressure, body mass index, stroke and heart problems at Centegra-Huntley's Diabetes Fair Friday.

Saving Jobs Focus Of Brewing Illinois Tax Deal

By Benjamin Yount, Illinois Statehouse News
Illinois lawmakers will have the weekend to review the framework of a tax incentive package that tries to balance help for a handful of big companies in the state with broad relief for small and family businesses. Gov. Pat Quinn and four legislative leaders Friday agreed on a deal, which lawmakers say they hope will keep the CME Group and Sears from leaving the state.

Details of the tax incentive package were first reported by Rich Miller on his nonpartisan political blog Capitol Fax, and include a proposal to "decouple Illinois" from the federal bonus depreciation law. That law allows Illinois companies to write off 100 percent of the cost of equipment in one year, as opposed to over a number of years, not yet determined. The 100 percent write-off lowers the taxable dollars from a company and, in turn, lowers the amount that Illinois can collect.

Other key factors of the framework now heading to lawmakers include:

    * A reinstatement of the net operating loss provision, which would allow companies to receive a tax deduction for money lost.
    * A five-year extension for the research and development tax credit. Companies, ranging from pharmaceutical makers to equipment manufacturers can apply for the credit as they work to bring new products to the market.
    * An increase in the estate tax deduction from $2 million to $5 million over two years. Family farms and other family-run businesses would benefit from the increase, as they pass their businesses to the next generation.
    * A $650 reduction in filing fees to form limited liability companies, from $750 to $100.

The package is expected to translate into about $100 million in tax savings for CME. The Chicago-based trading firm has been threatening to leave Illinois if its tax bills weren’t lowered. CME officials said Illinois' recent 47-percent corporate income tax increase resulted in a $150 million bigger tax bill. Sears also has talked publicly about moving its corporate headquarters. However, Sears does not want a tax cut. Rather, Sears wants to receive breaks that would lower the taxes it must pay for its 4,000 employees in the Chicago area. Neither CME nor Sears returned requests for comment Friday

Todd Maisch, vice president of government affairs for the Illinois Chamber of Commerce said he doesn't believe the legislators will begin working on major tax reform until 2013. "If you're a dry cleaner and a third of your customers work at Sears, you are happy with this (package)" Maisch said. "If you have a cleaning contract with CME, then you are happy about this. But if you're a small business that is not directly tied in, then you are feeling jilted. No doubt about it."

You can read Benjamin's full report at: http://illinois.statehousenewsonline.com/7128/saving-jobs-focus-of-brewing-illinois-tax-deal/

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
November 4
0130 HRS 10 BLOCK OF PERSHING AVE. DRIVING WHILE LICENSE SUSPENDED. MCDERMAND, ANDY M., M/W 29 YEARS OF AGE, 1465 COMMONS DR., WOODSTOCK. CHARGES: Driving while License Suspended, Improper Lane Usage, Failure to Signal at Turn. RELEASED ON BOND.
0330 HRS 103 S. RANDALL RD., (JEWEL) DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL. ACKERMANN, WILLIAM D., M/W 35 YEARS OF AGE, 610 CHESTNUT CT., ALGONQUIN. CHARGES: Driving under the Influence of Alcohol, Driving underthe Influence of Alcohol with a Breath Alcohol Content Over .08, Operating an Uninsured Motor Vehicle, Improper Lane Usage. TRANSPORTED TO MCHENRY COUNTY JAIL.
1826 HRS 300 BLOCK OF HIAWATHA DR. CRIMINAL DAMAGE TO PROPERTY. DE PORTER, MARK J., M/W 52 YEARS OF AGE, 9761 SQUIRE LN., BELVIDERE. CHARGE: Criminal Damage to Property. RELEASED ON BOND.
2103 HRS 100 BLOCK OF VILLAGE CREEK DR. CRIMINAL DAMAGE TO PROPERTY. JUVENILE, M/W 14 YEARS OF AGE, LAKE IN THE HILLS.CHARGE: Criminal Damage to Property, Possession of Fireworks. RELEASED TO PARENT.
JUVENILE, M/W 13 YEARS OF AGE, LAKE IN THE HILLS. CHARGE: Criminal Damage to Property. RELEASED TO PARENT.
0122 HRS 1115 CRYSTAL LAKE RD. (LITH POLICE) CRIMINAL DAMAGE TO STATE SUPPORTED PROPERTY. Vehicle keyed. TURNED OVER TO INVESTIGATIONS.
1023 HRS 200 S. ANNANDALE DR. (LEROY GUY PARK) CRIMINAL DEFACEMENT. Spray paint on park equipment. TURNED OVER TO INVESTIGATIONS.
1700 HRS 2265 W. ALGONQUIN RD. (THORNTONS) UNLAWFUL USE OF A CREDIT CARD. Offender attempted to use 2 fraudulent credit cards. TURNED OVER TO INVESTIGATIONS.
1810 HRS 500 BLOCK OF WINDERMERE WAY. DOMESTIC. Mother vs. son. Verbal only. No priors.
1833 HRS 1500 BLOCK OF CLAYTON MARSH DR. ACCIDENT. Vehicle vs. Parked vehicle. Property Damage only.
1930 HRS 1500 BLOCK OF CLAYTON MARSH DR. INFORMATION FOR POLICE. Reporting Officer had contact with a Registered Sex Offender.
2023 HRS 00 BLOCK OF ROYAL OAK CT. DOMESTIC BATTERY. Husband vs. wife. No Priors FAIL TO FILE.
2240 HRS 220 N. RANDALL RD. (MORETTI’S) BATTERY. Female vs. Female. Female, 39 years of age, laceration above her eye. No Transport. FAIL TO FILE.

Enterprise Fund Floated From Huntley Electrical Savings

Huntley residents may have two referenda on their ballots in March, one to save them money on electric bills, the other to give some of it back for village improvement before they get it.

The Huntley Board gave initial approval Thursday to a referendum question of whether the Village should begin an opt-out electricity aggregation program.  It would be the final step in Illinois' 15-year process of electric power deregulation, bundling customers together to bargain down electric rates.  Every major municipality in McHenry County except McHenry is looking at the idea which proponents, mainly Exelon competitors and power brokers, claim might save 15 to 30 percent on electric bills.

There are two different flavors of electrical aggregation, however.  In one, the opt-in type, customers have to to sign up to be participate.  In the other, opt-out, everyone's signed up automatically and has to ask to leave.  Huntley staffers chose the latter because, Village Manager Dave Johnson said later, they figured they'd end up with more people.  "This gives the providers greater assurance of stability," he said.

The rest of Thursday's meeting was mostly perfunctory and everyone was gathering up papers as Mayor Chuck Sass wound things up with his customary question, "Anybody got anything else?"  Trustee Harry Leopold did.

"I'd like to have a referendum question to create an enterprise fund," he said, one financed with money from customer savings from the electrical aggregation plan.  "We have the Donahue property (south side of Main at Woodstock; slated to become more parking lot).  Then there are some blighted properties."

