NWH-7-20-2013

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Take Charge Indy’s next start could be last

SATURDAY, JULY 20, 2013

WWW.NWHERALD.COM

Alex Bussan

NIGHT RUNNERS • SPORTS, C1

Former C-G teammates meet again on the track

The only daily newspaper published in McHenry Co.

Sports, C1

75 CENTS

AMERICAN PROFILE • INSIDE

A look at landmarks across America Michael Gleeson (left)

Life after surviving Colo. shooting Algonquin native and Larimer’s girlfriend details struggle one year after the tragedy By JOSEPH BUSTOS jbustos@shawmedia.com A year ago today, Julia Vojtsek was inside an Aurora, Colo., movie theater with her boyfriend, John Larimer, for a midnight screening of “The Dark Knight Rises.” They were sitting in the middle section, in row four or five. At 12:37 a.m., with Anne Hathaway on the screen, tear gas filled the theater, and two shots were fired into the

air before gunfire was directed at the moviegoers. “John grabbed my head, pushed me to the floor ... protecting me,” Vojtsek said. “Sometime in that process, he was shot.” The shooting killed Larimer, a Crystal Lake native, and 11 others. Seventy people were wounded. James Holmes is facing 24 counts of murder and 140 counts of attempted murder, among other charges, in the shooting. Vojtsek escaped the theater physi-

cally unharmed, but in the past year, the Jacobs High School graduate has been working through the emotional scars left behind. Vojtsek, who was visiting her father and Larimer at the time of the shooting, has been going through individual and group therapy to work through her grief and post-traumatic stress. ••• During the shooting, Vojtsek and Larimer were sitting in the middle

section of the theater, in what investigators have called the kill zone. Tear gas investigators say Holmes set off before opening fire stopped the battery on Vojtsek’s watch at 12:37 a.m. Larimer, a Navy petty officer 3rd class, was part of the U.S. Fleet Cyber Command/U.S. 10th Fleet stationed at Buckley Air Force Base in Colorado. He worked as a cryptologic technician

Julia Vojtsek

John Larimer

Larimer, who was killed in the shooting last year, pushed Vojtsek to the floor to protect her.

See AURORA, page A11

Pension problem blamed for layoffs Mayor, CPS say failure to reform caused cuts By SARA BURNETT The Associated Press CHICAGO – Chicago Public Schools and city leaders say the state’s failure to enact pension reform is to blame for the district laying off more than 2,100 At a glance employees – a cut that one legislator described Friday as “more number of employees dramatic than anything the CPS plans to cut state has seen” during the long-festering of those layoffs will crisis. But at a Chibe teachers cago Teachers Union news conference Friday, shortfall in Illinois affected teachpension system ers and parents pointed to Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Chicago Public Schools for failing to find money for education. Emanuel called the layoffs – which include 1,036 teachers – “yet another painful reminder to Springfield that we need immediate pension relief.” “The pension crisis is no longer around the corner,” he said. “It has arrived at our schools.” The Legislature has been unable to reach a deal to reduce the unfunded pension liability in its five

2,113

1,036

$100 billion

Mike Krebs – mkrebs@shawmedia.com

Donald Gregg stands near a dehumidifier Wednesday in his bedroom in Holiday Hills. Gregg’s house was severely damaged by flooding that occurred April 20.

Flooding aftermath Many in county have had problems with FEMA, insurance

By JIM DALLKE jdallke@shawmedia.com In April, more than a foot of water filled Donald and Katie Gregg’s Holiday Hills riverfront home after torrential rains pounded McHenry County. All of their floors and portions of their walls still need to be ripped up to remove mold. Any furniture that touched floodwater will need to be cleaned or thrown out. Cleaning and repair are expected to cost $400,000, Donald Gregg said, and the 76- and 74-yearolds will be living in their motor home for

See PENSIONS, page A11

LOCALLY SPEAKING

McHENRY COUNTY

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY GETS $1.36M Habitat for Humanity of McHenry County this week received a $1.36 million grant from Attorney General Lisa Madigan, the largest grant the organization has ever collected. The organization buys foreclosed and distressed properties in the county and turns them into affordable housing. For more, see page B1.

Kyle Theil Kyle Grillot – kgrillot@shawmedia.com

HIGH

LOW

83 57 Complete forecast on A12

UNION: Donley’s Wild West Steakhouse gets a new name, menu and direction starting next month. BUSINESS, E1

Where to find it Advice Buzz Business Classified

B8 B10 E1-2 E3-10

Vol. 28, Issue 201 Comics B9 Local&Region B1-6 Lottery A2 Movies B7

Obituaries Opinion Puzzles Sports

B4 A10 E5 C1-8

How to apply The deadline to apply for federal disaster assistance due to damage caused by April storms is Wednesday. Apply online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or call 800-621-3362. at least six months while their house is torn apart. “It was horrible,” he said. “We’ve lived here for over 45 years, and we’ve never had

See FLOODING, page A11


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