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Kish students participate in STEM assistantship
SHAW LOCAL NEWS NETWORK contact@shawmedia.com
Kishwaukee College students
Irving Escalante and Jayson Quintero recently participated in science-based learning opportunities through the Robert L. “Smitty” Smith Assistantship during the 2025-26 school year.
The assistantship offers students pursuing science, technology, engineering or mathematics programs hands-on learning and research opportunities under college faculty supervision.
“It was a great experience to work ‘outside of the classroom setting’ on projects with faculty,” Escalante and Quintero said in joint statement provided by the college. “It was inspiring to work through various projects with the flexibility to explore our interests.”
Escalante and Quintero were supervised by Kishwaukee College assistant professor of physics James Mai and assistant professor of physics Kimberly Mais. The students built prototypes and created computer-aided design models for future engineering students with the college’s Fusion3 3D printer. Escalante and Quintero also developed a robotic arm as part of an outside project.
The students helped test and improve physics and circuit analysis lab exercises, migrated and set up the physics lab’s electronic equipment and created a connection between what the college students learn in lectures and hands-on lab assignments.
PUZZLE ANSWERS
puzzlesonpage13
The assistantship was established through the Kishwaukee College Foundation by Dale and Sharon Evans in 2021. The program honors former
Kishwaukee College science instructor Robert L. “Smitty” Smith. For information, visit kish.edu/ foundation.
ON THE COVER
Firefighters spray water on a smoldering house that was destroyed by fire Nov. 13, 2025, near Shabbona Grove Road in Shabbona. Several local departments responded to the general alarm structure fire.
See story, page 6.
Mark Busch file photo
CORRECTIONS
Accuracy is important to The MidWeek. Please call errors to our attention by phone at 815-526-4411 or email at readit@midweeknews.com.
Photo provided by Kishwaukee College
Irving Escalante and Jayson Quintero work on a circuit analysis project during their participation in the Robert L. “Smitty” Smith Assistantship. The Kishwaukee College Foundation’s “Smitty” Assistantship provides hands-on learning and research opportunities for Kish STEM students.
Kishwaukee Valley Art League events set for August
SHAW LOCAL NEWS NETWORK contact@shawmedia.com
The Kishwaukee Valley Art League will host several events and programs in August at Gallery on State in Sycamore.
KVAL’s next general meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Aug. 6 at the gallery, 322 W. State St., Sycamore. The meeting includes a colored pencil demonstration led by artist Shaina Read. Read studied at Judson University and was a Side Street Studio Arts intern.
The league’s Second Saturday Art Workshop is set from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 8 at the Gallery on State. Materials will be provided. The workshop space also will be limited.
KVAL’s Young Picasso’s Summer Art Program will run through August. Participants can create original art pieces to win awards. A winner from three age groups will be selected. An art
supplies table also will be available from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays at the gallery. The program’s award reception is set from 5 to 7 p.m. Sept. 3.
The league is accepting entries for its “In Living Color” juried art show. The artists can submit artwork embracing color such as photography, jewelry, sculpture, painting and 2D and 3D pieces. The entries are due Sept. 10. For information, visit the gallery.
Amy Klink is KVAL’s featured artist of the month for August. Klink uses various art techniques and vibrant colors to create abstract and realistic art pieces. Her artwork is on display at the Gallery on State and available to buy.
The league recently its latest art collection. The collection includes various art pieces such as paintings, sculptures, photography and mixed-media installations. The collection runs through September.
Photo provided by the Kishwaukee Valley Art League Colored pencil art piece created by artist Shaina Read
SNAP changes lead to higher food pantry use in DeKalb
By MEGANN HORSTEAD mhorstead@shawmedia.com
Citing federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit changes, DeKalb-area food pantries and their partners have seen the need increase locally as enacted changes head into their seventh month.
A Rooted for Good mobile food pantry saw dozens of people in need take to Westminster Presbyterian Church in DeKalb on a Thursday in July.
Among those in line for food was Vanessa Lucas of DeKalb. She said the current grocery prices and the cost of living were affecting her budget.
“Overwhelming. It’s high,” Lucas said.
Lucas said she had visited the mobile food pantry before and found it to be somewhat helpful to her. The pantry is free and available for all who need it, no questions asked. Stops are planned throughout each month at various spots in DeKalb County, including churches. The pantry often provides food, produce, and other household goods.
“It’s hard to make ends meet,” Lucas said. “That’s why I come to the pantry.”
