NWH-6-14-2013

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‘STEEL’ GOING STRONG Henry Cavill dons the cape for Superman reboot Plus:

HHH for ‘This Is The End’ & save shows online with new Comcast service

In Planit Screen

Friday, June 14, 2013 • nWHerald.com • 75 cents

The only daily newspaper published in McHenry Co.

STANLEY CUP FINAL

SOFTBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Musick: Love in the air after Hawks win Sports, C1

PR pitcher Stevens also formidable at bat Sports, C1

Tackling air quality issues Reducing vehicle emissions among county’s priorities

Flag Day celebrated in county Stars and Stripes to be honored in ceremonies By LAWERENCE SYNETT lsynett@shawmedia.com

Maureen Hart (far right) of Marengo points out a bird Thursday as she and her daughter Amanda ride bicycles at Lippold Park in Crystal Lake. Photos by Lathan Goumas – lgoumas@shawmedia.com

By EMILY K. COLEMAN ecoleman@shawmedia.com

S

teve Fuller approached the Crystal Lake City Council six years ago because he thought the community could do more to help the local environment. Since then, the Crystal Lake Clean Air Counts Committee has created noidling zones at its schools and train station, established green city policies and tried to raise awareness about what residents can do to be environmentally friendly. “The biggest contributor to pollution in the county is traffic,” Fuller said. “It’s not a heavy industrial base, so one of the things we focused on is traffic. That

means biking, idling. Not everyone is aware of the environmental issues that impact the county. I think it’s a matter of education, not want or desire.” Most of the air quality issues in McHenry County arise from vehicle emissions. The county has few industry polluters, and the county’s air quality, as tracked in Cary by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, ranks higher than the state average. But despite the lack of smog, McHenry County has to meet the federal environmental rules set out for areas that don’t meet federal standards.

Cab drivers sit parked with their engines off as they wait for passengers getting off the train at the Metra station in downtown Crystal Lake.

What causes smog? Smog can be caused by vehicle emissions, including nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds, also known as VOCs.

See AIR, page A6

The American flag is one of the most recognizable symbols of the U.S. The Stars and Stripes will be honored during ceremonies scheduled today in McHenry County as residents celebrate Flag Day. “The flag stands for the freedom that we have and the accomplishments of all those who have died since the founding of our country,” Cmdr. Ron Reber of McHenry VFW Post 4600 said. “The ceremonies give the younger generation the respect the flag receives.” The flag consists of 13 equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white, with a blue rectangle in the canton bearing 50 small, white, five-pointed stars. The stars represent the states, and the stripes acknowledge the original colonies that became the first states in the Union. “The flag means honors. It means country. It means everything to us,” Cmdr. Pat Conley of Huntley American Legion Post 673 said. “Men and women died for that flag.” The Continental Congress adopted the flag June 14, 1977, as the nation’s official flag.

“The flag means honors. It means country. It means everything to us. Men and women died for that flag.” Cmdr. Pat Conley of Huntley American Legion Post 673

See FLAG DAY, page A6

Supreme Court: Isolated human genes cannot be patented By JESSE J. HOLLAND The Associated Press WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court on Thursday unanimously threw out attempts to patent human genes, siding with advocates who say the multibillion-dollar biotechnology industry should not have exclusive control over genetic information

found inside the human body. But the high court also approved for the first time the patenting of synthetic DNA, handing a victory to researchers and companies looking to come up with ways to fight – and profit – from medical breakthroughs that could reverse life-threatening diseases such as breast or ovarian cancer.

LOCALLY SPEAKING

The decision “sets a fair and level playing field for open and responsible use of genetic information,” said Dr. Robert B. Darnell, president and scientific director of the New York Genome Center. “At the same time, it does not preclude the opportunity for innovation in the genetic world, and should be seen as an important clarifying moment for

research and the healthcare industry.” The high court’s judgment, written by Justice Clarence Thomas, reverses three decades of patent awards by government officials and throws out patents held by Salt Lake City-based Myriad Genetics Inc. involving a breast cancer test brought into the public eye recently by actress

McHENRY

MAN ACCUSED OF MURDER PLOT DIES Although he vowed to go to trial, a McHenry man accused of hiring a hit man to kill his son has died – ending legal wrangling that began in 2007. William G. Gersch, 64, had a stroke in May and died shortly thereafter, said his attorney, Matthew Haiduk. Gersch had been set to appear for a fitness hearing Thursday before a McHenry County judge. For more, see page B1.

A simulated “victim” is evacuated Lawerence Synett – lsynett@shawmedia.com

HIGH

LOW

75 57 Complete forecast on A8

C6 F1-2 F3-16 C7

See GENES, page A6

The case The gene patents case is 12-398, Association for Molecular Pathology v. Myriad Genetics, Inc.

Our lawyers know how to argue

WOODSTOCK: Authorities train for emergencies with active-shooter drill at Woodstock North. Local&Region, B1

Where to find it Advice Business Classified Comics

Angelina Jolie’s revelation that she had a double mastectomy. Jolie said she carries a defective BRCA1 gene that puts her at high risk of developing breast and ovarian cancers. Her doctor said the test that turned up the faulty gene led Jolie to have both of her healthy breasts removed.

Vol. 28, Issue 165 Planit Screen D1-6 Local&Region B1-6 Lottery A2 Movies D5

Obituaries Opinion Puzzles Sports

B5 A7 F2, 7 C1-5

Franks, Gerkin & McKenna 815.923.2107 www.fgmlaw.com


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