"My idea is the average person would save $25 a month (on electric power) and we put 10 percent of that in an enterprise fund," said Leopold.  "The village could charge an administrative fee (to run the aggregation program)."

Trustees blinked a little at the notion and Sass told administrators to explore the idea.  The deadline to put an enterprise fund referendum on the Huntley March ballot would be about Dec. 15.

D158 Considers No Tax Increase But Worries About Making It Law

District 158 Board members fretted Thursday over rural McHenry County State Rep. Jack Franks' bill to freeze taxes in a down housing market.  Their worry was that legislators, even local ones, don't understand the implications for taxing bodies like the school district.

Franks, from Marengo, stunned the state in June with a plan to eliminate the yearly inflation increase in property taxes if the value of all of the property in a district suffers a collective drop.  The idea has sex appeal for taxpayers so 19 other legislators including State Rep. Mike Tryon who covers much of the rest of McHenry County signed on as co-sponsors.  But as budget time approaches there's been pushback from taxing bodies and two of them signed back off this week.

"(Franks) probably never looked at a budget," commented Member Tony Quagliano.

"The sheer irony of a body that increased (income) taxes 67 percent telling us we have to get our house in order is appalling," said Superintendent John Burkey.

Financial officer Mark Altmayer said eliminating inflation adjustment would have a devastating impact on D158.  "I ran some numbers," he said.  "Assuming the (Equalized Assessed Valuation) continues to come down...and the CPI comes in at 2.6, 2.7 percent, the running total over the next 3 years is going to be around $8 million (less)."  Altmayer said he forecast a $4 million shortfall in the 2014-15 school year if Franks' bill passed.

Those numbers dwarf the $760,000 Altmayer estimated the latest 1.5 percent inflation adjustment would bring in on 2011 taxes due next year.  Since the State actually managed to pay all the District's State Aid for the 2010-11 year, however, Altmayer said there's enough in the District's savings to refinance construction bonds to save $760,000.

Members will think about skipping the next inflation increase ahead of a vote on it next week.  They set a public hearing on next year's tax levy for Dec. 15.


In the pic: D158's Square Barn Campus.

D300 Superintendent Calls Sears Compromise "No Compromise"

District 300 Superintendent Michael Bregy said Thursday a reported compromise on extending the Sears Economic Development Area was no compromise at all.  "We're being bullied," he said. Meanwhile, a Sears spokesman said bids are in from other states that want to lure the company out of Illinois but he wouldn't say how much they were.

Lack of detail still shrouds the battle over keeping Sears Holdings headquarters at it's location in Hoffman Estates.  D 300 claims it'll lose $14 million dollars per year if the EDA property tax rebate doesn't expire on schedule next year.  Sears says if the rebate isn't renewed and the State doesn't come up with some other sweeteners it might pack its bags and leave.

State Sen. Dan Kotowski, Park Ridge, was reported this week crafting amendments to his EDA bill that would give D300 $3 million more than the $3 million it gets now from Sears Headquarters but Bregy said, "We're the only ones being asked to compromise."  Bregy's version of compromise would be for the District to get $12 million of the property tax.

State Rep. Mike Tryon said Thursday there were rumors Kotowski was crafting a whole new bill about the EDA. That would allow a clear vote on the measure in the House.  As amendments to an amended bill in the Senate, the outcome would be murky. "The thing is," warned Tryon, "it's Kotowski's bill.  It's not a good idea to antagonize the guy who's writing it."

Bregy said he was ready to sit down any time any time Kotowski will let him.  "You can't make a deal until you're in the room," he said.

Governor Pat Quinn and House Speaker Mike Madigan didn't take questions after a business tax summit Thursday.  Senate President John Cullerton, also present, said Sears came up in discussion but that's about all he said. Sears spokesman Chris Brathwaite told FEN Thursday he wouldn't comment on how much Illinois and 15 other states are willing to pay to host Sears headquarters.

Audit Recommends Fewer State Cars

By Andrew Thomason,  Illinois Statehouse News
Illinois state employees aren’t driving state-owned passenger vehicles enough. “It doesn’t make sense to have as many vehicles as we do and to give so many people the free use of vehicles,” state Rep. Jack Franks, D-Woodstock, said. “The state needs to tighten its belt significantly and sell these underutilized vehicles.”

Franks was one of three state representatives who pushed for the report released Thursday by the Illinois Auditor General’s Office on the usage of the state’s fleet of more than 16,000 passenger vehicles for fiscal 2009 and 2010. Factoring in the cost of insuring, storing and maintaining the vehicles, state workers must drive the passenger vehicles a minimum of 7,000 to 12,000 miles annually, depending on the vehicle, for the state to save money. Otherwise, the report said reimbursing state employees for using their personal vehicles is cheaper than the $121 million the State paid last year.

In a sampling of 100 state vehicles under the jurisdiction of the state’s Central Management Services, or CMS, which oversees the majority of the state's fleet, 25 weren’t driven the minimum number of miles, according to the report.

The formula used by the state to calculate the number of miles a state vehicle must be driven to make it a worthwhile investment is based on 2003 figures for the cost of gas. The report suggested updating fuel costs annually. “It’s a perk that is unnecessary for vast majority of those that are getting it,” said Franks.

You can read Andrew's full report at: http://illinois.statehousenewsonline.com/7123/audit-recommends-less-state-owned-vehicles-2/