Effective Feb. 1, 2026, the federal government imposed new work requirements on able-bodied individuals of working age without dependents receiving SNAP benefits.
In order to continue receiving aid, SNAP users were required to show proof that they were either working, volunteering or disabled.
These recipients were allotted three months, or until May 1, to come into compliance or lose their SNAP benefits under the new guidelines.
Robert Desio, senior manager of public policy and benefits for the Northern Illinois Food Bank, said he sees a correlation between the new SNAP benefit changes and the rise in demand for food pantries and food banks.
“We expected not an instant high demand of neighbors coming in, but more of month over month as neighbors exhaust their savings and other avenues that we would have kind of a rising tide rather than just a tsunami
hit us all at once,” Desio said. “I think that’s how that’s playing out. We expect a slow, slow rise over the next several months.”
Food insecurity remains an issue not only in DeKalb – which is listed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as a food desert – but across the state of Illinois, the nation and the world. Efforts to address it were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the recovery that followed.
Under the most recently available data, the USDA considers communities a food desert based on the density of low-income residents living more than 1 mile in urban settings or 10 miles in rural settings from the nearest supermarket.
In March 2023, the Northern Illinois Food Bank saw an increase in visits of about 100,000 when the pandemic-era SNAP allotments expired. Since then, the network has averaged a little more than 570,000 visits per month.
Desio said the Northern Illinois Food Bank has been able to account for the increase in demand.
“We have an incredible network of donors and our retail partners who have really stepped up as we continue to experience all-time high demand,” Desio said. “They were served and meals going out. We’re fortunate to have our network of donors and our retail partners who make this all possible. Our volunteer base, as well, has really stepped up on that end. We’ve had the food on hand able to get out to our pantries. In that way, we were able to account for the increased demand.”
The mobile food pantries, hosted at the Westminster Presbyterian Church in DeKalb, have served 1,292 households from Jan. 1, 2026, through June 2026, which makes for about 200 more than the site did in 2025, data shows. The same site served about 4,030 individuals from Jan. 1, 2026, through June 2026, which makes for about 700 more than the site did in 2025.
Rooted for Good also runs mobile food pantry pop-ups in DeKalb from University Village Apartments and at sites elsewhere in DeKalb County in Malta, Cortland, Waterman and
See SNAP, page 5
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A smart thermostat does more than simply let you adjust the temperature from your phone. These devices can learn your daily routine, automatically lower the temperature when you’re away from home, and return your house to a comfortable setting before you arrive.
For homeowners in northern Illinois, where winters are long and summers can be hot and humid, even small improvements in efficiency can add up over the course of a year.
Heating and cooling typically account for the largest portion of a home’s energy use. If your furnace or air conditioner runs when no one is home, you’re paying to heat or cool an empty house. A smart thermostat helps reduce this waste by automatically adjusting temperatures based on your schedule.
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Many homeowners choose a smart thermostat for convenience. Being able to adjust the temperature from your smartphone, receive maintenance reminders, and set vacation schedules gives homeowners greater control over their home’s comfort. Some systems can even send alerts if indoor temperatures become unusually high or low, helping homeowners identify potential HVAC problems before they become costly repairs.
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• SNAP
Continued from page 4
Sandwich. Those in need can keep track of when and where online at www.rootedforgood.org.
Rooted for Good Executive Director Heather Edwards said the increase in demand for the pantries has not come as a surprise.
“With the changes that happened, the Northern Illinois Food Bank had told us to expect at least a 10% increase is what they had told us is what they were figuring,” Edwards said.
Jennifer Meyer was shopping with her 16-year-old son, Jackson Weydert, at a mobile food pantry site hosted at the Westminster Presbyterian Church in DeKalb recently.
“We got here early because we could use a better selection on produce, and they have fresh meat portions you can have every week,” Meyer said.
Meyer, who works as a school bus driver, said visiting the food pantry helps her to make ends meet.
“We’ve been coming here for the past two or three years,” Meyer said. “It’s definitely helpful, especially with the produce we can freeze and the dry goods I can take for lunches.”
In November 2025, the state of Illinois stepped in to aid the Northern Illinois Food Bank with a little over $2.2 million in funding to help in navigating federal changes to SNAP. A total of $20 million was released to all Illinois food banks as part of the same executive order issued by Gov.
JB Pritzker.
Meyer said grocery prices and the cost of living have her paying closer attention to her budget these days.
