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Thursday, June 27, 2013
SYCAMORE BASKETBALL • SPORTS, B1
HHH FOR ‘THE HEAT’
Young Spartans show improvement during summer
Movie review: Bullock, McCarthy hilarious in buddy cop film A&E, C1
Baylee Foresman (left)
Keeping up with the cost of education
SAVVY SUMMER SAVINGS TIPS
Republicans seek tax breaks for college students’ families By DAVID THOMAS dthomas@shawmedia.com
Photos by Rob Winner – rwinner@shawmedia.com
Gregory Freeman, owner of All-Star Heating & Air Conditioning, performs a tuneup on a central air-conditioning unit Tuesday at a home in DeKalb.
Summer fun, frugality Four ways to save money this season
State Rep. Robert Pritchard
their operating funds from the state,” Pritchard said. “Colleges and universities are forced to trim expenses and increase tuition. ... That’s creating a lot of stress.” Republicans unveiled their plan at the Sky Room at NIU, where incoming undergraduate students from Illinois who take 15 credit hours will pay $302 a credit hour, or $9,071
See EDUCATION, page A3
By CARLA K. JOHNSON and SOPHIA TAREEN
Barack Obama The Supreme Court ruling may fuel momemtum to legalize gay marriage in Obama’s home
The Associated Press
Freeman uses a coil cleaner to remove debris such as dryer lint, dirt from gutters and cottonwood seeds from a central air conditioner. said. Once a year, owners should hire a professional to fully check and clean their units, he said. The average cost of this service is $70, he said. “Maintenance is the key,” Freeman said. “Just like your health or your automobile, if you maintain it, your overall cost will be less.” To encourage people to buy central air-conditioning units, the federal government provides $150 to $300 in tax credits to owners, he said. ComEd also provides rebates that vary from $400 to $1,200 depending on the efficiency of the unit, he said. Cheaper than air conditioning are fans, Deignan said. If a fan is installed in the ceiling, he said to make sure it’s running counter-clockwise so the breeze is traveling downward. Ceiling fans should spin clockwise to pull the air upward in the winter.
See SAVINGS, page A3
Free Summer Events in DeKalb County n Saturday and Sunday: Walleye Contest Weekend, Shabbona Lake, Shabbona n July 3 through 6: Kirkland Fourth of July celebration, Kirkland n July 4: Fourth of July Celebration in Hopkins Park, DeKalb n July 6 and 7: Independence celebrations Sandwich Park District, Sandwich n July 19 through 21: The 8th Annual Let’s Dance Big Band Weekend, DeKalb For information, call the DeKalb County Convention and Visitors Bureau at 877335-2521.
Voice your opinion Which part of your household budget concerns you most? Vote online at Daily-Chronicle.com.
CHICAGO – Advocates of gay marriage in Illinois celebrated landmark rulings from the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday, saying the clarity on a federal marriage act and California ban would benefit same-sex Illinois couples married in other states and fuel momentum to legalize gay marriage in President Barack Obama’s home state. The high court struck down a key provision of the federal Defense of Marriage Act, meaning that legally married same-sex couples should get the same federal benefits as heterosexual couples. In a separate, narrower decision, the court also paved the way for same-sex marriage in California by holding that defenders of California’s gay marriage ban didn’t have the right to appeal rulings that struck down the ban. The DOMA ruling is expected to affect numerous same-sex couples who were
state.
Inside For nationwide gay marriage, more battles ahead. PAGE A4 legally married in other states and live in Illinois, a number that’s not officially tracked but advocates estimate is in the thousands. “I am thrilled beyond belief,” said Courtney Reid, a 51-year-old Illinois resident who married her longtime partner last year in New York. “It certainly means a lot for my wife and me.” The benefits include filing joint taxes, receiving breaks on estate taxes and receiving Social Security survivor
See GAY MARRIAGE, page A4
Inside today’s Daily Chronicle Lottery Local news Obituaries
State Rep. Tom Demmer
Illinois activists celebrate gay marriage ruling
By FELIX SARVER fsarver@shawmedia.com DeKALB – The less money you spend on electrical appliances and gas as summer heats up, the more you’ll have to spend enjoying the weather. That’s what Patrick Deignan, spokesman for the Citizens Utility Board of Illinois, figures. Deignan and a few DeKalb County leaders shared ideas for saving a few dollars this summer. 1) Change the light bulbs. One simple way people can cut costs this summer is by turning off lights they are not using at home. They can also switch from incandescent bulbs to more energy-efficient compact fluorescent bulbs. About 90 percent of the energy emitted by incandescent bulbs is heat. “Not many people realize incandescent bulbs create a lot of heat, which can make air conditioning work harder,” Deignan said. 2) Manage the cool air. It also doesn’t make sense for people to keep their homes cool when they’re not home, Deignan said. People can save $200 a year with a programmable thermostat that regulates their home’s temperature on a preset schedule. Window units are not as energy efficient as central air-conditioning units, but a central air-conditioning unit costs about $2,300 more than the average window unit, which typically costs $150, said Gregory Freeman, owner of All-Star Heating & Air Conditioning in DeKalb. The best way to cut down on the cost of using a central air-conditioning unit is consistently changing air filters every 30 to 45 days, Freeman
DeKALB – Local Republican lawmakers want to expand tax deductions and introduce a new tax credit for middle-class families with students in Illinois schools. Republican state Reps. Robert Pritchard of Hinckley and Tom Demmer of Dixon unveiled the plan Wednesday at Northern Illinois University with House Minority Leader Tom Cross of Oswego, Joe Sosnowski of Belvidere, Mike Fortner of West Chicago and Kay Hatcher of Yorkville. “The state has disinvested in higher education for more than a decade, to the point that public universities now receive less than a quarter of
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