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
November 3
0322 HRS 400 BLOCK OF E. OAK ST. DOMESTIC BATTERY. DE NEVE, JOSEPH R., M/W 21 YEARS OF AGE. 4416 BARREVILLE RD., PRAIRIE GROVE. CHARGES: Domestic Battery. TRANSPORTED TO MCHENRY COUNTY JAIL.
0343 HRS 100 BLOCK OF E OAK ST. HIT & RUN DE NEVE, JOSEPH R., M/W 21 YEARS OF AGE, 4416 BARREVILLE RD., PRAIRIE GROVE. CHARGES: Leaving the Scene of a Property Damage Accident, Failure to Give Aide or Information, Failure to Report an Accident, Improper Lane Usage, Operating an Uninsured Motor Vehicle. TRANSPORTED TO MCHENRY COUNTY JAIL.
0750 HRS 5400 BLOCK OF AVALON LN. ASSIST AMBULANCE. Female, 93 years of age, not conscious. Transported to Woodstock Centegra Hospital.
0907 HRS PYOTT RD & OAK ST. ACCIDENT. Vehicle vs. Deer. Property Damage Only.
1508 HRS 4300 BLOCK OF BARHARBOR DR. DOMESTIC. Father vs. Son. Verbal only. Four priors.
1631 HRS 200 BLOCK OF COOLSTONE BEND. FOUND ARTICLE. Girl’s bicycle.
2004 HRS RANDALL RD. & MILLER RD. INJURY ACCIDENT. Three vehicles. Female, 56 years of age, with neck pain. Transported to Sherman Hospital.
Algonquin
moretocome
Huntley
October 24
A 17 year-old male from Algonquin was arrested for speeding 40 mph over the speed limit in a construction zone. The juvenile posted bond and was released to his mother with a November 18, 2011 McHenry County court date.
A 17 year-old female from Lake in the Hills was charged with battery and criminal damage to property.  In the same incident a 16 year-old male from Lake in the Hills was charged with criminal damage to property.  Both juveniles were released to their mother and will be petitioned into McHenry County Juvenile Court.
Nestor Silva-Morales, age 39, of 4116 Bonhill Dr., Algonquin, was arrested for driving with no valid driver’s license and was cited for failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident.  Mr. Silva-Morales posted bond and was released with a McHenry County court date of November 18, 2011.
October 25
James Francis Stepanek, age 31, of 115 W. Macomb St, Belvidere, was arrested for burglary and retail theft.  Mr. Stepanek was transported to Kane County Jail to await bond call.
A 14 year-old male from Algonquin was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of tobacco by a minor.  In the same incident a 17 year-old male from Huntley was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia.  Both juveniles were released to their grandmother and will be petitioned to McHenry County Juvenile Court.
October 26
Two theft reports were taken at the High School.  Two students reported that their iPods were stolen.
William D. Anderson, age 22, of 731 Majestic Dr, Algonquin was arrested for driving while license suspended and was cited for display of expired registration.  Mr. Anderson posted bond and was released with a McHenry County court date of November 14, 2011.
October 27
Heather L. Svoboda, age 27, of 11106 Church St., Huntley, was arrested for driving while license suspended and possession of a suspended drivers license and was cited for disregarding a stop sign.  Ms. Svoboda posted bond and was released with a McHenry County court date of November 18, 2011.
A 17 year-old female from Huntley was charged with battery at the High School.  The juvenile was released to her mother and will attend peer jury.
October 28
Erin K. Cummings, age 25, of 1269 Blakely, Woodstock, was arrested for driving while license suspended and was cited for driving with no insurance.  Ms. Cummings posted bond and was released with a McHenry County court date of November 18, 2011.
A burglary to motor vehicle report was taken in the 10400 block of Sunbury St.  Several tools were stolen from the vehicle.
Eric C. Montgomery, age 29, of 11021 Bayou Ct, Huntley, was arrested for driving while license suspended and was cited for operation of an uninsured motor vehicle and improper signaling.  Mr. Montgomery posted bond and was released with a McHenry County court date of November 18, 2011.
October 29
A credit card fraud report was taken in the 9900 block of Rt. 47.  The victim states there were several unauthorized charged made to her credit card.
October 30
Craig M. Rauchenberger, age 51, of 11644 Wembly Dr., Huntley, was arrested for reckless driving.  Mr. Rauchenberger posted bond and was released with a McHenry County court date of December 16, 2011.Mr. Robert J. Miller, age 25, of 4122 W. Lake Shore, Wonder Lake, was arrested for failure to notify police after damaging property in a crash and was cited for failure to report a vehicle accident, failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident and improper lane use.  Mr. Miller posted bond and was released with a McHenry County court date of November 18, 2011.

Sears EDA Compromise: Not Half A Loaf For D300

Details of a compromise to extend the Sears Economic Development area were exposed Wednesday at a McHenry Township meeting of the McHenry County Republican Central Committee. According to State Sen. Pam Althoff as reported in McHenry County Blog, the plan calls for District 300 to receive far less than the $14 million it believes it will be due if the EDA expires.

Althoff, who currently represents some of the northern part of the school district, is the one who this Spring uncovered the measure to extend the Sears EDA for another 15 years tucked inside a bill about training TIF district administrators.  The current Sears property tax rebate arrangement runs out next year but the company says if it isn't extended it might move out of its Hoffman Estates corporate headquarters out of District 300's outer reaches and go somewhere more avid for its 6,200 employees.

Althoff reportedly listed three parts to a compromise deal being brokered by the bill's sponsor, State State Sen. Dan Kotowski, Park Ridge.  First, D300 would get double the money it gets now.  Second, Hoffman Estates would get $2 million per year for running the EDA.  Third, if Sears leaves, anyway, the rebates would have to be given back.

That last is important since, apart from the EDA, there's an undeclared and largely undisclosed bidding war over Sears headquarters.  As FEN reported last week, 15 states have made incentive offers to lure Sears elsewhere while Illinois officials are trying to negotiate a still- secret stay-put package.

Details on the stay-here deal might come out today in a meeting between Illinois Governor Pat Quinn and State legislative leaders about a possible tax relief deal for businesses.  Besides Sears, financial giant CME Group has threatened to leave the state in response to this year's State corporate tax increase.  However, Wednesday Quinn said what he really wanted to talk about today was revamping the State tax code to squeeze  still more revenue out of it.

Online Poll Available For Grafton Tax Levy

Grafton Supervisor Linda Moore seems to have moved the Township into the digital age with an e-poll question added to her website this week about Grafton Township Tax levies. There are  two of them, one for the Township and one for the Road District.

The poll allows residents to click on whether they want to see the Board increase the levies, decrease them, or keep them the same as last year. “As the Township Supervisor, I will use this poll to determine how I will vote when this matter comes before the Board," said Moore who added she hoped the rest of the Board would pay attention, too.

The levy will be set in late December. Illinois's complicated property tax process would allow Grafton residents' collective tax bill to increase up to about 1.5 percent to adjust for inflation.

Moore's website with the poll at lower right is here: http://graftontownshipsupervisor.us/

Grafton's original website operated by the Assessor's Office is here: http://www.graftontownship.us/

High School Students' Community College Intros Set

MCC and ECC have both scheduled evening info sessions for prospective students next week.  McHenry County College's "MCC Night" starts at 5:30 pm Wednesday in the Atrium, in Building A at the college. Elgin Community College's “Experience ECC” begins at 5 pm Thursdday in the college’s Student Resource Center Community Room in Elgin.

Both events are supposed to help students understand why about one fifth of high school grads  start their college educations locally.

For more info at MCC call Kellie Carper, at (815) 455-8670 or go to www.mchenry.edu/mccnight.  At ECC contact the Admissions and Recruitment Office at 847-214-7385 or go to admissions@elgin.edu.

Pop Tax Proposal Bubbles Up Again

By Andrew Thomason, Illinois Statehouse News
If every man, woman and child in Illinois were to drink 18 ounces of sugary beverages each day, state coffers could get an additional $1.4 billion. It might even save money now spent treating weight-related health problems.

Those were the conclusions of a new study by the Cook County Department of Public Health said Illinoisans are set to drink 6.6 billion, 12-ounce cans of soda, sports drinks and other sugary beverages in 2011. That could mean big bucks for the state if lawmakers were to enact a 2-cents per ounce tax. The study also suggested that the state and private employers would save at least $200 million in health-care costs by imposing the tax.

Elissa Bassler, director of the Illinois Public Health Association, or IPHA,  said any revenue generated by the tax should be put into obesity prevention and reduction programs, instead of being absorbed in the state's "budgetary black hole."