“It’s definitely been a struggle to make ends meet,” Meyer said. “I’ve had to adjust my budget in ways I didn’t have to before.”
Edwards pointed to what she called the “crisis rate” and how it may prompt Rooted for Good and others within the Northern Illinois Food Bank network to serve 25% more for three years until the increased need is met.
“Of the increase we see due to this, those individuals will stay around with us for the next three years,” Edwards said. “Let’s say that we have 100 new families. Potentially, 25 of those families will come to us for the next three years.”
When asked if Rooted for Good is ready to meet that challenge, Edwards said yes.
“As a nonprofit organization, we have adapted,” she said. “We adapted to COVID, and we will adapt to this. We will make things work. The community support that we have here in DeKalb County is amazing.”
If there’s anything she’d like federal elected leaders to do differently, Edwards said this is it.
“It would be great to see additional funds being able to help the food pantries and the food banks because we are seeing an increase of individuals for them to be able to assist with the increase,” Edwards said. “The other option is taking back the legislation that they passed at the federal level.”
Mark Busch file photo
Rooted For Good volunteers Dena McKnight (left) and Kathy Scheue stock the bins before opening Thursday, July 9, at the food pantry at Westminster Presbyterian Church in DeKalb.
Firefighter shortage grows as emergency calls surge
By AMANDA MARRAZZO, TOM COLLINS and CHARLENE BIELEMA Shaw Local News Network
There were times when Rick Turri would page firefighters in and around Tonica and then cross his fingers.
Turri, who retired as fire chief of the village of 750 in southwestern La Salle County, remembers when getting enough bodies on scene could be a crapshoot.
He knew somebody would respond, but the question was whether enough firefighters would arrive. On a good day, a dozen firefighters would answer the call. On a bad day, he’d get fewer than five and have to activate the box alarm system to get other companies to send help.
“In some of these smaller towns, manpower hasn’t gotten better,” Turri said. “They’re volunteers, and they have other jobs, and they have a life outside of just sitting at the fire station.”
Statistics kept by the National Volunteer Fire Council bear that out: The number of volunteer firefighters nationwide reached a low of 635,100 in 2023 while call volume has more than tripled in the last 40 years.
At the same time, volunteer departments have had struggles; larger paid departments are facing their own ongoing staffing shortages, but for other reasons. That crisis stems from a convergence of challenges – aging populations driving up emergency call volumes and budget constraints, among them.
Leadership in fire departments throughout northern Illinois says it all adds up to a statewide shortage of firefighters and paramedics that’s forcing Illinois fire departments to stretch thinner and rely more heavily on mutual aid from neighboring departments. That has led to concerns that when all departments are experiencing the same issue, mutual aid becomes less reliable.
That could lead to potentially longer wait times for help, greater property losses and more injuries and deaths of firefighters and civilians, they told Shaw Local.
The shortage: Paid vs. volunteer departments
How many firefighters is “enough” varies somewhat by fire company and by city. Nevertheless, the National Fire Protection Association sets guidelines for minimum staffing, and cities can have trouble meeting those thresholds.
In 2023, the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal established the Illinois Recruiting & Retaining Public Employee Firefighters and Paramedics Task Force to address the challenges in recruiting and retaining firefighters and paramedics. The task force found shortages across the country, finding that there is not any one single issue causing it.
Overall factors contributing to the challenge in recruiting eligible candidates include finding accredited paramedic programs within one’s geographic area and challenges that volunteer firefighters and EMTs face in finding time for training in addition to their other responsibilities, reduction in pension benefits, and the minimum age requirements.
Career firefighters Shaw Local interviewed in the northern Illinois region agree that as their communities grow and emergency calls increase from year to year, more firefighters and firefighter/paramedics are needed.
Like other career firefighters, Mike Majercik, who retired about three years ago as the fire chief of the McHenry
Township Fire Protection District and now works as director of fire science and emergency medical services at McHenry County College, has seen the increase in emergency calls over the last several decades.
When he started his career in
firefighters during a structure fire at 6727 W. Henry Road, southeast of Polo, on March 26, 2025. Several departments responded to the garage fire at the rural residence. No injuries were reported.
McHenry, the district received about 1,500 calls a year for service. When he left, that number grew to about 8,000. The fire district grew from three to a sixth fire station currently
Scott Anderson file photo
Firefighters fight a five-alarm fire on several cabins at the Grand Bear Resort on May 30, 2022 in Utica. A total of 57 fire departments and 13 MABAS division assisted at the scene. Seven cabin structures totaling 28 units were affected.
