Musick: Bears’ selection of Kyle Long a surprise
FRIDAY, APRIL 26, 2013
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MCC extends Smith’s contract Outgoing board votes 6-2 to give president additional year on deal By JOSEPH BUSTOS jbustos@shawmedia.com
Vicky Smith MCC president
CRYSTAL LAKE – Vicky Smith has an additional year as president of McHenry County College. In a 6-2 vote, the outgoing set of trustees voted to extend
Smith’s contract one year. Her deal with the college will now expire June 30, 2015. Smith’s compensation will be determined by the new board of trustees. Trustee Ron Parrish wanted to delay a vote on Smith’s contract until June to allow incom-
ing board members to have input on the extension. However, that motion failed. Parrish and Trustee Dennis Adams voted against the contract extension. “I don’t think any harm would come if we waited until June,” Adams said. “The appearance of
impropriety will have long-lasting effects.” Parrish said his no vote had nothing to do with Smith’s performance. Trustee Linda Liddell said new board members would have
See CONTRACT, page A9
How they voted Trustees Cynthia Kisser, Linda Liddell, Barbara Walters, Carol Larson, Student Trustee Paola Rueda and Chairwoman Mary Miller voted “yes.” Trustees Dennis Adams and Ron Parrish voted “no.”
Lengthy cleanup for flood victims
Competitive disadvantage
By JIM DALLKE jdallke@shawmedia.com
Photos by Kyle Grillot – kgrillot@shawmedia.com
Don Gervais (left) assists customer Doug Carlino – with his son Simon Carlino, 2 – inside the Running Depot in downtown Crystal Lake, while owner Pam Andrews answers the phone Thursday. “People come for our knowledge and service, and the value of the process,” Andrews said. BELOW: Bob Ruer, owner of Play It Again Sports, is one of many business owners eagerly awaiting proposed new legislation that would force Internet retailers to collect sales tax at the buyer’s local rate.
Businesses hopeful for Internet sales tax By SHAWN SHINNEMAN sshinneman@shawmedia.com CRYSTAL LAKE – It happens time and time again. Customers step into Play It Again Sports and seem interested enough. They grip baseball bats, squeeze gloves, try on equipment and search for their size. And then, just as they’ve found that perfect fit and it’s time to head to the
cash register, the transaction falls apart. “They’ll literally come in with their parents and say after we’ve helped them, ‘OK, let’s go check the prices online,’ ” said Bob Ruer, owner of the Crystal Lake seller of new and used sports equipment. “It’s extremely frustrating.” The phenomenon known by some as “showrooming” is one major reason why many business owners such as Ruer are
See FLOOD, page A9
River levels As of 10:15 p.m. Thursday, the Fox River at McHenry was at 7.25 feet. As of 10:30 p.m. Thursday, the Fox River at Algonquin was at 12.39 feet.
See TAX, page A9
LOCALLY SPEAKING
LAKE IN THE HILLS
2 MEN FACE DRUG-RELATED CHARGES Two men face several drug-related charges after crack cocaine and heroin were found in their Lake in the Hills home, according to the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office. A total of 26 charges have been filed against William Harris, 33, and Michael Thomas, 32, both of 104 Quail Run. For more, see page B1.
Timothy Gabriel of Lake Barrington H. Rick Bamman – hbamman@shawmedia.com
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McHENRY COUNTY: Data shows area unemployment rate hit 9.3 percent in March, up from a year ago. Business, F1
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ALGONQUIN – A tire swing slowly swung Thursday above rushing floodwaters in Fred Prokop’s backyard. The Algonquin resident, who has lived in his La Fox River Drive home for 43 years, said he has never seen anything like this. “Right now we’re just trying to maintain the level in the garage, which is about 2 inches,” Prokop said. “At one point, it was about a foot. And I was not able to get my car out of there.” The car? A Corvette. The condition? “I don’t know. We’ll have to raise the doors and find out,” he said. Prokop’s story is not much different from those of many McHenry County residents affected by last week’s heavy rain. The Illinois Emergency Services Management Association said Monday that 362 McHenry County residences had water touching their house, and 103 residences had property damage, according to preliminary damage assessments. But the worst part is yet to come, Prokop said. “Nobody realizes the cleanup and the mess that you have to go
Vol. 28, Issue 116 Local&Region B1-6 Lottery A2 Movies D5 Obituaries B5
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