State Sen. Dave Syverson, R-Rockford, said lawmakers are unlikely to have a taste for tax hikes, though, since the state increased individual income taxes by 67 percent last year. “I just don’t see, especially in this (political) climate, there being a lot of support for that,” Syverson said. Syverson serves on the state Senate Public Health Committee, the same committee where a similar soda-tax plan stalled during the Legislature’s spring session. 

Tim Bramlet, director of the Illinois Beverage Association said linking sugary drinks to obesity is a bit of a fallacy.  “We don’t view these products as unhealthy … When consumed responsibly, these products are harmless." He suggested excluding soda and other sugary drinks from the list of what people can purchase with food stamps from the state. It’s an idea state Rep. Mike Zalewski, D-Chicago, tried to get through the General Assembly this spring. The move failed.

You can read Andrew's full report at: http://illinois.statehousenewsonline.com/7112/pop-tax-proposal-on-sugary-drinks-bubbles-up-again-in-il/

Obituaries

Donald J. Baier of Sun City, Huntley, died Tuesday at Sherman Hospital in Elgin following a short illness. Visitation will be held  Thursday from 4 to 8 pm  and from 11 am to Noon Friday at the DeFiore-Jorgensen Funeral & Cremation Service, Huntley.  Mass will be celebrated at Noon on Friday at St. Mary Catholic Church, Huntley.  Burial will be in Resurrection Cemetery, Romeoville.  

Baier was born April 19, 1937, in Chicago, the son of Roman Frank and Aline (Bieneman) Baier.  On June 6, 1959, he married Margaret B. Snell. He is survived by his wife of Huntley; sons, Donald (Julie) Baier of Plainfield and Steven Baier of Lake In The Hills; his grandson, Donald Luke and his sisters, Sr. Patricia Baier of Milwaukee, Joyce Horcher and Antoinette Baier, both of Arlington Heights.  He was preceded in death by his 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
November 02
1241 HRS 4300 BLOCK OF BARHARBOR DR. POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA. JUVENILE, M/W 16 YEARS OF AGE, LAKE IN THE HILLS. CHARGES: Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Possession of Cannabis. RELEASED TO PARENT.
1845 HRS 5300 BLOCK OF BRIARFIELD LN. HARASSMENT BY ELECTRONIC DEVICE. MAGNUS, RAYMOND J., M/W 46 YEARS OF AGE, 5332 BRIARFIELD LN., LAKE IN THE HILLS. CHARGE: Harassment by Electronic Device. RELEASED ON BOND.
1828 HRS 0 BLOCK OF GRANT AVE. DOMESTIC. Husband vs. Wife. Verbal only. No priors.
2116 HRS 4300 BLOCK OF BARHARBOR DR. DOMESTIC. Father vs. Son. Verbal only. Three priors.

Woods Creek Watershed Planners To Have First Meet

Administrators told the Algonquin Village Board Tuesday Nov. 17 will be the kickoff meeting for the joint Woods Creek Watershed Plan.  Algonquin, LITH, Crystal Lake and the Crystal Lake Park District hope to improve the quality of surface water in the watershed area.

Degraded water quality from Woods Creek is thought to have a negative impact on Crystal Creek and the Fox River downstream of its entrance.  Contaminated water's thought to come from too much phosphorus, dissolved solids, chloride, coliform bacteria and mercury originating from municipal  sources and urban runoff and stormwater.

The meeting's set for 9 am at Algonquin Village Hall, open to anyone who thinks he has a stake in the matter.

In other business Tuesday the Board approved relocation plans for the East Side's Diamond Physical Therapy.  It'll still going to be on the East Side but move from Town Center to a bigger location on Fountain Square, ETA February.  "We'll have more space," said founder Chuck Schulte, "and the benefit of owning our own location.  At least that's what my accountant says."

Public Works Director Bob Mitchard said he expected work on Compton Drive from Algonquin Road to Lake Plumleigh Way to finish late this week or early next so the road can reopen. The work's being done by a developer and the stretch won't belong to the Village until the Board formally accepts it.

Mr. Jordi Goes To Washington

Huntley native and vet Al Jordi was scheduled to leave before dawn this morning to visit the nation's World War II Memorial in Washington D.C.  The trip is part of Honor Flight Network, a non-profit group that escorted more than 22,000 WWII vets to the site last year.

Jordi graduated Huntley High in 1944, joined the Army and shortly found himself in nasty places like Iwo Jima, Saipan and Tinian. Not as a rifleman, though.  Thanks to one of those quirks of fate so common in the military, the Army learned he'd taken on of teacher Hannah Martin's shorthand classes, changed his classification and put him in an Inspector General's unit.

"I was born and raised in Huntley and lived in it all my life except for those two years," said Jordi.

Grafton Township plans a Senior Bus trip to Midway this evening at 6 pm to welcome Jordi back.  Call 847-669-3328 to see if there's still room.

In the pic:  The Huntley Board honored Al Jordi last week for his World War II service.

Customer Survey Coming To Algonquin Area Library

The Algonquin Area Public Library will start a survey Thursday through Nov. 16 to find out what else cardholders want besides what they're getting now.

Available at both the main library and the Eastgate branch, it's a short check-the-box affair about customer satisfaction, communication, extended hours and new services like, say, a coffee area, a study room or a media lab.  People who take it can enter a drawing for a $25 Target gift card.

The survey's anonymous but Community Outreach Librarian Virginia Freyre said if anyone wants to sign it, that's fine, too.  "We'll do a few telephone interviews as a followup," she said.

Investigation Winding Down With Cellini Conviction

By Jamey Dunn, Illinois Issues
William Cellini, a longtime Illinois political insider and Springfield businessman, was convicted on two federal felony charges Tuesday in Chicago. Cellini was accused of attempting to extort campaign contributions for former Gov. Rod Blagojevich from Thomas Rosenberg, an investment firm owner and movie producer, in exchange for business handling pension investments for the state. Blagojevich was convicted on 17 corruption counts in June.

A jury found Cellini guilty of conspiracy to commit extortion and aiding and abetting bribery. He was found not guilty on two other charges, attempted extortion and mail and wire fraud. Cellini’s lawyers painted him as and innocent go-between, saying he had nothing to do with any plans to squeeze campaign funds from Rosenberg but only delivered information to him. “We made our points. Obviously I’m very grateful that the jury appears to have agreed and at least has thrown out the most serious charges against Mr. Cellini,” Attorney Dan Webb told reporters in Chicago.

“Shaking someone down and threatening them with loss of business is a crime,” U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald said. Cellini's case stemmed from the same investigation that saw the convictions of Governor Rob Blagojevich, his confidante Tony Rezko, Stuart Levine, who testified against Cellini, and others.  Fitzgerald said that investigation isn't officially closed because some defendants have appealed their convictions. However, he said he was not “predicting anything in the future”.