Polo Fire Chif Jim Ports directs
Shaw Local News Network file photo
DeKalb County 4-H Fair begins July 31 in Sandwich
SHAW LOCAL NEWS NETWORK contact@shawmedia.com
The DeKalb County 4-H program will hold its annual 4-H Fair for community members to view the animal’s 4-H members worked with during the year.
The free fair will run from July 31 through Aug. 2 at the at the Sandwich Fairgrounds, 1401 Suydam Road.
The events include a sheep show at 5 p.m. and a goat show at 7 p.m. July 31. Swine, rabbit, beef, poultry and dairy show are set for Aug. 1.
A food stand will be operated by the DeKalb County 4-H Federation and local 4-H clubs.
A 4-H Barnyard Olympics will be offered at 6 p.m. Aug. 1. Attendees also can participate in a bags tournament. The tournament costs $10 per team. Participants are encouraged to bring their own bags set.
A showmanship sweepstakes will begin at 10 a.m. Aug. 2. The 4-H Blue Ribbon Livestock Auction is set for 1 p.m. Aug. 2. The auction proceeds will support 4-H members livestock project investments and upcoming educational expenses. A catered lunch will be served by the DeKalb County 4-H Livestock Auction Committee.
Sycamore
Wise and Well Senior Summit to return Aug. 6 to
The DeKalb Township will host its second annual Wise and Well Senior Summit for older adults and their families to learn about helpful services.
The free summit will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Aug. 6 at the DeKalb County Farm Bureau, 1350 W. Prairie Drive, Sycamore.
The summit features 17 informative sessions in five time blocks, hourly door prizes, community resource providers and I-PASS and ICASH assistance. A continental breakfast will be served.
A grab-and-go lunch and lunch tickets will be provided. Registration is required.
The registration is due July 29.
Because of limited available parking, a parking and shuttle service will be provided from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Kishwaukee Family YMCA, 2500 Bethany Road, Sycamore, and Bethany Road Bible Church, 2215 Bethany Road, DeKalb.
The township also will offer a Thrive! Encore Series from Aug. 10 through Sept. 10. Participants can learn about topics including Medicare, dementia, brain health, housing assistance, scam prevention, retirement planning, fitness, employment and purposeful living.
For information or to register, visit dekalbtownship.org or call 815-758-8282.
Network
Mark Busch file photo
Colt Hall, 14, from Kirkland, walks his cow onto the scale for the weigh-in Aug. 1, 2025, during the DeKalb County 4-H Livestock Fair at the Sandwich Fairgrounds.
LOOKING BACK
1926 – 100 YEARS AGO
According to the Commissioner of Public Works, a building permit was issued within the last few days to J. H. Cooper for the erection of a small house. There are several homes being erected in DeKalb each year, but it is said that in most cases the owners fail to get the necessary permit from the Department of Public Works. The zoning ordinance, which is now being considered for this city, will make it compulsory that all people apply for permits before erecting a building of any character in the city.
The Sannauck Country Club is the name of the new golf club that is being organized by the golf fans from the towns of Sandwich and Somonauk. The name includes a portion of the name of both towns; the first syllable being taken from the word Sandwich and the latter syllable from the name of Somonauk. The club was organized under this name at a meeting of those interested Monday evening in Sandwich.
Attention is called to the recent ordinance passed by DeKalb city council relative to “U” turns on Lincoln Highway from First to Seventh streets. Last evening such a turn was made by a motorist at Fourth and Lincoln Highway, compelling another driver to take to the railroad tracks to avoid an accident. The police department is informing the careless ones about the ordinance, and it is hoped that within another month, that the practice will be eliminated by drivers of the city.
On East Lincoln Highway, although there are no rails evident, no one would have to make more than three guesses to know that at some time or other a traction line operated on that street. The rails were removed some time ago, as was the heavy cable wire, but the trolley wire holders and guide wires still remain in evidence, and are dangling in every direction.
1951 – 75 YEARS AGO
Starting early this morning and continuing through most of the days, army convoys heading east were passing through DeKalb and causing traffic snarls in the business district. The convoys are composed of units of the National Guard from the entire state of Ohio enroute back to
went into operation there at 11 a.m. today.
What ever happened to the annexation of the 122-acre south side industrial park including the 75-acre A. O. Smith Harvestore factory? Annexation of the property was approved by the council 16 months ago, but the agreement never was signed.
