NWH-1-30-2013

Page 1

Beckham optimistic he can repeat rookie performance

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2013

WWW.NWHERALD.COM

The only daily newspaper published in McHenry Co.

Sports, C1

75 CENTS

SUPER BOWL FOODS

BOYS BASKETBALL

Guacamole with a twist Planit Taste, D1

CL Central beats Woodstock for FVC Fox Division win Sports, C1

Blanks at C-G drill too far?

DUI arrests on the wane Theories: Drinkers smarter, aware; fewer regular patrols

Police, parents differ on students hearing ‘gunfire’ By CHELSEA McDOUGALL cmcdougall@shawmedia.com

“The purpose is to take the Code Red drill one step further.” Steven Casstevens Cary police chief

CARY – Some parents at Cary-Grove High School say that firing blanks goes too far in a school active-shooter drill. The high school is scheduled to conduct a “Code Red” lockdown exercise shortly after 9 a.m. today. School officials are working with Cary police on the simulation and said they plan to fire blanks so students “might be able to recognize the sound and react quickly should an active gunman situation occur,” a message on the high school’s website says. A school official will fire several rounds of blanks from a starter pistol – the kind used at sporting events, Cary Police Chief Steven Casstevens said.

Photos by Sarah Nader – snader@shawmedia.com

Bull Valley police Detective Paul McNamara stops a motorist for suspicion of DUI while on patrol Friday in Bull Valley. Bull Valley saw a major increase in DUI arrests from 2011 to 2012. Arrests jumped from five to 86. BELOW: A DUI suspect looks at the Breathalyzer machine Friday after being stopped for suspicion of DUI. Although Bull Valley’s DUI arrests have risen, arrests throughout the county have dropped in the past four years. By STEPHEN Di BENEDETTO • sdibenedetto@shawmedia.com

See DRILL, page A6

P

Ex-Gov. Ryan to face world after prison The ASSOCIATED PRESS

George Ryan The former governor will be released from prison today after serving fiveplus years for corruption. Jurors convicted Ryan on charges that included racketeering and conspiracy.

CHICAGO – When former Gov. George Ryan steps out of prison today after serving fiveplus years for corruption, he will return to a life altered by personal tragedy and to a state altered by his and his successor’s legacy of corruption. Ryan, who is headed to a halfway house in Chicago, will encounter an Illinois that has enacted reforms meant to thwart the kind of wheeling and dealing the Republican was accused of engaging in. The state also has changed because of Ryan’s legal actions as governor: Following his lead, Illinois abolished the death penalty in 2011.

See RYAN, page A5

BY THE NUMBERS

Top arresting agencies for the past 4 years

County DUI arrests

1,200 ........ 2012 1,222 ..........2011 1,277.......... 2010 1,407........ 2009

LOCALLY SPEAKING

1. McHenry County sheriff (822 arrests) 2. Crystal Lake (557) 3. Lake in the Hills (488) 4. McHenry (447)

Top arresting agencies 2012 1. McHenry County sheriff (155 arrests) 2. Crystal Lake (137) 3. Lake in the Hills (132) 4. McHenry (96)

WOODSTOCK

FINAL STATEMENTS IN BEATING CASE Closing arguments are scheduled for today for a Lakemoor man accused of forcing his way into his on-and-off girlfriend’s home and punching her repeatedly in the head. Robert L. Hilt, 36, is charged with one count of home invasion and two counts of domestic battery. For more, see page B1.

Crystal Lake South’s Nick Geske (left)

Monica Maschak – mmaschak@shawmedia.com

HIGH

Source: McHenry County Circuit Clerk’s Office

LOW

36 10 Complete forecast on A8

CARY: Crystal Lake South boys top Cary-Grove, look to rest of season as a reboot. Sports, C1

Where to find it Advice Business Buzz Classified

D5 E1-2 D6 E3-12

Vol. 28, Issue 30 Comics D4 Local&Region B1-6 Lottery A2 Obituaries B5-6

Opinion Planit Taste Puzzles Sports

A7 D1-3 E6 C1-6

olice are puzzled to explain a steady, four-year decline in people arrested on suspicion of drunken driving in McHenry County. From Crystal Lake to Bull Valley, officials point to economic factors that affect people’s willingness to dine and drink out, and constraints on their own patrol resources as possible reasons. They also are seeing more residents use designated drivers, the result of public awareness campaigns about the hazards of driving under the influence and stiff DUI penalties. The trend is clear. DUI arrests in the county and across the state are steadily declining. From 2009 to 2012, the county saw DUI arrests decline by 207, data from the McHenry County Circuit Clerk’s Office show. “It’s like any drug. It’s cyclical. It’s a trend, and we look at everything to reduce DUI drivers on the streets through enforcement and education,” McHenry County Under-

sheriff Andrew Zinke said. “For now, it looks like it’s making a difference.” The county’s 32 arresting agencies nabbed 1,407 drivers for DUI in 2009, compared with the 1,200 such arrests in 2012. The top arresting agencies all are larger departments, including the sheriff’s office (822 arrests), Crystal Lake police (557) and Lake in the Hills police (488). The sheriff’s office has led the county in DUI arrests over the past four years, but has seen a sharp decline since 2009, when officers arrested 302 people for DUI. In 2012, the sheriff’s officers arrested 155 people. Zinke said people are becoming smarter about drinking and driving, especially because technology makes it easier to find a designated driver. He said he also is aware that the sheriff’s 70 patrol officers are inundated with other calls and paperwork that detract from time patrolling streets.

See DUI, page A6


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.
NWH-1-30-2013 by Shaw Media - Issuu