You can read Jamey's full report at: http://illinoisissuesblog.blogspot.com/2011/11/operation-board-games-investigation.html

Quinn: Gaming Negotiations Aren't Taking Place

By Jamey Dunn, Illinois Issues
Gov. Pat Quinn said Tuesday that he is not negotiating when it comes to a gaming expansion in Illinois. Quinn told reporters in Chicago that lawmakers who want more gambling in the state have two options: Pass a bill based on his ideas; or send him the bill they passed last spring. “I’d be happy to take it, veto out the defects and flaws and put in the good important things and send it back to them,” Quinn said.

Senate President John Cullerton used a parliamentary procedure to hold the bill from going to the governor’s desk. But when asked today if he was working on a compromise with lawmakers, Quinn said, “I don’t think the word negotiate is appropriate.”

Quinn said he would support five new casinos but could not back allowing horse racing tracks to have slot machines. He said he wants more oversight of the proposed Chicago casino and he wants an option that would require local governments to opt into legalizing video gaming in some bars and restaurants. Legalized video gaming is one of the founding sources of funding for the state’s capital construction program.

Quinn said that while he is “open-minded” about gaming, it is not a priority for him. “My interest is not to promote gambling," he said. "That is not my foremost goal in Illinois. I don’t think you can gamble your way to prosperity.”

You can read Jamey's full report at: http://illinoisissuesblog.blogspot.com/2011/11/quinn-gaming-negotiations-arent-taking.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
November 1
0140 HRS HANSON RD. & ALGONQUIN RD. DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL.  HARTY, BRIAN K.., M/W 35 YEARS OF AGE, 1419 ESSEX ST., ALGONQUIN. CHARGE: Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol, Driving with Blood Alcohol Content Greater than .08, Improper Lane Usage, No Registration Light. RELEASED ON BOND.
0904 HRS 150 VIRGINIA RD. NO VALID DRIVERS LICENSE. MONTIEL MARTINEZ, JOSE A., M/W 28 YEARS OF AGE, 1708 PLEASANT AVE., MCHENRY. CHARGE: No Valid Driver’s License, No Insurance. RELEASED ON BOND.
1623 HRS 400 BLOCK OF STARWOOD PASS. DOMESTIC BATTERY. HALL, DURELLE J., F/W 20 YEARS OF AGE, 425 STARWOOD PASS, LAKE IN THE HILLS. CHARGES: 2 counts of Domestic Battery. TRANSPORTED TO MCHENRY COUNTY JAIL.
1703 HRS 4100 BLOCK OF PEARTREE DR. FRAUD. Unauthorized withdrawal from Complainant’s account. PENDING INVESTIGATION BY REPORTING OFFICER.
1922 HRS 1100 BLOCK OF BURR ST. FOUND ARTICLE. A watch was located under a tree. Entered into evidence.

School Report Cards Not So Good Locally, Statewide

Both District 300 and District 158 received failing grades on the Illinois State Board of Education's 2011 State Report Card in results released Monday. Both Districts were marked as failing to show "Adequate Yearly Progress." So, too, were 80 percent of the rest of the School Districts in the state, however. In fact, only eight high schools in Illinois made sufficient progress in reading and mathematics to avoid the flunk list.

That high failure rate by federal No Child Left Behind standards is the reason ISBE is planning to submit a request for waiver from the standards from the U.S. Department of Education by February. Educators argue if, after 10 years of the program, most districts are still marked as failures,  maybe the program isn't measuring the right thing.

Adequate Yearly Progress mostly is the percent of students who score at or above grade level on several different tests lumped together.  Starting in 2001, No Child Left Behind has been raising the minimum acceptable level each year with the goal of reaching 100 percent.  Right now the bar's set at 85 percent. By that standard D158 is actually doing fine overall and D300 is pretty close  on math although not on reading.  Things start to fall apart in some schools and student subcategories, though, and if one of those doesn't make the mark the whole district fails.  

According to the latest report 78.9 percent of D300 students met or exceeded grade level standards in all subjects. In D158 the figure was 88.2 percent.  Some educators complain those are one-size-fits-all numbers, though. For example, over 12 percent of D300's students have "Limited English Proficiency" and almost 40 percent come from low-income families. The limited English percentage in D158 is minimal and the low-income students only come to about 14 percent of the student body. Both classifications tend to be associated with lower test scores and, indeed, they're some of the ones in which both districts aren't making Adequate Yearly Progress.

Failure to meet No Child Left Behind standards isn't just a local problem, nor even an Illinois one, however.  To a greater or lesser degree it's a problem all over the country. That' why 44 states have agreed to switch to "Common Core" tests that are supposed to ensure high school will have enough knowledge to take entry-level college courses or start a workforce training program. The new tests, still to be written, will start in Illinois in the 2014-15 school year.

ISBE School report cards in full detail are available here: http://webprod.isbe.net/ereportcard/publicsite/getSearchCriteria.aspx

In somewhat more comprehensible format, they're also available here:  http://iirc.niu.edu/

Time To Put Up The Christmas Decorations

Halloween's finally over so it's only three and a half weeks to Thanksgiving and that's practically Christmas.  If you had the feeling taking care of Trick or Treaters was a lot more expensive this year, the U.S. Labor Department reports you were on the money. So to speak.  Candy prices spiked over five percent from last year's post-recession low.

In the pic:  Ed and Bonnie Bogdan's highly decorated home in nether Algonquin's Brittany Hills subdivision was a popular destination this Halloween.

Clothing Drive For D300 Kids Starts Today At Algonquin Commons

Today's the first day of the Algonquin Commons Winter Clothing Drive to collect winterwear for District 300's homeless students.  The drive runs through Dec. 15 and offers a chance for folks to do well by doing good since each donation earns a chance to win a $100 or $50 gift card.

Last year area shoppers dropped off 1,200 new or gently-used coats, pants and boots, especially pants and new boots, so every homeless student in D300 had something warm to wear. Commons and D300 organizers hope to do it again this year.  The collection point is the Commons Guest Office toward the south end of the center in the corner next to the Aeropostale store.  Winter clothes for all ages, infant to adults, in all colors and styles is the stuff to bring.Guest Service Office Hours are Monday through Saturday 10 am to 9 pm and Sunday  11 am to 6 pm.

In the pic: This was just a few of the many coats, pants and boots contributed last year in Algonquin Commons' Coat Drive For D300 homeless kids.

Quinn’s Budget Veto Savings Likely To Be Spent

By Andrew Thomason, Illinois Statehouse News
Gov. Pat Quinn used his veto pen in an attempt to cut $376 million from the $33.2 billion budget the Legislature sent him this spring, but lawmakers and Quinn already might have found a new way to spend the money. Instead of reversing Quinn some lawmakers are leaning toward using the money to fund the seven facilities the Governor wants to close.

“That would keep their operations going and would keep the closures from happening,” said House Republican Leader Tom Cross, R-Oswego. at a news conference last week. Quinn’s office estimates that it will cost $313 million, or about $64 million more than Cross' number, to keep the mostly downstate facilities open through June 30.

House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, was the original sponsor of the budget legislation that Quinn altered. And now it’s up to Madigan to decide whether to call those vetoes for an override vote. So far, no override motion has been filed. Several calls to Madigan’s office were not returned.