Frank and Kay Campbell were not wealthy people. Yet, they bequeathed to Sycamore Municipal Hospital a $115,394 gift. The gift is earmarked for cardiac monitoring equipment. The hospital now has six monitored beds for cardiac cases, including one bed hooked up to the coronary care department of Swedish-American Hospital in Rockford.
2001 – 25 YEARS AGO
their homes after training and maneuvers at Camp McCoy, Wis. About 35,000 guardsmen from Ohio have participated in the maneuvers with several thousand of these men being routed through DeKalb.
The Vincent Schuh Grain Elevator at Virgil, owned and operated by Vincent Schuh, was robbed of $60 on Thursday night when safe crackers jimmied a door on the south side of the building to gain entrance. The safe and contents were scattered about the office but the $60 in change is reported to have been the only loot obtained.
Completion of final plans for two new grade school buildings has become tied up with the results of a comprehensive study of Sycamore’s sewer system, the city council was told this week. Discussing the new buildings before the council, T. E. Samuelson, a member of the architectural firm on the school project, pointed out some of the problems still to be overcome before contracts can be let. The major problem is the placement of sewer facilities for the southeast school, which will be built south of the end of Locust Street and east of McLaren Foundation.
As a means of combatting the sudden
wave of mosquitos which has struck the past few days, city workers this evening plan to spray the areas along the Kishwaukee River and other heavy breeding areas. The latest surge of the mosquito nuisance has been terrific most of the week. If the weather permits, the spraying will be accomplished this evening and it is planned to cover all of the heavy breeding places.
At 3 o’clock Wednesday afternoon the DeKalb fire department was called to the DeKalb Blacktop Company on East Lincoln Highway where barrels of asphalt being heated flared and caused a hot blaze. There was considerable heat and clouds of black smoke poured out and the fire threatened a large gasoline tank located nearby.
1976 – 50 YEARS AGO
Scathing indictments of the present DeKalb County Jail produced a resolution last night calling for a new facility. The Safety and Law Enforcement Committee voted to place the jail as the top building priority for the county during a hearing on the present jail.
DeKalb city employees covered the stop sign at Pearl Street and W. Lincoln Highway in deference to the traffic light which
The lagoons at Northern Illinois University will be looking a bit empty this week. Draining and dredging of the two lagoons will begin as part of a comprehensive $8.5 million storm water improvement project to help present campus flooding.
Police retrieved a nine-foot, four inchwidth snake, possible a boa constrictor, from the lawn of an apartment building in the 800 block of Kimberly Drive Saturday afternoon. The animal reportedly became trapped between the screen and the window of one of the apartments, according to DeKalb Police Corporal Tom Petit, but later fell after the screen broke.
Gov. George Ryan has delayed legislation that would allow alcohol sales during Chicago Bears games held at the University of Illinois football stadium, saying time limits on the sales are needed to protect drivers.
A local history book covering the first 113 years of DeKalb County’s biggest fair, “The Sandwich Fair Since 1888,” will be available at “A Grand Celebration” open house from 4-7 at the Sandwich Fairgrounds. Since 1998, the History Book Committee has been researching and writing the book. The book is dedicated to all who love the fair, and contains forewords from Orion Samuelson of WGN radio and Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert.
– Compiled by Sue Breese
Photo provided by the DeKalb County History Center Archives
Looking west at Lincoln Highway and First Street in DeKalb for an Illinois Lincoln Highway Association and Chicago Motor Club motorcade to Dixon to promote improvements to Lincoln Highway, July 26, 1939.
Continued from page 6
under construction.
At the Woodstock Fire Rescue District in McHenry County, Fire Chief Brendan Parker said the volume of calls, which also covers some areas of Kane County, “continues to increase by approximately 100 incidents every year.”
Parker, who has worked with WFRD for 28 years, said the minimum staffing level currently is 14. The organization is at the point where the minimum staffing level needs to increase to keep pace with service demand, he said.
At the Huntley Fire Protection District, Fire Chief Daniel C. Wagner also reported that the number of calls for service is rising and there is a need for more firefighter/paramedics. However, in Huntley, there is not a “significant” rise in calls for structure fires, likely a credit to the district’s prevention and code enforcement efforts.
Rather, likely due to a growing, aging population in the community, Huntley receives more calls for medical emergencies such as falls, cardiac emergencies, and EMS transports.
