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Tuesday, July 1, 2014
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Police have leads on child abduction By Donna Barker dbarker@bcrnews.com
WALNUT — The investigation continues into an attempted child abduction June 12 in Walnut. On Thursday, Walnut Police Chief Tom Ptasnik said they have some leads and are continuing to follow-up on them with assistance from the Bureau County Sheriff’s Department. Authorities are taking the incident very seriously and are doing their best to make an arrest, the police chief said. As reported earlier, an 11-year-old girl was riding her bike with friends around 9 p.m. June 12 on Main Street when the girl hurt her leg and sent her friends on without her. She said she was approached by a man in a silvergray van who grabbed her, but he let her go after she started screaming and kicking. A collaborating witness saw the van prior to the inci-
dent, Ptasnik said. The man was described as in his 50s with black hair and no facial hair or distinguishing marks or scars. As far as safety concerns for area families, Ptasnik said he’s telling parents and families to use the same caution as they always do and to be mindful of their surroundings. Parents should always make sure they know where their kids are, he said. On Friday, Bureau County Sheriff John Thompson said his investigators are trying to develop and analyze everything available to them. At this point, there is no reason to think the Walnut attempt was connected to another attempted child abduction on June 21 in Utica. As always in these cases, his investigators would look to see if there are any similarities in the description of the vehicles or persons or patterns. In the Utica incident, a 10-year-old girl was grabbed by a man about 8:30 p.m. June 21. The girl pulled away and
the man walked away. The man was described as white in his 30s, about 5 feet 10 inches tall, of medium build and with shoulder-length wavy black hair, sideburns, a goatee and mustache. Thompson also reminded parents and children to be aware of their surroundings. “I have to reiterate what I’ve said before. We aren’t living in the society we once lived,” Thompson said. “I suggest parents need to know where their kids are playing all the time, not just that they re out playing, but where they are playing. They need to know the route their kids are taking, whether they are coming from school or a friend’s house. You need to encourage your kids to play in groups because there is safety in numbers. I don’t trust anyone outside my law enforcement group, my family and friends in the county, and our residents should look at it the same way.” Comment on this story at www.bcrnews.com.
Kurt Garvin
Princeton man dies in crash By C hristi W arren Shaw Media Service
DIXON — A Princeton man died Saturday afternoon when his motorcycle crashed on Palmyra and Sauk roads, according to a news release from the Lee County Sheriff’s Department. Sheriff’s deputies arrived at the scene at 2:16 p.m. to find Kurt Garvin, 28, dead at the scene. According to the release, it appeared he went off a curve and lost control of the motorcycle, striking a guardrail. He was not wearing a helmet, the release said, adding it does not appear speed was a factor in the crash. An autopsy is scheduled. Garvin was a firefighter and EMT with the Princeton Fire Department. On Monday, Princeton Fire Chief Chuck Woolley said Garvin was a very dedicated person, very likable, a person who had found his place in life with the fire department. “That’s one of the things that was in his heart, being a firefighter. He was meant to help people,” Woolley said.
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BCR photo/Becky Kramer
Summer time, art time Area children participate in Saturday’s first student art exhibit hosted by Imagine U Studio in Spring Valley. Sixty-five students were encouraged to enter at least one piece of their artwork, which was done in a variety of mediums, including painting, sculpting, drawing and digital design. The Imagine U Studio is located at 230 E. Cleveland St. Pictured is Tea Cattani showing her artwork to her mom, Lily Cattani.
The art of a well-lived life Mary Win Norris dies at 99 By Donna Barker
and
Terri Simon
news@bcrnews.com
PRINCETON — When a person’s passion intertwines with their career, one could consider it an ideal existence. Artist Mary Winifred Skinner Walter Norris had a passion for art. A longtime art educator at Princeton High School, her artwork throughout the area has become legendary. Her lifelong canvas held a myriad of accom-
plishments, and her palette was filled with beautiful moments, memories and admirers. Norris died Friday morning at the age of 99. Norris’ niece, Holly Walter Jordan of Mahomet, spoke of her aunt with great admiration. Jordan said she was a PHS graduate and an art student of Norris, so she was able to experience her aunt both inside and outside the classroom. She said it would be nearly impossible to speak of Norris without talking about her aunt’s beloved home on East Peru Street in Princeton, which was
dubbed Greenwood Cottage. “(Greenwood Cottage) was such a vital part of Mary Win’s life — it’s almost like another person in her story. I can hardly think of her in any other context,” Jordan said of her aunt’s home, which Norris inherited at the age of 21. The home was built by her great-grandparents in 1853, and Norris always felt as if she was the steward of the home, rather than just the owner. She took that responsibility very seriously. Jordan said Norris and her first husband,
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