To reallocate any of the $376 million, lawmakers have to pass a measure through the same legislative process any other law must go through. Funding for the seven state facilities could be rushed through the General Assembly in the three days left of the fall veto session. Quinn’s Office of Management and Budget, or OMB, said it is working with the Legislature to agree on where to spend the money the governor vetoed.

“Gov. Quinn wants to work with the legislative caucuses to determine how best to identify and utilize any additional funds. Beyond the needs of the agencies (that run the seven state facilities), there remains great necessity in the areas of education, health care and public safety,” said Kelly Kraft, a spokeswoman for OMB.

You can read Andrew's full report at: http://illinois.statehousenewsonline.com/7099/quinns-376-million-budget-veto-likely-to-be-spent-elsewhere/

Obituaries

Kathleen M. Engel, 68, of Huntley died Sunday in Barrington. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 pm Thursday at the DeFiore-Jorgensen Funeral Home, Huntley and Friday from 9:30 am until the time of Mass at 10:30 at St. Mary Catholic Church, Huntley.  Burial will be in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery.

Engel was born October 23, 1943, in Chicago, the daughter of Francis Edward and Katherine (Joyce) Laffey.   She is survived by her children, Joyce (Bryan) Grabon-Shipley of Forest Lake, MN; Kimberly (Deno) Grabon-Pickens of Farmington, MN; Robert (JoLynn) Engel of Bruce, WI; Suzette Engel and Christine Engel both of North Branch, MN, and Kelly (Steve) Pfeffer of Huntley; grandchildren, Candace, Bryan, Jessica, Kelsie, Robie, Briana, D.J., Caiden, Coy, Lauren, Danielle, Kayla, Ryan, Connor and Ian; sister Donna (David) Laffey-Weiss of St. Charles and brother Patrick (Karen) Laffey of Forest Lake, MN.   She was preceded in death by her parents, husbands, Ralph Grabon and Robert L. Engel and two brothers, Frankie and Daniel.

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
October 31
1629 HRS 2900 BLOCK OF GENEVA LN. RECKLESS CONDUCT. JUVENILE M/W, 16 YEARS OF AGE, LAKE IN THE HILLS. CHARGES: Two Counts of Reckless Conduct. RELEASED TO MOTHER. JUVENILE M/W 16 YEARS OF AGE, LAKE IN THE HILLS. CHARGES: Two Counts of Disorderly Conduct. RELEASED TO MOTHER. JUVENILE, M/W 16 YEARS OF AGE, LAKE IN THE HILLS. CHARGES: Two Counts of Disorderly Conduct.RELEASED TO FATHER. JUVENILE, M/W 16 YEARS OF AGE, LAKE IN THE HILLS. CHARGES: Two Counts of Reckless Conduct and a Notice to
Appear For Unlawful Consumption of Alcohol by a Minor. RELEASED TO MOTHER.
0110 HRS 700 BLOCK OF WILLOW ST. CRIMINAL TRESPASS TO VEHICLE. Unsecured vehicle entered; nothing was removed. TURNED OVER TO INVESTIGATIONS.
0703 HRS 1100 BLOCK OF VIEWPOINT DR. CRIMINAL TRESPASS TO VEHICLE. Three unsecured vehicles entered; nothing was removed.TURNED OVER TO INVESTIGATIONS.
0705 HRS BURR ST. & PLUM ST. ACCIDENT.  One vehicle in a ditch. Property damage only.
0735 HRS 900 BLOCK OF MESA DR. BURGLARY FROM MOTOR VEHICLE. iPod and purse with several miscellaneous items removed from unsecured vehicle. TURNED OVER TO INVESTIGATIONS.
1044 HRS 900 BLOCK OF CYNTHIA LN. BURGLARY FROM MOTOR VEHICLE. Wallet removed from unsecured vehicle. TURNED OVER TO INVESTIGATIONS.
1246 HRS 200 BLOCK OF WINSLOW WAY. ACCIDENT. Mail Carrier vs. parked car. Property damage only.
1249 HRS 2265 W. ALGONQUIN RD. (THORNTONS) INFORMATION FOR POLICE. Complainant misplaced wallet at gas station.
1355 HRS 300 BLOCK OF HIAWATHA DR. BURGLARY FROM MOTOR VEHICLE. iPod removed from unsecured motor vehicle. TURNED OVER TO INVESTIGATIONS.
1517 HRS 0 BLOCK OF SUSSEX CT. CHECK FOR WELL BEING. Check for well being.
1802 HRS 2700 BLOCK OF BRIARCLIFF LN. DOMESTIC. Girlfriend vs. Boyfriend. Verbal only. No priors.
1931 HRS 1400 BLOCK OF MONROE ST. CHILD CUSTODY DISPUTE. Mom vs. Dad over custody of a baby.
Algonquin
October 28
08:19am Stump, Jamie R., DOB: 10/21/86, of 1320 Yosemite Parkway, Algonquin, was charged with Domestic Battery.  She was taken into custody at 1320 Yosemite Parkway.  She was transported to McHenry County Jail to await a bond hearing.
16:46pm A 16 year-old female from West Dundee was charged with Retail Theft and Possession of Alcohol by a Minor.  She was taken into custody at Walmart, 1410 S Randall Road.  She was referred to the Tri Area Court For Teens and then released to a parent.
October 29
03:26am A 16 year-old female from Algonquin was charged with No Valid Driver’s License and Speeding.  She was taken into custody at Sleepy Hollow Road and Longmeadow Parkway.  She was released on a Notice to Appear with a court date of 11/23/11 in McHenry County.
11:58am Peterson, Jeffrey C., DOB: 05/21/73, of 1563 Lowe Drive, Algonquin, was Wanted on a Warrant out of Kane County for DWLS.  He was taken into custody at 1563 Lowe Drive.  He was transported to Kane County Jail when unable to post bond.
October 30
14:41pm Rodriguez, Alejandro, DOB: 12/09/94, of 243 Dartmoor Drive, Crystal Lake, was charged with No Valid Driver’s License, Following Too Closely and No Proof of Insurance.  He was taken into custody at Randall Road and County Line Road.  He was released on a Personal Recognizance Bond with a court date of 12/07/11 in McHenry County.
October 31
22:16pm A 17 year-old male from Algonquin was charged with Criminal Damage to Property.  He was taken into custody in the 2600 block of Williamsburg Drive.  He was Petitioned into Juvenile Court and then released into the custody of his grandmother.

Sheriff Appeals Deputy Firing To State Supreme Court

Fired McHenry County Deputy Zane Seipler confirmed Sunday that Sheriff Keith Nygren has appealed a decision to reinstate him to the Illinois Supreme Court.  Seipler said Illinois Fraternal Order of Police attorney John Roche received notice of the filing Friday.

Nygren told a reporter two weeks ago that he intended to ask the State'a highest court to review  an Appellate Court ruling upholding a Circuit Court decision affirming an arbitrator's finding that Seipler shouldn't have been fired for jiggering a pair of minor traffic tickets almost three years ago.