“Huntley FPD’s total call volume hit a record 8,016 calls in 2025 ... up 8.7% from 2024, up 74% over the last 10 years and up 126% since 2011,” Wagner said. Calls for emergency medical services account for 73.8% of all incidents districtwide.
Factors driving that increase include the aging population living in Huntley’s Sun City Del Webb neighborhood, where 57% to 63% of residents are 65 or older, in addition to the district’s overall continued growth. In 2025, the district saw 609 building permits, a 166% increase over 2023.
Because Huntley requires that every firefighter also be a paramedic, which is a “major benefit” to the community, that requirement “makes hiring more difficult because the pool of fully qualified candidates is smaller,” Wagner said.
Current staffing shortages, budget cuts, and a shrinking pool of eligible applicants who meet the minimum requirements to become a firefighter/ paramedic, combined with the fact that more than 40% of Huntley’s sworn staff is set to retire in the next 10 years – taking all their knowledge and skill with them – pose “major” challenges, Wagner said.
On the volunteer side, Turri said the shortage is more than a generation in the making. Manpower was plentiful after World War II, when ex-GIs volun-
teered as firefighters and took jobs with local employers who freely released them when fires broke out.
Times have changed. The transfer of military to civilian firefighters has shrunk. Jobs have migrated to larger cities, forcing employees to commute and making them unavailable for fire service. After business hours, would-be volunteer firefighters have family responsibilities and other challenges that make it difficult to find time for training.
Majercik agrees that fire departments in small, rural communities face the greatest challenge in staffing firefighters. These departments have smaller budgets and typically hire part-timers or rely on volunteers who just like the work.
Those who do work in these departments often do so as a second job, but those applicants are fewer and fewer, Majercik said.
Complicating the issue, Majercik said, is that eligible firefighters are seeking positions in larger departments with better pay and benefits, something the smaller, rural departments cannot provide.
What departments are doing
There are candidates in the pipeline when it comes to paid staffing in larger departments, Majercik said. He says classes at McHenry County College are full and students are on waitlists. But as they graduate, they are finding there is a “shortage of jobs” for full-time positions.
“The reality is that all departments are experiencing the same issue. We must be strategic with funding future firefighter positions,” Parker said.
Other paid departments, such as Dixon City and Dixon Rural, which have noticed a dip over the years in the number of applications they receive, are active in introducing high school graduates to the possibility of a fire career.
Because a candidate must be 21 to be hired onto the departments, Dixon Rural Fire Chief Dustin Dahlstrom and Dixon City Fire Chief Ryan Buskohl say their departments offer an apprentice program, created three years ago, to introduce 18- to 20-year-olds to the fire service. Those connections have led to full-time hires.
Those two departments also have teamed up with five other surrounding departments – Rock Falls, Byron,
Rochelle, Oregon, and New Milford – to create a process in which people can take the firefighter’s written test year-round at Sauk Valley Community College in Dixon. With their testing results already in the system, potential candidates and the departments are one step ahead when a firefighter opening becomes available in those departments.
Other departments offer cadet programs to teens. WFRD is one of several departments in McHenry County that offers a cadet program for those who are 14 to 18 years old and interested in fire service. Cadets visit the firehouse once a month and learn what goes into being a firefighter. If the interest sticks until they graduate high school, Parker said, cadets can test to become recruits.
Turri agrees that introducing high school students to firefighting as a career path and identifying and recruiting cadets might help, but said fire companies also need to issue a broader appeal for help and to encourage a spirit of duty and service.
“Society needs to realize that the past was a good time, but it’s gone,” Turri said. “This generation has to step up and figure out how they can help.”
Scott Anderson file photo
Peru firefighter Neil Nadolski, prepares to extinguish flames using the Peru Fire aerial ladder during a structure fire in the 800 block of Bucklin Street on Jan. 23 in La Salle.
Sycamore assistant superintendent resigns
Sycamore resident alleges teachers fear reprisal if they speak out against COO hire
By CAMDEN LAZENBY clazenby@shawmedia.com
Two hours after the Sycamore school board heard complaints from some members of the public about ongoing administrative restructuring, the board accepted the resignation of a 17-year employee who served as assistant superintendent.
The Sycamore school board on July 21 approved the resignation of Nicole Stuckert, the district’s superintendent of finance, who’s been with the district since 2013.
As a result, Stuckert will receive a one-time payment of $166,765 (based on a portion of her salary, banked time off and insurance premiums) from Sycamore schools, according to district documents.