Nygren's appeal faces long odds against acceptance, however.  According to the most recent five-year court statistics available, the Illinois Supreme Court only allows examines one out of roughly every twenty cases filed.

Seipler claims he wasn't fired over the traffic tickets, rather because he pushed back against racial profiling by the Sheriff's Office. In his Federal Court suit about that last week, his  attorney, Blake Horwitz, asked the judge to punish Nygren for alleged perjury about the release of a court-sealed deposition, for allegedly handing out a police report of a domestic dispute between Seipler and his wife in 2007 and for allegedly withholding a video of Seipler during the Sheriff's Office's investigation of racial profiling.

Both sides in the federal case now want "sanctions" on the other since Nygren Attorney James Sotos had already asked the judge to punish Seipler for allegedly posting sealed Sheriff's Office reports of bad off-duty deputy behavior to an anonymous blog Sotos charged he set up.

In the pic:  The Illinois Supreme Court. 

More Work On ALITH Pantry, Getting Ready For Sunday Fundraiser

Trucks brought in yards and yards of ground-up old Rakow Road pavement this weekend for parking lot base at the new Algonquin Lake in the Hills Food Pantry location on Pyott Road.  "It's going faster than we ever imagined," said project architect Jim Steigert.

The pantry has high hopes its big fundraising dinner, dance and silent auction/raffle at Boulder Ridge County Club at 4 pm Sunday will help pay for the project.  The top raffle prize is a zippy motorscooter, $10 a ticket purchaseable here: http://www.alith-foodpantry.org/jewel_scooter.html .
Tickets for the fundraiser are available here: http://www.alith-foodpantry.org/big_event_tickets.html .

According to the latest report, the ALITH Pantry helps feed just short of 300 area families each month.

Ghoulies, Ghosties, Long-Leggedy Beasties At Algonquin Commons

Trick or Treaters dressed as, to name a few, Batman, a ballerina, a bulldozer and a bowl of macaroni and cheese (really) thronged Algonquin Commons stores for the center's eighth annual Halloween Extravaganza Sunday.

There were costume contests for age groups from babies up to age 13 with 3 winners apiece but every kid was a winner at the event's prize wheel where the line was long but moved smartly.  The kids' coloring table was a popular attraction, too.

Tonight's the night for official Trick or Treating if there is such a thing and the recommended hours for it in each village are listed a few stories below.

Illinois Supreme Court: Money Sweeps OK

By Benjamin Yount, Illinois Statehouse News
The Illinois Supreme Court may have opened the door for Gov. Pat Quinn and state lawmakers to grab hundreds of millions of dollars for the next state budget. In a 6 to 1 decision late last week, the high court upheld a 2006 Sangamon County Circuit Court ruling that backed the governor and Legislature’s ability to take money from hundreds of special state funds, a practice commonly referred to as sweeping.

Motorcycle riders sued former Gov. Rod Blagojevich after he ordered that $296,000 be taken from the Cycle Riders Safety Training Fund, or CRSTF. The governor that year used the money to pay general state bills. Justice Anne Burke in the majority opinion rejected a motorcycle group's lawyers’ argument that the special fund was tantamount to a special trust fund.

Former legislator and current professor emeritus at Northwestern University Law School, Dawn Clark Netsch, said, “If there are no specific constitutional protections for money that comes into the state, the General Assembly can always change its mind and do something different with those dollars,” she said. “Just because a bill is passed that sets forth a path to paying certain monies to certain funds, doesn’t mean it will stay that way forever.”

Quinn’s budget spokeswoman, Kelly Kraft, said there are no plans to sweep any special funds for the next state budget. “Gov. Quinn worked to end the practice of fund sweeps, and sweeps are not a possibility for FY13,” said Kraft.

But the governor has come to rely on interfund borrowing. Quinn borrowed $500 million from special state funds in the current state spending plan. That money is supposed to be paid back at the end of the fiscal year.

You can read Ben's full report at: http://illinois.statehousenewsonline.com/7076/illinois-supreme-court-state-money-cannot-be-special/

Obituaries

Annette C. Bausone, 68, of Elgin, died peacefully Thursday at her home. A visitation will be held from 4  to 7 pm Tuesday followed by a service at 7 pm at DeFiore Jorgensen Funeral Home, Huntley.

Bausone was born September 23, 1943, in Poland. She is survived by her children, Allena (Don) Vege of Huntley and Philip (Becki) Bausone of Byron, and by her grandchildren, Alex and Jayden Vege.
She was preceded in death by her husband, James L. Bausone.

Memorials may be directed to Carpentersville Senior Center.

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
October 30
0355 HRS PYOTT RD. & OAK ST. NO VALID DRIVER’S LICENSE/INJURY ACCIDENT. HERNANDEZ, MARIA V., F/W 35 YEARS OF AGE, 762 DARLINGTON LN., CRYSTAL LAKE. CHARGE: No Valid Driver’s License. RELEASED ON BOND. Vehicle vs. Guard rail. Female, 30 years of age, with minor injuries. Transported to Sherman Hospital.
1545 HRS RANDALL RD. & ACORN LN. NO VALID DRIVER’S LICENSE. KOWALSKI, DEBORAH A., F/W 43 YEARS OF AGE, 67 N. LIBERTY ST., ELGIN. CHARGE: No Valid Driver’s License, Expired Registration, and No Insurance. RELEASED ON BOND.
0211 HRS 220 N. RANDALL RD. (MORETTIS) BATTERY. Male vs female. FAIL TO FILE.
0337 HRS 220 N. RANDALL RD. (MORETTIS) ASSIST AMBULANCE. Female, 31 years of age, with a head injury. Transported to Sherman Hospital.
0625 HRS 250 N. RANDALL RD. (COSTCO) BURGLARY FROM MOTOR VEHICLE. Laptop, bag and sunglasses taken. PENDING INVESTIGATION.
1431 HRS 9600 HALIGUS RD. (SUNSET PARK) ASSIST AMBULANCE. Male, 28 years of age, with a possible broken leg. Transported to Woodstock Memorial Hospital.
1725 HRS RANDALL RD. & ACORN LN. ACCIDENT. Two vehicles. Property damage only.
1730 HRS HALIGUS RD. & GREENSHIRE CIRCLE. INJURY ACCIDENT. One vehicle. Male, 63 years of age, complaining of chest pains. Transported to Woodstock Memorial Hospital.
1819 HRS RANDALL RD. & ACORN LN. INJURY ACCIDENT. Two vehicles. Female, 58 years of age, complaining of arm and neck pain. No transport.
Algonquin
delayed

Drug Take Back Takes Back A Lot Of Meds

The second National Prescription Drug Take Back Day of the year by Noontime Saturday had garnered about 70 pounds of unwanted or outdated medications at the Algonquin Police headquarters.  Algonquin PD and Huntley PD were the area dropoff sites for the latest U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration effort to safely divert prescription drugs from street abusers and the environment.