The Sycamore school board renewed Stuckert’s contract, which ran through July 1, 2028, on March 3, district documents show. She was poised to be paid $179,127 for the 2026-27 school year.
Nick Reineck, Sycamore’s assistant superintendent for human services, wrote to the school board on the day of the meeting, explaining Stuckert’s resignation.
“Earlier this year, the district began the process of reorganizing administrative structures and building strategic capacity and systemic cohesion for district operations,” Reineck wrote. “During this process, Mrs. Stuckert requested to begin discussions regarding an agreement to conclude her employment with the district.”
School board president Michael DeVito thanked Reineck for the letter. Neither DeVito nor any other board members elaborated on Stuckert’s resignation during public discussion.
During the June 23 school board meeting, Garrick Grizzafi – named the interim director of finance on June 9 – said Stuckert was on leave. District officials declined to say what kind of leave Stuckert was on when asked, citing board policy that prevents commenting on personnel matters.
Grizaffi and Mike Andreshak, with Transformational Business Services, are currently serving as interim finance directors, district documents show.
Shaw Local reached out to Stuckert;
her out-of-office email said she was away until July 21 – the date of the school board meeting.
At the start of the meeting, multiple Sycamore residents spoke critically about the district’s administrative restructuring.
Shane Dukes, whose child went through Sycamore schools, alleged that he’s heard from multiple teachers who told him they’re concerned by the hiring of the district’s first chief operating and academic officers.
“It concerns me because they’re reaching out to me because they’re afraid of reprisal of them speaking out against this,” Dukes said. “No idea if that would be true or not, but it’s there.”
The Sycamore teachers’ union previously told Shaw Local that union members had repeatedly asked the district for more administrative support at the building level. Sycamore Education Association president said at the time the union was hopeful the new executive-level administrative positions “would provide meaningful support” to teachers.
New district COO Jeremy Bell, hired June 9, will make $187,500 for the 2026-27 school year, district documents show.
The district’s first chief academic officer, Maurice Davis, was hired on June 16. He’s expected to make $157,000.
The creation of those positions came at the behest of Superintendent Kristen Campbell, who was hired in January. She began working for the district in March after the school board and former Superintendent Steve Wilder agreed to a mutual separation in August 2025. Campbell previously said the new positions are meant to “maximize support” for district educators.
Former School Board member Kris Wrenn also spoke July 21 against the board’s recent actions.
“Part of your position here is to remember who elected you and who you represent,” Wrenn said. “And if you’re not willing to have the conversations, it makes me wonder about all the other work you’re doing here.”
Jennifer Bastian, a Sycamore schools substitute teacher, said she thinks the board should focus on aging facilities.
“How can the board justify hiring pricey new administrative roles while neglecting student safety, broken doors and dangerous equipment at our schools?” Bastian said.
DeVito thanked public commenters
for their time. He didn’t speak to their complaints, although it’s not typical for elected officials to address speakers during a meeting’s public comment period.
Noe Escamilla, who also spoke at the June 21 meeting, said the questions he asked of the board then – about administrative expansion – still haven’t been answered as of July 21.
“I still don’t have any answers. Our community still don’t have any answers,” Escamilla said. “We have a surplus. We have an interim treasurer who’s making $1,000 a day. In 20 days, that person is what an aid makes for an entire year starting out at Sycamore. Let that sink in.”
Wrenn said she’s also not heard from any board member after voicing her thoughts.
“I also am concerned because so much of our previous administration has left, for a variety of reasons,” Wrenn said. “It just makes me really wonder about the work you’re doing here, or if you’re being clear or concise, transparent, honest about the work that’s happening, because obviously your community doesn’t get it. And that’s really unfortunate.”
Camden Lazenby file photo
Assistant Superintendent for Business Services Nicole Stuckert, seen March 14, 2023, submitted a resignation that was approved by the Sycamore school board on July 21.
Social service agencies commit to supporting the homeless despite DeKalb ordinance debate
By MEGANN HORSTEAD mhorstead@shawmedia.com
Some leaders of social service agencies serving those experiencing homelessness said they remain committed to their work regardless of the outcome of a recent DeKalb city debate over a now-tabled ordinance that would have fined those found sleeping or camping in public.
It all came to a head after a man, who authorities said was homeless, was charged July 2 after three women were sexually and physically assaulted downtown at multiple places, including the DeKalb Public Library and DeKalb Farmers Market, court records show. The man remains detained at DeKalb County jail pending trial.