Algonquin Pharmacist Annie Rudd, dropping off boxes full of drugs left with her by customers, said the Take Back days solve a big problem for her.  "We have people who bring them in whose spouses have died," she said.  "Or they have to buy three months worth of medication and then the doctor changes the prescription," said Rudd.  "We can't always send them back through normal channels.  We need a way to dispose of them properly."

In the pic:  Ninety year-old Marge Snetten from Lake in the Hills disposed of some unneeded meds at Algonquin PD Saturday where Sgt. John Bucci checked over boxes of unwanted drugs dropped off with K-Mart pharmacist Annie Rudd for disposal. Troy, Nate and Sydney Rudd just wanted to see a police station.

Huntley Historical Society Fundraiser A Hit

Huntley's DeFiore-Jorgensen Funeral Home was the site Saturday for the Huntley Historical Society's first fundraising event.  The venue related not only to the season, but also to the subject of historian Laurel Mellien's presentation for the evening, Gravestone Art, especially at Huntley Cemetery.

More than 80 people dined to the jazzy New Orleans funeral tunes of the Harmony Road Brass Quintet, then learned that anchors and roses, for instance, were symbols of Christian faith among Victorians who looked for hidden meaning in everything and usually found it.

The Huntley Historical Society has its own website now.  It's at: http://huntleyhistoricalsociety.org/

Trrrrick Or Trrrreat, It's Howl-O-Ween

According to one national survey 15 percent of Halloween celebrants plan to outfit their pets in costumes this year.  About two dozen of them brought their dressed up dogs to Algonquin's second annual Howl-O-Ween Parade at Village Hall Saturday.  Dog Waggin owner and event co-sponsor Lisa Harvey led the crew on the march to nearby High Hill Park.

Call For Mulching Volunteers At Green Trees, Huntley

The McHenry County Housing Authority called for some volunteers to spread mulch Nov. 12 at the agency's Green Trees apartments in Huntley.  Executive Director Julie Classen said new plantings to to improve the complex will be ready by then.

"They've got a grant," said volunteer recruiter Pam Fender Saturday, "and they're trying to make it stretch about three times farther than it's supposed to."

"There's going to be eight yards of mulch and if we've got 20 volunteers it'll probably only take a couple of hours," said Fender.  "If we don't. we're going to be here for an awfully long time."

Anyone with a shovel and some spare time Nov. 12 can reach Fender at 847-302-6772.

In the pic:  Volunteer coordinator Pam Fender inspects the markers for the beautification project at Green Trees Apartments in Huntley.

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.

DAVID J. LOPEZ, DOB:  02/04/91, 637 CHARDONNAY LANE, CRYSTAL LAKE. RACHEL M. JENSEN, DOB:  02/03/90, 11745 WOODCREEK DRIVE, HUNTLEY. UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE.--Crystal Lake PD

RICHARD ROY THINNES III, DOB: 04/15/82, 13 CRYSTAL BEACH AVENUE, CRYSTAL LAKE. JASON SHAUN MARTELL, DOB: 03/11/81, 292 INDIAN TRAIL, LAKE IN THE HILLS. RESIDENTIAL BURGLARY (2 COUNTS),  THEFT (UNDER $500)(2 COUNTS), CRIMINAL DAMAGE TO PROPERTY (2 COUNTS).--Crystal Lake PD

DAVID E. REEVES, DOB:  05/22/80, 2545 APPLEWOOD LANE, WOODSTOCK. AGGRAVATED DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE, RESISTING A PEACE OFFICER, UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA(2CTS), UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF LOOK-ALIKE SUBSTANCE.--Woodstock PD

CHASE D. CHAMBERS, DOB:  07/03/92, 3706 W. LEE STREET, MCHENRY. BURGLARY(2CTS), CRIMINAL TRESPASS TO VEHICLE(7CTS).--McHenry PD

CHASE D. CHAMBERS, DOB:  07/03/92, 3706 W. LEE STREET, MCHENRY. DYLAN C. BOREN, DOB:  05/03/93, 2903 N. VILLA LANE, MCHENRY. UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE, UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA.--McHenry PD

GARRETT L. SENTERS, DOB:  10/22/87, 561 NASH ROAD, CRYSTAL LAKE. UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE.--Crystal Lake PD
  
AUTUMN K. WILSON, DOB:  12/25/86, 401 FIRST STREET, CARY. UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE.--Crystal Lake PD

BRENDAN J. MCGARRY, DOB:  09/05/70, 1107 N. HAYES STREET, HARVARD. UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE, RESISTING A PEACE OFFICER.--Harvard PD

EYDIE E. ABERNATHY, DOB:  08/28/68, 6205 JOHNSBURG ROAD, SPRING GROVE. IDENTITY THEFT(3CTS), FINANCIAL EXPLOITATION OF AN ELDERLY PERSON WITH A DISABILITY, THEFT.--McHenry County Sheriff's Office
  
TINA J. GENG, DOB:  08/23/89, 400 PARD DRIVE  APT #5, MARENGO. UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE, UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA.--Marengo PD

MARGARITO GONZALEZ-VELAZQUEZ, DOB: 10/28/78, 1410 COMMONDS DRIVE APT. #1B, WOODSTOCK. PREDATORY CRIMINAL SEXUAL ASSAULT OF A CHILD.--Woodstock P|D
  
KEITH A. KAPPLER, DOB: 01/19/63, 15616 ROUTE 14, WOODSTOCK. UNLAWFUL VIOLATION OF SEX OFFENDER REGISTRATION.--McHenry County Sheriff's Office
  
THOMAS C. STUBNER, DOB: 12/01/70, 5601 TELEGRAPH DRIVE, WONDER LAKE. PUBLIC INDECENCY.--Wonder Lake 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
October 29
2317 HRS 300 BLOCK OF VILLAGE CREEK DR. FOLLOW UP ARRESTS: UNLAWFUL CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOL BY A MINOR. JUVENILE, M/W 17 YEARS OF AGE, LAKE IN THE HILLS. CHARGE: Unlawful Consumption of Alcohol by a Minor. Notice to Appear Issued. RELEASED TO PARENT.
0731 HRS CEDAR RIDGE DR. & ALGONQUIN RD. HIT AND RUN. Roadway sign damaged.
0834 HRS 3100 BLOCK OF IMPRESSIONS DR. DOMESTIC BATTERY. Boyfriend vs. Girlfriend. No priors. FAIL TO FILE.
1311 HRS 1115 CRYSTAL LAKE RD. (LAKE IN THE HILLS PD) ASSIST OTHER AGENCY. National Prescription Take Back Day.
1643 HRS 400 BLOCK OF WINSLOW WAY. DOMESTIC. Ex-wife vs. Ex-husband. Father vs. Daughter. Verbal Only. Seven Priors.
2050 HRS 100 N RANDALL RD. (WALGREENS) DOMESTIC. Boyfriend vs. Girlfriend. Verbal only. No priors.
2302 HRS 3000 BLOCK OF FAIRHAVEN LN. DOMESTIC BATTERY Son vs. Father. One prior. FAIL TO FILE.