At a recent DeKalb City Council meeting, up for consideration was a controversial ordinance that would have required those found sleeping or camping in public to pay a fine.
Before the meeting began, however, the Council tabled a vote without indication of whether it would return for future consideration.
Hope Haven of DeKalb County Executive Director Lesly Wicks said business is operating as usual at the homeless shelter.
“Whether a ‘no camping’ ban is passed or not, Hope Haven will continue our work as usual,” Wicks said. “For those living outside, we offer food, showers, hygiene supplies, case management, etc. when requested. There is no judgment. If someone needs help, we help them. For over 36 years, and with the amazing support from this community, Hope Haven has helped thousands of unhoused individuals and families find a home.”
Wicks and other social service agencies stressed that there are existing resources already available for those in need in the community.
Hope Haven, Family Service Agency of DeKalb County and the DeKalb County Mental Health Board are among agencies on the Northern Illinois Homeless Coalition.
Dozens of community members attended the July 13 City Council meeting. Many offered public comments criticizing the city for proposing punitive measures against people with no shelter, arguing doing so could contribute to neg-
nity. The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of DeKalb has operated a pop-up overnight shelter in winter months for those in need.
Elisa Curl Woodruff, of the UUCD, urged the City Council not to adopt the proposed fines.
“We recognize that homelessness presents real challenges for our city,” Woodruff said at the meeting. “We know there are concerns about public safety, neighborhoods, businesses and public spaces. These concerns deserve thoughtful attention, but we believe it is important to remember that being unhoused is not a crime. It is a tragedy.”
Woodruff said she and her fellow congregants know all too well that compassion is key to ensuring humane practices.
“Over the last three years, our congregation has worked closely with persons experiencing homelessness through our overnight warming center,” she said. “We have come to know them not as statistics or problems to be solved, but as human beings.”
Madeline DiNatale, who said she’s been homeless in the past, said the city needs to change its approach to the matter.
ative stigma surrounding homelessness. Some council members said they also opposed the proposed fines, but emphasized the city’s need to balance public safety with aiding people who are homeless.
DeKalb County Community Mental Health Board Executive Director Deanna Cada stressed that nothing has changed since the City Council tabled its vote.
“We are committed to our mission regardless of the outcome of the proposed City of DeKalb ordinance,“ Cada said.
“What we can speak to is the work: As the Executive Director of the [board], I continue to serve on the City of DeKalb’s homelessness ad hoc working group, where the focus stays on compassionate, evidence-based ways to help our unhoused neighbors — and that work continues regardless of the Council’s outcome.”
Barnes previously said the decision to table a vote was made before the City Council meeting started, citing “a lot of the feedback” received by council and members of the public.
The proposed ordinance would have
created a new section of city code about public safety and outlawed what officials are calling “public camping,” documents show.
The city had said that the proposal was meant to abate potential violent behavior.
Some alleged in the meeting’s discussion that homeless shelters in town are often full and have no beds available at times to serve those in need. In addition to Hope Haven, the Family Service Agency operates a shelter for homeless area youth.
Wicks tried to address the concerns.
“Hope Haven sometimes has a waiting list,” Wicks said. “When we do, we ask if there is a temporary option. If so, we collect their information and contact them when a bed is open. If someone has nowhere to go, we put up a temporary cot. We have a required capacity count, but in an emergency we will exceed that number.”
Public reacts
Other groups also have attempted to aid those without shelter in the commu-
“We should invest in more resources to help people who can’t afford shelter,” DiNatale said. “We should consider holding landlords in DeKalb to higher standards.”
On July 4, a balcony collapsed outside an apartment building along Normal Road in DeKalb, forcing some residents to be displaced. Four apartments were condemned because of the damage, Fire Chief Luke Howieson previously said. He said authorities believed the damage was because of the building’s age.
“The city of DeKalb should look into supporting more developments that create safe and affordable housing for students and residents rather than building more luxury apartments and parking lots,” DiNatale said.
Offering a lengthy comment during his report at the tail end of the meeting, City Manager Bill Nicklas said he believes everyone needs to work together.
“It’s not just a city government problem; it’s every agency person that deals with the homeless,” Nicklas said. ”Every person in the room tonight has a responsibility, if they’re a citizen of DeKalb, to be part of the solution.”
Mark Busch file photo
DeKalb Mayor Cohen Barnes (top) talks to 7th Ward Alderman John Walker on July 13 during a discussion about a potential ordinance prohibiting public camping during the DeKalb City Council meeting at the library.
